Works of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Page 251
But on his homeward course how many know I not;
Meanwhile how fares it here where stands the lofty house
Of Tyndarus? How fares it with the region round?
Helena.
Is then reproach in thee so thoroughly ingraft,
That, save to utter blame, thy lips thou canst not move?
Phorkyas.
Thus stood, for many years, forlorn the sloping ridge
That northwards to the height rises in Sparta’s rear,
Behind Taygetus, whence, still a merry brook,
Downward Eurotas rolls, and then, along our vale,
Broad-flowing among reeds, gives nurture to your swans.
There in the mountain-vale, behind, a stalwart race
Themselves establish’d, pressing from Cimmerian night,
And have uprear’d a fastness, inaccessible,
Whence land and folk around they harry, as they list.
Helena.
This could they then achieve? Impossible it seems.
Phorkyas.
They ample time have had; haply, some twenty years.
Helena.
Is one the lord? Are they a numerous robber-horde?
Phorkyas.
Not robbers are they, yet is one among them lord.
Of him I speak no blame, though once he sought me here;
He might have taken all, yet did content himself
With some few things — which he free-gifts, not tribute, nam’d.
Helena.
And what his mien?
Phorkyas.
Nowise amiss! He pleases me.
A cheerful man he is, courageous, and wellbuilt,
With understanding dower’d, as few among the Greeks.
As barbarous we brand the race, but yet, methinks,
So savage none can be as heroes, not a few,
Who man-devouring pests at Ilion show’d themselves.
His greatness I respect; did trust myself to him.
His fortress! That should ye with your own eyes behold!
’Tis something different from clumsy masonwork
The which your fathers have aloft, at random, pil’d,
Cyclopean like the Cyclops, one unwieldy stone
On stone unwieldy hurling! There quite otherwise,
Upright and level, all is fix’d by square and rule.
Gaze on it from without; upward it strives toward heaven,
So straight, so well adjusted, mirror-smooth like steel;
To clamber there, in sooth, your very thought slides down.
Within are ample courts, broad spaces girt around
With solid mason-work, of divers kinds and use;
Pillars, pilasters, arches, archlets, balconies
Are there, and galleries, for peering out and in,
And scutcheons.
Helena.
What are they?
Phorkyas.
Ajax upon his shield,
A coiled serpent bare, as ye yourselves have seen;
The seven chiefs at Thebes have figur’d emblems borne,
Each one upon his shield, significant and rich:
There moon and star were seen, on heaven’s nightly field,
There goddess, hero, ladder, weapons, torches too,
And what with violence still threatens goodly towns.
Devices of like sort beareth our hero-band,
In color’d splendor, heir’d from primal ancestors;
There lions you behold, eagles, claw too and beak,
Then horns of buffalo, wings, roses, peacocktails,
Bars also, gold and black and silver, blue and red.
Such symbols in their halls hang pendent, row on row,
In halls that know no bound, ample as is the world;
There might ye dance!
Chorus.
tell us, be there dancers there?
Phorkyas.
The best; a youthful band, blooming and golden-hair’d;
Of youth they breathe! Of yore so only Paris breath’d,
What time he to the queen approach’d too near.
Helena.
Thou fall’st
Quite from thy part! To me declare the final word.
Phorkyas.
That speakest thou; in earnest say distinctly yes!
Then with that fortress thee I’ll straightway compass.
Chorus.
Speak
That little word, and save thyself and us with thee!
Helena.
How? Shall I harbor fear, lest Menelaus should
So ruthlessly transgress as rage to wreak on me?
Phorkyas.
Hast thou forgotten how he, thy Deiphobus,
Thy slaughter’d Paris’ brother, in unheard-of guise,
Hath mangl’d, he who strove thy stubborn widowhood
To bend, and gain’d his purpose! Nose and ears he lopp’d,
And mutilated sore; ’twas horror to behold!
Helena.
That did he unto him; for my sake it was done.
Phorkyas.
And for his sake, be sure, the like he’ll do to thee.
Not to be shar’d is beauty; her who hath possess’d
Entire, destroyeth rather, cursing partnership.
[Trumpets in the distance; the Chorusshudders.
As the shrill trumpets’ blare doth ear and entrails seize,
Reading asunder, so her talons jealousy
Fixes in that man’s breast, who never can forget
What once he own’d, now lost, by him possess’d no more.
Chorus.
Hear’st thou not the horns resounding? Seest thou not the gleam of arms?
Phorkyas.
Be thou welcome! To thee, lord and monarch! gladly give I reckoning.
Chorus.
But for us?
Phorkyas.
Ye know full surely: ‘fore your eyes her death you see,
Your own death mark too within there; no, for you there is no help.
[Pause.
Helena.
I have the course devis’d, which next I will pursue.
An adverse Demon art thou, that full well I feel;
And fear thou wilt convert even the good to ill.
