Part 16

All the following selections from 'Faust' are from Taylor's translation. Copyright 1870, by Bayard Taylor, and reprinted here by permission of and special agreement with Mrs. Taylor, and Houghton, Mifflin & Co., publishers, Boston.

FAUST AND WAGNER

FAUST

Oh, happy he, who still renews The hope from Error's deeps to rise forever! That which one does not know, one needs to use, And what one knows, one uses never. But let us not, by such despondence, so The fortune of this hour embitter! Mark how, beneath the evening sunlight's glow, The green-embosomed houses glitter! The glow retreats; done is the day of toil; It yonder hastes, new fields of life exploring; Ah, that no wing can lift me from the soil, Upon its track to follow, follow soaring! Then would I see eternal Evening gild The silent world beneath me glowing, On fire each mountain-peak, with peace each valley filled, The silver brook to golden rivers flowing. The mountain chain, with all its gorges deep, Would then no more impede my godlike motion; And now before mine eyes expands the ocean With all its bays, in shining sleep! Yet finally the weary god is sinking; The new-born impulse fires my mind.-- I hasten on, his beams eternal drinking. The Day before me and the Night behind. Above me heaven unfurled, the floor of waves beneath me,-- A glorious dream! though now the glories fade. Alas! the wings that lift the mind no aid Of wings to lift the body can bequeath me. Yet in each soul is born the pleasure Of yearning onward, upward and away. When o'er our heads, lost in the vaulted azure, The lark sends down his flickering lay, When over crags and piny highlands The poising eagle slowly soars, And over plains and lakes and islands The crane sails by to other shores.

WAGNER

I've had, myself, at times, some odd caprices, But never yet such impulse felt, as this is. One soon fatigues on woods and fields to look, Nor would I beg the bird his wing to spare us: How otherwise the mental raptures bear us From page to page, from book to book! Then winter nights take loveliness untold, As warmer life in every limb had crowned you; And when your hands unroll some parchment rare and old, All heaven descends, and opens bright around you!

FAUST

One impulse art thou conscious of, at best; Oh, never seek to know the other! Two souls, alas! reside within my breast, And each withdraws from, and repels, its brother. One with tenacious organs holds in love And clinging lust the world in its embraces; The other strongly sweeps, this dust above, Into the high ancestral spaces. If there be airy spirits near, 'Twixt heaven and earth on potent errands fleeing, Let them drop down the golden atmosphere, And bear me forth to new and varied being! Yea, if a magic mantle once were mine, To waft me o'er the world at pleasure, I would not for the costliest stores of treasure-- Not for a monarch's robe--the gift resign.

FAUST AND MEPHISTOPHELES

FAUST

Canst thou, poor Devil, give me whatsoever? When was a human soul, in its supreme endeavor. E'er understood by such as thou? Yet hast thou food which never satiates now: The restless, ruddy gold hast thou, That runs quicksilver-like one's fingers through; A game whose winnings no man ever knew; A maid that even from my breast Beckons my neighbor with her wanton glances, And Honor's godlike zest, The meteor that a moment dances,-- Show me the fruits that, ere they're gathered, rot, And trees that daily with new leafage clothe them!

MEPHISTOPHELES

Such a demand alarms me not: Such treasures have I, and can show them. But still the time may reach us, good my friend, When peace we crave, and more luxurious diet.

FAUST

When on an idler's bed I stretch myself in quiet, There let at once my record end! Canst thou with lying flattery rule me, Until self-pleased myself I see,-- Canst thou with rich enjoyment fool me, Let that day be the last for me! The bet I offer.

MEPHISTOPHELES

Done!

FAUST

And heartily! When thus I hail the Moment flying: "Ah, still delay--thou art so fair!"-- Then bind me in thy bonds undying, My final ruin then declare! Then let the death-bell chime the token, Then art thou from thy service free! The clock may stop, the hand be broken, Then Time be finished unto me!

