 | Poems |  |
“ERNST IST DAS LEBEN.”
Oh, leave the world,
With irksome bustle and fond follies filled!
Come where its empty shows ye may despise;
Where the rude clamour of its cries is stilled;
Where no loud plainings of its woes arise,
But on all life, the heaven of blissful quiet lies;
Oh, leave the world!
With irksome bustle and fond follies filled!
Come where its empty shows ye may despise;
Where the rude clamour of its cries is stilled;
Where no loud plainings of its woes arise,
But on all life, the heaven of blissful quiet lies;
Oh, leave the world!
Oh, leave the world!
The realm abhorred of drear realities;
Come steal afar from all its troublous noise;
Far from mortality's afflicted cries,
Come ye to happiness that never cloys,
Where idlesse ever dreams and gathers golden joys;
Oh, leave the world!
The realm abhorred of drear realities;
Come steal afar from all its troublous noise;
Far from mortality's afflicted cries,
Come ye to happiness that never cloys,
Where idlesse ever dreams and gathers golden joys;
Oh, leave the world!
441
Oh, leave the world!
Why should ye burden life with loathed toil?
Why spend on toil the summer of your days?
But empty are the gains for which ye moil;
Swiftly the glory of your youth decays,
And in your onward path, cold age its winter lays;
Oh, leave the world!
Why should ye burden life with loathed toil?
Why spend on toil the summer of your days?
But empty are the gains for which ye moil;
Swiftly the glory of your youth decays,
And in your onward path, cold age its winter lays;
Oh, leave the world!
Oh, leave the world!
Death laughs in mock of drudgery for gold,
For which ye lose the years that come no more;
For when for it your flower of life is sold,
A wormy grave he gives for all your store
And flings its hoards to those who never toiled therefore;
Oh, leave the world!
Death laughs in mock of drudgery for gold,
For which ye lose the years that come no more;
For when for it your flower of life is sold,
A wormy grave he gives for all your store
And flings its hoards to those who never toiled therefore;
Oh, leave the world!
Oh, leave the world!
Wherefore thus cling ye so to carking care?
But shadows on the light of time are ye,
That for their hour, eternity doth there,
Dimming its disk with antic mummeries, see;
Oh, of what poor account your labours e'er can be!
Oh, leave the world!
Wherefore thus cling ye so to carking care?
But shadows on the light of time are ye,
That for their hour, eternity doth there,
Dimming its disk with antic mummeries, see;
Oh, of what poor account your labours e'er can be!
Oh, leave the world!
Oh, leave the world!
What is the lasting memory of a name
But in eternity, a short-lived hour?
And the vain glory of the longest fame
Swift comes the hungering future to devour;
For over all of earth forgetfulness hath power;
Oh, leave the world!
What is the lasting memory of a name
But in eternity, a short-lived hour?
And the vain glory of the longest fame
Swift comes the hungering future to devour;
For over all of earth forgetfulness hath power;
Oh, leave the world!
Oh, leave the world!
Why in vain strife for others lose your days?
Evil with life hath ever walked the earth;
Think ye a barrier against woe to raise?
Ever to misery shall the years give birth
And strivings for man's good are aye of little worth;
Oh, leave the world!
Why in vain strife for others lose your days?
Evil with life hath ever walked the earth;
Think ye a barrier against woe to raise?
Ever to misery shall the years give birth
And strivings for man's good are aye of little worth;
Oh, leave the world!
442
Oh, leave the world!
So said the haunting whisper, and each word
Upon my thought stole with a murmurous tone,
In whose low sounds was lulling sweetness heard
That lapped the soul in music all its own,
And ever—evermore was its low speech alone,
Oh, leave the world!
So said the haunting whisper, and each word
Upon my thought stole with a murmurous tone,
In whose low sounds was lulling sweetness heard
That lapped the soul in music all its own,
And ever—evermore was its low speech alone,
Oh, leave the world!
Oh, leave the world!
And with the lulling murmur of its sound,
Hunger of dreamy rest upon me stole,
And slumbrous longings 'gan to gird me round,
Till of all stirring impulse, slept the whole,
And echoed back my thought—my hardly striving soul,
Oh, leave the world!
And with the lulling murmur of its sound,
Hunger of dreamy rest upon me stole,
And slumbrous longings 'gan to gird me round,
Till of all stirring impulse, slept the whole,
And echoed back my thought—my hardly striving soul,
Oh, leave the world!
Oh, leave the world!
But woke again my soul with sudden start,
And touching thought to life, did counsel take,
And in its native strength itself did heart
From the soft syren's charmèd wiles to break,
And loud her answering back, with cold clear reason spake,
Why leave the world?
But woke again my soul with sudden start,
And touching thought to life, did counsel take,
And in its native strength itself did heart
From the soft syren's charmèd wiles to break,
And loud her answering back, with cold clear reason spake,
Why leave the world?
Why leave the world?
