Forest

Forest, O my forest dear
What dost thou so lonesome here
For since I have seen thee last
Many weary years have past
And since I have gone away
In the world I much did stray
O, I do as in the past
Listen to the winter's blast
Which my branches tears and breaks
Chains with ice my streams and lakes
On my paths snow-hills will lay
All my songsters drives away
And I do, as long ago
Listen when the women go
Singing their old doina song
As they walk the path along
To the fountain, where they still
Come their water pails to fill
Forest dear with quiet streams
All in this world flowing seems
Time goes past, but only thou
Still art young and younger now
What is time, when every night
Shines for me the stars' still light
Be the weather good or bad
Be it sunny, be it sad
Winds through rustling leaves still blow
And the Danube's waters flow
Man alone is wavering
Changeable and wandering
While we all the same remain
Mountains, rivers, the great main
As we were so we abide
This great world with deserts wide
Sun, moon, stars, eternal things
And the forest with its springs