Faust: A Tragedy, Part I 9781684481460

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Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Faust, A Tragedy, Part I

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Faust, A Tragedy, Part I A New Translation

with an Introduction and Notes by Eugene Stelzig

Lewisburg, Pennsylvania

Library of Congress Cataloging-­in-­Publication Data Names: Goethe, Johann Wolfgang von, 1749–1832, author. | Stelzig, Eugene L., editor, translator. Title: Faust, a tragedy, part I / a new translation with an introduction and notes by Eugene Stelzig. Other titles: Faust. 1. Theil. En­glish Description: Lewisburg, Pennsylvania: Bucknell University Press, [2019] | Includes bibliographical references. Identifiers: LCCN 2018053573 | ISBN 9781684481422 (paperback: alk. paper) | ISBN 9781684481439 (cloth: alk. paper) Subjects: LCSH: Faust, approximately 1540—­Drama. | BISAC: DRAMA / Continental Eu­ro­pean. | FICTION / Classics. | POETRY / Continental Eu­ro­pean. | LITERARY CRITICISM / Eu­ro­pean / German. | FICTION / Horror. | GSAFD: Tragedies. Classification: LCC PT2026.F2 S74 2019 | DDC 832/.6—­dc23 LC rec­ord available at https://­lccn​.­loc​.­gov​/­2018053573 A British Cataloging-­in-­Publication rec­ord for this book is available from the British Library. Copyright © 2019 by Eugene Stelzig All rights reserved No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission from the publisher. Please contact Bucknell University Press, Hildreth-­Mirza Hall, Bucknell University, Lewisburg, PA 17837-2005. The only exception to this prohibition is “fair use” as defined by U.S. copyright law. The paper used in this publication meets the requirements of the American National Standard for Information Sciences—­Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI Z39.48-1992. www​.­bucknell​.­edu​/­UniversityPress Distributed worldwide by Rutgers University Press Manufactured in the United States of Amer­i­ca

CO NTE NT S

Translator’s Note vii

Introduction 1

Faust, Part I 33

Acknowl­edgments 217

Explanatory Notes 219

Further Reading 229

Con­temporary En­glish Translations of Faust, Part I 231

v

TR A N S L ATO R ’ S N OTE

As a boy growing up in Austria I already knew the basic story of Goethe’s Faust, including some of the proverbial quotes, like the famous “two souls” one, but I did not read the play ­until I took an undergraduate course on Goethe offered by the German department of my university. During a teaching c­ areer of over four de­cades, I taught the play many times in En­glish translation(s) in several dif­fer­ent undergraduate courses. On occasion I would compare passages with the German original, and the thought would occur to me that I could do better. During the summer of 1990 I was a participant in the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Institute for College Teachers on Goethe’s Faust directed by Jane K. Brown, Cyrus Hamlin, and Paul Hernadi in which we studied both parts of the play intensively over the course of several weeks. Hamlin had edited the scholarly Norton Critical Edition (1976) of Faust, with the translation by Walter Arndt, but the text we used was the 1984 translation by Stuart Atkins, who also sat in on the NEH sessions. The Institute deepened both my knowledge of the play and my interest in translating Part I, but it was not ­until I retired from full-­time teaching that my resolve began to bear fruit. The decision to publish my translation was prompted by a staged reading of it at my college with a mostly undergraduate audience, the majority of which did not know the play. It was clear to me from the reactions of both the actors and the audience that my translation worked well. To render Goethe’s ­great play into En­glish is at once a fool’s errand and a ­labor of love. As David Luke put it eloquently in vii

