Straight the spirit sings again.
All kinds of men, both small and great,
A fine-spun web delight to create,
And in the middle they take their place,
And wield their scissors with wondrous grace.
But if a besom should sweep that way:
“What a most shameful thing,” they say, —
“They’ve crush’d a mighty palace to-day.”
Chronological table of contents
Alphabetical table of contents
IT IS GOOD.
IN Paradise while moonbeams play’d,
Jehovah found, in slumber deep,
Adam fast sunk; He gently laid
Eve near him, — she, too, fell asleep.
There lay they now, on earth’s fair shrine,
God’s two most beauteous thoughts divine. —
When this He saw, He cried: — ’Tis Good!
And scarce could move from where He stood.
No wonder that our joy’s complete,
While eye and eye responsive meet,
When this bless’d thought of rapture moves us —
That we’re with Him who truly loves us,
And if He cries: — Good, let it be!
’Tis so for both, it seems to me.
Thou’rt clasp’d within these arms of mine,
Dearest of all God’s thoughts divine!
Chronological table of contents
Alphabetical table of contents
Parsi Nameh.
Chronological table of contents
Alphabetical table of contents
BOOK OF THE PARSEES.
Chronological table of contents
Alphabetical table of contents
THE BEQUEST OF THE ANCIENT PERSIAN FAITH.
BRETHREN, what bequest to you should come
From the lowly poor man, going home,
Whom ye younger ones with patience tended,
Whose last days ye honor’d and defended?
When we oft have seen the monarch ride,
Gold upon him, gold on ev’ry side;
Jewels on him, on his courtiers all,
Thickly strew’d as hailstones when they fall,
Have ye e’er known envy at the sight?
And not felt your gaze become more bright,
When the sun was, on the wings of morning,
Darnawend’s unnumber’d peaks adorning,
As he, bow-like, rose? How each eye dwelt
On the glorious scene! I felt, I felt,
Thousand times, as life’s days fleeted by,
Borne with him, the coming one, on high.
God upon His throne then to proclaim,
Him, the life-fount’s mighty Lord, to name,
Worthily to prize that glorious sight,
And to wander on beneath His light.
When the fiery orb was all defin’d,
There I stood, as though in darkness, blind,
Beat my breast, my quicken’d members threw
On the earth, brow foremost, at the view.
Let this holy, great bequest reward
Brotherly good-will and kind regard:
Solemn Duty’s daily observation. —
More than this, it needs no revelation.
If its gentle hands a new-born one
Move, then straightway turn it tow’rd the sun —
Soul and body dip in bath of fire!
Then each morning’s favor ‘twill acquire.
To the living one commit the dead,
O’er the beast let earth and dust be spread,
And, so far as may extend your might,
What ye deem impure conceal from sight.
Till your plains to graceful purity,
That the sun with joy your labors see;
When ye plant, your trees in rows contrive,
For he makes the Regular to thrive.
E’en the floods that through the channel rush
Must not fail in fulness or in gush;
And as Senderud, from mountain high,
Rises pure, in pureness must it die.
Not to weaken water’s gentle fall,
Carefully cleanse out the channels all;
Salamander, snake, and rush, and reed, —
All destroy, — each monster and each weed.
If thus pure ye earth and water keep,
Through the air the sun will gladly peep,
Where he, worthily enshrin’d in space,
Worketh life, to life gives holy grace.
Ye, by toil on toil so sorely tried,
Comfort take, the All is purified;
And now man, as priest, may boldly dare
From the stone God’s image to prepare.
When the flame burns joyously and bright,
Limbs are supple, radiant is the night;
On the hearth when fire with ardor glows,
Ripe the sap of plants and creatures grows.
Dragging wood, with rapture be it done,
’Tis the seed of many an earthly sun;
Plucking Pambeh, gladly may ye say: —
This, as wick, the Holy will convey.
If ye meekly, in each burning lamp,
See the nobler light’s resplendent stamp,
Ne’er will Fate prevent you, void of feeling,
At God’s throne at morningtide from kneeling.
This is Being’s mighty signet, then,
God’s pure glass to angels and to men;
Each word lisp’d the Highest’s praise to sound.
Ring in ring, united there is found;
From the shore of Senderud ascendeth,
Up to Darnawend its pinions bendeth,
As he dawns, with joy to greet his light,
You with endless blessings to requite.
Chronological table of contents
Alphabetical table of contents
Chuld Nameh.
Chronological table of contents
Alphabetical table of contents
BOOK OF PARADISE.
Chronological table of contents
Alphabetical table of contents
THE PRIVILEGED MEN.
