GOETHE'S FAUST
Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe
PART THREE
Prologue | Part I | Part II | Part III | Part IV | Part V | Part VI | Part VII
STUDY FAUST
(entering with the poodle)
Now field and meadow I've forsaken; O'er them deep night her veil doth draw; In us the better soul doth waken, With feelings of foreboding awe, All lawless promptings, deeds unholy, Now slumber, and all wild desires; The love of man doth sway us wholly, And love to God the soul inspires.
2 Peace, poodle, peace! Scamper not thus; obey me! Why at the threshold snuffest thou so? Behind the stove now quietly lay thee, My softest cushion to thee I'll throw. As thou, without, didst please and amuse me Running and frisking about on the hill, So tendance now I will not refuse thee; A welcome guest, if thou'lt be still.
3 Ah! when the friendly taper gloweth, Once more within our narrow cell, Then in the heart itself that knoweth, A light the darkness doth dispel. Reason her voice resumes; returneth Hope's gracious bloom, with promise rife; For streams of life the spirit yearneth, Ah! for the very fount of life.
4 Poodle, snarl not! with the tone that arises. Hallow'd and peaceful, my soul within, Accords not thy growl, thy bestial din. We find it not strange, that man despises What he conceives not; That he the good and fair misprizes-- Finding them often beyond his ken; Will the dog snarl at them like men?
5 But ah! Despite my will, it stands confessed, Contentment welleth up no longer in my breast. Yet wherefore must the stream, alas, so soon be dry, That we once more athirst should lie? Full oft this sad experience hath been mine; Nathless the want admits of compensation; For things above the earth we learn to pine, Our spirits yearn for revelation, Which nowhere burns with purer beauty blent,
6 Than here in the New Testament. To ope the ancient text an impulse strong Impels me, and its sacred lore, With honest purpose to explore, And render into my loved German tongue. (He opens a volume, and applies himself to it.) 'Tis writ, "In the beginning was the Word !" I pause, perplex'd! Who now will help afford? I cannot the mere Word so highly prize; I must translate it otherwise, If by the spirit guided as I read. "In the beginning was the Sense !" Take heed, The import of this primal sentence weigh, Lest thy too hasty pen be led astray! Is force creative then of Sense the dower? "In the beginning was the Power !" Thus should it stand: yet, while the line I trace. A something warns me, once more to efface. The spirit aids! from anxious scruples freed, I write, "In the beginning was the Deed !"
7 Am I with thee my room to share, Poodle, thy barking now forbear, Forbear thy howling! Comrade so noisy, ever growling, I cannot suffer here to dwell. One or the other, mark me well, Forthwith must leave the cell. I'm loath the guest-right to withhold; The door's ajar, the passage clear; But what must now mine eyes behold! Are nature's laws suspended here? Real is it, or a phantom show? In length and breadth how doth my poodle grow! He lifts himself with threat'ning mien, In likeness of a dog no longer seen! What spectre have I harbour'd thus! Huge as a hippopotamus, With fiery eye, terrific tooth! Ah I now I know thee, sure enough! For such a base, half-hellish brood, The key of Solomon is good.
8 SPIRITS (without) Captur'd there within is one! Stay without and follow none! Like a fox in iron snare, Hell's old lynx is quaking there, But take heed! Hover round, above, below, To and fro, Then from durance is he freed! Can ye aid him, spirits all, Leave him not in mortal thrall! Many a time and oft bath he Served us, when at liberty.
FAUST
9 The monster to confront, at first, The spell of Four must be rehears'd;
10 Salamander shall kindle, Writhe nymph of the wave, In air sylph shall dwindle, And Kobold shall slave.
11 Who doth ignore The primal Four, Nor knows aright Their use and might, O'er spirits will he Ne'er master be!
12 Vanish in the fiery glow, Salamander! Rushingly together flow. Undine! Shimmer in the meteor's gleam, Sylphide! Hither bring thine homely aid,
13 Incubus! Incubus! Step forth! I do adjure thee thus! None of the Four Lurks in the beast: He grins at me, untroubled as before; I have not hurt him in the least. A spell of fear Thou now shalt hear. Art thou, comrade fell, Fugitive from hell?