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the introduction to his 1987 translation, “In the end we must acknowledge again the inherent hopelessness of the ­whole attempt to find an En­glish equivalent for poetry of this order.” Given that t­ here have been many En­glish translations of Part I, and that ­there are several currently in print, why yet another one? Let me invoke the authority of Goethe himself for the most fundamental justification of such an enterprise. In his essay “Shakespeare and No End,” he asserts that “so much has already been said about Shakespeare, that it would seem that t­ here’s nothing left to say, and yet it is the peculiar tendency of the spirit that it perpetually motivates the spirit.” The spirit of Goethe’s dramatic poem continues to speak to us in new and changing ways, as we and our world continually change, and thus new translations are always necessary to bring to light anew its almost inexhaustible power. With the exception of a single scene, Faust, Part I is in verse, and most of it in rhyme. However, to translate the play consistently using rhyme (as Arndt, Constantine, Luke, and Williams do) forces the translator into a straitjacket and results in inevitable distortion of the meaning of the German text, dislocation of syntax, and extra wording in order to get the rhymes. The most accurate con­temporary translation is that by Atkins, a well-­k nown Faust scholar, who rejects the rhymed translations ­because “they have made it a far more con­spic­u­ous prosodic ele­ ment . . . ​than it is in the original German,” asserting that “in Faust, as in most of Goethe’s verse, rhyme is minimally obtrusive.” Atkins characterizes his unrhymed translation as “metered verse,” but it is essentially a prose translation, and the prob­lem is that Faust without rhyme ­isn’t ­really Faust; reading such a translation is like watching a color film in black and white. Thus in my version of the play I have chosen a flexible alternative, employing a more or less con­temporary En­glish with some use of rhyme to make the poetry memorable, but without any consistent use of or strict reliance on it. I use rhyme sparingly in the ­earlier scenes, but as I get further into the work, my use of

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it increases. The biggest challenge was the rhyming in En­glish of the several famous songs in Faust. In addition to my intermittent use of end rhymes, I also use internal rhymes as well as assonance and alliteration to try at least to suggest the poetic brilliance and variety of Goethe’s language. My flexible approach of not ­doing a strictly rhymed translation is in keeping with Goethe’s expressed views on the translation of classic texts. In book 6 of his autobiography, Poetry and Truth, he praises Wieland’s prose translation of Shakespeare’s plays as accessible to the reader, and adds, “I honor rhythm as well as rhyme, through which poetry first becomes poetry, but that which is actually deep and fundamentally effective . . . ​is that which remains of the poet when he is translated into prose.” What remains is the “pure and complete content,” the lack of which can be disguised by a dazzling surface (rhyme). For the same reason he suggests that a prose translation of Homer would be appropriate. When he read Nerval’s French translation of Faust, he praised it, according to Eckermann, “even if the greater part is in prose, as very effective.” Goethe continued, “I ­don’t like to read ‘Faust’ in German any more, but in this French translation every­thing appears entirely fresh, new, and witty” (3 January 1830). What this surprising comment suggests is that a translation at best can be a refreshed and revitalized version of the original. This may in practice be an impossible ideal, but it does reflect his appreciation of translation as a creative and renewing pro­cess vis-­à-­vis the source text and is in keeping with Goethe’s sophisticated and cosmopolitan understanding of lit­er­a­t ure. The German text of my translation is the classic Hamburg edition (volume 3).

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Faust, A Tragedy, Part I

I NTRO D U C TI O N

Goethe, the Famous Author and Intellectual Polymath Henry Crabb Robinson, a young En­glishman studying at the University of Jena at the beginning of the nineteenth ­century, reported to his ­brother in E ­ ngland that “Göthe is the idol of the German literary public.”1 Even if t­ oday “German pupils and students grow up largely in ignorance of Goethe’s work,”2 Goethe is still by far the most famous German author, and the plot and language of his most famous work, Faust, Part I, have long been embedded in the nation’s public imagination, with many phrases from the play having become proverbial in a manner similar to the impact of Shakespeare’s Hamlet in the English-­speaking world. Goethe’s life and works have been legendary for more than two centuries, from his romantic relationships with dif­fer­ent w ­ omen to his cryptic d ­ ying words at the age of eighty-­t wo, “more light.” Over the course of his long and im­mensely productive life he was transformed in the German-­speaking world from a flesh-­and-­blood individual into a cultural institution, a phenomenon that ­after his death, when his stature took on monumental proportions, accounts for the fact that the literary age in which he lived is known as “die Goethezeit” (the Age of Goethe). Thus it is not surprising that ­there have been anti-­Goethe factions and critical potshots since his rise to literary celebrity in his twenties. The impulse to trash the canonical monument that is Goethe found a recent expression in a popu­lar German film, Fuck You Goethe (2013), including a sequel, that has next to nothing to do with the poet but 1

