The Influence of India and Persia on the Poetry of Germany Part 9

263).[181]

On p. 329 Ruckert offers a free, but faithful, even if abridged version of selected pa.s.sages from the introductory chapters of Ni?ami's work (_Isk._ tr. Clarke, canto ii, p. 18 seq. and canto vii, p. 53 seq.). In "Kiess der Reue," p. 421, he paraphrases the episode of Alexander's search for the fountain of life from the _Shah Namah_ (tr. Mohl, v. pp.

177, 178). The story of Bahramgur in the same work (tr. Mohl, v, pp.

488-492) appears in "Allwo nicht Zugethan," p. 397. It is not taken from Firdausi, for it relates the story somewhat differently, and introduces a love-episode of which the epic knows nothing.[182] Again, "Der in die Stadt verschlagene Kurde," p. 229, is an anecdote which Ruckert had already translated in the _Haft Qulzum_ (see his _Poet. u. Rhet. der Perser_, pp. 72-74), while "Glucksguter," p. 233, may have been suggested by a story of A??ar which he published afterwards (1860, ZDMG.

vol. 14, p. 286). Some anecdotes of Persian princes or poets are also utilized, e.g. "Das Kuchenfeldgerathe des Fursten Amer," p. 226 (d'Herb.

iv. 459; Malcolm i. p. 155), "Der Spiegel des Konigs," p. 223 (Deguignes, ii. 171), and the story of Jami and the mulla, p. 224 (M.

Kuka, _The Wit and Humour of the Persians_, Bombay, 1894, pp. 165, 166).

In one poem, "Ormuzd und Ahriman," p. 344, an Avestan subject is treated, the later Parsi doctrine of _zrvan akarana_.[183]

The great majority of the poems in this collection are concerned with India, its literature, mythology, religious customs, geography and history, and it will be convenient for our purpose to discuss them under these heads.

In the first group, that which takes its material from Sanskrit literature, we meet with the story of the flood, p. 298, from the _Mahabharata_ (Vana Parva, 187) and the story of Rama's exploits and Sita's love, p. 268, from the _Ramaya?a_. Also a number of fables from the _Hitopadesa_ or _Pancatantra_ occur, e.g. that of the greedy jackal, p. 249, familiar from Lafontaine (_Hit._ i. 6; _Panc._ ii. 3), and that of the lion, the mouse and the cat, p. 250 (_Hit._ ii. 3). The story of the ungrateful man and the grateful animals, p. 252, is found in the _Kathasaritsagara_ (tr. Tawney, ii. pp. 103-108; cf. Pali version in _Rasavahini_, Wollheim, _Die National-Lit. samtlicher Volker des Orients_, Berl. 1873, vol. i. p. 370). "Katerstolz und Fuchses Rath," p.

243, has for its prototype the fable of the mouse changed into a girl in _Pancatantra_ (iv. 9; cf. the story of the ambitious Ca??ala maid in _Kathas._ tr. Tawney, ii. p. 56). King Raghu's generosity to Varatantu's pupil Kautsa, as narrated in the _Raghuva?sa_ (ch. v.), is the subject of a poem on p. 402. Two famous pieces from the _Upani?ad_-literature are also offered: the story of how Jajnavalkya overcame nine contestants in debate at King Janaka's court and won the prize consisting of one thousand cows with gold-tipped horns, p. 247, from the _B?hadara?yaka Up._ iii. (see Deussen, _Sechzig Upan. ubers._ Leipz. 1897, p. 428 seq.), and the story of Naciketas' choice, p. 403, from the _Ka?haka Upani?ad_. To this group belong also versions of Bhart?hari, p. 337 (_Nitis._ 15) and p. 338 (_Nitis._ 67).

In the mythological group we have two poems telling of the history of K?s?a, as given in the great _Bhagavata Pura?a_. The first one, "Die Weltliebessonne im Palast des Gottes Krischna," p. 246, gives the legend of the G.o.d's interview with the Sage Narada (_Bhagav._ Nir?aya Sag.

Press, Bombay 1898, Lib. x. c. 69; tr. Dutt, Calcutta, 1895, pp.

