Works of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Page 284
Adding grapes in full-grown splendor.
Long-neck’d flasks I put as dishes
For the crane, without delaying,
Fill’d with gold and silver fishes,
In the limpid water playing.
Had ye witness’d Reynard planted
At his flat plate, all demurely,
Ye with envy must have granted:
“Ne’er was such a gourmand, surely!”
While the bird with circumspection
On one foot, as usual, cradled,
From the flasks his fish-refection
With his bill and long neck ladled.
One the pigeons prais’d, — the other,
As they went, extoll’d the fishes,
Each one scoffing at his brother
For preferring vulgar dishes.
* * * * *
If thou would’st preserve thy credit,
When thou askest folks to guzzle
At thy board, take care to spread it
Suited both for bill and muzzle.
Chronological table of contents
Alphabetical table of contents
THE FOX AND HUNTSMAN.
HARD ’tis on a fox’s traces
To arrive, midst forest-glades;
Hopeless utterly the chase is,
If his flight the huntsman aids.
And so ’tis with many a wonder
(Why A B make Ab in fact),
Over which we gape and blunder,
And our head and brains distract.
Chronological table of contents
Alphabetical table of contents
THE STORK’S VOCATION.
THE stork who worms and frogs devours
That in our ponds reside,
Why should he dwell on high church-towers,
With which he’s not allied?
Incessantly he chatters there,
And gives our ears no rest;
But neither old nor young can dare
To drive him from his nest.
I humbly ask if, — how can he
Give of his title proof,
Save by his happy tendency
To soil the church’s roof?
Chronological table of contents
Alphabetical table of contents
THE FROGS.
A POOL was once congeal’d with frost;
The frogs, in its deep waters lost,
No longer dar’d to croak or spring;
But promis’d, being half asleep,
If suffer’d to the air to creep,
As very nightingales to sing.
A thaw dissolv’d the ice so strong, —
They proudly steer’d themselves along,
When landed, squatted on the shore,
And croak’d as loudly as before.
Chronological table of contents
Alphabetical table of contents
THE WEDDING.
A FEAST was in a village spread, —
It was a wedding-day, they said.
The parlor of the inn I found,
And saw the couples whirling round,
Each lass attended by her lad,
And all seem’d loving, blithe and glad;
But on my asking for the bride,
A fellow with a stare replied:
“ ’Tis not the place that point to raise!
We’re only dancing in her honor;
We now have danc’d three nights and days,
And not bestow’d one thought upon her.”
* * * * *
Whoe’er in life employs his eyes
Such cases oft will recognize.
Chronological table of contents
Alphabetical table of contents
BURIAL.
TO the grave one day from a house they bore A maiden;
To the window the citizens went to explore;
In splendor they liv’d, and with wealth as of yore
Their banquets were laden.
Then thought they: “The maid to the tomb is now borne;
We too from our dwellings ere long must be torn,
And he that is left our departure to mourn,
To our riches will be the successor,
For some one must be their possessor.”
Chronological table of contents
Alphabetical table of contents
THREATENING SIGNS.
IF Venus in the evening sky
Is seen in radiant majesty,
If rod-like comets, red as blood,
Are ‘mongst the constellations view’d,
Out springs the Ignoramus, yelling:
“The star’s exactly o’er my dwelling!
What woful prospect, ah, for me!” —
Then calls his neighbor mournfully:
“Behold that awful sign of evil,
Portending woe to me, poor devil!
My mother’s asthma ne’er will leave her,
My child is sick with wind and fever;
I dread the illness of my wife,
A week has pass’d devoid of strife, —
And other things have reach’d my ear;
The Judgment-day has come, I fear!”
His neighbor answers: “Friend, you’re right!
Matters look very bad to-night.
Let’s go a street or two, though, hence,
And gaze upon the stars from thence.” —
No change appears in either case.
Let each remain then in his place,
And wisely do the best he can,
Patient as any other man.
Chronological table of contents
Alphabetical table of contents
THE BUYERS.
TO an apple-woman’s stall
Once some children nimbly ran;
Longing much to purchase all,
They with joyous haste began
Snatching up the piles there rais’d,
While with eager eyes they gaz’d
On the rosy fruit so nice;
But when they found out the price,
Down they threw the whole they’d got,
Just as if they were red-hot.
* * * * *
The man who gratis will his goods supply
Will never find a lack of folks to buy!
