Freiherr von Joseph Eichendorff
German
The story begins with a young man, the son of a miller, who is urged by his father to leave home and make his own way in the world. Content with his simple life and skilled at playing the violin, he readily accepts this advice and sets off on his journey with a light heart and his beloved instrument. He encounters a traveling carriage carrying two ladies. Intrigued, he joins them, and they inform him they are also traveling to Vienna. During the journey, he reflects on his homeland and drifts off to sleep. He awakens to find himself at a magnificent castle, where he is mistaken for a gardener's boy and offered a position. Despite his initial confusion and lack of worldly experience, he accepts, finding a new, albeit busy, life tending to the castle gardens. He secretly harbors a romantic fascination for one of the ladies, the beautiful mistress of the castle, often observing her from afar. One evening, she sends him wine, a gesture that deeply affects him. He continues his duties, but his thoughts are consumed by the lady. One day, while hiding to observe her, he sneezes, revealing his presence, which leads him to avoid her for a time. He notices another lady, the mistress's companion, who seems to notice him as well. Later, during a boat ride with the castle's inhabitants, he is asked to sing. He sings a song about a beautiful lady, confessing his unrequited love, which deeply moves him and leads him to weep, feeling his own insignificance. He eventually leaves the castle, disillusioned, and wanders through the countryside, encountering various characters and situations that test his resolve and understanding of the world. He finds himself in Italy, where he is drawn into a series of misunderstandings and romantic entanglements, often involving mistaken identities and his own naive pursuit of love and fortune. He meets painters, a countess, and finds himself entangled in a dramatic plot involving a stolen heart. Throughout his travels, his love for music and his innate optimism guide him. After many adventures, including being mistaken for a bridegroom and navigating complex social situations, he eventually returns home, not as the failed miller's son, but as a more worldly and confident individual. He finds that his childhood sweetheart, whom he had thought was married to another, is actually unmarried and in love with him. Their reunion signifies the end of his wanderings and the beginning of a new, happy chapter, finding fulfillment not in riches or grand adventures, but in love and a renewed appreciation for his home and his music.