Nathless to yonder keep I straight will follow thee.
The rest I know: but what in her deep breast the queen
As mystery conceals, let it remain to all
A secret unreveal’d! Now, ancient one, lead on!
Chorus.
O how gladly go we hence,
Urging our footsteps:
Death in our rear;
Once more before us
Rises a fortress,
With unscalable ramparts;
Us may they shelter as well,
Even as Ilion’s keep,
Which succumb’d at last
Through contemptible craft alone!
[Mists diffuse themselves, veiling the background; also the nearer portion of the scene.
How! Sisters, how!
Sisters, gaze around!
Was it not cheerfulest day?
Mists are rising, wreathing aloft,
From Eurotas’ hallow’d stream!
Vanish’d hath the beautiful,
Sedge-becrown’d marge from the gaze;
And the free graceful swans,
Proudly, silently, floating,
Joyfully together,
See I, ah! no more!
Yet, sisters, yet!
Singing hear I them,
Singing harsh tones from afar —
Death presaging, so mortals say;
Ah, that they to us may not,
‘Stead of rescue’s promis’d weal,
Ruin dire betoken at last,
Unto us, swanlike maids,
Fair, white-throated ones, and ah!
To our queen swan-gendered!
Woe to us, woe, woe!
All itself overshrouds,
Wrapp’d in
vapor and mist:
Gaze on each other can we not!
What befalls? Do we walk?
Hover we now,
Tripping with light steps over the ground?
Seest thou naught? Floats not us before
Hermes perchance? Gleams not his golden wand,
Bidding, commanding us back to return,
Back to yon joyless realm, dusky and gray,
With intangible phantoms teeming,
The o’ercrowded, yet aye-empty Hades?
Deepens all at once the darkness. Rayless now dissolves the vapor,
Gray and murky, brown as stone-work. Walls ascend, our glances meeting,
Our free glances meeting sheer. Court is it? deep moat? or cavern?
’Tis in every case appalling! Sisters, ah, we are imprison’d,
‘Prison’d now as erst we were!
Inner Court of the Castle,
Surrounded with rich fantastic buildings of the middle ages.
Leader of the Chorus.
Foolish and overswift, true type of womankind,
Dependent on the moment, sport of every gust
Of bale or blessing! Yet not either can ye bear
With constant courage. One still fiercely contradicts
The others, crosswise she by others is gainsaid;
Only in joy and pain ye, with the self-same tone,
Or howl or laugh. Be still and hearken what the queen,
High-soul’d, may here decide both for herself and us.
Helena.
Where art thou, Pythonissa? Whatsoe’er thy name,
From out the gloomy vaults step forth of this stern keep!
Perchance, art gone to seek this wondrous hero-lord,
To herald my approach, reception kind be-speaking!
So take my thanks and quickly lead me unto him!
My wanderings I would end, repose I wish alone.
Leader of the Chorus.
Vainly thou lookest, queen, round thee on every side;
The hateful form hath vanish’d, or perchance remain’d
In yonder mist, from forth whose bosom hitherward,
We came, I wist not how, swiftly without a step;
Perchance, indeed, in doubt this labyrinth she treads,
Where many castles strangely mingle into one,
Greeting august and high demanding from its lord.
But yonder see above, where move in busy throngs,
In corridors, at casements, and through portals wide,
A crowd of menials passing, swiftly here and there;
Distinguish’d welcome this portends of honor’d guest.
Chorus.
Expands now my heart! O, yonder, behold,
How modestly downward, with lingering step,
A fair youthful throng becomingly move
In march well-appointed! Say, by whose command
Now appeareth well-train’d, and so promptly array’d,
Of blooming boyhood, the glorious race?
What admire I the most? Is it their elegant gait,
Or the tresses that curl round their dazzling white brow,
Or the twin-blooming cheeks, with the hue of the peach,
And shaded like it with soft tender down?
Fain would I bite, but I shrink back in fear;
For in similar venture, replete was the mouth,
I shudder to tell it, with ashes!
But the most beautiful
Hither are wending;
What are they bearing?
Steps for the throne,
Carpet and seat,
Hangings and tent-
Adorning gear?
Hover the folds on high,
Cloud-garlands forming
Over the head of our queen;
Lo! now invited,
Climbs she the stately couch.
Forward advancing,
Step by step, treading,
Range yourselves there!
Worthy, oh worthy, thrice worthy of her,
Be blessing on such a reception!
[All that the Chorushas indicated takes place by degrees.
(After pages and squires have descended in long procession, Faustappears above, on the steps, in knightly court costume of the middle ages; he descends slowly and with dignity.)
Leader of the Chorus.
(Attentively observing him.) If to this man the gods have not, as is their wont,
But for a season lent this wonder-worthy form,
And if his lofty grace, his love-inspiring mien,
Be not their transient gift, success will sure attend
On all he undertakes, be it in strife with men,
Or in the petty war, with fairest women wag’d.