Chronological table of contents
Alphabetical table of contents
THE MOUNTAIN VILLAGE.
“THE mountain village was destroy’d;
But see how soon is fill’d the void!
Shingles and boards, as by magic arise,
The babe in his cradle and swaddling-clothes lies;
How bless’d to trust to God’s protection!”
Behold a wooden new erection,
So that, if sparks and wind but choose,
God’s self at such a game must lose!
Chronological table of contents
Alphabetical table of contents
SYMBOLS.
PALM Sunday at the Vatican
They celebrate with palms;
With reverence bows each holy man,
And chants the ancient psalms.
Those very psalms are also sung
With olive boughs in hand,
While holly, mountain wilds among,
In place of palms must stand;
In fine, one seeks some twig that’s green
And takes a willow rod,
So that the pious man may e’en
In small things praise his God.
And if ye have observ’d it well,
To gain what’s fit ye’re able,
If ye in faith can but excel;
Such are the myths of fable.
Chronological table of contents
Alphabetical table of contents
THREE PALINODIAS.
I.
“Incense is but a tribute for the gods, —
To mortals ’tis but poison.”
THE smoke that from thine altar blows,
Can it the gods
offend?
For I observe thou hold’st thy nose —
Pray what does this portend?
Mankind deem incense to excel
Each other earthly thing,
So he that cannot bear its smell
No incense e’er should bring.
With unmov’d face by thee at least
To dolls is homage given;
If not obstructed by the priest
The scent mounts up to heaven.
II.
CONFLICT OF WIT AND BEAUTY.
SIR WIT, who is so much esteem’d,
And who is worthy of all honor,
Saw Beauty his superior deem’d
By folks who lov’d to gaze upon her;
At this he was most sorely vex’d.
Then came Sir Breath (long known as fit
To represent the cause of wit),
Beginning, rudely, I admit,
To treat the lady with a text.
To this she hearken’d not at all,
But hasten’d to his principal:
“None are so wise, they say, as you, —
Is not the world enough for two?
If you are obstinate, good-bye!
If wise, to love me you will try,
For be assur’d the world can ne’er
Give birth to a more handsome pair.”
Ἄλλως.
Fair daughters were by Beauty rear’d,
Wit had but dull sons for his lot;
So for a season it appear’d
Beauty was constant, Wit was not.
But Wit’s a native of the soil,
So he return’d, work’d, strove amain,
And found — sweet guerdon for his toil! —
Beauty to quicken him again.
III.
RAIN AND RAINBOW.
DURING a heavy storm it chanc’d
That from his room a cockney glanc’d
At the fierce tempest as it broke,
While to his neighbor thus he spoke:
“The thunder has our awe inspir’d,
Our barns by lightning have been fir’d, —
Our sins to punish, I suppose;
But in return, to soothe our woes,
See how the rain in torrents fell,
Making the harvest promise well!
But is’t a rainbow that I spy
Extending o’er the dark-gray sky?
With it I’m sure we may dispense,
The color’d cheat! The vain pretence!”
Dame Iris straightway thus replied:
“Dost dare my beauty to deride?
In realms of space God station’d me
A type of better worlds to be
To eyes that from life’s sorrows rove
In cheerful hope to heav’n above,
And, through the mists that hover here,
God and His precepts bless’d revere.
Do thou, then, grovel like the swine,
And to the ground thy snout confine,
But suffer the enlighten’d eye
To feast upon my majesty.”
Chronological table of contents
Alphabetical table of contents
VALEDICTION.
I ONCE was fond of fools,
And bid them come each day;
Then each one brought his tools,
The carpenter to play;
The roof to strip first choosing,
Another to supply,
The wood as trestles using,
To move it by-and-by,
While here and there they ran,
And knock’d against each other;
To fret I soon began,
My anger could not smother,
So cried, “Get out, ye fools!”
At this they were offended;
Then each one took his tools,
And so our friendship ended.
Since that, I’ve wiser been,
And sit beside my door;
When one of them is seen,
I cry, “Appear no more!”
“Hence, stupid knave!” I bellow:
At this he’s angry too:
“You impudent old fellow!
And pray, sir, who are you?
Along the streets we riot,
And revel at the fair;
But yet we’re pretty quiet,
And folks revile us ne’er.
Don’t call us names, then, please!” —
At length I meet with ease,
For now they leave my door —
’Tis better than before!
Chronological table of contents
Alphabetical table of contents
THE COUNTRY SCHOOLMASTER.