298-302) with a close somewhat different from that of the Sanskrit original. The second one narrates the romance of the poor Brahman Sudaman, who pays a visit to the G.o.d and is enriched by the latter's generosity (_Bhagav._ x. c. 80, 81; tr. Dutt, pp. 346-355. For the Hindostanee version in the _Premsagar_, see Wollheim, op. cit. i. p.

421). In the Sanskrit the story is not so ideal as in Ruckert's poem.

The poor Brahman is urged on to the visit, not by affection for the playmate of his youth, but rather by the prosaic appeals of his wife; yet, though the motive be different, the result is the same. Besides these, we find the legend of Kama, the Hindu Cupid, burned to ashes by Siva's third eye for attempting to interrupt the G.o.d's penance, p. 266 (_Ramay._ i. c. 23, _k.u.maras._ iii. v. 70 seq.), and Ruckert manages to introduce and to explain all the epithets, _Kamadeva_, _kandarpa_, _smara_, _manmatha_, _h?cchaya_, _ananga_, which Sanskrit authors bestow upon their Cupid. We also have legends of the cause of the eclipses of sun and moon, p. 365, of the origin of caste, p. 347 (_Manu_ i. 87), of the fabulous mountain Meru in Jambudvipa, p. 285, of the quarrelsome mountains Innekonda and Bugglekonda, p. 321 (Ritter _Erdkunde_, iv. 2, pp. 472, 473). The winding course of the Indus is explained by a typical Hindu saint-story, p. 335, similar to that told of the Yamuna and Rama in the _Vi??u Pura?a_ (tr. Wilson, ed. Dutt, Calc. 1894, p. 386).

Many of the poems describe religious customs practised in India. Of such customs the practice of asceticism in its different forms is one of the most striking and could not fail to engage the poet's attention. Thus the peculiar fast known as _Candraya?a_, "moon-penance," is the subject of a poem, p. 278; so also "t.i.tanische Bussandacht," p. 283, has for its theme the belief of the Hindus in the supernatural power conferred by excessive penance, as exemplified by the legend of Sakuntala's birth.

The practice of _pancatapas_, "the five fires" (_Manu_, vi. 23. See Monier Williams, _Indian Wisdom_, Lond. 1876, p. 105) is the subject of the poem "Des Bussers Lauterungswahn," p. 285. The selfish greed of the Brahmans (cf. _Manu_, vii. 133, 144; xi. 40) is referred to in two poems on p. 287. The supposed powers of _cintamani_, the Hindu wishing-stone, suggested the poem on p. 275 (cf. Bhart?hari, _Vair._ 33). Of other poems of this sort we may mention "Die Gottverehrung des Stammes Karian," p. 322 (Ritter, _Erdk._ iv. 1. p. 187), "Vom Genuss der Fruchte nach Dschainas Lehre," p. 307 (ibid. iv. p. 749), and "Die Schuhe im Tempel Madhuras," p. 301 (ibid. iv. 2. p. 4).

Again, many poems belong to the realm of physical and descriptive geography. Their source, in most cases, was undoubtedly the great geographical work of Ritter. To it may be referred the majority of the purely descriptive poems, e.g., "Das ewige Fruhlingsland der Tudas," p.

301 (op. cit. iv. 1. 951), "Das Fruhlingsland Kaschmir," p. 315 (ibid.

ii. 1142 and 630), "Die Kokospalme," p. 304 (ibid. iv. 1. 834 seq., 838, 851, 852). The sun and moon lotuses, so famous through Heine's beautiful songs (see p. 58), are described on p. 343. Animal-life also comes in for its share, e.g. the ichneumon in "Instinctive Heilkunde der Tiere,"

p. 336.

Lastly, we come to the historical group, poems relating to the history of India. The poem on the burning of Keteus' wife, p. 382, is evidently inspired by the reading of Diodorus Siculus (xix. 33). On page 311 we have a poem celebrating the valor of the Raja Pratap Singh, who held out so bravely against Akbar in the mountain fastnesses of Citor, 1567.[184]

The heroic queen-regent of Ahmadnagar, Chand Bibi, and the romantic story of her struggle against Akbar, in 1596, is the subject of the poem on p. 353. Only the bright side is, however, presented; the tragic fate which overtook the unfortunate princess three years later is not referred to.[185] The famous battle of Samugarh, 1658, by which Aurangzib gained the Mogul Empire, is narrated on p. 310, according to the account of Bernier.[186] In this connection we may also mention "Das Mikroskop," p. 370, the familiar anecdote of the Brahman who refused to drink water, after the microscope had revealed to him the existence therein of countless animalcules (Ritter, _Erdk._ iv. 1. p. 749).

