The German Classics of the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries Volume Vi Part 11

"Ah! that heartless, cold expression All my being terrifies-- Though my darkling fear is lessened By thy frank and honest eyes.

"Yet I doubt if thou believest What is held for truth by most; Hast thou faith in G.o.d the Father, In the Son and Holy Ghost?"

"Ah, my darling! when an infant By my mother's knee I stood, I believed in G.o.d the Father, In the Ruler great and good.

"He who made the world so lovely, Gave man beauty, gave him force, And to sun and moon and planets Pre-appointed each its course.

"As I older grew, my darling, And my way in wisdom won, I in reason comprehended, And believe now in the Son--

"In the well-loved Son, who, loving, Oped the gates of Love so wide; And for thanks--as is the custom-- By the world was crucified.

"Now, that I in full-grown manhood Reading, travel, wisdom boast; Still my heart expands, and, truly I believe the Holy Ghost,

"Who bath worked the greatest wonders-- Greater still he'll work again; He bath broken tyrants' strongholds, Broken every va.s.sal's chain.

"Ancient deadly wounds he healeth, He renews man's ancient right; All to him, born free and equal, Are as n.o.bles in his sight.

"Clouds of evil flee before him, And those cobwebs of the brain Which forbade us love and pleasure, Scowling grimly on our pain.

"And a thousand knights in armor Hath he chosen and required To fulfil his holy bidding-- All with n.o.blest zeal inspired.

"Lo! I their precious swords are gleaming, And their banners wave in fight!

What! Thou fain would'st see, my darling, Such a proud and n.o.ble knight?

"Well, then, gaze on me, my dearest; I am of that lordly host, Kiss me! and you kiss a chosen Champion of the Holy Ghost!"

Silently the moon conceals her Down behind the sombre trees, And the lamp which lights our chamber Flickers in the evening breeze.

But the starry eyes are beaming Softly o'er the dimpled cheeks, And the purple rose is glowing, While the gentle maiden speaks.

"Little people--fairy goblins-- Steal away our meat and bread; In the chest it lies at evening, In the morning it has fled.

"From our milk the little people Steal the cream and all the best; Then they leave the dish uncovered, And our cat drinks up the rest.

"And the cat's a witch, I'm certain, For by night, when storms arise, Oft she seeks the haunted hill-top Where the fallen tower lies.

"There was once a splendid castle.

Home of joy and weapons bright, Where there swept in stately pageant Lady, page, and armed knight.

"But a sorceress charmed the castle, With its lords and ladies fair; Now it is a lonely ruin, And the owls are nesting there.

"But my aunt hath often told me, Could I speak the proper word, In the proper place up yonder, When the proper hour occurred,

"I should see the ruins changing Swiftly to a castle bright, And again in stately dances Dame and page and gallant knight.

"He who speaks the word of power Wins the castle for his own, And the knight with drum and trumpet Loud will hail him lord alone."

So the simple fairy pictures From the little rose-mouth bloom, And the gentle eyes are shedding Star-blue l.u.s.tre through the gloom.

Round my hand the little maiden Winds her gold locks as she will, Gives a name to every finger, Kisses, smiles, and then is still.

All things in the silent chamber, Seem at once familiar grown, As if e'en the chairs and clothes-press, Well of old to me were known.

Now the clock talks kindly, gravely, And the cithern, as 'twould seem, Of itself is faintly chiming, And I sit as in a dream.

Now the proper hour is striking, Here the charm should now be heard; Child, how would'st thou be astonished, Should I speak the magic word!

If I spoke that word, then fading Night would thrill in fearful strife; Trees and streams would roar together As the mountains woke to life.

Ringing lutes and goblin ditties From the clefted rock would sound, Like a mad and merry spring-tide Flowers grow forest-high around.

Thousand startling, wondrous flowers, Leaves of vast and fabled form, Strangely perfumed, wildly quivering, As if thrilled with pa.s.sion's storm.

In a crimson conflagration Roses o'er the tumult rise; Giant lilies, white as crystal, Shoot like columns to the skies.

Great as suns, the stars above us Gaze adown with burning glow; Fill the lilies' cups gigantic With their lights' abundant flow.

We ourselves, my little maiden, Would be changed more than all; Torchlight gleams o'er gold and satin Round us merrily would fall.

Thou thyself would'st be the princess, And this hut thy castle high; Ladies, lords, and graceful pages Would be dancing, singing by.

I, however, I have conquered Thee, and all things, with the word!

Serfs and castle--lo! with trumpet Loud they hail me as their Lord!

