Why haltest thou here, O thou loitering one,
And why art thou looking so sad?
For they who are traveling the royal highway
Press onward with faces all glad.
Dost fear there are lions besetting the path?
Love has conquered them, once and for all;
And never a danger upon thee shall come,
Nor an evil to thee befall.
Nay, naught in the way am I fearing, kind friend,
But one who has passed me before
has told me 'tis useless to press farther on,
Because of the tightly barred door;
'And so I am wailing and wondering' here,
Uncertain which way I should go, —
Afraid to turn back to the dangers o'ercome,
Afraid to go on, till I know.
Now, wayfarer, tell me of him who thus spoke,
Did you meet him upon the highway?
For ne'er such a one have I seen, and you know
I've traveled this same road today.
Nay, just as I looked o'er the edge of the cliff
I saw him away there below;
He called to me then of the door that was shut,
And warned me no farther to go.
