Meeresstille (English)

Calm at sea! The sun is throwing

Great long beams upon the water,

And the ship ploughs through the furrows,

Through a sea of tossing jewels.



And the bosun on his belly

Softly snores beside the tiller;

While a shrinking, tar-smeared ship's boy

Patches sail beside the foremast.



Underneath the dirt, his cheeks are

Reddening slowly; fear or sorrow

Makes his broad mouth twitch and tremble

And his large, deep eyes are troubled.



For the Captain stands before him,

Storms and swears and scolds him: "Rascal!

Rascal! You've been at the barrel.

Rascal! You have stolen a herring!"



But a sea-gull, from high spaces,

Shoots down on the giddy spratling;

And, her prey held in her talons,

Back into the blue she circles.