Nearness of the Beloved by Johann Wolfgang Goethe

I think of you when the shimmering sea waves

Shine bright on me;

I think of you when the moon's resplendent rays

Light up each stream.

I see you when from out the distant path

Dust is rising;

When in the depths of night, I see a stranger,

Bare—shivering.

I hear you when the tranquil seas glisten

With rising tides.

In the quiet grove I often go to listen,

Where peace abides.

I am with you, despite how distant, however far—

I know you're near.

The sun will set, and soon I'll behold each star—

If only you were here.

Translation © David B. Gosselin