 | Goethe's Faust : First Part |  |
126
SCENE XIV.
Forest and Cavern.Faust
(alone.)
O sublime Spirit, thou hast given me, given me all
For which I prayed. Thou hast, and not in vain,
Turned unto me thy countenance in fire;
Given me majestic Nature for my realm,
With power to feel, to enjoy. Not merely now
A cold astounding visit dost thou grant,
Thou dost permit me into thy deep breast
To gaze, as into the bosom of a friend.
Thou bringest the pageant of all living things
Before mine eyes, and teachest me to know
My brethren in the quiet groves, air, water.
And when the raging storm snarls in the woods,
And strips the branches from the giant pines,
Neighbours, that, bruised and shattered as they fall,
Send a dull, hollow thunder through the hills,
Thou leadest me to a lonely cave, and there
Showest me myself, and in my own inmost breast
Deep and mysterious wonders are revealed.
And when before mine eyes mounts the clear moon,
Softening the skies above, around me hover
From walls of rock, and from the dewy grass,
Silvery shapes out of the ancient world,
Assuaging contemplation's sterner joys.
For which I prayed. Thou hast, and not in vain,
Turned unto me thy countenance in fire;
Given me majestic Nature for my realm,
With power to feel, to enjoy. Not merely now
A cold astounding visit dost thou grant,
Thou dost permit me into thy deep breast
To gaze, as into the bosom of a friend.
Thou bringest the pageant of all living things
Before mine eyes, and teachest me to know
My brethren in the quiet groves, air, water.
And when the raging storm snarls in the woods,
And strips the branches from the giant pines,
Neighbours, that, bruised and shattered as they fall,
Send a dull, hollow thunder through the hills,
Thou leadest me to a lonely cave, and there
Showest me myself, and in my own inmost breast
Deep and mysterious wonders are revealed.
And when before mine eyes mounts the clear moon,
Softening the skies above, around me hover
From walls of rock, and from the dewy grass,
Silvery shapes out of the ancient world,
Assuaging contemplation's sterner joys.
Oh! that for men no perfect thing can be,
As I feel now. Thou gavest with this delight,
Which near and nearer brings me to the Gods,
That strange Companion, whom even now no more
I can do without, when, with cold impudence,
He lowers me in mine own eyes, with a word's breath
Annihilates the gifts thou gavest me,
He kindles in my breast a tameless fire
For that beautiful Shape, with busy craft;
I stagger from desire to possession,
And satiated, pine for new desire.
As I feel now. Thou gavest with this delight,
Which near and nearer brings me to the Gods,
That strange Companion, whom even now no more
I can do without, when, with cold impudence,
He lowers me in mine own eyes, with a word's breath
127
He kindles in my breast a tameless fire
For that beautiful Shape, with busy craft;
I stagger from desire to possession,
And satiated, pine for new desire.
Mephistopheles
(entering.)
Have you had enough of this life for the nonce?
How long ere it will pall on you?
'Tis well enough to sample it for once,
Then off again to something new!
Faust.
I would that thou hadst more to do,
Than thus to spoil a genial day.
Mephistopheles.
Well, well! I won't disturb you—Pooh!
Such things in earnest you should not say.
A crabbed, gruff mad fellow like you
I soon could part with, if I chose.
All day forsooth, my hands full, I must groan!
What pleases him, what one must let alone,
One cannot e'er guess from His Lordship's nose.
Faust.
That is indeed just the right tone,
The fellow must have thanks for boring me.
Mephistopheles.
What then, thou wretched son of clay,
Without my aid would thy life be?
Have I not cured thee, many a day,
From all the whim-whams of fantasy?
Were I not by, from this earth-ball
Thou wouldst have walked off once for all.
Why hast thou in cave and rocky cleft
Sat like an owl of sense bereft?
Why suck'st thou from damp moss, and dripping stone,
Like a dull toad, thy food alone?
128
I see the Doctor still lurks in you.