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that reflects a playful iconoclastic attitude to the Most Famous German Author. And although Goethe’s massive impact persisted into twentieth-­century German lit­er­a­t ure, as evident in Thomas Mann’s novel Doktor Faustus (1947), so did the iconoclastic animus, as wittily scripted in Hermann Hesse’s Steppenwolf (1927), in which the title character, the alienated outsider Harry Haller, attacks the pompous hagiographic portrait of a “Salongoethe” in a professor’s drawing room with his “vanity and noble pose” as a philistine bourgeois icon.3 When Goethe, born in 1749, began his literary ­career in the early 1770s in his native city of Frankfurt a­ fter having completed his law degree at Strasbourg, German authors, unlike ­those of Spain, Italy, ­England, and France, ­were hardly known beyond the German-­speaking world, and German lit­er­a­t ure had no names that could match t­ hose of a Calderon, Cervantes, Dante, Petrarch, Chaucer, Shakespeare, Milton, Pope, Racine, Corneille, Voltaire, Rousseau. But young Goethe, more interested in lit­er­a­t ure than law, which he practiced for a short time and in a most desultory fashion while indulged by his wealthy patrician ­father, changed all that. He put German letters squarely on the map with his best seller, the epistolary and lyrical tour de force, The Sufferings of Young Werther (1774), written in a white heat in several weeks, that propelled the popu­lar eighteenth-­ century letter novel made famous by Richardson (Pamela, 1740; Cla­ris­sa, 1748) and Rousseau (Julie, or the New Eloise, 1761) to a new and more concentrated level of intensity.4 Werther was a pan-­European sensation, with an enormous popu­lar impact. The tragic story of the sensitive and alienated young artist with an unsettled position in society who falls madly in love with a young ­woman (Lotte) already engaged to a decent and serious young man (Albert) with a promising civil ser­v ice ­career, and who in the end commits suicide rather than accept that he cannot have his soul ­sister and idol of his “heart,” enthralled a broad reading public. It was reported that young men followed in

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Werther’s footsteps, ending their lives in the “Werther uniform”—­the yellow vest and blue frock coat. Even Napoleon, the man of action and world conqueror, took the novel with him on campaign, and made a point of calling for an audience with the famous author when in 1806 his troops, ­after the ­battle of Jena, sacked the Duchy of Weimar, in which Goethe was living. The novel that brought the young Goethe international renown is also the most famous work of the Storm and Stress (Sturm und Drang) movement of a new generation of young writers rebelling against a rigidly hierarchical world of social, po­liti­cal, and l­egal ossification of the nearly moribund Holy Roman Empire. They did so in the name of genius, spontaneity, nature, and passion. Bursting forth in the ­later eigh­teenth ­century as a nonpo­liti­cal form of literary protest, Sturm und Drang can also be seen as the unsettling opening notes of the Romantic movement that was to sweep across Eu­rope and beyond for more than half a ­century. By the time Goethe emerged as its foremost exponent with Werther, he had already achieved national recognition for his historical drama, Goetz von Berlichingen, the Knight with the Iron Hand (1773), inspired by Shakespeare’s history plays and exuding the heady air of a new German national in­de­pen­dence. Its title protagonist, an insurgent sixteenth-­century nobleman whose memoirs Goethe had read, when faced with arrest by imperial forces, relays the famously blunt message to the captain that “he can kiss my ass” (er kann mich am Arsch lecken). Both t­ hese works break with literary conventions of style and decorum based on French Enlightenment models. ­These w ­ ere felt to be an alien imposition on German lit­er­a­ture and culture, though embraced by the most power­ful German ruler, Frederick the G ­ reat of Prus­sia, who in his palace at Sanssouci at Potsdam preferred the French language, lit­er­a­ture, culture, and fashion over the German. Just as the impassioned exclamations and lyrical effusions of Werther

