I know full well for what she spins, —
’Tis hope guides that dear maid.
Her leg, while her small foot treads on,
Is in my mind portray’d;
Her garter I recall anon, —
I gave it that dear maid.
Then to her lips the finest thread
Is by her hand convey’d.
Were I there only in its stead,
How I would kiss the maid!
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JOY AND SORROW.
AS a fisher-boy I far’d
To the black rock in the sea,
And, while false gifts I prepar’d,
Listen’d and sang merrily.
Down descended the decoy,
Soon a fish attack’d the bait;
One exulting shout of joy, —
And the fish was captur’d straight.
Ah! on shore, and to the wood
Past the cliffs, o’er stock and stone,
One foot’s traces I pursu’d,
And the maiden was alone.
Lips were silent, eyes downcast
As a clasp-knife snaps the bait,
With her snare she seiz’d me fast,
And the boy was captur’d straight.
Heav’n knows who’s the happy swain
That she rambles with anew!
I must dare the sea again,
Spite of wind and weather too.
When the great and little fish
Wail and flounder in my net,
Straight returns my eager wish
In her arms to revel yet!
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MARCH.
THE snow-flakes fall in showers,
The time is absent still,
When all spring’s beauteous flowers,
When all spring’s beauteous flowers,
Our hearts with joy shall fill.
With lustre false and fleeting
The sun’s bright rays are thrown;
The swallow’s self is cheating,
The swallow’s self is cheating:
And why? He comes alone!
Can I e’er feel delighted
Alone, though spring is near?
Yet when we are united,
Yet when we are united,
The summer will be here.
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ANSWERS IN A GAME OF QUESTIONS.
The Lady.
IN the small and great world too,
What most charms a woman’s heart?
It is doubtless what is new,
For its blossoms joy impart;
Nobler far is what is true,
For fresh blossoms it can shoot
Even in the time of fruit.
The Young Gentleman.
With the Nymphs in wood and cave
Paris was acquainted well,
Till Zeus sent, to make him rave,
Three of those in heav’n who dwell;
And the choice more trouble gave
Than e’er fell to mortal lot,
Whether in old times or not.
The Experienced.
Tenderly a woman view,
And thou’lt win her, take my word;
He who’s quick and saucy too,
Will of all men be preferr’d;
Who ne’er seems as if he knew
If he pleases, if he charms, —
He ’tis injures, he ’tis harms.
The Contented.
Manifold is human strife,
Human passion, human pain;
Many a blessing yet is rife,
Many pleasures still remain.
Yet the greatest bliss in life,
And the richest prize we find,
Is a good, contented mind.
The Merry Counsel.
He by whom man’s foolish will
Is each day review’d and blam’d,
Who, when others fools are still,
Is himself a fool proclaim’d, —
Ne’er at mill was beast’s back press’d
With a heavier load than he.
What I feel within my breast
That in truth’s the thing for me!
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DIFFERENT EMOTIONS ON THE SAME SPOT.
The Maiden.
I’VE seen him before me!
What rapture steals o’er me!
Oh, heavenly sight!
He’s coming to meet me;
Perplex’d, I retreat me,
With shame take to flight.
My mind seems to wander!
Ye rocks and trees yonder,
Conceal ye my rapture,
Conceal my delight!
The Youth.
’Tis here I must find her,
’Twas here she enshrin’d her,
Here vanish’d from sight.
She came, as to meet me,
Then fearing to greet me,
With shame took to flight.
Is’t hope? Do I wander?
Ye rocks and trees yonder,
Disclose ye the lov’d one,
Disclose my delight!
The Languishing.
O’er my sad fate I sorrow,
To each dewy morrow,
Veil’d here from man’s sight.
By the many mistaken,
Unknown and forsaken,
Here wing I my flight!
Compassionate spirit!
Let none ever hear it, —
Conceal my affliction,
Conceal thy delight!
The Hunter.
To-day I’m rewarded;
Rich booty’s afforded
By Fortune so bright.
My servant the pheasants
And hares fit for presents
Takes homeward at night;
Here see I enraptur’d
In nets the birds captur’d! —
Long life to the hunter!
Long live his delight!
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WHO’LL BUY GODS OF LOVE?
OF all the beauteous wares
Expos’d for sale at fairs,
None will give more delight
Than those that to your sight
From distant lands we bring.
