THE drum gives the signal! Loud rings the shrill fife!My love leads his troops on Full arm’d for the strife,While his hand grasps his lanceAs they proudly advance. My bosom pants wildly!My blood hotly flows!Oh had I a doublet,A helmet, and hose! Through the gate with bold footstep I after him hied,–Each province, each country […]

And sadnessAnd pensiveness blending Yearning And burningIn torment ne’er ending; Sad unto death,Proudly soaring above; Happy aloneIs the soul that doth love!

WHO never eat with tears his bread, Who never through night’s heavy hoursSat weeping on his lonely bed,– He knows you not, ye heavenly powers! Through you the paths of life we gain, Ye let poor mortals go astray,And then abandon them to pain,– E’en here the penalty we pay

Margaret. Faust. MARGARET. DOST thou believe in God? FAUST. Doth mortal live Who dares to say that he believes in God?Go, bid the priest a truthful answer give, Go, ask the wisest who on earth e’er trod,–Their answer will appear to beGiven alone in mockery. MARGARET. Then thou dost not believe? This sayest thou? FAUST. […]

O THOU well-tried in grief, Grant to thy child relief,And view with mercy this unhappy one! The sword within thy heart, Speechless with bitter smart,Thou Lookest up towards thy dying son. Thou look’st to God on high, And breathest many a sighO’er his and thy distress, thou holy One! Who e’er can know The depth […]

WHEN in spring the gentle rain Breathes into the flower new birth,When the green and happy plain Smiles upon the sons of earth,Haste to give what help we may, Little elves of wondrous might!Whether good or evil they, Pity for them feels the sprite.

WHEN the moist and balmy gale Round the verdant meadow sighs,Odors sweet in misty veil At the twilight-hour arise.Murmurings soft of calm repose Rock the heart to child-like rest,And the day’s bright portals close On the eyes with toil oppress’d. Night already reigns o’er all, Strangely star is link’d to star;Planets mighty, sparkling small, Glitter […]

HARK! the storm of hours draws near,Loudly to the spirit-earSigns of coming day appear.Rocky gates are wildly crashing,Phoebus’ wheels are onward dashing; (A wonderful noise proclaims the approach of the sun.) Light doth mighty sounds beget!Pealing loud as rolling thunder,Eye and ear it fills with wonder, Though itself unconscious yet.Downward steals it,’mongst the flowersSeeking deeper, […]

ANGELS.[Hovering in the higher regions of air, and hearing the immortal part of Faust.] THE spirit-region’s noble limb Hath ‘scaled the Archfiend’s power;For we have strength to rescue him Who labours ev’ry hour.And if he feels within his breast A ray of love from heaven.He’s met by all the squadron blest With welcome gladly given. […]

YE shadowy forms, again ye’re drawing near, So wont of yore to meet my troubled gaze!Were it in vain to seek to keep you here? Loves still my heart that dream of olden days?Oh, come then! and in pristine force appear, Parting the vapor mist that round me plays!My bosom finds its youthful strength again,Feeling […]

THE ARCHANGELS’ SONG. RAPHAEL. THE sun still chaunts, as in old time, With brother-spheres in choral song,And with his thunder-march sublime Moves his predestined course along.Strength find the angels in his sight, Though he by none may fathomed be;Still glorious is each work of might As when first form’d in majesty. GABRIEL. And swift and […]

CHRIST is arisen! Mortal, all hail!Thou, of Earth’s prison Dreary and frail,Bursting the veil, Proudly hast risen! CHORUS OF WOMEN. Rich spices and myrrh, To embalm Him we brought;His corpse to inter His true followers sought.In pure cerements shrin’d, ‘Twas placed in the bierBut, alas! we now find That Christ is not here. CHORUS OF […]

VANISH, dark clouds on high, Offspring of night!Let a more radiant beamThrough the blue ether gleam, Charming the sight!Would the dark clouds on high Melt into air!Stars glimmer tenderly, Planets more fair Shed their soft light.Spirits of heav’nly birth,Fairer than sons of earth,Quivering emotions true Hover above;Yearning affections, too, In their train move.See how the […]

MY heart is sad, My peace is o’er;I find it never And nevermore. When gone is he,The grave I see;The world’s wide allIs turned to gall. Alas, my head Is well-nigh crazed;My feeble mind Is sore amazed. My heart is sad, My peace is o’er;I find it never And nevermore. For him from the window […]

A CHILD’S TALE, BY J. W. GOETHE. [The following fanciful tale occurs in the autobiography of Goethe, to which he has given the name of “Dichtung und Wahrheit.” He is supposed to tell it, in his childhood, to a party of juvenile friends, and he introduces it thus: “I could afford great amusement to my […]