The sun rose. The mists flitted away like phantoms at the third crow of the c.o.c.k. Again I wandered up hill and down dale, while above me soared the fair sun, ever lighting up new scenes of beauty. The Spirit of the Mountain evidently favored me, well knowing that a "poetical character"

has it in his power to say many a fine thing of him, and on this morning he let me see his Harz as it is not, most a.s.suredly, seen by every one.

But the Harz also saw me as I am seen by few, and there were as costly pearls on my eyelashes as on the gra.s.s of the valley. The morning dew of love wet my cheeks; the rustling pines understood me; their twigs parted and waved up and down, as if, like mute mortals, they would express their joy with gestures of their hands, and from afar I heard beautiful and mysterious chimes, like the sound of bells belonging to some hidden forest church. People say that these sounds are caused by the cattle-bells, which, in the Harz ring with remarkable clearness and purity.

It was noon, according to the position of the sun, as I chanced upon such a flock, and its shepherd, a friendly, light-haired young fellow, told me that the great hill at whose base I stood was the old, world-renowned Brocken. For many leagues around there is no house, and I was glad enough when the young man invited me to share his meal. We sat down to a _dejeuner dinatoire_, consisting of bread and cheese. The sheep s.n.a.t.c.hed up our crumbs, while pretty glossy heifers jumped around, ringing their bells roguishly, and laughing at us with great merry eyes.

We made a royal meal, my host appearing to me every inch a king; and as he is the only monarch who has ever given me bread, I will sing his praises right royally:

Kingly is the herd-boy's calling, On the knoll his throne is set, O'er his hair the sunlight falling Gilds a living coronet.

Red-marked sheep that bleat so loudly Are his courtiers cross-bedight, Calves that strut before him proudly Seem each one a stalwart knight.

Goats are actors nimbly springing, And the cows and warblers gay With their bell and flute-notes ringing Form the royal orchestra.

And whene'er the music hushes, Soft the pine-tree murmurs creep; Far away a cataract rushes-- Look, our n.o.ble king's asleep!

Meanwhile through the kingdom bounding Rules the dog as minister, Till his bark from cliffs rebounding Echoes to the sleeper's ear.

Yawning syllables he utters-- "Ruling is too hard a task.

Were I but at home," he mutters, "With my queen 'tis all I'd ask.

"On her arm my head reposes Free from care, how happily!

And her loving glance discloses Kingdom wide enough for me."[53]

We took leave of each other in a friendly manner, and with a light heart I began to ascend the mountain. I was soon welcomed by a grove of stately firs, for which I entertain great respect in every regard, for these trees have not found growing to be such an easy business, and during the days of their youth it fared hard with them. The mountain is here sprinkled with a great number of blocks of granite, and most of the trees were obliged either to twine their roots over the stones, or to split them in two, and thus laboriously to search for the soil from which to draw their nourishment. Here and there stones lie on top of one another, forming, as it were, a gate, and over all rise the trees, twining their naked roots down over the stone portals, and only laying hold of the soil when they reach its base, so that they appear to be growing in the air; and yet, as they have forced their way up to that startling height and grown into one with the rocks, they stand more securely than their comfortable comrades, who are rooted in the tame forest soil of the level country. So it is in life with those great men who have strengthened and established themselves by resolutely overcoming the obstacles and hindrances of their early years. Squirrels climbed amid the fir-twigs, while, beneath, yellow deer were quietly grazing. I cannot comprehend, when I see such a n.o.ble, lovable animal, how educated and refined people can take pleasure in hunting and killing it. Such a creature was once more merciful than man, and suckled the pining Schmerzenreich of the holy Genofeva. Most beautiful were the golden sun-rays shooting through the dark-green of the firs. The roots of the trees formed a natural stairway, and everywhere my feet encountered swelling beds of moss, for the stones are here covered foot-deep, as if with light-green velvet cushions. Everywhere a pleasant freshness and the dreamy murmur of streams. Here and there we see water rippling silver-clear amid the rocks, washing the bare roots and fibres of trees. Bend down toward all this ceaseless activity and listen, and you will hear, as it were, the mysterious history of the growth of the plants, and the quiet pulsations of the heart of the mountain. In many places the water jets strongly up amid rocks and roots, forming little cascades. It is pleasant to sit in such places. There is such a wonderful murmuring and rustling, the birds pour forth broken lovesick strains, the trees whisper as if with a thousand maidens' tongues, the odd mountain flowers peep up at us as if with a thousand maidens' eyes, stretching out to us their curious, broad, drolly-scalloped leaves; the sun-rays flash here and there in sport; the herbs, as though endowed with reason, are telling one another their green legends; all seems enchanted and it becomes more and more mysterious; an old, old dream is realized--the loved one appears! Alas, that she so quickly vanishes!