I.
A MASTER of a country school
Jump’d up one day from off his stool,
Inspir’d with firm resolve to try
To gain the best society;
So to the nearest baths he walk’d,
And into the saloon he stalk’d.
He felt quite startled at the door,
Ne’er having seen the like before.
To the first stranger made he now
A very low and graceful bow,
But quite forgot to bear in mind
That people also stood behind;
His left-hand neighbor’s paunch he struck
A grievous blow, by great ill luck;
Pardon for this he first entreated,
And then in haste his bow repeated.
His right-hand neighbor next he hit,
And begg’d him, too, to pardon it;
But on his granting his petition
Another was in like condition;
These compliments he paid to all,
Behind, before, across the hall;
At length one who could stand no more
Show’d him impatiently the door.
* * * * *
May many, pond’ring on their crimes,
A moral draw from this betimes!
II.
As he proceeded on his way
He thought, “I was too weak to-day;
To bow I’ll ne’er again be seen;
For goats will swallow what is green.”
Across the fields he now must speed,
Not over stumps and stones, indeed,
But over meads and cornfields sweet,
Trampling down all with clumsy feet.
A farmer met him by-and-by,
And didn’t ask him: how? or why?
But with his fist saluted him.
“I feel new life in every limb!”
Our traveller cried in ecstasy.
“Who art thou who thus gladden’st me?
May Heaven such blessings ever send!
Ne’er may I want a jovial friend!”
Chronological table of contents
Alphabetical table of contents
THE LEGEND OF THE HORSESHOE.
WHAT time our Lord still walk’d the earth,
Unknown, despis’d, of humble birth,
And on Him many a youth attended
(His words they seldom comprehended),
It ever seem’d to Him most meet
To hold His court in open street,
As under heaven’s broad canopy
One speaks with greater liberty.
The teachings of His blessed word
From out His holy mouth were heard;
Each market to a fane turn’d He
With parable and simile.
One day, as tow’rd a town He rov’d,
In peace of mind with those He lov’d,
Upon the path a something gleam’d:
A broken horseshoe ’twas, it seem’d.
So to St. Peter thus He spake:
“That piece of iron prithee take!”
St. Peter’s thoughts had gone astray;
He had been musing on his way
Respecting the world’s government —
A dream that always gives content,
; For in the head ’tis check’d by naught;
This ever was his dearest thought.
For him this prize was far too mean; —
Had it a crown and sceptre been!
But surely ’twasn’t worth the trouble
For half a horseshoe to bend double!
And so he turn’d away his head
As if he heard not what was said.
The Lord, forbearing tow’rd all men,
Himself pick’d up the horseshoe then
(He ne’er again like this stoop’d down).
And when at length they reach’d the town,
Before a smithy He remain’d,
And there a penny for’t obtain’d.
As they the market-place went by,
Some beauteous cherries caught His eye;
Accordingly He bought as many
As could be purchas’d for a penny,
And then, as oft His wont had been,
Plac’d them within his sleeve unseen.
They went out by another gate,
O’er plains and fields proceeding straight;
No house or tree was near the spot;
The sun was bright, the day was hot;
In short, the weather being such,
A draught of water was worth much.
The Lord walk’d on before them all,
And let, unseen, a cherry fall.
St. Peter rush’d to seize it bold,
As though an apple ‘twere of gold;
His palate much approv’d the berry.
The Lord ere long another cherry
Once more let fall upon the plain;
St. Peter forthwith stoop’d again.
The Lord kept making him thus bend
To pick up cherries without end.
For a long time the thing went on;
The Lord then said, in cheerful tone:
“Hadst thou but mov’d when thou wert bid,
Thou of this trouble hadst been rid;
The man who small things scorns will next
By things still smaller be perplex’d.”
Chronological table of contents
Alphabetical table of contents
Epigrams II.
In these numbers be express’d
Meaning deep, ‘neath merry jest.
Chronological table of contents
Alphabetical table of contents
TO ORIGINALS.
AFELLOW says: “I own no school or college;
No master lives whom I acknowledge;
And pray don’t entertain the thought
That from the dead I e’er learn’d aught.”
This, if I rightly understand,
Means: “I’m a blockhead at first hand.”
Chronological table of contents
Alphabetical table of contents
THE SOLDIER’S CONSOLATION.
NO! in truth there’s here no lack:
White the bread, the maidens black!