Goethe : Selected Poems Book

INTRODUCTION xv
THE POEMS
These appear in chronological sequence by year of composition. An exception is made for the five natural-scientific poems, variously dated, 'Parabasis,' 'The Metamorphosis of Plants,' 'Epirrhema,' 'Metamorphosis of Animals,' and 'Antepirrhema,' which appear on the dateline 1798. With allowance for changes in modern editions (Hamburg 1948, Artemis 1950), letters in brackets after German titles show in which group Goethe placed his poems, according to notions of genre, in the original collections of 1789,1808, and 1830. Code: AF = Antiker Form sich nadhernd (Approaching Classical Form); AP = An Personen (To Persons); B = Balladen (Ballads); CDJT = Chinesisch-Deutsche Jahres- und Tageszeiten (Chinese-German Times of Year and Day); E = Elegien (Elegies); Ep = Epigrammatisch (Epigrams); GW = Gott und Welt (God and World); K = Kunst (Art); L = Lieder (Songs); P = Parabolisch (Parabolic Poems); S = Sonette (Sonnets); Sp = Spruche (Sayings); VG = Vermischte Gedichte (Miscellaneous Poems); ZX = Zahme Xenien (Tame Invectives). Poems from the Diwan appear in a section of their own (IV). Texts follow the Artemis edition.
I. EARLY POEMS, 1768-75
Scheintod (L) 3
Suspended Animation (Christopher Middleton) 3
Wechsel (L) 4
Exchange (E. A. Bowring/Christopher Middleton) 5
Brautnacht(L) 4
Wedding Night (Christopher Middleton) 5
An Luna (L) 6
To Luna (W. E. Aytoun-Theodore Martin/Christopher Middleton) 7
Willkommen und Abschied (L) 8
Welcome and Farewell (Christopher Middleton) 9
Mailied (L) 10
May Song (John Frederick Nims) I I
Another version (Christopher Middleton)
Der neue Amadis (L) 12
The New Amadis(Christopher Middleton) 13
Heidenroslein (L) 16
Rosebud in the Heather (John Frederick Nims) 17
Wandrers Sturmlied (VG) 16
Wanderer's Storm-Song (Christopher Middleton) 17
Mahomets Gesang (VG) 22
A Song to Mahomet (Christopher Middleton) 23
Prometheus (VG) 26
Prometheus (Michael Hamburger) 27
Ganymed (VG) 30
Ganymede (Christopher Middleton) 31
Der Konig in Thule (B) 34
The King in Thule (John Frederick Nims) 35
Gretchen am Spinnrade (Urfaust) 36
Gretchen at the Spinningwheel (Christopher Middleton) 37
Vor Gericht (B) 38
In Court (Christopher Middleton) 39
Auf dem See (L) 40
On the Lake (Christopher Middleton) 41
Herbstgefuhl (L) 42
Autumn Feeling (Christopher Middleton) 43
Kunstlers Abendlied (K) 44
An Artist's Evening Song (Christopher Middleton) 45
II. THE FIRST WEIMAR YEARS
Erklarung eines alten Holzschnittes, vorstellend Hans
Sachsens poetische Sendung (VG) 48
Explanation of an Old Woodcut Depicting Hans Sachs'
Poetic Mission (Christopher Middleton) 49
Wandrers Nachtlied (L) 58
Wanderer's Night Song (Henry Wadsworth Longfellow) 59
Ein Gleiches (L) 58
Another Night Song (Henry Wadsworth Longfellow) 59
Another version (Christopher Middleton) 59
An Charlotte von Stein (AP) 60
To Charlotte von Stein (John Frederick Nims) 61
An den Mond 62
To the Moon 63
Legende(P) 64
Legend (Christopher Middleton) 65
Harzreise im Winter (VG) 66
A Winter Journey in the Harz (Christopher Middleton) 67
