The Mysterious Visitor

Spirit, lovely guest, who are you?
    Whence have you flown down to us?
Taciturn and without a sound
    Why have you abandoned us?
Where are you? Where is your dwelling?
    What are you, where did you go?
Why did you appear,
    Heavenly, upon the Earth?

Mayhap you are youthful Hope,
    Who arrives from time to time
Cloaked in magic
    From a land unknown?
Merciless as Hope,
    Sweetest joy you show us
For a moment, then
    Take it back and fly away.

Was it Love that you enacted
    For us all in mystery? . . .
Days of love, when one beloved
    Rendered this world beautiful
Ah! then, sighted through the veil
    Earth did seem unearthly...
Now the veil has lifted; Love is gone;
    Life is empty, joy - a dream.

Was it Thought, enchanting
    You embodied for us here?
Far removed from every worry,
    With a dreamy finger pointing
To her lips, she sallies forth
    Just like you, from time to time,
Ushers us without a sound
    Back to bygone days.

Or within you dwells the sacred spirit
    Of Dame Poetry? . . .
Just like you, she came from Heaven
    Veiling us twofold:
Using azure for the skies,
    And clear white for earth;
What lies near is lovely through her;
    All that's distant - known.

Or perhaps 'twas premonition
    That descended in your guise
And to us with clarity described
    All that's sacred and divine?
Thus it often happens in this life:
    Something brilliant flies to meet us,
Raises up the veil
    And then beckons us beyond.

Таин&# 1089;твенны&# 1081; Посетит ель

Кто ты, призрак, гость прекрас ный?
К нам откуда прилета л?
Безот&# 1074;етно и безглас но
Для чего от нас пропал?
&# 1043;де ты? Где твое селенье ?
Что с тобой? Куда исчез?
И зачем твое явленье
В поднебе сную с небес?

i 3;е Надежда ль ты младая,
&# 1055;риходя&# 1097;ая порой
И
079; неведом ого края
По
076; волшебн ой пеленой ?
Как она, неумоли мо
Радо
089;ть милую на час
Пок
072;зал ты, с нею мимо
Пр
086;летел и бросил нас.

Не Любовь ли нам собою
Т
072;йно ты изобраз ил?..
Дни любви, когда одною
М
080;р для нас прекрас ен был,
Ах! тогда сквозь покрыва ло
Незе
084;ным казался о