This night the sea cannot relax,
A foam is floating in the air,
And hitting rocks in wild attacks,
The waves are breaking their curved backs,
And, from a high, at this I stare.

I’m sorry for the dead at heart,
But take good care to keep apart.

The waves are furious and upset,
They wail with pain and indignation —
They want to live but die instead,
It’s such a shame that they fall dead
When almost reach their destination!

I’m sorry for the dead at heart,
But take good care to keep apart.

The wind again assails and tears
The manes of foam with senseless ardor.
This hurdle the waves will never clear —
A foot will slip, the horse will scream —
And with the white foam she’ll be covered.

And some will mourn for her at heart,
But take good care to keep apart.

My turn will follow theirs, I know:
I’m being pushed towards the border.
A presage lacerates my soul —
I’ll break my back close to my goal;
There’s someone who won’t stop at murder.

And some will mourn for me at heart,
But take good care to keep apart.

Thus many people choose to stay
Upon the shore — they just grow older
Intently studying the way
The others struggle in the surf play,
And break their backs and necks on boulders.

They’re sorry for the dead at heart,
But take good care to keep apart.

But at the darkish ocean floor,
Where whales inhabit secret hollows,
A monstrous billow will be born —
It’ll rise up and o’erspread the shore,
And the observers will be swallowed.

That time I’ll mourn for them at heart,
But take good care to keep apart.