HEINRICH HEINE - Repositories

120 J^eme*
QUESTIONS.
Beside the sea, the desolate, dark sea.
Amid the gloom of night, a youth there
stands;
His head is full of doubts, of grief his
heart;
With sullen lips he questions the wile
waves.
" Oh, solve for me the riddle of thii
life,
The old, tormenting riddle of all time.
Whereon so many heads have though
and dreamed.
Yes, heads with hieroglyphic signi
adorned.
Heads clothed in turbans, andinstudents
caps.
Heads wearing wigs and thousane
other such
Poor, weary, puzzled, hard-worked hu
man heads —
Oh tell me, what man is and whence h
comes —
W^hither he goes — and who they b
that dwell
So far above us on the golden stars."
The wild waves murmur their eterna
song.
And clouds fly fast before the whispei
ing wind —
The stars shine on, indifferent an
cold —
And a fool waits for an answer.