The Poems of Goethe | Page 7

Antiquity.................................
1815Ä28
Theory of
Colours.................................
1790-1810

In addition to the above, Goethe produced an almost endless number of
translations, criticisms, essays, &c.
III. POETICAL WORKS.
Other than those embraced in the plan of the present volume.
TITLE
DATE,
Masonic Songs
(7)................................. 1815Ä30
Poems on Pictures
(21)............................ 1819, &c.
Invectives
(44)................................... 1802Ä24
Political poems
(54).............................. 1814, &c.
Masques
(14)......................................
1776-1818
Poems in the name of the citizens of Carlsbad (7).
1810Ä12
Poems on Individuals, &c. (209)...................
1778Ä1831
Chinese-German Poems
(14)......................... 1827
Prophecies of Bakis
(33).......................... 1798
The Four Seasons
(99)............................. 1796
Epistles
(3)...................................... 1794
Achilleis--Canto
I................................ 1798Ä9
Reineke
Fuchs..................................... 1793


Theatrical Prologues and Epilogues (12, including

the Epilogue to the Song of the Bell, given in
this volume)................................... 1782Ä1821
THE POEMS OF GOETHE.
DEDICATION.
The morn arrived; his footstep quickly scared
The gentle sleep that round my senses clung,
And I, awak'ning, from
my cottage fared,
And up the mountain side with light heart sprung;
At every step I felt
my gaze ensnared
By new-born flow'rs that full of dew-drops hung;
The youthful day
awoke with ecstacy,
And all things quicken'd were, to quicken me.
And as I mounted, from the valley rose
A streaky mist, that upward slowly spread,
Then bent, as though my
form it would enclose,
Then, as on pinions, soar'd above my head:
My gaze could now on no
fair view repose,
in mournful veil conceal'd, the world seem'd dead;
The clouds soon
closed around me, as a tomb,
And I was left alone in twilight gloom.
At once the sun his lustre seem'd to pour,
And through the mist was seen a radiant light;
Here sank it gently to
the ground once more,
There parted it, and climb'd o'er wood and height.
How did I yearn to
greet him as of yore,

After the darkness waxing doubly bright!
The airy conflict ofttimes
was renew'd,
Then blinded by a dazzling glow I stood.
Ere long an inward impulse prompted me
A hasty glance with boldness round to throw;
At first mine eyes had
scarcely strength to see,
For all around appear'd to burn and glow.
Then saw I, on the clouds
borne gracefully,
A godlike woman hov'ring to and fro.
In life I ne'er had seen a form
so fair--
She gazed at me, and still she hover'd there.
"Dost thou not know me?" were the words she said
In tones where love and faith were sweetly bound;
"Knowest thou not
Her who oftentimes hath shed
The purest balsam in each earthly wound?
Thou knows't me well; thy
panting heart I led
To join me in a bond with rapture crown'd.
Did I not see thee, when a
stripling, yearning
To welcome me with tears, heartfelt and burning?"
"Yes!" I exclaim'd, whilst, overcome with joy,
I sank to earth; "I long have worshipp'd thee;
Thou gav'st me rest,
when passions rack'd the boy,
Pervading ev'ry limb unceasingly;
Thy heav'nly pinions thou didst
then employ
The scorching sunbeams to ward off from me.
From thee alone
Earth's fairest gifts I gain'd,
Through thee alone, true bliss can be
obtain'd.

"Thy name I know not; yet I hear thee nam'd
By many a one who boasts thee as his own;
Each eye believes that
tow'rd thy form 'tis aim'd,
Yet to most eyes thy rays are anguish-sown.
Ah! whilst I err'd, full
many a friend I claim'd,
Now that I know thee, I am left alone;
With but myself can I my
rapture share,
I needs must veil and hide thy radiance fair.
She smiled, and answering said: "Thou see'st how wise,
How prudent 'twas but little to unveil!
Scarce from the clumsiest
cheat are clear'd thine eyes,
Scarce hast thou strength thy childish bars to scale,
When thou dost
rank thee 'mongst the deities,
And so man's duties to perform would'st fail!
How dost thou differ
from all other men?
Live with the world in peace, and know thee
then!"
"Oh, pardon me," I cried, "I meant it well:
Not vainly did'st thou bless mine eyes with light;
For in my blood
glad aspirations swell,
The value of thy gifts I know aright!
Those treasures in my breast for
others dwell,
The buried pound no more I'll hide from sight.
Why did I seek the
road so anxiously,
If hidden from my brethren 'twere to be?"
And as I answer'd, tow'rd me turn'd her face,
With kindly sympathy, that god-like one;
Within her eye full plainly

could I trace
What I had fail'd in, and what rightly done.
She