Gesang der Geister uber den Wassern (VG) 70
Song of the Spirits Over the Waters (Christopher Middleton) 71
Der Fischer (B) 72
The Fisherman (John Frederick Nims) 73
Meine gottin (VG) 74
My Goddess (Michael Hamburger) 75
Das gottliche (VG) 78
The Godlike (Vernon Watkins) 79
Nachtgedanken (VG) 82
Night Thoughts (Christopher Middleton) 83
Grenzen der Menschheit (VG) 82
Limits of Human Nature (Vernon Watkins) 83
erlkonig (B) 86
Erlkonig (Christopher Middleton) 87
Geweihter Platz (AF) 88
Consecrated Place (E. A. Bowring/Christopher Middleton) 89
Anakreons Grab (AF) 88
Anacreon's Grave (Michael Hamburger) 89
Zueignung (prologue to Schriften, 1789) 88
Dedication (Aytoun-Martin/Christopher Middleton) 89
III. "KLASSIK" AND THE TURN OF THE CENTURY
Amor als Landschaftsmaler (K) 98
Amor as Landscape Painter (Christopher Middleton) 99
Romische Elegien (E) 102
Roman Elegies, I, Ia, IV, V, VI, VIII, X, XII, XlVa, XV, XVI, XX (Michael Hamburger) 103
Morgenklagen (VG) 118
Morning Complaints (Christopher Middleton) 119
Der Besuch (VG) 122
The Visit (Christopher Middleton) 123
Venezianische Epigramme (Ep) 124
Venetian Epigrams, 15, 53, 55, 77 (Michael Hamburger), 23, 38, 66, 72, 90 (Christopher Middleton) (numbers as in Artemis edition) 125
Nahe des Geliebten (L) 128
Nearness of the Beloved (Michael Hamburger) 129
Die Spinnerin (L) 128
The Spinner (Christopher Middleton) 129
Mignon (from Wilhelm Meisters Lehrjahre) 132
Mignon (Christopher Middleton) 133
Die Braut von Korinth (B) 132
The Bride of Corinth (Aytoun-Martin/Christopher Middleton) 133
Euphrosyne (E) 144
Euphrosyne (Christopher Middleton) 145
Die Musageten (VG) 150
The Musagetes (Christopher Middleton) 151
Parabase (GW) 154
Parabasis (Christopher Middleton) 155
Die Metamorphose der Pflanzen (GW) 154
The Metamorphosis of Plants (Michael Hamburger) 155
Epirrhema (GW) 158
Epirrhema (Christopher Middleton) 159
Metamorphose der Tiere (GW) 160
Metamorphosis of Animals (Christopher Middleton) 161
Antepirrhema (GW) 162
Antepirrhema (Christopher Middleton) 163
Spiegel der Muse (AF) 164
The Muse's Mirror (Bowring/Christopher Middleton) 165
Natur und Kunst (S) 164
Nature and Art (Michael Hamburger) 165
Weltseele (GW) 166
Universal Soul (Christopher Middleton) 167
Dauer im Wechsel (GW) 168
Permanence in Change (John Frederick Nims) 169
Bergschloss (L) 170
Mountain Castle (Christopher Middleton) 171
Nachtgesang (L) 174
Night Song (Christopher Middleton) 175
Freibeuter (L) 174
Buccaneer (Christopher Middleton) 175
Machtiges Uberraschen (S) 176
Sonnet 1: Immense Astonishment (Christopher Middleton) 177
Abschied (S) 178
Sonnet VIII: The Farewell (Christopher Middleton) 179
War nicht das Auge sonnenhaft (Sp) 178
Something like the Sun (Christopher Middleton) 179
Das Tagebuch (long suppressed, now VG) 180
The Diary (John Frederick Nims) 181
Fliegentod (P) 190
Death of a Fly (Christopher Middleton) 191
Sizilianisches Lied (L) 190
Sicilian Song (Michael Hamburger) 191
Gefunden (L) 190
Found (Michael Hamburger) 191
Gegenwart (L) 194
Presence (Christopher Middleton) 195
Ein Quidam sagt (Sp/Ep/ZX) 194
