CXXIII
Sighing at the Approach of Evening
She
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Evening! Bless thee, but who calleth thee Evening? Thou art really the hour that devoureth the lives of the wedded ones!
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Thou lookest melancholy and pale, O Eventide! Pray, tell me, dear, is thy lover also cruel even as mine?
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The dewy evening hour that once used to come trembling and sighing before me, now advanceth boldly, bringing nought but grief and despair unto my heart.
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When the beloved is away, evening approacheth even as the executioner advancing to the execution-ground.
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What is the kindness that I had done to the morning hour? and how have I injured eventide?65
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Alack the day! I never knew the sting of the evening so long as my beloved was by my side.
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This sickness buddeth in the morning, goeth on opening its petals the livelong day, and standeth full-blown at eventide.
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They call it the pipe of the shepherd, but verily it is a murderous weapon to me: for it ushereth in the evening that burneth me so.
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If evening that hath already driven me mad should advance any further, the whole town will be shrouded in sorrow before long, for I shall simply die.
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The life which is yet clinging on to me will soon depart: for eventide recalleth to me the image of him who is mad after wealth.