To many others him, in sooth, I must prefer,
Others, the highly priz’d, on whom mine eyes have gaz’d.
With slow, majestic step, by reverence withheld,
The prince do I behold. Towards him turn, O queen!
Faust.
(Advancing, a man in fetters at his side.) ‘Stead of most solemn greeting, as beseemeth,
‘Stead of most reverent welcome, bring I thee,
In chains fast manacled, this varlet, who
In duty failing, wrested mine from me. —
Here bend thy knee, before this noblest dame,
To make forthwith confession of thy guilt! —
This is, exalted potentate, the man,
Of rarest vision, from the lofty tower
Appointed round to gaze, the expanse of heaven,
Keenly to overlook, and breadth of earth,
If here or yonder aught present itself,
From the encircling hills, across the vale,
Towards this fortress moving; billowy herds,
Or warlike host perchance; those we defend,
These meet in fight. To-day, what negligence!
Thou comest hither, he proclaims it not;
August reception faileth, honor due
To guest so noble. Forfeited he hath
His guilty life, and in the blood of death,
Well-merited, should lie; but thou alone
May’st punish, or show mercy, at thy pleasure.
Helena.
High as the honor thou accordest me,
As judge, as potentate, and were it but,
As I suspect, to try me — so will I
The judge’s foremost duty now fulfil,
To give the accus’d a hearing. — Therefore speak!
Lynceus,
the tower-warder.
Let me kneel and gaze upon her,
Let me live or let me die:
Pledg’d to serve, with truth and honor,
The god-given dame, am I.
Watching for the morning, gazing
Eastward for its rising, lo!
In the south, my vision dazing,
Rose the sun a wondrous show.
Neither earth nor heavenward turning,
Depth nor height my vision drew;
Thitherward I gaz’d, still yearning,
Her, the peerless one, to view.
Eyesight keen to me is granted,
Like to lynx on highest tree;
From the dream, which me enchanted,
Hard I struggled to be free.
Could I the delusion banish —
Turret — tower — barr’d gateway see?
Vapors rise, and vapors vanish;
Forward steps this deity!
Eye and heart to her I tender!
I inhale her gentle light;
Blinding all, such beauty’s splendor
Blinded my poor senses quite;
I forgot the warder’s duty,
I forgot the entrusted horn;
Threaten to destroy me — Beauty
Tameth anger, tameth scorn.
Helena.
The ill, myself occasion’d, dare I not
Chastise. Ah, woe is me! What ruthless fate
Pursues me, everywhe
re the breasts of men
So to befool, that they nor spare themselves
Nor aught that claimeth reverence. Plundering now,
Seducing, fighting, harrying here and there,
Gods, heroes, demigods, yea demons too,
Perplex’d have led me, wandering to and fro;
Singly, the world I madden’d, doubly, more;
Now threefold, fourfold, bring I woe on woe!
This guiltless man discharge, let him go free,
No shame should light upon the god-befool’d.
Faust.
Fill’d with amaze, O queen, I see at once
The unerring smiter, here the smitten one;
The bow I see, wherefrom hath sped the shaft
This man that wounded. Shaft doth follow shaft,
And me they smite. Them crosswise I perceive,
Feather’d, and whirring round through court and keep.
What am I now? Thou makest, all at once,
My trustiest, rebellious; insecure
My very walls; henceforth my hosts, I fear,
Will serve the conquering unconquer’d queen.
What now remaineth, save myself to yield,
And all I fancied mine, to thy sole sway?
Freely and truly, let me at thy feet,
Acknowledge thee as queen, who, coming here,
Hath won forthwith possession and a throne.
Lynceus.
(With a chest, followed by men bearing other chests.)
Back, queen, thou seest me once more!
One glance the rich man doth implore;
Poor as a beggar feeleth he,
Yet rich as prince — beholding thee.
What was I erst — what am I now?
What can I wish — what aim avow?
What boots it keenest sight to own?
Its glance reboundeth from thy throne!
We from the east still onward press’d,
And soon o’ermaster’d was the west;
A host of nations, long and vast —
The foremost knew not of the last;
The foremost fell; the next advance;
Ready the third with doughty lance —
Strengthen’d was each a hundredfold;
Thousands, unmark’d, lay stark and cold.
We rush’d along, we storm’d apace,
Lordship we won, from place to place;
And where to-day I sway achiev’d,
Next day another sack’d and reav’d.
Rapid the glance we took — one laid
His hand upon the fairest maid,
The steer one seiz’d of surest tread;
The horses all with us were led.
But my delight was everywhere
To peer about for things most rare;
And what another held in store,
To me was wither’d grass, no more.
On treasure’s track I onward sped,
Only by my keen insight led;
In every coffer I could see,
Transparent was each chest to me.