Oh, hark to what we sing!
These beauteous birds behold,
They’re brought here to be sold.
And first the big one see,
So full of roguish glee!
With light and merry bound
He leaps upon the ground;
Then springs up on the bough.
We will not praise him now.
The merry bird behold, —
He’s brought here to be sold.
And now the small one see!
A modest look has he,
And yet he’s such another
As his big roguish brother.
’Tis chiefly when all’s still
He loves to show his will.
The bird so small and bold, —
He’s brought here to be sold.
Observe this little love,
This darling turtle dove!
All maidens are so neat,
So civil, so discreet!
Let them their charms set loose,
And turn your love to use;
The gentle bird behold, —
She’s brought here to be sold.
Their praises we won’t tell;
They’ll stand inspection well.
They’re fond of what is new, —
And yet, to show they’re true,
Nor seal nor letter’s wanted;
To all have wings been granted.
The pretty birds behold, —
Such beauties ne’e
r were sold!
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THE MISANTHROPE.
AT first awhile sits he,
With calm, unruffled brow;
His features then I see,
Distorted hideously, —
An owl’s they might be now.
What is it, askest thou?
is’t love, or is’t ennui?
’Tis both at once, I vow.
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TRUE ENJOYMENT.
VAINLY would’st thou, to gain a heart,
Heap up a maiden’s lap with gold;
The joys of love thou must impart,
Would’st thou e’er see those joys unfold.
The voices of the throng gold buys,
No single heart ‘twill win for thee;
Would’st thou a maiden make thy prize,
Thyself alone the bribe must be.
If by no sacred tie thou’rt bound,
O youth, thou must thyself restrain!
Well may true liberty be found,
Tho’ man may seem to wear a chain.
Let One alone inflame thee e’er,
And if her heart with love o’erflows,
Let tenderness unite you there,
If duty’s self no fetter knows.
First feel, O youth! A girl then find
Worthy thy choice, — let her choose thee, —
In body fair, and fair in mind,
And then thou wilt be bless’d, like me.
I who have made this art mine own,
A girl have chosen such as this;
The blessing of the priest alone
Is wanting to complete our bliss.
Nought but my rapture is her guide,
Only for me she cares to please, —
Ne’er wanton save when by my side,
And modest when the world she sees;
That time our glow may never chill,
She yields no right through frailty;
Her favor is a favor still,
And I must ever grateful be.
Yet I’m content, and full of joy,
If she’ll but grant her smile so sweet,
Or if at table she’ll employ,
To pillow hers, her lover’s feet,
Give me the apple that she bit,
The glass from which she drank, bestow,
And when my kiss so orders it,
Her bosom, veil’d till then, will show.
And when she wills of love to speak,
In fond and silent hours of bliss,
Words from her mouth are all I seek,
Nought else I crave, — not e’en a kiss.
With what a soul her mind is fraught,
Wreath’d round with charms unceasingly!
She’s perfect, — and she fails in nought,
Save in her deigning to love me.
My rev’rence throws me at her feet,
My longing throws me on her breast;
This, youth, is rapture true and sweet,
Be wise, thus seeking to be bless’d.
When death shall take thee from her side,
To join th’ angelic choir above,
In heaven’s bright mansions to abide, —
No diff’rence at the change thou’lt prove.
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HAPPINESS AND VISION.
TOGETHER at the altar we
In vision oft were seen by thee,
Thyself as bride, as bridegroom I.
Oft from thy mouth full many a kiss
In an unguarded hour of bliss
I then would steal, while none were by.
The purest rapture we then knew,
The joy those happy hours gave too,
When tasted, fled, as time fleets on.
What now avails my joy to me?
Like dreams the warmest kisses flee,
Like kisses, soon all joys are gone.
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THE FAREWELL.
LET mine eye the farewell say,
That my lips can utter ne’er;
Fain I’d be a man to-day,
Yet ’tis hard, oh, hard to bear!
Mournful in an hour like this
Is love’s sweetest pledge, I ween;
Cold upon thy mouth the kiss,
Faint thy fingers’ pressure e’en.
Oh, what rapture to my heart
Us’d each stolen kiss to bring!
As the violets joy impart,
Gather’d in the early spring.
Now no garlands I entwine,
Now no roses pluck for thee.
