Goethe’s Works, vol. 1 (Poems) [1885] Editor: Hjalmar Hjorth Boyesen
MAY SONG HOW fair doth Nature Appear again! How bright the sunbeams! How smiles the plain! The flowers are bursting From ev’ry bough, And thousand voices Each bush yields now. And joy and gladness Fill ev’ry breast: O earth!—O sunlight! Oh, rapture bless’d! O love! O lov’d one! As golden bright, As clouds of morning On yonder height!
Thou blessest gladly The smiling field,— The world in fragrant Vapor conceal’d. Oh, maiden, maiden, How love I thee! Thine eye, how gleams it! How lov’st thou me! The blithe lark loveth Sweet song and air,
The morning floweret Heav’n’s incense fair, As I now love thee With fond desire, For thou dost give me Youth, joy and fire, For new-born dances And minstrelsy. Be ever happy, As thou lov’st me! 1771 NEW LOVE, NEW LIFE HEART! my heart! what means this feeling? What oppresseth thee so sore? What strange life is o’er me stealing! I acknowledge thee no more. Fled is all that gave thee gladness, Fled the cause of all thy sadness, Fled thy peace, thine industry— Ah, why suffer it to be? Say, do beauty’s graces youthful, Does this form so fair and bright, Does this gaze, so kind, so truthful, Chain thee with unceasing might? Would I tear me from her boldly, Courage take, and fly her coldly, Back to her I’m forthwith led By the path I seek to tread. By a thread I ne’er can sever, For ’tis ’twin’d with magic skill, Doth the cruel maid forever Hold me fast against my will. While those magic chains confine me, To her will I must resign me. Ah, the change in truth is great! Love! kind love! release me straight! 1775
ON THE LAKE I DRINK fresh nourishment, new blood From out this world more free; The Nature is so kind and good That to her breast clasps me! The billows toss our bark on high, And with our oars keep time, While cloudy mountains tow’rd the sky Before our progress climb. Say, mine eye, why sink’st thou down? Golden visions, are ye flown? Hence, thou dream, tho’ golden-twin’d; Here, too, love and life I find.
Over the waters are blinking Many a thousand fair star; Gentle mists are drinking Round the horizon afar. Round the shady creek lightly Morning zephyrs awake, And the ripen’d fruit brightly Mirrors itself in the lake. 1775
RESTLESS LOVE THROUGH rain, through snow, Through tempest go! ’Mongst steaming caves, O’er misty waves, On, on! still on! Peace, rest have flown! Sooner through sadness I’d wish to be slain, Than all the gladness Of life to sustain; All the fond yearning That heart feels for heart, Only seems burning To make them both smart! How shall I fly? Forestwards hie? Vain were all strife! Bright crown of life, Turbulent bliss,— Love, thou art this!
COURAGE CARELESSLY over the plain away, Where by the boldest man no path Cut before thee thou canst discern, Make for thyself a path! Silence, lov’d one, my heart! Cracking, let it not break! Breaking, break not with thee! 1775-1776 GENERAL CONFESSION IN this noble ring to-day Let my warning shame ye! Listen to my solemn voice,— Seldom does it name ye. Many a thing have ye intended, Many a thing have badly ended, And now I must blame ye. At some moment in our lives We must all repent us! So confess, with pious trust, All your sins momentous! Error’s crooked pathways shunning, Let us, on the straight road running, Honestly content us! Yes! we’ve oft, when waking, dream’d, Let’s confess it rightly; Left undrain’d the brimming cup, When it sparkl’d brightly; Many a shepherd’s-hour’s soft blisses, Many a dear mouth’s flying kisses We’ve neglected lightly. Mute and silent have we sat, Whilst the blockheads prated, And above e’en song divine Have their babblings rated; To account we’ve even call’d us For the moments that enthrall’d us, With enjoyment freighted. If thou’lt absolution grant To thy true ones ever, We, to execute thy will, Ceaseless will endeavor, From half-measures strive to wean us, Wholly, fairly, well demean us, Resting, flagging never. At all blockheads we’ll at once Let our laugh ring clearly, And the pearly-foaming wine Never sip at merely. Ne’er with eye alone give kisses, But with boldness suck in blisses From those lips lov’d dearly. 1802
VANITAS! VANITATUM VANITAS! MY trust in nothing now is plac’d, Hurrah! So in the world true joy I taste, Hurrah! Then he who would be a comrade of mine Must rattle his glass, and in chorus combine, Over these dregs of wine. I plac’d my trust in gold and wealth, Hurrah! But then I lost all joy and health, Lack-a-day! Both here and there the money roll’d, And when I had it here, behold, From there had fled the gold! I plac’d my trust in women next, Hurrah! But there in truth was sorely vex’d, Lack-a-day! The False another portion sought, The True with tediousness were fraught, The Best could not be bought. My trust in travels then I plac’d, Hurrah! And left my native land in haste, Lack-a-day! But not a single thing seem’d good, The beds were bad, and strange the food, And I not understood. I plac’d my trust in rank and fame, Hurrah! Another put me straight to shame, Lack-a-day! And as I had been prominent, All scowl’d upon me as I went, I found not one content. I plac’d my trust in war and fight, Hurrah! We gain’d full many a triumph bright, Hurrah! Into the foeman’s land we cross’d, We put our friends to equal cost, And there a leg I lost. My trust is plac’d in nothing now, Hurrah! At my command the world must bow, Hurrah! And as we’ve ended feast and strain, The cup we’ll to the bottom drain; No dregs must there remain! 1806
FOUND ONCE through the forest Alone I went; To seek for nothing My thoughts were bent. I saw in the shadow A flower stand there; As stars it glisten’d, As eyes ’twas fair.
I sought to pluck it,— It gently said: “Shall I be gather’d Only to fade?” With all its roots I dug it with care, And took it home To my garden fair. In silent corner Soon it was set; There grows it ever, There blooms it yet. 1813
IT WAS SHE YES, the lips that kiss’d me were her lips, Hers the eyes that shone upon me. Body round and slender hips,— All of Eden’s joyance won me. Was she there? where has she fled? Yes! ’twas she, my soul enraptur’d, Gave me life, and as she sped Held my life forever captur’d. 1814-1818
FIVE THINGS WHAT makes time short to me? Activity! What makes it long and spiritless? ’Tis idleness! What brings us to debt? To delay and forget! What makes us succeed? Decision with speed! How to fame to ascend? Oneself to defend! For woman due allowance make! Form’d of a crooked rib was she,— By Heaven she could not straight’ned be. Attempt to bend her, and she’ll break; If left alone, more crooked grows madam; What well could be worse, For woman due allowance make; ’Twere grievous, if thy rib should break! 1814-1818 |
Source: oll.libertyfund.org