FOREST AND CAVERN

FAUST [_alone_]

Spirit sublime, thou gav'st me, gav'st me all For which I prayed. Not unto me in vain Hast thou thy countenance revealed in fire. Thou gav'st me nature as a kingdom grand, With power to feel and to enjoy it. Thou Not only cold, amazed acquaintance yield'st, But grantest that in her profoundest breast I gaze, as in the bosom of a friend. The ranks of living creatures thou dost lead Before me, teaching me to know my brothers In air and water and the silent wood. And when the storm in forests roars and grinds, The giant firs, in falling, neighbor boughs And neighbor trunks with crushing weight bear down, And falling, fill the hills with hollow thunders,-- Then to the cave secure thou leadest me, Then show'st me mine own self, and in my breast The deep mysterious miracles unfold. And when the perfect moon before my gaze Comes up with soothing light, around me float From every precipice and thicket damp The silvery phantoms of the ages past, And temper the austere delight of thought.

That nothing can be perfect unto Man I now am conscious. With this ecstasy, Which brings me near and nearer to the gods, Thou gav'st the comrade, whom I now no more Can do without, though, cold and scornful, he Demeans me to myself, and with a breath, A word, transforms thy gifts to nothingness. Within my breast he fans a lawless fire, Unwearied, for that fair and lovely form: Thus in desire I hasten to enjoyment, And in enjoyment pine to feel desire.

MARGARET [_At the spinning-wheel, alone_]

My peace is gone, My heart is sore: I never shall find it, Ah, nevermore!

Save I have him near, The grave is here; The world is gall And bitterness all.

My poor weak head Is racked and crazed; My thought is lost, My senses mazed.

My peace is gone, My heart is sore: I never shall find it, Ah, nevermore!

To see him, him only, At the pane I sit; To meet him, him only, The house I quit.

His lofty gait, His noble size, The smile of his mouth, The power of his eyes,

And the magic flow Of his talk, the bliss In the clasp of his hand, And ah! his kiss!

My peace is gone, My heart is sore: I never shall find it, Ah, nevermore!

My bosom yearns For him alone; Ah, dared I clasp him, And hold, and own!

And kiss his mouth To heart's desire, And on his kisses At last expire!

MARTHA'S GARDEN

MARGARET

Promise me, Henry!--

FAUST

What I can!

MARGARET

How is't with thy religion, pray? Thou art a dear, good-hearted man, And yet, I think, dost not incline that way.

FAUST

Leave that, my child! Thou know'st my love is tender; For love, my blood and life would I surrender, And as for faith and church, I grant to each his own.

MARGARET

That's not enough: we must believe thereon.

FAUST

Must we?

MARGARET

Would that I had some influence! Then, too, thou honorest not the Holy Sacraments.

FAUST

I honor them.

MARGARET

Desiring no possession. 'Tis long since thou hast been to mass or to confession. Believest thou in God?

FAUST

My darling, who shall dare "I believe in God!" to say? Ask priest or sage the answer to declare, And it will seem a mocking play, A sarcasm on the asker.

MARGARET

Then thou believest not!

FAUST

Hear me not falsely, sweetest countenance! Who dare express Him? And who profess Him, Saying: I believe in Him! Who, feeling, seeing, Deny His being, Saying: I believe Him not! The All-enfolding, The All-upholding, Folds and upholds he not Thee, me, Himself? Arches not there the sky above us? Lies not beneath us, firm, the earth? And rise not, on us shining Friendly, the everlasting stars? Look I not, eye to eye, on thee, And feel'st not, thronging To head and heart, the force, Still weaving its eternal secret, Invisible, visible, round thy life? Vast as it is, fill with that force thy heart, And when thou in the feeling wholly blessed art, Call it, then, what thou wilt,-- Call it Bliss! Heart! Love! God!-- I have no name to give it! Feeling is all in all: The Name is sound and smoke, Obscuring Heaven's clear glow.

MARGARET

All that is fine and good, to hear it so: Much the same way the preacher spoke, Only with slightly different phrases.

