Eine Frau spricht im Schlaf [English translation]

As he woke up in the middle of the night

His heart beat so hard that he got frightened

For the woman who lay beside him laughed

That it sounded as if it were Judgement Day

And he heard her voice elegise

And he felt that she was asleep nonetheless

Since they were both lying blind in the darkness

He only saw the words she called

Why don't you kill me faster?

She asked and weeped like a child

And her weeping came from that cellar

Where the dreams are walled in

How many years do you still want to hate me?

She called and lay uncannily still

Don't you want to let me live on

Because I don't want to live without you?

Her questions stood like ghosts

That are frightened of themselves

And the night was black and without windows

And didn't seem to know what was happening

He, the man in the bed, was in no laughing mood

Dreams are to be truth-loving

But he told himself: "What shall one do?"

And decided not to wake up at night again

Thereupon he fell asleep consoled