Faust.
What a new power of life, didst thou but guess,
Comes from the commerce with the wilderness,
Hadst thou a notion even of this,
Thou art devil enough indeed to grudge me such a bliss.
Mephistopheles.
A super-earthly pleasure too!
To lie by night on mountains in the dew,
Embracing Heaven and Earth rapturously
Letting ourself swell to divinity
Crawl through Earth's marrow, with boding divination,
Feel in our breast the six Days of Creation,
In pride and power enjoy, I know not what,
Then, in love's bliss, o'erflow all things, in thought,
Clean vanished is Earth's puny Son,
And then the noblest intuition— (with a gesture)
I daren't say how—'twill to birth be brought.
Faust.
Fie on thee!
Mephistopheles.
You are hard to please to-day;
You are quite right, 'tis proper “fie!” to say
Before chaste ears we must not mention this,
Which yet chaste hearts cannot endure to miss.
In short I grudge you not the gratification
Of lying to yourself upon occasion;
But long you can't hold out, 'tis plain.
Thou art once more driven from thy way,
And, if thou tarriest swept astray,
In madness, or in horror and pain.
Enough of this! Thy Love sits there apart,
And all for her grows drear, confined
Ne'er absent from her thoughts thou art,
Love of thee masters heart and mind.
129
As when, with melted snow a brook o'erfloods the plain;
And thou didst pour it into her heart,
And now thy brook's grown shallow again.
Methinks, instead of sitting throned above
The woods, my Lord might be so good,
Now to reward for all her love
This poor young thing of flesh and blood.
The time for her seems miserably long;
She stands at the window, sees the clouds go by
O'er the old town-wall, as they fly.
“Were I a bird!” so goes her song
All day, and then half the night long.
Sometimes she is lively, mostly sad,
Her tears wept out in pain,
Then, as it seems, tranquil again,
Loving still, sad or glad.
Faust.
Snake! Snake!
Mephistopheles
(aside.)
Caught thee! I've won my stake.
Faust.
Accursed Tempter! Get thee hence!
Dare not to name that woman so fair!
Bring not the longing for her sweet body ever
Again before my half-distracted sense!
Mephistopheles.
What happens, then? She thinks that thou art flown,
And thou art half-way gone, I own.
Faust.
I am near her still, though were I far away,
I never could forget her, never leave her,
When her lips touch the Body of the Lord,
My envious heart is filled with jealous fever.
130
Well, well, my friend I have often envied you
Those twins that browse on roses, it is true.
Faust.
Away, thou pander!
Mephistopheles.
Good! You insult me, and I must laugh.
The God who fashioned man and maid
Sanctioned from the first day their noblest trade
Even made things easy on their behalf.
Off, then! Here's a fine burst of woe!
To your Love's chamber you must go,
Not to death, anyhow!
Faust.
What is the heavenly joy, clasped in her arms?
Let me warm myself on her bosom's charms!
Feel not I ever the risk for her?
Am I not myself a fugitive without home,
Inhuman, without aim or rest,
Who, like a cataract roaring through rocks have come
Raging to the abyss with eager quest
And, she, apart with dull and childlike mind,
In a small cot set in an Alpine field,
Plying her household tasks assigned,
Within her little world confined.
And I, the accurst of God, unsatisfied that I
Had seized the rocks, and crushed them,
Shattering them utterly!
And she, her peace now must I undermine!
Thou, Hell, this victim to thee I must resign!
Help, Devil, make brief my torment's hours that crawl!
That which must happen, let it happen straight!
May her ill fate on me ruining fall,
And she with me be crushed by Fate!
Mephistopheles.
All seethes again, all glows again,
131
When such a noodle seeks escape in vain,
The end before him soon grows clear.
Long live the man who still is bold!
Thou wast possessed once with half-devilish daring.
Nothing more loathsome on this earth I hold,
Than a poor devil who sits despairing.
| Goethe's Faust : First Part | |