14 See then this sign, Before which incline The murky troops of Hell! With bristling hair now doth the creature swelL
15 Canst thou, reprobate, Read the uncreate, Unspeakable, diffused Throughout the heavenly sphere, Shamefully abused, Transpierced with nail and spear!
16 Behind the stove, tam'd by my spells, Like an elephant he swells; Wholly now he fills the room, He into mist will melt away. Ascend not to the ceiling! Come, Thyself at the master's feet now lay! Thou seest that mine is no idle threat. With holy fire I will scorch thee yet! Wait not the might That lies in the triple-glowing light! Wait not the might Of all my arts in fullest measure!
MEPHISTOPHELES (As the mist sinks, comes forward from behind the stove, in the dress of a travelling scholar)
17 Why all this uproar? What's the master's pleasure?
FAUST
18 This then the kernel of the brute! A travelling scholar? Why I needs must smile.
MEPHISTOPHELES
19 Your learned reverence humbly I salute! You've made me swelter in a pretty style.
FAUST
20 Thy name?
MEPHISTOPHELES
21 The question trifling seems from one, Who it appears the Word doth rate so low; Who, undeluded by mere outward show, To Being's depths would penetrate alone.
FAUST
22 With gentlemen like you indeed The inward essence from the name we read, As all too plainly it doth appear, When Beelzebub, Destroyer, Liar, meets the ear. Who then art thou?
MEPHISTOPHELES
23 Part of that power which still Produceth good, whilst ever scheming ill.
FAUST
24 What hidden mystery in this riddle lies?
MEPHISTOPHELES
25 The spirit I, which evermore denies! And justly; for whate'er to light is brought Deserves again to be reduced to naught; Then better 'twere that naught should be. Thus all the elements which ye Destruction, Sin, or briefly, Evil, name, As my peculiar element I claim.
FAUST
26 Thou nam'st thyself a part, and yet a whole I see.
MEPHISTOPHELES
27 The modest truth I speak to thee. Though folly's microcosm, man, it seems, Himself to be a perfect whole esteems: Part of the part am I, which at the first was all, A part of darkness, which gave birth to light, Proud light, who now his mother would enthrall, Contesting space and ancient rank with night. Yet he succeedeth not, for struggle as he will, To forms material he adhereth still; From them he streameth, them he maketh fair, And still the progress of his beams they check; And so, I trust, when comes the final wreck, Light will, ere long, the doom of matter share.
FAUST
28 Thy worthy avocation now I guess! Wholesale annihilation won't prevail, So thou'rt beginning on a smaller scale.
MEPHISTOPHELES
29 And, to say truth, as yet with small success. Oppos'd to naught. this clumsy world, The something--it subsisteth still; Not yet is it to ruin hurl'd, Despite the efforts of my will. Tempests and earthquakes, fire and flood, I've tried; Yet land and ocean still unchang'd abide! And then of humankind and beasts, brood,-- Neither o'er them can I extend my sway. What countless myriads have I swept away! Yet ever circulates the fresh young blood. the accursed
30 It is enough to drive me to despair! As in the earth, in water, and in air, A thousand germs burst forth spontaneously; In moisture, drought, heat, cold, they still appear! Had I not flame selected as my sphere Nothing apart had been reserved for me.
FAUST
31 So thou with thy cold devil's fist Still clench'd in malice impotent Dost the creative power resist, The active, the beneficent! Henceforth some other task essay, Of Chaos thou the wondrous son!
MEPHISTOPHELES
32 We will consider what you say, And talk about it more anon! For this time have I leave to go?
FAUST
33 Why thou shouldst ask, I cannot see. Since thee I now have learned to know, At thy good pleasure, visit me. Here is the window, here the door, The chimney, too, may serve thy need.
MEPHISTOPHELES
34 I must confess, my stepping o'er Thy threshold a slight hindrance doth impede; The wizard-foot doth me retain.
FAUST
35 The pentagram thy peace doth mar? To me, thou son of hell, explain, How earnest thou in, if this thine exit bar? Could such a spirit aught ensnare?
MEPHISTOPHELES
36 Observe it well, it is not drawn with care, One of the angles, that which points without, Is, as thou seest, not quite closed.
