European Elegies/Winter/The forest
26.THE FOREST
The forest green, the forest greenToo soon in autumn garb is seen, And down its deep aisles glancing Dead leaves are madly dancing,Till hoary winter howls aboutAnd blots the woodland beauty out.
And man's green strength must slowly dieAnd waste to grey senility, And all happiness forgotten Amid the dank leaves rotten,Till in the forest's frozen woeHis bones lie dead beneath the snow.
From the Rumanian of Dimitrie Petrino.