The Poems of Schiller — Third period

Friedrich Schiller

The Poems of Schiller — Third period

POEMS OF THE THIRD PERIOD

THE MEETING

   I see her still — by her fair train surrounded,     The fairest of them all, she took her place;    Afar I stood, by her bright charms confounded,     For, oh! they dazzled with their heavenly grace.    With awe my soul was filled — with bliss unbounded,     While gazing on her softly radiant face;    But soon, as if up-borne on wings of fire,    My fingers 'gan to sweep the sounding lyre.    The thoughts that rushed across me in that hour,     The words I sang, I'd fain once more invoke;    Within, I felt a new-awakened power,     That each emotion of my bosom spoke.    My soul, long time enchained in sloth's dull bower,     Through all its fetters now triumphant broke,    And brought to light unknown, harmonious numbers,    Which in its deepest depths, had lived in slumbers.    And when the chords had ceased their gentle sighing,     And when my soul rejoined its mortal frame,    I looked upon her face and saw love vieing,     In every feature, with her maiden shame.    And soon my ravished heart seemed heavenward flying,     When her soft whisper o'er my senses came.    The blissful seraphs' choral strains alone    Can glad mine ear again with that sweet tone,    Of that fond heart, which, pining silently,     Ne'er ventures to express its feelings lowly,    The real and modest worth is known to me —     'Gainst cruel fate I'll guard its cause so holy.    Most blest of all, the meek one's lot shall be —     Love's flowers by love's own hand are gathered solely —    The fairest prize to that fond heart is due,    That feels it, and that beats responsive, too!

THE SECRET

   She sought to breathe one word, but vainly;     Too many listeners were nigh;    And yet my timid glance read plainly     The language of her speaking eye.    Thy silent glades my footstep presses,     Thou fair and leaf-embosomed grove!    Conceal within thy green recesses     From mortal eye our sacred love!    Afar with strange discordant noises,     The busy day is echoing;    And 'mid the hollow hum of voices,     I hear the heavy hammer ring.    'Tis thus that man, with toil ne'er ending     Extorts from heaven his daily bread;    Yet oft unseen the Gods are sending     The gifts of fortune on his head!    Oh, let mankind discover never     How true love fills with bliss our hearts    They would but crush our joy forever,     For joy to them no glow imparts.    Thou ne'er wilt from the world obtain it —     'Tis never captured save as prey;    Thou needs must strain each nerve to gain it,     E'er envy dark asserts her sway.    The hours of night and stillness loving,     It comes upon us silently —    Away with hasty footstep moving     Soon as it sees a treacherous eye.    Thou gentle stream, soft circlets weaving,     A watery barrier cast around,    And, with thy waves in anger heaving,     Guard from each foe this holy ground!

THE ASSIGNATION. 1

   Hear I the creaking gate unclose?     The gleaming latch uplifted?    No — 'twas the wind that, whirring, rose,     Amidst the poplars drifted!    Adorn thyself, thou green leaf-bowering roof,     Destined the bright one's presence to receive,    For her, a shadowy palace-hall aloof     With holy night, thy boughs familiar weave.    And ye sweet flatteries of the delicate air,     Awake and sport her rosy cheek around,    When their light weight the tender feet shall bear,     When beauty comes to passion's trysting-ground.    Hush! what amidst the copses crept —     So swiftly by me now?    No-'twas the startled bird that swept     The light leaves of the bough!    Day, quench thy torch! come, ghostlike, from on high,     With thy loved silence, come, thou haunting Eve,    Broaden below thy web of purple dye,     Which lulled boughs mysterious round us weave.    For love's delight, enduring listeners none,     The froward witness of the light will flee;    Hesper alone, the rosy silent one,     Down-glancing may our sweet familiar be!    What murmur in the distance spoke,     And like a whisper died?    No — 'twas the swan that gently broke     In rings the silver tide!    Soft to my ear there comes a music-flow;     In gleesome murmur glides the waterfall;    To zephyr's kiss the flowers are bending low;     Through life goes joy, exchanging joy with all.    Tempt to the touch the grapes — the blushing fruit, 2   Voluptuous swelling from the leaves that bide;    And, drinking fever from my cheek, the mute     Air sleeps all liquid in the odor-tide!    Hark! through the alley hear I now     A footfall? Comes the maiden?    No, — 'twas the fruit slid from the bough,     With its own richness laden!    Day's lustrous eyes grow heavy in sweet death,     And pale and paler wane his jocund hues,    The flowers too gentle for his glowing breath,     Ope their frank beauty to the twilight dews.    The bright face of the moon is still and lone,     Melts in vast masses the world silently;    Slides from each charm the slowly-loosening zone;     And round all beauty, veilless, roves the eye.    What yonder seems to glimmer?     Her white robe's glancing hues?    No, — 'twas the column's shimmer     Athwart the darksome yews!    O, longing heart, no more delight-upbuoyed     Let the sweet airy image thee befool!    The arms that would embrace her clasp the void     This feverish breast no phantom-bliss can cool,    O, waft her here, the true, the living one!     Let but my hand her hand, the tender, feel —    The very shadow of her robe alone! —     So into life the idle dream shall steal!    As glide from heaven, when least we ween,    The rosy hours of bliss,    All gently came the maid, unseen: —    He waked beneath her kiss!

