The Poems of Goethe Part 122

Soon must surrender.

Loud then the flute-notes glad

Sound 'mid war's thunder; If I grow raving mad,

Is it a wonder?

Flutes sing and trumpets bray,

Waxing yet stronger; If, then, my senses stray,

Wonder no longer.

1814.

----- SONG AND STRUCTURE.

LET the Greek his plastic clay

Mould in human fas.h.i.+on, While his own creation may

Wake his glowing pa.s.sion;

But it is our joy to court

Great Euphrates' torrent, Here and there at will to sport

In the Wat'ry current.

Quench'd I thus my spirit's flame,

Songs had soon resounded; Water drawn by bards whose fame

Pure is, may be rounded.+

1819.*

(+ This oriental belief in the power of the pure to roll-up water into a crystal hail is made the foundation of the Interesting Pariah Legend, that will be found elsewhere amongst the Ballads.) ----- II. HAFIS NAME.

BOOK OF HAFIS.

SPIRIT let us bridegroom call,

And the word the bride; Known this wedding is to all

Who have Hafis tried.

THE UNLIMITED.

THAT thou can't never end, doth make thee great, And that thou ne'er beginnest, is thy fate.

Thy song is changeful as yon starry frame, End and beginning evermore the same; And what the middle bringeth, but contains What was at first, and what at last remains.

Thou art of joy the true and minstrel-source, From thee pours wave on wave with ceaseless force.

A mouth that's aye prepared to kiss,

A breast whence flows a loving song, A throat that finds no draught amiss,

An open heart that knows no wrong.

And what though all the world should sink!

Hafis, with thee, alone with thee

Will I contend! joy, misery,

The portion of us twain shall be; Like thee to love, like thee to drink,--

This be my pride,--this, life to me!

Now, Song, with thine own fire be sung,-- For thou art older, thou more young!

1817.*

----- TO HAFIS.

HAFIS, straight to equal thee,

One would strive in vain; Though a s.h.i.+p with majesty

Cleaves the foaming main, Feels its sails swell haughtily

As it onward hies Crush'd by ocean's stern decree,

Wrecked it straightway lies.

Tow'rd thee, songs, light, graceful, free,

Mount with cooling gush; Then their glow consumeth me,

As like fire they rush.

Yet a thought with ecstasy

Hath my courage moved; In the land of melody

I have lived and loved.

1815.

----- III. USCHK NAME.

BOOK OF LOVE.

THE TYPES.

LIST, and in memory bear These six fond loving pair.

Love, when aroused, kept true Rustan and Rad!

Strangers approach from far Joseph and Suleika; Love, void of hope, is in Ferhad and Schirin.