Though, as thou sayest, it were passing sweet
Afar from high-strung action to recline,
Though with soft ease 'twere luxury to retreat,
And man's appointed task of work resign;
Doth sensuous pleasure mount the height of life's design?
Why leave the world?
Though, as thou sayest, it were passing sweet
Afar from high-strung action to recline,
Though with soft ease 'twere luxury to retreat,
And man's appointed task of work resign;
Doth sensuous pleasure mount the height of life's design?
Why leave the world?
Why leave the world?
Not for this grew in thee the might of mind,
The power to will and act thy wish and thought;
In the delights of sense if thou wouldst find
All pleasure, life shall set thy aims at nought,
Till evil thou shalt own, for good thou aye hast sought.
Why leave the world?
Not for this grew in thee the might of mind,
The power to will and act thy wish and thought;
In the delights of sense if thou wouldst find
All pleasure, life shall set thy aims at nought,
Till evil thou shalt own, for good thou aye hast sought.
Why leave the world?
443
Why leave the world?
Though, as thou urgest, waste of life it be
The toys of wealth and power and fame to seize,
Canst thou not, gazing through existence, see
Aims that in their far pitch, earth not with these,
But scale high heaven itself and God himself do please?
Why leave the world?
Though, as thou urgest, waste of life it be
The toys of wealth and power and fame to seize,
Canst thou not, gazing through existence, see
Aims that in their far pitch, earth not with these,
But scale high heaven itself and God himself do please?
Why leave the world?
Why leave the world?
Not for delight alone was being given;
Else life, as thou assertest, were a dream,
And but for seemings all high souls have striven;
But seize the key of this thy mystery; deem
Duty above delight and life most real shall seem;
Why leave the world?
Not for delight alone was being given;
Else life, as thou assertest, were a dream,
And but for seemings all high souls have striven;
But seize the key of this thy mystery; deem
Duty above delight and life most real shall seem;
Why leave the world?
Why leave the world?
Believe thy mission, not alone with good
The measure of thy days of life to fill;
To heap for others, be it understood,
Even from thy portion, is thy duty still;
Through suffering, love thy kind, and rule to love thy will;
Why leave the world?
Believe thy mission, not alone with good
The measure of thy days of life to fill;
To heap for others, be it understood,
Even from thy portion, is thy duty still;
Through suffering, love thy kind, and rule to love thy will;
Why leave the world?
Why leave the world?
Hath it no misery for thy hands to tend?
Hath it no wretchedness thou canst relieve?
No down-trod weakness that thou may'st defend?
No poverty thy bounty to receive?
No joy with which to joy—no grief with which to grieve?
Why leave the world?
Hath it no misery for thy hands to tend?
Hath it no wretchedness thou canst relieve?
No down-trod weakness that thou may'st defend?
No poverty thy bounty to receive?
No joy with which to joy—no grief with which to grieve?
Why leave the world?
Why leave the world?
Hath it not ignorance that thou may'st unblind?
Hath it not injuries against which to strive?
Hath it no slaveries, or of limb or mind,
That from the light of being thou may'st drive?
Needs Earth no martyrs now, or chains or wrongs to rive?
Why leave the world?
Hath it not ignorance that thou may'st unblind?
Hath it not injuries against which to strive?
Hath it no slaveries, or of limb or mind,
That from the light of being thou may'st drive?
Needs Earth no martyrs now, or chains or wrongs to rive?
Why leave the world?
444
Why leave the world?
Go forth in the resistless strength of love;
Forth, conquering and to conquer, victor, go;
Warrer for right, be thy crest high above
The thick of fight against all wrongs below;
Falling or victor wreathed, thou near'st God's glory so;
So leave the world.
Go forth in the resistless strength of love;
Forth, conquering and to conquer, victor, go;
Warrer for right, be thy crest high above
The thick of fight against all wrongs below;
Falling or victor wreathed, thou near'st God's glory so;
So leave the world.
So leave the world;
Doth the flesh its departed empire mourn?
Mourns it the unquestioned rule it holds no more?
Know thou self-sacrifice; of that is born
A calm abiding bliss, all bliss before,
That shall delights more rare than thou resign'st, restore;
So leave the world.
Doth the flesh its departed empire mourn?
Mourns it the unquestioned rule it holds no more?
Know thou self-sacrifice; of that is born
A calm abiding bliss, all bliss before,
That shall delights more rare than thou resign'st, restore;
So leave the world.
So leave the world;
Straight with the words, all languor fled my frame;
Champing desires rode tamed beneath my will,
And high resolves upon me crowding came,
Through love, life's lofty purpose to fulfil,
Nor evermore mine ears that low sweet call did fill,
Oh, leave the world!
Straight with the words, all languor fled my frame;
Champing desires rode tamed beneath my will,
And high resolves upon me crowding came,
Through love, life's lofty purpose to fulfil,
Nor evermore mine ears that low sweet call did fill,
Oh, leave the world!
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