When he came he did so very quietly
And the old man was far away with his mind
And not even the dog woke up
It didn't bark, it stayed still

And so he though it must have been a friend
Or a swallow, or the spirit of the wolf
Or the wind, for the wind
When it comes in it's quicker than a lizard

And nothing more to lose
And nothing left to wait for
He said: "hang up your hat if you wish
And let us pretend to play."

The old folk had told him before:
He carried dice, and they were loaded
But he enchanted you with the remainder of a smile
On that face, still so young

And then he heard the wolf howling hard
And when he had already almost lost
He saw upon the moon his life
Slipping away, and fell in love with it

"I'm an useless old man
You can take something better
Give me only another day
And in exchange I'll give you my son"