Der Nachtwächter (The Night Watchman)
Steps upon the cobblestone,
With echoes in the air,
The watchman walks,
As midnight stalks,
His lantern like a flare.
The mediaeval buildings,
Standing stately and serene,
The shadows deep,
In midnight’s keep,
The moon in silver sheen.
The circuit is circuitous,
His steps a metronome,
The cloak of black,
Austere and slack,
The witching hour his home.
Behind the church and past the bridge,
In vigilance and care,
His vision keen,
In this routine,
A ghost in frosty air.
The sundry sparrows dance aside,
As steps encroach and pass,
The figure stern,
As planets turn,
In nighttime’s deep morass.
Again, the streets kept free of crime,
His looming figure bold,
Through mist or sleet,
Committed feet,
With standards to uphold.
Miscreancy conquered dead,
In mindfulness devout,
The watchman’s lap,
To crime entrap,
With steeliness and clout.
This artwork is Der Nachtwächter (The Night Watchman) by the prominent German Romantic painter Carl Spitzweg (1808–1885), known for his humorous and atmospheric genre scenes.
adamdaniel 