Fog mantles the rooftops,
winter befalls the land.
For heavy beams, bent by ages,
it shall be the last one.
The hard life, full of pride, full of honour.
No noise gets into my ear,
merely shouts from the days of yore,
when I lost Nordheim1.
Lost!
Oh, my Nordheim, my source, my root,
why would that happen?
The warm fires of your huts
have never been seen again.
I’m standing by your grave, and I’m thinking of
how beautiful it used to be here.
Of your proud struggle for freedom,
merely moss and ferns remain.
The ancient sagas of our forefathers,
our ancestors’ legacy.
Like them2I wanted to fall for Nordheim;
the chance is long bygone.
Bygone, bygone!
Once again, the grey clouds
are rising from the woods.
Once again, I’m thinking of those days
when I lost my Nordheim…
1. Nordheim = the name of a number of different German places (literally “Home of the North”); an alternative spelling that can often be found in German is “Northeim”.2. “Them” (German “sie”) refers to the singer’s (the main character’s) forefathers.