FAUST
37 Chance hath the matter happily dispos'd! So thou my captive art? No doubt! By accident thou thus art caught!
MEPHISTOPHELES
38 In sprang the dog, indeed, observing naught; Things now assume another shape, The devil's in the house and can't escape.
FAUST
39 Why through the window not withdraw?
MEPHISTOPHELES
40 For ghosts and f or the devil 'tis a law. Where they stole in, there they must forth. We're free The first to choose; as to the second, slaves are we.
FAUST
41 E'en hell hath its peculiar laws, I see! I'm glad of that! a pact may then be made, The which you gentlemen will surely keep?
MEPHISTOPHELES
42 What e'er therein is promised thou shalt reap, No tittle shall remain unpaid. But such arrangements time require; We'll speak of them when next we meet; Most earnestly I now entreat, This once permission to retire.
FAUST
43 Another moment prithee here remain, Me with some happy word to pleasure.
MEPHISTOPHELES
44 Now let me go! ere long I'll come again, Then thou may'st question at thy leisure.
FAUST
45 'Twas not toy purpose thee to lime; The snare hast entered of thine own free will: Let him who holds the devil, hold him still! So soon he'll catch him not a second time.
MEPHISTOPHELES
46 If it so please thee, I'm at thy command; Only on this condition, understand; That worthily thy leisure to beguile, I here may exercise my arts awhile.
FAUST
47 Thou'rt free to do so! Gladly I'll attend; But be thine art a pleasant one!
MEPHISTOPHELES My friend, This hour enjoyment more intense, Shall captivate each ravish'd sense, Than thou could'st compass in the bound Of the whole year's unvarying round; And what the dainty spirits sing, The lovely images they bring, Are no fantastic sorcery. Rich odours shall regale your smell, On choicest sweets your palate dwell, Your feelings thrill with ecstasy.
48 No preparation do we need, Here we together are. Proceed.
SPIRITS
49 Hence overshadowing gloom, Vanish from sight! O'er us thine azure dome, Bend, beauteous light! Dark clouds that o'er us spread, Melt in thin air! Stars, your soft radiance shed, Tender and fair. Girt with celestial might, Winging their airy flight, Spirits are thronging. Follows their forms of light Infinite longing! Flutter their vestures bright O'er field and grove! Where in their leafy bower Lovers the livelong hour Vow deathless love. Soft bloometh bud and bower! Bloometh the grove! Grapes from the spreading vine Crown the full measure; Fountains of foaming wine Gush from the pressure. Still where the currents wind, Gems brightly gleam. Leaving the hills behind On rolls the stream; Now into ample seas, Spreadeth the flood; Laying the sunny leas, Mantled with wood. Rapture the feather'd throng, Gaily careering, Sip as they float along; Sunward they're steering; On towards the isles of light Winging their way, That on the waters bright Dancingly play. Hark to the choral strain, Joyfully ringing! While on the grassy plain Dancers are springing; Climbing the steep hill's side, Skimming the glassy tide, Wander they there; Others on pinions wide Wing the blue air; All lifeward tending, upward still wending, Towards yonder stars that gleam, Far, far above; Stars from whose tender beam Rains blissful love.
MEPHISTOPHELES
50 Well done, my dainty spirits! now he slumbers! Ye have entranc'd him fairly with your numbers! This minstrelsy of yours I must repay,-- Thou art not yet the man to hold the devil fast!-- With fairest shapes your spells around him cast, And plunge him in a sea of dreams! But that this charm be rent, the threshold passed, Tooth of rat the way must clear. I need not conjure long it seems, One rustles hitherward, and soon my voice will hear. The master of the rats and mice, Of flies and frogs, of bugs and lice, Commands thy presence; without fear Come forth and gnaw the threshold here, Where he with oil has smear'd it.--Thou Com'st hopping forth already! Now To work! The point that holds me bound Is in the outer angle found. Another bite--so--now 'tis done-- Now, Faustus, till we meet again, dream on.
FAUST (awaking)
51 Am I once more deluded! must I deem That thus the throng of spirits disappear? The devil's presence, was it but a dream? Hath but a poodle scap'd and left me here?
|