LONGING

   Could I from this valley drear,     Where the mist hangs heavily,    Soar to some more blissful sphere,     Ah! how happy should I be!    Distant hills enchant my sight,     Ever young and ever fair;    To those hills I'd take my flight     Had I wings to scale the air.    Harmonies mine ear assail,     Tunes that breathe a heavenly calm;    And the gently-sighing gale     Greets me with its fragrant balm.    Peeping through the shady bowers,     Golden fruits their charms display.    And those sweetly-blooming flowers     Ne'er become cold winter's prey.    In you endless sunshine bright,     Oh! what bliss 'twould be to dwell!    How the breeze on yonder height     Must the heart with rapture swell!    Yet the stream that hems my path     Checks me with its angry frown,    While its waves, in rising wrath,     Weigh my weary spirit down.    See — a bark is drawing near,     But, alas, the pilot fails!    Enter boldly — wherefore fear?     Inspiration fills its sails,    Faith and courage make thine own, —     Gods ne'er lend a helping-hand;    'Tis by magic power alone     Thou canst reach the magic land!

EVENING.

(AFTER A PICTURE.)

   Oh! thou bright-beaming god, the plains are thirsting,    Thirsting for freshening dew, and man is pining;         Wearily move on thy horses —         Let, then, thy chariot descend!    Seest thou her who, from ocean's crystal billows,    Lovingly nods and smiles? — Thy heart must know her!         Joyously speed on thy horses, —         Tethys, the goddess, 'tis nods!    Swiftly from out his flaming chariot leaping,    Into her arms he springs, — the reins takes Cupid, —         Quietly stand the horses,         Drinking the cooling flood.    Now from the heavens with gentle step descending,    Balmy night appears, by sweet love followed;         Mortals, rest ye, and love ye, —         Phoebus, the loving one, rests!

THE PILGRIM

   Youth's gay springtime scarcely knowing     Went I forth the world to roam —    And the dance of youth, the glowing,     Left I in my father's home,    Of my birthright, glad-believing,     Of my world-gear took I none,    Careless as an infant, cleaving     To my pilgrim staff alone.    For I placed my mighty hope in     Dim and holy words of faith,    "Wander forth — the way is open,     Ever on the upward path —    Till thou gain the golden portal,     Till its gates unclose to thee.    There the earthly and the mortal,     Deathless and divine shall be!"    Night on morning stole, on stealeth,     Never, never stand I still,    And the future yet concealeth,     What I seek, and what I will!    Mount on mount arose before me,     Torrents hemmed me every side,    But I built a bridge that bore me     O'er the roaring tempest-tide.    Towards the east I reached a river,     On its shores I did not rest;    Faith from danger can deliver,     And I trusted to its breast.    Drifted in the whirling motion,     Seas themselves around me roll —    Wide and wider spreads the ocean,     Far and farther flies the goal.    While I live is never given     Bridge or wave the goal to near —    Earth will never meet the heaven,     Never can the there be here!