LET the foeman sorrow o’er his dead,
Ne’er will they return again to light;
O’er our brethren let no tear be shed,
For they dwell above yon spheres so bright.
All the seven planets open throw
All their metal doors with mighty shock,
And the forms of those we lov’d below
At the gates of Eden boldly knock.
There they find, with bliss ne’er dream’d before,
Glories that my flight first show’d to eye,
When the wondrous steed my person bore
In one second through the realms on high.
Wisdom’s trees, in cypress-order growing,
High uphold the golden apples sweet;
Trees of life, their spreading shadows throwing,
Shade each blossoming plant, each flow’ry seat.
Now a balmy zephyr from the East
Brings the heavenly maidens to thy view;
With the eye thou now dost taste the feast,
Soon the sight pervades thee through and through!
There they stand, to ask thee thy career:
Mighty plans? or dangerous bloody rout?
Thou’rt a hero, know they, — for thou’rt here,
What a hero? — This they’ll fathom out.
By thy wounds soon clearly this is shown,
Wounds that write thy fame’s undying story;
Wounds the true believer mark alone,
When have perish’d joy and earthly glory.
To chiosks and arbors thou art brought,
Fill’d with chequer’d marble columns bright;
To the noble grape-juice, solace-fraught,
They the guest with kindly sips invite.
Youth! Thou’rt welcome more than e’er was youth!
>
All alike are radiant and serene;
When thou tak’st one to thine heart with truth,
Of thy band she’ll be the friend and queen.
So prepare thee for this place of rest,
Never can it now be chang’d again;
Maids like these will ever make thee bless’d
Wines like these will never harm thy brain.
Chronological table of contents
Alphabetical table of contents
THE FAVORED BEASTS.
OF beasts there have been thosen four
To come to Paradise,
And there with saints for evermore
They dwell in happy wise.
Amongst them all the Ass stands first;
He comes with joyous stride,
For to the Prophet-City erst
Did Jesus on him ride.
Half timid next a Wolf doth creep,
To whom Mahomet spake: —
“Spoil not the poor man of his sheep,
The rich man’s thou may’st take.”
And then the brave and faithful Hound,
Who by his master kept,
And slept with him the slumbers sound
The seven sleepers slept.
Abuherrira’s Cat, too, here
Purrs round his master bless’d,
For holy must the beast appear
The Prophet hath caress’d.
Chronological table of contents
Alphabetical table of contents
THE SEVEN SLEEPERS.
SIX among the courtiers favor’d
Fly before the Cæsar’s fury,
Who would as a god be worshipp’d,
Though in truth no god appearing,
For a fly prevents him ever
From enjoying food at table.
Though with fans his servants scare it,
They the fly can never banish.
It torments him, stings, and troubles,
And the festal board perplexes,
Then returning like the herald
Of the olden crafty Fly-God.
“What!” — the striplings say together —
“Shall a fly a god embarrass?
“Shall a god drink, eat at table,
Like us mortals? No, the Only,
Who the sun and moon created,
And the glowing stars arch’d o’er us,
He is God, — we’ll fly!” — The gentle,
Lightly shod, and dainty striplings
Did a shepherd meet, and hide them,
With himself, within a cavern.
And the sheep-dog will not leave them, —
Scar’d away, his foot all-mangled,
To his master still he presses,
And he joins the hidden party,
Joins the favorites of slumber.
And the prince, whom they had fled from,
Fondly-furious, thinks of vengeance,
And, discarding sword and fire,
Has them wall’d-up in the cavern,
Wall’d-up fast with bricks and mortar.
But the others slumber ever,
And the Angel, their protector,
Gives before God’s throne this notice:
“To the right and left alternate
Have I ever car’d to turn them,
That their fair and youthful members
Be not by the mould-damp injur’d;
Clefts within the rocks I open’d,
That the sun may, rising, setting,
Keep their cheeks in youthful freshness.”
So they lie there, bless’d by Heaven.
And, with forepaws sound and scatheless,
Sleeps the dog in gentle slumber.
Years come round, and years fly onward,
And the youths at length awaken,
And the wall, which now had moulder’d,
From its very age has fallen.
And Jamblika says, — whose beauty
Far exceedeth all the others, —
When the fearful shepherd lingers: —
“I will run, and food procure you,
Life and piece of gold I’ll wager!” —
Ephesus had many a year now
Own’d the teaching of the Prophet
Jesus (Peace be with the Good One!)
And he ran, and at the gateway
Were the warders and the others.
Yet he to the nearest baker’s,
Seeking bread, went swiftly onwards. —
“Rogue!” thus cried the baker — ”hast thou,
Youth, a treasure, then, discover’d?
