"The Longed-for Goal"

When cool, gentle breezes blow,
quenching the flame of our cheeks that love has set ablaze,
and you circle my waist with your arm in tenderness and love,
both of us made flesh in your infatuated, ardent glances,
I lean my head upon your broad shoulder
and we climb the knoll together,
each holding the other up, my slender arm
wound about your waist — and I feel, my beloved,
that I possess the world

★

And the east wind carries to us the fragrance of flowers,
and our two souls revive; then we walk and walk — urged on
by the hope of reaching our longed-for goal.
The thorns bloody our feet and pain threatens us,
yet we go on walking with courage and faith,
to win our desire and attain the goal toward which we strive.
So we cross the lowlands and roam the valleys,
and the bride of day bends over us in tenderness,
and at times a violent gale blows and we sway
to the right and to the left — but we keep on walking,
never tiring, heedless of the obstacles around us;
we press on and on, your arm wound about my waist
to shield me from the troubles of life.
And at sunset we stand in awe, silent, bidding farewell
to the sun, our two faces clothed in its beautiful
twilight color; our glances meet, our lashes tremble
... and we go on toward our longed-for goal,
the one for whose sake we began the journey.