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reach beyond and violate the neoclassical conventions of prose style, so does Goethe’s play break with the classical unities of time, place, and action. ­These spirited works that brought Goethe fame by his mid-­ twenties and that helped to define his early ­career became more remote and alien to him by the time he reached ­middle age. ­A fter a two-­year stay in Italy in his late thirties in whose wake he embraced a new “objective” ideal known as Weimar classicism, especially his status as the author of Werther—­that power­ ful lyrical effusion of subjective feeling—­came to be something of an embarrassment and even an albatross around his neck. He had long moved on, even as many of his readers and fans had not. But ­these early and spectacular literary successes also brought about a major and unexpected change in his life: his move to Weimar. The duchy’s new and young ruler, Duke Karl August—he was only eighteen—­invited the famous author in 1775, when Goethe was twenty-­six, for a visit and convinced him to stay on in what came to be known as one of Eu­rope’s cultural centers in his Court of the Muses (Musenhof). Goethe stayed t­ here, save for an extended sabbatical in Italy, for the remainder of his long life. In the course of his multifaceted literary c­ areer, Goethe was prob­ably more of a polymath than any other major author before or since. Beginning in early adolescence, he was a prolific poet in a variety of forms to almost the end of his days. In his twenties, he revolutionized German poetry, as his con­temporary, Words­worth, did in E ­ ngland at the end of the eigh­teenth ­century, with lyrical bursts of composition in a language much closer to that of “real men” than that of the rigidly formal registers of neoclassical German verse. U ­ nder the early influence of his friend, the phi­los­o­pher and theologian Johann Gottfried Herder, he turned, like Coleridge and Words­worth in their 1798 Lyrical Ballads, to folk sources for literary material. But Goethe also wrote a series of poetic dramas in the wake of Goetz, as well as prose fiction, including the two Wilhelm Meister novels that

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helped to establish the model of the Bildungsroman (novel of education) for the nineteenth c­ entury. He also authored an enigmatic relationship novel in his l­ater years, The Elective Affinities (1809). In addition to many essays and prose pieces on a variety of topics, he wrote two major autobiographical works in his sixties and his seventies: the magisterial Poetry and Truth, which took the genre of literary life writing to a new level of sophistication that has not been surpassed since (possibly only equaled in the twentieth ­century by Nabokov in Speak, Memory), and the diaristic travelogue Italian Journey. And during his last years he managed to complete the long-­delayed and in many ways arcane Faust, Part II, whose publication he reserved for posterity, and which he correctly foresaw would never have anything like the popularity of Part I. Despite Goethe’s enormous productivity in a variety of genres, however, only Werther and Faust have been enshrined as masterpieces in the pantheon of Western lit­er­a­t ure. Beyond ­these and diverse other literary achievements, for the greater part of his life Goethe pursued and wrote about a variety of scientific interests, including anatomy (he demonstrated the existence of the intermaxillary bone in the ­human jaw), botany (he published a treatise, The Metamorphosis of Plants, in 1790), mineralogy, and optics. The latter became an obsession of two de­cades, with the publication of a treatise on the topic in 1791, and then a two-­volume work, On the Theory of Color, in 1810, written to refute the prevailing prismatic theory of Newton. In the spirit of German Naturphilosophie, Goethe assumed a higher and divine unity ­behind t­ hese dif­fer­ent manifestations of the natu­ral world. According to a recent discussion of Goethe’s scientific writings, his “contributions to the study of organic form and transformation (morphology), to optics and the science of colour, to geology and mineralogy, and to meteorology must be seen as an attempt to maintain the unity . . . ​ of humankind and nature.”5 His sense of the unity of the natu­ ral world is reflected in a comment about weather and climate