Besides the poems falling under the groups discussed above there are many of purely didactic or moralizing tendency, embodying general reflections. It would take us too far, were we to attempt to discuss them, even if their interest were sufficiently great to repay the trouble. We must, however, point out that even the Sanskrit vocabulary is impressed into service to furnish material for such poems. Thus the fact that the word _pada_ may mean either "foot," "step," or "ray of the moon or sun," is utilized for the last lines of "Vom Monde," p. 368.

The meaning of the term _bakravratin_, "acting like a crane," applied to a hypocrite, is used for a poem on p. 363. Similarly the threefold signification of _dvipa_ as "brahman," "bird," and "tooth" suggests "Zweigeboren," p. 423, and more instances might be adduced. It is not to be wondered at that such poetizing should often degenerate into the most inane trifling, so that we get such rhyming efforts as that on p. 326 with its pun on the similarity of _hima_ "winter" with _hema_ "gold,"

_Himalaya_ and _himavat_ with _Himmel_ and _Heimat_, or that on p. 385 with its childish juxtaposition of the Vedantic term _maya_, the Greek name ?a?a, and the German word _Magie_.

If the poems discussed in the preceding pages were found to be largely didactic and gnomic in character, the great collection called _Die Weisheit des Brahmanen_ is entirely so. The poems composing this bulky work appeared in installments during the period 1836-1839, and, while many of them, as will be shown below, are the outcome of Ruckert's Oriental studies, the majority simply embody general reflections on anything and everything that happened to engage the poet's attention.

"Es muss alles hinein, was ich eben lese: vor acht Wochen Spinoza, vor vierzehn Tagen Astronomie, jetzt Grimms uberschwenglich gehaltreiche Deutsche Mythologie, alles unter der nachla.s.sig vorgehaltenen Brahmanenmaske...."[187] These are the author's own words and render further detailed characterization of the work superfluous. It is well known that the sources for the great didactic collection, even for that part of it which is not composed of reflections on matters of contemporary history, politics and literature, or relating to questions of family and friendship, are more Occidental than Oriental.[188] In fact, the Brahmanic character of the wisdom here expounded consists mainly in the contemplative spirit of reposeful didacticism which pervades the entire collection. Nor is there anything Oriental about the form of the poems,--the rhymed Alexandrine reigning supreme with wearisome monotony.

A detailed discussion of the _Weisheit_, therefore, even if it were possible within the limits of this dissertation, will not be attempted; the less so, as such a discussion, so far as the Oriental side, at least, is concerned, would be very much of the same nature as that given of the _Brahmanische Erzahlungen_. A general Oriental influence, especially of the _Bhagavadgita_-philosophy or of Rumi's pantheism, is noticeable enough in many places,[189] but particular instances of such influence are not hard to find. We shall adduce only a few, taken from the fifth division or _Stufe_, called _Leben_. Of these there are taken from the _Hitopadesa_ Nos. 25 (_Hit._ i. couplet 179; tr. Hertel, 141), 26 (ib. i. 178; tr. Hertel, 140), 111 (ib. i. couplet 80; Wilkins' tr.

p. 56). From the _Gulistan_ are taken Nos. 290 (_Gul._ i. 13; K.S. dist.

p. 42), 326 (ibid. vii. 20; K.S. dist. p. 230), 366 (ibid. vii. 20; K.S.

p. 232). No. 60 was probably suggested by the fable of the a.s.s and the camel in Jami's _Baharistan_ (tr. K.S. p. 179). No. 476 draws a moral from the fact that the Persian t.i.tle _mirza_ means either "scribe" or "prince," according to its position before or behind the person's name.

In No. 201 we recognize a Persian proverb: ??? ???? ?? ???? ????? ?????

