Hard frost and sunshine – a day of pleasure!
You are still drowsy at your leisure –
It’s time, my beauty, ope your eyes!
Let you get free of blissful dreaming,
To meet the North Aurora, deeming
The Star of North, let you arise!
Last eve the blizzard howled angry,
The ghostly sky struck all and sundry,
The vapid moon was scarcely seen
Among dark drear clouds drifting;
Your mood was cheerlessly shifting -
Look now – what a change has been!
Under a bright blue vault of heaven
Like a beautiful carpet, soft and even,
The snow glitters in sunlight;
Transparent woods are soly dark,
The firs through hoarfrost nicely sparkle
And under ice brooks' torrents slide.
With amber light the entire room
Is being lit up. What a boon
Is a merry crackle of the stove’s flame.
How swell to ponder near a fire!
But listen, wouldn’t we desire
To ride in our open sleigh?
While sliding over morning snow
Be drawn into a run in tow
Of an impatient mare, trotting hard?
And visit fields that now are empty,
And woods – a recent horn of plenty,
The bank too dear to my heart.
1829