FAUST

The same thing, in all places, All hearts that beat beneath the heavenly day-- Each in its language--say; Then why not I in mine as well?

MARGARET

To hear it thus, it may seem passable; And yet some hitch in't there must be, For thou hast no Christianity.

FAUST

Dear love!

MARGARET

I've long been grieved to see That thou art in such company.

FAUST

How so?

MARGARET

The man who with thee goes, thy mate, Within my deepest, inmost soul I hate. In all my life there's nothing Has given my heart so keen a pang of loathing As his repulsive face has done.

FAUST

Nay, fear him not, my sweetest one!

MARGARET

I feel his presence like something ill. I've else, for all, a kindly will, But, much as my heart to see thee yearneth, The secret horror of him returneth; And I think the man a knave, as I live! If I do him wrong, may God forgive!

FAUST

There must be such queer birds, however.

MARGARET

Live with the like of him may I never! When once inside the door comes he, He looks around so sneeringly, And half in wrath: One sees that in nothing no interest he hath: 'Tis written on his very forehead That love, to him, is a thing abhorred. I am so happy on thine arm, So free, so yielding, and so warm, And in his presence stifled seems my heart.

FAUST

Foreboding angel that thou art!

IN THE DUNGEON

_In a niche of the wall a shrine, with an image of the Mater Dolorosa. Pots of flowers before it_

MARGARET [_Putting fresh flowers in the pots_]

Incline, O Maiden, Thou sorrow-laden, Thy gracious countenance upon my pain!

The sword thy heart in, With anguish smarting, Thou lookest up to where thy Son is slain!

Thou seest the Father; The sad sighs gather, And bear aloft thy sorrow and his pain!

Ah, past guessing, Beyond expressing, The pangs that wring my flesh and bone! Why this anxious heart so burneth, Why it trembleth, why it yearneth, Knowest thou, and thou alone!

Where'er I go, what sorrow, What woe, what woe and sorrow Within my bosom aches! Alone, and ah! unsleeping, I'm weeping, weeping, weeping,-- The heart within me breaks.

The pots before my window, Alas! my tears did wet, As in the early morning For thee these flowers I set. Within my lonely chamber The morning sun shone red: I sat in utter sorrow, Already on my bed.

Help! rescue me from death and stain! O Maiden! Thou sorrow-laden, Incline thy countenance upon my pain!

IN THE DUNGEON

FAUST

_With a bunch of keys and a lamp, before an iron door_

A shudder, long unfelt, comes o'er me; Mankind's collected woe o'erwhelms me here. She dwells within the dark, damp walls before me, And all her crime was a delusion dear! What! I delay to free her? I dread, once again to see her? On! my shrinking but lingers Death more near.

[_He grasps the lock: the sound of singing is heard inside._]

_My mother the harlot, Who put me to death; My father the varlet, Who eaten me hath! Little sister, so good, Laid my bones in the wood, In the damp moss and clay: Then was I a beautiful bird o' the wood: Fly away! Fly away!_

FAUST [_unlocking_]

She does not dream her lover listens near; That he the rattling chain, the rustling straw, can hear.

MARGARET [_hiding herself on the pallet_]

Woe! woe! They come. O death of bitterness!

FAUST [_whispering_]

Hush! hush! The hour is come that frees thee.

MARGARET [_throwing herself before him_]

Art thou a man? then pity my distress!

FAUST

Thy cries will wake the guards, and they will seize thee!

[_He takes hold of the fetters to unlock them._

MARGARET [_on her knees_]

Who, headsman! unto thee such power Over me could give? Thou'rt come for me at midnight hour: Have mercy on me; let me live! Is't not soon enough when morning chime has rung? [_She rises._ And I am yet so young, so young! And now death comes, and ruin! I, too, was fair, and that was my undoing. My love was near, but now he's far; Torn lies the wreath, scattered the blossoms are. Seize me not thus so violently! Spare me! What have I done to thee? Let me not vainly entreat thee! I never chanced, in all my days, to meet thee!

FAUST

Shall I outlive this misery?