Give me, — for the gold betrays thee, —
Give me half, to keep thy secret!”
And they quarrel. — To the monarch
Comes the matter; and the monarch
Fain would halve it, like the baker.
Now the miracle is proven
Slowly by a hundred tokens.
He can e’en his right establish
To the palace he erected,
For a pillar, when pierc’d open,
Leads to wealth he said ’twould lead to.
Soon are gather’d there whole races,
Their relationship to show him.
And as great-grandfather, nobly
Stands Jamblika’s youthful figure.
As of ancestors, he hears them,
Speaking of his son and grandsons.
His great-grandsons stand around him,
Like a race of valiant mortals,
Him to honor, — him, the youngest.
And one token on another
Rises up, the proof completing;
The identity is proven
Of himself, and of his comrades.
Now returns he to the cavern,
With him go both king and people. —
Neither to the king nor people
E’er returns that chosen mortal;
For the Seven, who for ages —
Eight was, with the dog, their number —
Had from all the world been sunder’d,
Gabriel’s mysterious power,
To the will of God obedient,
Hath to Paradise conducted, —
And the cave was clos’d forever.
Chronological table of contents
Alphabetical table of contents
Hermann and Dorothea
Chronological table of contents
Alphabetical table of contents
Kalliope
Chronological table of contents
Alphabetical table of contents
FATE AND SYMPATHY.
“NE’ER have I seen the market and streets so thoroughly empty!
Still as the grave is the town, clear’d out! I verily fancy
Fifty at most of all our inhabitants still may be found there.
People are so inquisitive! All are running and racing
Merely to see the sad train of poor fellows driven to exile.
Down to the causeway now building, the distance nearly a league is,
And they thitherward rush, in the heat and the dust of the noonday.
As for me, I had rather not stir from my place just to stare at
Worthy and sorrowful fugitives, who, with what goods they can carry,
Leaving their own fair land on the further side of the Rhine-stream,
Over to us are crossing, and wander through the delightful
Nooks of this fruitful vale, with all its twistings and windings.
Wife, you did right well to bid our son go and meet them,
Taking with him old linen, and something to eat and to drink too,
Just to give to the poor; the rich are bound to befriend them.
How he is driving along! How well he holds in the horses!
Then the new little carriage looks very handsome; inside it
Four can easily sit, besides the one on the coachbox.
This time he is alone; how easily turns it the corner!”
&nbs
p; Thus to his wife the host of the Golden Lion discoursed,
Sitting at ease in the porch of his house adjoining the market.
Then replied as follows the shrewd and sensible hostess: —
“Father, I don’t like giving old linen away, for I find it
Useful in so many ways, ’tis not to be purchas’d for money
Just when it’s wanted. And yet to-day I gladly have given
Many excellent articles, shirts and covers and suchlike;
For I have heard of old people and children walking half-naked.
Will you forgive me, too, for having ransacked your presses?
That grand dressing-gown, cover’d with Indian flowers all over,
Made of the finest calico, lin’d with excellent flannel,
I have despatch’d with the rest; ’tis thin, old, quite out of fashion.”
But the worthy landlord only smiled, and then answer’d: —
“I shall dreadfully miss that ancient calico garment,
Genuine Indian stuff! They’re not to be had any longer.
Well! I shall wear it no more. And your poor husband henceforward
Always must wear a surtout, I suppose, or commonplace jacket,
Always must put on his boots; good-by to cap and to slippers!”
“See,” continu’d his wife, “a few are already returning
Who have seen the procession, which long ago must have pass’d by.
See how dusty their shoes are, and how their faces are glowing!
Each one carries a handkerchief, wiping the sweat from his forehead.
I, for one, wouldn’t hurry and worry myself in such weather
Merely to see such a sight! I’m certain to hear all about it.”
And the worthy father, speaking with emphasis, added: —
“Such fine weather seldom lasts through the whole of the harvest;
And we’re bringing the fruit home, just as the hay we brought lately,
Perfectly dry; the sky is clear, no clouds in the heavens,
And the whole day long delicious breezes are blowing.
Splendid weather I call it! The corn already too ripe is,
And to-morrow begin we to gather the plentiful harvest.”
Whilst he was thus discoursing, the number of men and of women
Crossing the market and going towards home kept ever increasing;
And there return’d amongst others, bringing with him his daughters,
On the other side of the market, their prosperous neighbor,
Going full speed to his newbuilt house, the principal merchant,
Riding inside an open carriage (in Landau constructed).
All the streets were alive; for the town, though small, was well peopled,
Many a factory throve there, and many a business also.
Works of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Page 289