The red-by-nines Above the Rhine The clouds gripped of the drifting mists It was useless And who over the ruins of his life Pursued its fleeting, fluttering significance While he suffered its seeming-less meaninglessness And lived in seeming madness And who over the ruins of his life Pursued its fleeting, fluttering significance While he suffered its seeming meaninglessness And lived in seeming madness And who walked in secret the last turn of the labyrinth Ruination! The golden trail was blazed And I was reminded Of the eternal, of shipmen and their stars For a day I could breathe once more and live
And face existence Without the need to suffer torment Fear, or shame The red-by-nines Above the Rhine The clouds gripped of the drifting mists It was useless And who over the ruins of his life Pursued its fleeting, fluttering significance While he suffered its seeming-less meaninglessness And lived in seeming madness And who over the ruins of his life Pursued its fleeting, fluttering significance While he suffered its seeming meaninglessness And lived in seeming madness And who hoped in secret at the last turn of the labyrinth For revelation