Homeward Through Wind and Snow at Night

[Intro]

[Verse 1]

I have walked the mountain road all day

The sun drops beyond the mountains, and sends no further word

Dark green mountains press upon one another, layer after layer

The longer I look，the farther the road and deeper the mountains seem

The pack on my shoulders has grown cold

My spirits are nearly spent too

[Pre-Chorus]

Luckily there is a house in the mountain hollow

The humble white house finds shelter in the cold

[Chorus]

Beyond the brushwood gate, dogs bark again and again

Through wind and snow, someone returns

At dusk, the blue-green mountains stretch into solemn distance

In the bitter cold, the humble house is poor too

A lamp burns dimly in the room

So dim it puts the heart at ease

[Verse 2]

I knock and the brushwood gate opens

The dog's bark is friendlier even than a person's greeting

The host invites me inside to warm by the fire

Firewood burns briskly in the hearth

Plain tea and a dish of simple food

Offering all my heartfelt hospitality

[Pre-Chorus]

At midnight the wind grows louder

Snow beats the brushwood gate more tightly shut

[Chorus]

Beyond the brushwood gate, dogs bark again and again

Through wind and snow, someone returns

At dusk, the blue-green mountains stretch into solemn distance

In the bitter cold, the humble house is poor too

A lamp burns dimly in the room

So dim it puts the heart at ease

[Instrumental]

[Verse 3]

The dog barks again in the middle of the night

This time the call is eager and excited

The door latch makes a sound

The person coming in is covered in traces of snow

It is the owner's son

Hurrying through the night from the foot of the mountain back to the village

[Bridge]

He rubs his hands and warms them by the fire

Telling of the fright along the mountain road

The whole family gathers around him

The lamp's flowering wick lights this moment of reunion

I, a traveler lodging here for the night

As I keep watching, my eyes grow moist too

It turns out, however fierce the wind and snow

There is always a lamp, keeping its warmth for someone coming home

[Verse 4]

The next day, the snow stopped

The mountain is lit with a pale coating of silver

I bid this family farewell

Stitch gratitude into my lapel

Far along the road I turn to look back

That wisp of cooking smoke still carries a body's warmth

[Final Chorus]

Beyond the brushwood gate, dogs bark again and again

Through wind and snow, someone returns

At dusk, the blue-green mountains stretch into solemn distance

In the bitter cold, the humble house is poor too

A lamp burns dimly in the room

So dim it puts the heart at ease

[Outro]

At dusk, the dark mountains will still lie far away

And someone returning home through wind and snow