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in which, by way of analogy, he thinks of the earth surrounded by a circle of mist “as a ­great living being engaged in a perpetual pro­cess of breathing in and breathing out.”6 In addition to ­these literary and scientific pursuits, Goethe was also a man of practical affairs. Once he had settled in Weimar, his friendship with the Duke led to a series of ministerial appointments on his privy council, including war, highways, finance, and mining. For more than a quarter of a ­century, beginning in 1791, he was director of the Weimar court theater, actively involved in choosing and producing plays in one of Germany’s leading cultural institutions. The burden of t­ hese dif­ fer­ent roles motivated his two-­year escape to Italy in his late thirties, where he lived at first incognito in Rome among a circle of German artists and seriously considered shifting from being a writer to being a painter. Goethe described himself as an Augenmensch—­a “man of the eye.” As he wrote (in book 6 of his autobiography), “The eye was above all the organ through which I apprehended the world.”7 His visual sense of himself also reflects his “this-­worldly” orientation, one that informs all of his diverse writings, and especially Faust, whose title character enters into a pact with the devil b ­ ecause he wants to explore life to the full, without any regard or concern for the afterlife. Goethe and Faust In an often-­quoted assertion from his autobiography, Goethe described all of his writings as “only fragments of a ­great confession.”8 The most sensational fragment of course is Werther, based on his intimate friendship and unfortunate and ultimately unrequited passion for a young w ­ oman, Charlotte Buff, who was already engaged to another man—­the scenario fictionally re-­ created in the novel, the cathartic and therapeutic writing of which allowed Goethe to get on with his life and c­ areer. If all of his other writings are also confessional fragments, they are so in a much more attenuated and sophisticated sense as reflections of his complex personality and his varied and rich life

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experiences at dif­fer­ent stages and from dif­fer­ent perspectives. In a telling comment to Johann Peter Eckermann, he said of his account in his autobiography of his romance with Friederike Brion and of the fictional scenario of his Elective Affinities that they “did not contain a single trait that he had not experienced, but not one in the manner he had experienced it” (17 February 1830). Of all of his confessional self-­reflections, Faust is the most elaborate, complex, many-­layered, and extensive. If Werther is a fictional refraction of the passionate experience of several months, Faust is ultimately that of many de­cades of his life, as well as a pro­ cess of profoundly probing and protracted reflection(s) on his own—­and potentially all—­human lives. At one level his title character, the magus of early modern legend, is a fictional version of Goethe the extraordinary polymath who aspires to comprehend and seize the world in all its rich complexity and myriad variety. Already in his student days in Leipzig and Strasbourg he had explored a range of subjects and disciplines, something reflected in the satire on the faculties of the eighteenth-­century German universities in Mephistopheles’s encounter with the naïve freshman. And to some extent aspects of Goethe’s own early love experiences are reflected in his play. Gretchen was the name of the girl of his first major adolescent infatuation, and the enchantment of his wooing and the ensuing guilt of his cruel abandonment of the Alsatian pastor’s ­daughter, Friederike Brion, when he was a law student (their romance is presented at length as a pastoral idyll in his autobiography) can be seen as confessional influences on Goethe’s pre­sen­ta­tion of the Faust-­Gretchen relationship. But beyond t­ hese biographically grounded components, Faust is also a modern Eu­ro­pean Everyman who seeks to reach beyond the limits of the finite world in which we ­humans are confined, and whose questing spirit “assumes symbolic significance as the extreme exemplar of the deepest drives of western civilization.”9 Faust knows deep down, as Words­worth put it in his autobiography in blank verse, The Prelude (1805), that “­whether we be

