An old man, travelling a long highway,

Came at the evening, cold and grey,

To a chasm vast and deep and wide.

 The old man crossed in the twilight dim,

The sullen stream had no fear for him;

But he turned when safe on the other side,

And built a bridge to span the tide.

 "Old man", cried a fellow pilgrim near,

"You are wasting your strength when building here       

Your journey will end with the ending day;

You never again will pass this way.

You've crossed the chasm, deep and wide,

Why build you this bridge at eventide?"

 The builder lifted his old, grey head;

"Good friend, in the path I have come," he said,

"There follows after me to-day,

A youth whose feet must pass this way.

 This chasm, that has been as naught to me, 

To that fair-haired youth may a pitfall be;

He, too, must cross in the twilight dim – 
Good friend, I have built this bridge for him."