Court and Lady’s Magazine/Volume 3/June 1839/The Wood Gypsy’s Night Song

by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

For other English-language translations of this work, see Gypsy Song.

THE WOOD GIPSY’S NIGHT SONG,
BY GOETHE.

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Where the fog broods lowest, where the snow drifts highest,
In the wild woods’ depth at night I lie,
Listening the wolf-cubs’ hunger-howl
Mocking the owlet’s boding cry!
Singing—Willi, wau, wau, wau!
Willi, wo, wo, wo!
Wito hu!

I caught a witche’s cat one eve
In the hedge snares I laid for pillage,
That night seven wehr-wolves came round me,
They were seven seven wives from the village,^[1]
Crying—Willi, wau, wau, wau!
Willi, wo, wo, wo!
Wito hu!

I knew them all, I knew them well!
There was Madge, Urse, Eve, and Libby;
There was Kate; there was Ruth; there was Barbara;
And they all came ramping round me,
Crying—Willi, wau, wau, wau!
Willi, wo, wo, wo!
Wito hu!

I shouted out their names aloud;
“What would’st thou, Madge, what wouldst thou say?”
They shudder’d for fear at the sound of their names,
And fled hurtling^[2] and howling away!
Crying—Willi, wau, wau, wau!
Willi, wo, wo, wo!
Wito hu!

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1. Original—Waren sieben sieben weiber vom Dorf.
2. This Shaksperian word seems derived from the German; it means a swift noisy flight.