Strings in the earth and air
Make music sweet;
Strings by the rivers where
The willows meet.
There ´s music along the river
Form love wander there,
Pale flowers on his mantle
Dark leaves on his hair.
All softly playing,
with head to the music bent,
And fingers straying
Upon an instrument
The twilight turn from amethyst
To deep and deeper blue,
The lamp fills with a pale green glow
The trees of an avenue
The old piano plays an air,
Sedate and slow and gay
She bends upon the yellow keys
Her head inclines this way
Shy thoughts and grave wide eyes and hands
That wander as the list –
The twilight turns to darker blue
With lights of amethyst
At that hour when all things have repose,
O lonely watcher of the skies,
Do you hear the night wind and the sighs
Of harps playing unto love to unclose
The pale gates of sunrise
When all things repose do you alone
Awake to hear the sweet harps play
To love before him on his way,
And the nightwind answer in antiphon
Till night is overgone?
Play on, invisible harps, unto love
At that hour when soft lights come and go,
Soft sweet music in the air above
And in the air below.
When shy stars goes forth in heaven
All maidenly, disconsolate,
Hear you amid the drowsy even
One who is singing b our gate.
His song is softer than the dew
And his come is to visit you.
O bend no more in revery
When he at eventide is calling
Nor muse: Who ma this singer be
Whose song about m heart is falling?
Know you by this, the lover ´s chant,
`Tis I that am your visitant.