Though ’tis springtime, Fanny mine,
Dreary autumn ’tis to me!
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THE BEAUTIFUL NIGHT.
NOW I leave this cottage lowly,
Where my love hath made her home,
And with silent footstep slowly
Through the darksome forest roam.
Luna breaks through oaks and bushes,
Zephyr hastes her steps to meet,
And the waving birch tree blushes,
Scattering round her incense sweet.
Grateful are the cooling breezes
Of this beauteous summer night,
Here is felt the charm that pleases,
And that gives the soul delight.
Boundless is my joy; yet, Heaven,
Willingly I’d leave to thee
Thousand such nights, were one given
By my maiden lov’d to me!
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APPARENT DEATH.
WEEP, maiden, weep here o’er the tomb of Love;
He died of nothing — by mere chance was slain.
But is he really dead? — oh, that I cannot prove:
A nothing, a mere chance, oft gives him life again.
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PROXIMITY.
I KNOW not, wherefore, dearest love,
Thou often art so strange and coy!
When ‘mongst man’s busy haunts we move,
Thy coldness puts to flight my joy.
But soon as night and silence round us reign,
I know thee by thy kisses sweet again!
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LIVING REMEMBRANCE.
HALF vex’d, half pleas’d, thy love will feel,
Should’st thou her knot or ribbon steal;
To thee they’re much — I won’t conceal;
Such self-deceit may pardon’d be;
A veil, a kerchief, garter, rings,
In truth are no mean trifling things,
But still they’re not enough for me.
She who is dearest to my heart,
Gave me, with well-dissembl’d smart,
Of her own life, a living part,
No charm in aught beside I trace;
How do I scorn thy paltry ware!
A lock she gave me of the hair
That wantons o’er her beauteous face.
If, lov’d one, we must sever’d be,
Would’st thou not wholly fly from me,
I still possess this legacy,
To look at, and to kiss in play.
My fate is to the hair’s alli’d,
We used to woo her with like pride,
And now we both are far away.
Her charms with equal joy we press’d,
Her swelling cheeks anon caress’d,
Lur’d onward by a yearning bless’d,
Upon her heaving bosom fell.
Oh, rival, free from envy’s sway,
/> Thou precious gift, thou beauteous prey,
Remain my joy and bliss to tell!
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THE BLISS OF ABSENCE.
DRINK, O youth, joy’s purest ray
From thy lov’d one’s eyes all day,
And her image paint at night!
Better rule no lover knows,
Yet true rapture greater grows,
When far sever’d from her sight.
Powers eternal, distance, time,
Like the might of stars sublime,
Gently rock the blood to rest.
O’er my senses softness steals,
Yet my bosom lighter feels,
And I daily am more bless’d.
Though I can forget her ne’er,
Yet my mind is free from care,
I can calmly live and move;
Unperceiv’d infatuation
Longing turns to adoration,
Turns to reverence my love.
Ne’er can cloud, however light,
Float in ether’s regions bright,
When drawn upwards by the sun,
As my heart in rapturous calm.
Free from envy and alarm,
Ever love I her alone!
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TO LUNA.
SISTER of the first-born light,
Type of sorrowing gentleness!
Quivering mists in silv’ry dress
Float around thy features bright;
When thy gentle foot is heard,
From the day-clos’d caverns then
Wake the mournful ghosts of men,
I, too, wake, and each night-bird.
O’er a field of boundless span
Looks thy gaze both far and wide.
Raise me upwards to thy side!
Grant this to a raving man!
And to heights of rapture rais’d,
Let the knight so crafty peep
At his maiden while asleep,
Through her lattice-window glaz’d.
Soon the bliss of this sweet view,
Pangs by distance caus’d allays;
And I gather all thy rays,
And my look I sharpen too.
Round her unveil’d limbs I see
Brighter still become the glow,
And she draws me down below,
As Endymion once drew thee.
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THE WEDDING NIGHT.
WITHIN the chamber, far away
From the glad feast, sits Love in dread
Lest guests disturb, in wanton play,
The silence of the bridal bed.
His torch’s pale flame serves to gild
The scene with mystic sacred glow;
The room with incense-clouds is fill’d,
That ye may perfect rapture know.
How beats thy heart, when thou dost hear
Works of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Page 262