?????? "little goat, do not die; spring is coming, you will eat clover."

No. 364:

"Herr Strauss, wenn ein Kameel du bist, so trage mir!"

Ich bin ein Vogel. "Flieg!" Ich bin ein Trampeltier

is also a Persian proverb and is absolutely unintelligible, unless one happens to know that the Persian word for "ostrich" is ??????, literally "camel-bird."

Again, to cite from other _Stufen_, Firdausi's lines, already used by Goethe in his _Divan_ (see p. 25 above), furnish the text for a moral poem, p. 487 (18). The Persian notion of the peac.o.c.k being ashamed of his ugly feet (cf. _Gul._ ii. 8, _qi??ah_) is put to a similar use on p.

463 (162). Some poems are moralizingly descriptive of Indic customs, e.g., p. 157 (11), where reverence for the _guru_ or "teacher" is inculcated (cf. _Manu_ ii, 71, 228) and pp. 10, 11 (18, 19), where the conditions are set forth under which the Vedas may be read (cf. _Manu_ iv. 101-126, or _Yajn._ i. 142-151). A comparison is inst.i.tuted between the famous court of Vikramaditya and his seven gems, of which Kalidasa was one, and that of Karl August of Weimar and his poetic circle, p. 148 (39).

Trivial and empty rhyming is of course abundant in such an uncritical ma.s.s of verse, and we also meet with insipid puns, like that on the Arabic word _din_, "religion," and the German word _dienen_, p. 498 (48).

These examples, we believe, will suffice for our purpose. With the philosophical part of the _Weisheit_ we are not here concerned.

A great many Oriental poems are scattered throughout the collection which bears the t.i.tle of _Pantheon_ (vol. vii.). We may mention "Die gefallenen Engel," p. 286, the legend of Harut and Marut, "Wischnu auf der Schlange," p. 286, "Die nackten Weisen," p. 287, and others. Some poems in this collection are in spirit akin to the _ostliche Rosen_, e.g. "Becher und Wein," p. 291, "Der Traum," p. 283, and the "Vierzeilen," pp. 481, 482. Besides this, the _?azal_-form occurs repeatedly, e.g. "Fruhlingshymne," p. 273. So fond does Ruckert seem to have been of this form, that he employs it even for a poem on such an unoriental subject as Easter, p. 189 (2).

This collection is furthermore of interest from the biographical side, as often giving us Ruckert's opinions. Thus we find evidence that he was by no means onesidedly prejudiced in favor of things Oriental. Referring to the myth of fifty-three million Apsarases having sprung from the sea,[190] he states (p. 24), that if he were to be the judge, these fifty-three million nymphs bedecked with jewels would have to bow before the one Aphrodite in her naked glory. And again in "Ruckkehr," p. 51, the poet confesses that having wandered to the East to forget his misery and finding thorns in the rose-gardens of Persia, and demons, misshapen G.o.ds and monkeys acting the parts of heroes in India, he is glad to return to the Iliad and Odyssey (cf. also "Zu den ostlichen Rosen," p.

153).

Ruckert was evidently aware of his tendency to overproduction. He offers an explanation in "Spruchartiges," p. 157:

Mir ist Verse zu machen und kunstliche Vers' ein Bedurfnis, Fehlt mir ein eigenes Lied, so ubersetz' ich mir eins.

And again to his own question, Musst du denn immer dichten?, p. 159, he answers:

Ich denke nie ohne zu dichten, Und dichte nie ohne zu denken.

Graf von Schack has aptly applied to Ruckert's poems the famous sentence which a Spaniard p.r.o.nounced about Lope de Vega, that no poet wrote so many good plays, but none also so many poor ones.[191]

Whatever defects it may have, Ruckert's Oriental work is nevertheless indisputably of the greatest importance to German literature. More than any one else he brought over into it a new spirit and new forms; and it is due primarily to his unsurpa.s.sed technical skill that the German language is to-day the best medium for an acquaintance, not only with the literature of the West, but also with that of the East.

FOOTNOTES:

[145] See Beyer, Friedrich Ruckert, Fkft. a. M. 1868, pp. 101, 102.

[146] Vol. v. pp. 200-237.