MARGARET

Now am I wholly in thy might. But let me suckle, first, my baby! I blissed it all this livelong night; They took 't away, to vex me, maybe, And now they say I killed the child outright. And never shall I be glad again. They sing songs about me! 'tis bad of the folk to do it! There's an old story has the same refrain; Who bade them so construe it?

FAUST [_falling upon his knees_]

Here lieth one who loves thee ever, The thraldom of thy woe to sever.

MARGARET [_flinging herself beside him_]

Oh let us kneel, and call the saints to hide us! Under the steps beside us, The threshold under, Hell heaves in thunder! The Evil One With terrible wrath Seeketh a path His prey to discover!

FAUST [_aloud_]

Margaret! Margaret!

MARGARET [_attentively listening_]

That was the voice of my lover!

[_She springs to her feet: the fetters fall off._

Where is he? I heard him call me. I am free! No one shall enthrall me. To his neck will I fly, On his bosom lie! On the threshold he stood, and _Margaret!_ calling, 'Midst of hell's howling and noises appalling, 'Midst of the wrathful, infernal derision, I knew the sweet sound of the voice of the vision!

FAUST

'Tis I!

MARGARET

'Tis thou! O, say it once again! [_Clasping him._ 'Tis he! 'tis he! Where now is all my pain? The anguish of the dungeon, and the chain? 'Tis thou! Thou comest to save me, And I am saved! Again the street I see Where first I looked on thee; And the garden, brightly blooming, Where I and Martha wait thy coming.

FAUST [_struggling to leave_]

Come! Come with me!

MARGARET

Delay, now! So fain I stay, when thou delayest! [_Caressing him._

FAUST

Away, now! If longer here thou stayest, We shall be made to dearly rue it.

MARGARET

Kiss me!--canst no longer do it? My friend, so short a time thou 'rt missing, And hast unlearned thy kissing? Why is my heart so anxious, on thy breast? Where once a heaven thy glances did create me, A heaven thy loving words expressed, And thou didst kiss as thou wouldst suffocate me-- Kiss me! Or I'll kiss thee! [_She embraces him._ Ah, woe! thy lips are chill, And still. How changed in fashion Thy passion! Who has done me this ill? [_She turns away from him._

FAUST

Come, follow me! My darling, be more bold: I'll clasp thee, soon, with warmth a thousandfold; But follow now! 'Tis all I beg of thee.

MARGARET [_turning to him_]

And is it thou? Thou, surely, certainly?

FAUST

'Tis I! Come on!

MARGARET

Thou wilt unloose my chain, And in thy lap wilt take me once again. How comes it that thou dost not shrink from me?-- Say, dost thou know, my friend, whom thou mak'st free?

FAUST

Come! come! The night already vanisheth.

MARGARET

My mother have I put to death; I've drowned the baby born to thee. Was it not given to thee and me? Thee, too!--'Tis thou! It scarcely true doth seem-- Give me thy hand! 'Tis not a dream! Thy dear, dear hand!--But, ah, 'tis wet! Why, wipe it off! Methinks that yet There's blood thereon. Ah, God! what hast thou done? Nay, sheathe thy sword at last! Do not affray me!

FAUST

Oh, let the past be past! Thy words will slay me!

MARGARET

No, no! Thou must outlive us. Now I'll tell thee the graves to give us: Thou must begin to-morrow The work of sorrow! The best place give to my mother, Then close at her side my brother, And me a little away, But not too very far, I pray! And here, on my right breast, my baby lay! Nobody else will lie beside me!-- Ah, within thine arms to hide me, That was a sweet and a gracious bliss, But no more, no more can I attain it! I would force myself on thee and constrain it, And it seems thou repellest my kiss: And yet 'tis thou, so good, so kind to see!

FAUST

If thou feelest it is I, then come with me!

MARGARET

Out yonder?

FAUST

To freedom.

MARGARET

If the grave is there, Death lying in wait, then come! From here to eternal rest: No further step--no, no! Thou goest away! O Henry, if I could go!