Somebody Says (Michael Hamburger) 195
Vom Vater hab ich die Statur (Sp/ZX) 196
My Build from Father I Inherit (Michael Hamburger) 197
Eigenturn (L) 196
Possessions (Christopher Middleton) 197
Landschaft (K) 196
Landscape (Christopher Middleton) 197
Die Jahre (Sp) 198
The Years (Michael Hamburger) 199
IV. POEMS FROM THE PARLIAMENT OF WEST AND EAST
Hegire 202
Hegira (Michael Hamburger) 203
Unbegrenzt 204
Unbounded (Michael Hamburger) 205
Selige Sehnsucht 206
Blessed Longing (Michael Hamburger) 207

Versunken 208
Submerged (Michael Hamburger) 209
Gingo Biloba 208
Gingo Biloba (Michael Hamburger) 209
An vollen Buschelzweigen 210
On Laden Twigs (Michael Hamburger) 211
Behandelt die Frauen mit Nachsicht 210
Be Lenient When Handling Womankind (Christopher Middleton) 211
Hatem 212
Hatem (Christopher Middleton) 213
Wiederfinden 212
Reunion (Christopher Middleton) 213
In tausend Formen 216
A Thousand Forms (Christopher Middleton) 217
Hoheres und Hochstes 218
Sublimer and Sublimest (Christopher Middleton) 219
Schwarzer Schatten 220
Black is the Shadow (Christopher Middleton) 221
Mit der Deutschen Freundschaft 222
With a German Amity (Christopher Middleton) 223
V. LATER POEMS, 1815-30
Prooemion (GW) 226
Prooemion (Christopher Middleton) 227
Entoptische Farben (GW) 228
Entoptic Colours (Christopher Middleton) 229
Urworte. Orphisch (GW) 230
Primal Words. Orphic (Christopher Middleton) 231
Um Mitternacht (L) 232
At Midnight (Michael Hamburger) 233
Von Krudener (Sp) 234
Von Krudener (Christopher Middleton) 235
Sankt Nepomuks Vorabend (L) 234
Saint Nepomuk's Eve (Christopher Middleton) 235
Allerdings: Dem Physiker (GW) 236
True Enough (Michael Hamburger) 237
Auf den Kauf (Ep) 236
Shopping (Christopher Middleton) 237
Demut (Ep) 238
Humility (Christopher Middleton) 239
Kronos als Kunstrichter (Ep) 240
Kronos as Art Critic (Christopher Middleton) 241
Ins Weite (Ep) 240
Into the Blue (Christopher Middleton) 241
Eins und Alles (GW) 240
One and All (Christopher Middleton) 241
Trilogie der Leidenschaft (VG) 242
Trilogy of Passion (John Frederick Nims) 243
Ein Gleichnis (P) 254
A Likeness (Vernon Watkins) 255
Beruf des Storches (P) 256
The Stork's Profession (Christopher Middleton) 257
Im ernsten Beinhaus war's (VG) 256
Lines Written Upon the Contemplation of Schiller's
Skull (David Luke) 257
Begeisterung (K) 258
Being Inspired (Christopher Middleton) 259
Dammerung senkte sich von oben (CDJT) 260
Twilight Down from Heaven (Christopher Middleton) 261
War Schomer als der schonster Tag (CDJT) 260
Lovelier She (Christopher Middleton) 261
Dem aufgehenden Vollmonde (VG) 262
To the Full Moon Rising (Christopher Middleton) 263
Fruh, wenn Tal, Gebirg und Garten (VG) 262
Garden, Valley, Hill (Christopher Middleton) 263
Es spricht sich aus der stumme Schmerz (VG) 264
Pain, Dumb (Christopher Middleton) 265
Der Brautigam (VG) 264
The Bridegroom (Michael Hamburger) 265
Vermachtnis (GW) 266
Testament (Christopher Middleton) 267
Parabel (P) 270
Parable (Christopher Middleton) 271
APPENDIX: A SELECTION OF TEXTS FROM "PARALIPOMENA" (CHRISTOPHER MIDDLETON) 273
NOTES 291