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Eating flesh, and bones devouring,

To the wind their hair abandoning,

And their tresses wildly tossing,

To the wind of springtime gives them.

“Weep thou, weep thou, youthful maiden,

When thou weepest, weep thou sorely.

Weep thyself of tears a handful,

Fill thy fists with tears of longing,

Drop them in thy father’s dwelling,

Pools of tears upon the flooring,

Till the room itself is flooded,

And above the floor in billows!

If thou weepest yet not freely

Thou shalt weep when thou returnest,

When to father’s house thou comest.

And shalt find thy aged father

Suffocated in the bathroom,

’Neath his arm a dried-up bath-whisk.

“Weep thou, weep thou, youthful maiden,

When thou weepest, weep thou sorely;

If thou weepest not yet freely,

Thou shalt weep when thou returnest,

When to mother’s house thou comest,

And thou find’st thy aged mother

Suffocated in the cowshed,

In her dying lap a straw-sheaf.

“Weep thou, weep thou, youthful maiden,

When thou weepest, weep thou sorely.

If thou weepest yet not freely,

Thou shalt weep when thou returnest,

When to this same house thou comest,

And thou find’st thy rosy brother

Fallen in the porch before it,

In the courtyard helpless fallen.

“Weep thou, weep thou, youthful maiden,

When thou weepest, weep thou sorely.

If thou weepest yet not freely,

Thou shalt weep when thou returnest,

When to this same house thou comest,

And thou find’st thy gentle sister