THE IDEALS

   And wilt thou, faithless one, then, leave me,     With all thy magic phantasy, —    With all the thoughts that joy or grieve me,     Wilt thou with all forever fly?    Can naught delay thine onward motion,     Thou golden time of life's young dream?    In vain! eternity's wide ocean     Ceaselessly drowns thy rolling stream.    The glorious suns my youth enchanting     Have set in never-ending night;    Those blest ideals now are wanting     That swelled my heart with mad delight.    The offspring of my dream hath perished,     My faith in being passed away;    The godlike hopes that once I cherish     Are now reality's sad prey.    As once Pygmalion, fondly yearning,     Embraced the statue formed by him,    Till the cold marble's cheeks were burning,     And life diffused through every limb,    So I, with youthful passion fired,     My longing arms round Nature threw,    Till, clinging to my breast inspired,     She 'gan to breathe, to kindle too.    And all my fiery ardor proving,     Though mute, her tale she soon could tell,    Returned each kiss I gave her loving,     The throbbings of my heart read well.    Then living seemed each tree, each flower,     Then sweetly sang the waterfall,    And e'en the soulless in that hour     Shared in the heavenly bliss of all.    For then a circling world was bursting     My bosom's narrow prison-cell,    To enter into being thirsting,     In deed, word, shape, and sound as well.    This world, how wondrous great I deemed it,     Ere yet its blossoms could unfold!    When open, oh, how little seemed it!     That little, oh, how mean and cold!    How happy, winged by courage daring,     The youth life's mazy path first pressed —    No care his manly strength impairing,     And in his dream's sweet vision blest!    The dimmest star in air's dominion     Seemed not too distant for his flight;    His young and ever-eager pinion     Soared far beyond all mortal sight.    Thus joyously toward heaven ascending,     Was aught for his bright hopes too far?    The airy guides his steps attending,     How danced they round life's radiant car!    Soft love was there, her guerdon bearing,     And fortune, with her crown of gold,    And fame, her starry chaplet wearing,     And truth, in majesty untold.    But while the goal was yet before them,     The faithless guides began to stray;    Impatience of their task came o'er them,     Then one by one they dropped away.    Light-footed Fortune first retreating,     Then Wisdom's thirst remained unstilled,    While heavy storms of doubt were beating     Upon the path truth's radiance filled.    I saw Fame's sacred wreath adorning     The brows of an unworthy crew;    And, ah! how soon Love's happy morning,     When spring had vanished, vanished too!    More silent yet, and yet more weary,     Became the desert path I trod;    And even hope a glimmer dreary     Scarce cast upon the gloomy road.    Of all that train, so bright with gladness,     Oh, who is faithful to the end?    Who now will seek to cheer my sadness,     And to the grave my steps attend?    Thou, Friendship, of all guides the fairest,     Who gently healest every wound;    Who all life's heavy burdens sharest,     Thou, whom I early sought and found!    Employment too, thy loving neighbor,     Who quells the bosom's rising storms;    Who ne'er grows weary of her labor,     And ne'er destroys, though slow she forms;    Who, though but grains of sand she places     To swell eternity sublime,    Yet minutes, days, ay! years effaces     From the dread reckoning kept by Time!

THE YOUTH BY THE BROOK. 3

   Beside the brook the boy reclined     And wove his flowery wreath,    And to the waves the wreath consigned —     The waves that danced beneath.    "So fleet mine hours," he sighed, "away     Like waves that restless flow:    And so my flowers of youth decay     Like those that float below."    "Ask not why I, alone on earth,     Am sad in life's young time;    To all the rest are hope and mirth     When spring renews its prime.    Alas! the music Nature makes,     In thousand songs of gladness —    While charming all around me, wakes     My heavy heart to sadness."    "Ah! vain to me the joys that break     From spring, voluptuous are;    For only one 't is mine to seek —     The near, yet ever far!    I stretch my arms, that shadow-shape     In fond embrace to hold;    Still doth the shade the clasp escape —     The heart is unconsoled!"    "Come forth, fair friend, come forth below,     And leave thy lofty hall,    The fairest flowers the spring can know     In thy dear lap shall fall!    Clear glides the brook in silver rolled,     Sweet carols fill the air;    The meanest hut hath space to hold     A happy loving pair!"

TO EMMA

   Far away, where darkness reigneth,     All my dreams of bliss are flown;    Yet with love my gaze remaineth     Fixed on one fair star alone.    But, alas! that star so bright    Sheds no lustre save by night.    If in slumbers ending never,     Gloomy death had sealed thine eyes,    Thou hadst lived in memory ever —     Thou hadst lived still in my sighs;    But, alas! in light thou livest —    To my love no answer givest!    Can the sweet hopes love once cherished     Emma, can they transient prove?    What has passed away and perished —     Emma, say, can that be love?    That bright flame of heavenly birth —     Can it die like things of earth?