FAUST

Thou canst! Just will it! Open stands the door.

MARGARET

I dare not go: there's no hope any more. Why should I fly? They'll still my steps waylay! It is so wretched, forced to beg my living, And a bad conscience sharper misery giving! It is so wretched, to be strange, forsaken, And I'd still be followed and taken!

FAUST

I'll stay with thee.

MARGARET

Be quick! Be quick! Save thy perishing child! Away! Follow the ridge Up by the brook, Over the bridge, Into the wood, To the left, where the plank is placed In the pool! Seize it in haste! 'Tis trying to rise, 'Tis struggling still! Save it! Save it!

FAUST

Recall thy wandering will! One step, and thou art free at last!

MARGARET

If the mountain we had only passed! There sits my mother upon a stone,-- I feel an icy shiver! There sits my mother upon a stone, And her head is wagging ever. She beckons, she nods not, her heavy head falls o'er; She slept so long that she wakes no more. She slept, while we were caressing: Ah, those were the days of blessing!

FAUST

Here words and prayers are nothing worth; I'll venture, then, to bear thee forth.

MARGARET

No--let me go! I'll suffer no force! Grasp me not so murderously! I've done, else, all things for the love of thee.

FAUST

The day dawns: Dearest! Dearest!

MARGARET

Day? Yes, the day comes,--the last day breaks for me! My wedding day it was to be! Tell no one thou hast been with Margaret! Woe for my garland! The chances Are over--'tis all in vain! We shall meet once again, But not at the dances! The crowd is thronging, no word is spoken: The square below And the streets overflow: The death-bell tolls, the wand is broken. I am seized, and bound, and delivered-- Shoved to the block--they give the sign! Now over each neck has quivered The blade that is quivering over mine. Dumb lies the world like the grave!

FAUST

Oh, had I ne'er been born!

MEPHISTOPHELES [_appears outside_]

Off! or you're lost ere morn. Useless talking, delaying, and praying! My horses are neighing: The morning twilight is near.

MARGARET

What rises up from the threshold here? He! he! suffer him not! What does he want in this holy spot? He seeks me!

FAUST

Thou shalt live.

MARGARET

Judgment of God! myself to thee I give.

MEPHISTOPHELES [_to Faust_]

Come! or I'll leave her in the lurch, and thee!

MARGARET

Thine am I, Father! rescue me! Ye angels, holy cohorts, guard me, Camp around, and from evil ward me! Henry! I shudder to think of thee.

MEPHISTOPHELES

She is judged!

VOICE [_from above_]

She is saved!

MEPHISTOPHELES [_to Faust_]

Hither to me! [_He disappears with Faust._

VOICE [_from within, dying away_]

Henry! Henry!

THE DEATH OF FOUST

LEMURES [_Digging with mocking gestures_]

In youth when I did love, did love, Methought it was very sweet; When 'twas jolly and merry every way, And I blithely moved my feet.

But now old Age, with his stealing steps, Hath clawed me with his crutch: I stumbled over the door of a grave; Why leave they open such?

FAUST [_Comes forth from the palace, groping his way along the door-posts_]

How I rejoice to hear the clattering spade! It is the crowd, for me in service moiling, Till Earth be reconciled to toiling, Till the proud waves be stayed, And the sea girded with a rigid zone.

MEPHISTOPHELES [_aside_]

And yet thou'rt laboring for us alone, With all thy dikes and bulwarks daring; Since thou for Neptune art preparing-- The Ocean Devil--carousal great. In every way shall ye be stranded; The elements with us are banded, And ruin is the certain fate.

FAUST

Overseer!

MEPHISTOPHELES

Here!

FAUST

However possible, Collect a crowd of men with vigor, Spur by indulgence, praise, or rigor,-- Reward, allure, conscript, compel! Each day report me, and correctly note How grows in length the undertaken moat.

MEPHISTOPHELES [_half aloud_]

When they to me the information gave, They spake not of a moat, but of--_a grave_.

FAUST