THE FAVOR OF THE MOMENT

   Once more, then, we meet     In the circles of yore;    Let our song be as sweet     In its wreaths as before,    Who claims the first place     In the tribute of song?    The God to whose grace     All our pleasures belong.    Though Ceres may spread     All her gifts on the shrine,    Though the glass may be red     With the blush of the vine,    What boots — if the while     Fall no spark on the hearth;    If the heart do not smile     With the instinct of mirth? —    From the clouds, from God's breast     Must our happiness fall,    'Mid the blessed, most blest     Is the moment of all!    Since creation began     All that mortals have wrought,    All that's godlike in man     Comes — the flash of a thought!    For ages the stone     In the quarry may lurk,    An instant alone     Can suffice to the work;    An impulse give birth     To the child of the soul,    A glance stamp the worth     And the fame of the whole. 4 On the arch that she buildeth     From sunbeams on high,    As Iris just gildeth,     And fleets from the sky,    So shineth, so gloometh     Each gift that is ours;    The lightning illumeth —     The darkness devours! 5

THE LAY OF THE MOUNTAIN

[The scenery of Gotthardt is here personified.]

   To the solemn abyss leads the terrible path,     The life and death winding dizzy between;    In thy desolate way, grim with menace and wrath,     To daunt thee the spectres of giants are seen;    That thou wake not the wild one 6, all silently tread —    Let thy lip breathe no breath in the pathway of dread!    High over the marge of the horrible deep     Hangs and hovers a bridge with its phantom-like span, 7 Not by man was it built, o'er the vastness to sweep;     Such thought never came to the daring of man!    The stream roars beneath — late and early it raves —    But the bridge, which it threatens, is safe from the waves.    Black-yawning a portal, thy soul to affright,     Like the gate to the kingdom, the fiend for the king —    Yet beyond it there smiles but a land of delight,     Where the autumn in marriage is met with the spring.    From a lot which the care and the trouble assail,    Could I fly to the bliss of that balm-breathing vale!    Through that field, from a fount ever hidden their birth,     Four rivers in tumult rush roaringly forth;    They fly to the fourfold divisions of earth —     The sunrise, the sunset, the south, and the north.    And, true to the mystical mother that bore,    Forth they rush to their goal, and are lost evermore.    High over the races of men in the blue     Of the ether, the mount in twin summits is riven;    There, veiled in the gold-woven webs of the dew,     Moves the dance of the clouds — the pale daughters of heaven!    There, in solitude, circles their mystical maze,    Where no witness can hearken, no earthborn surveys.    August on a throne which no ages can move,     Sits a queen, in her beauty serene and sublime, 8 The diadem blazing with diamonds above     The glory of brows, never darkened by time,    His arrows of light on that form shoots the sun —    And he gilds them with all, but he warms them with none!

THE ALPINE HUNTER

   Wilt thou not the lambkins guard?     Oh, how soft and meek they look,    Feeding on the grassy sward,     Sporting round the silvery brook!    "Mother, mother, let me go    On yon heights to chase the roe!"    Wilt thou not the flock compel     With the horn's inspiring notes?    Sweet the echo of yon bell,     As across the wood it floats!    "Mother, mother, let me go    On yon heights to hunt the roe!"    Wilt thou not the flow'rets bind,     Smiling gently in their bed?    For no garden thou wilt find     On yon heights so wild and dread.    "Leave the flow'rets, — let them blow!    Mother, mother, let me go!"    And the youth then sought the chase,     Onward pressed with headlong speed    To the mountain's gloomiest place, —     Naught his progress could impede;    And before him, like the wind,    Swiftly flies the trembling hind!    Up the naked precipice     Clambers she, with footsteps light,    O'er the chasm's dark abyss     Leaps with spring of daring might;    But behind, unweariedly,    With his death-bow follows he.    Now upon the rugged top     Stands she, — on the loftiest height,    Where the cliffs abruptly stop,     And the path is lost to sight.    There she views the steeps below, —    Close behind, her mortal foe.    She, with silent, woeful gaze,     Seeks the cruel boy to move;    But, alas! in vain she prays —     To the string he fits the groove.    When from out the clefts, behold!    Steps the Mountain Genius old.    With his hand the Deity    Shields the beast that trembling sighs;    "Must thou, even up to me,    Death and anguish send?" he cries, —    Earth has room for all to dwell, —    "Why pursue my loved gazelle?"