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young or old / Our destiny, our nature, and our home / Is with infinitude, and only ­there.” What Percy Shelley poignantly called “the desire of the moth for the star”10 is also the dynamic, if perpetually frustrated, impulse of Faust’s striving. The legend of the scholar-­magician who makes a pact with the devil dates back to the early sixteenth ­century and had under­gone a series of transformations over the centuries when Goethe became fascinated with it and de­cided in his early twenties to write a play about it. Much ­earlier, the figure of the sorcerer Simon Magus in the first c­ entury a.d. was reputed to have magical powers, something that already suggests an alliance with infernal powers. The historical Dr. Faust—­scholar, alchemist, magician, astrologer—­was an itinerant charlatan of whom vari­ous magical feats w ­ ere reported a­ fter his death, including his exiting an inn astride a barrel of wine. The first printed version of his life is a chapbook, The History of Dr. Johann Faustus, published in 1587 and frequently reprinted with alterations and additions. ­These cheaply produced books or pamphlets ­were sold at markets and fairs, and w ­ ere intended as entertainment and edification for an unsophisticated audience—­popu­lar culture items of their day. ­Because Faust seeks from his bargain with the devil both worldly plea­sure and higher knowledge not available or permitted to ­humans, he is a symbolic figure pointing to the transition of Eu­ro­pean culture from the medieval period to the new and secular perspectives of an emergent knowledge-­and science-­oriented modernity. In the early Christian era, Saint Augustine had laid down the theological limits for the next thousand years when he condemned, in book 10 of his Confessions, our “thirst for knowledge” as a “futile curiosity masquerading u ­ nder the name of science and learning.” This sinful “lust of the eye” leads men “to investigate the secrets of nature, which are irrelevant to our lives” and which “they wish to gain merely for the sake of knowing.”11 It is precisely such a thirst for hidden or forbidden knowledge—­and power derived

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from it—­that defines the Faust legend from its origins, even in the crude chapbook redaction. Shakespeare’s con­temporary, the young Christopher Marlowe, saw the dramatic potential of that version, which he read in an En­glish translation, and turned it into his famous play of the titanic overreacher, The Tragical History of Dr. Faustus (1588). Goethe did not read that play ­until 1818, a de­cade ­after he published Faust, Part I. In the wake of Marlowe’s stage success, En­glish actors brought Dr. Faustus to Germany, where eventually it also became a popu­lar puppet play. Goethe, who as a boy enjoyed putting on puppet plays, saw it in that format, and most likely encountered the Faust story in one of the l­ ater chapbooks. In his early twenties he became preoccupied with the legend, and when he moved to Weimar, he had already written a bare-­ bones version of his play, and gave readings of it to the court circle. As the Stolberg ­brothers, two young counts visiting Goethe in Weimar in 1776, reported, “One after­noon Goethe read his half-­finished ‘Faust.’ It is a splendid piece. The duchesses w ­ ere powerfully moved by several scenes.”12 The only surviving text of the “original” or Urfaust is a transcription made by a court lady that was not discovered ­until more than half a ­century a­ fter Goethe’s death, in 1887. Though Goethe started writing Faust, Part I in the early 1770s, he did not complete the final version of his “tragedy” ­until 1806. It was published in 1808; he thus worked on it off and on for over three de­cades, and in three relatively distinct stages of composition. His method of working was not so much by way of revision as by putting flesh, as it w ­ ere, on the bones of his Urfaust version: he kept most of what he had already written, making some changes, such as turning prose scenes into verse—­ Auerbach’s Cellar, for instance—­and elevating some of the more colloquial language, including dialect locutions, into a more formal register. He worked by way of accretion, not cutting but adding to the ­earlier version(s). Of the new material

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and additions, the most notable and extensive is the so-­called ­great lacuna, which runs from the first Night scene to the second Study scene up through the wager between Faust and Mephistopheles and shortly before the entrance of the freshman student. The first appearance in print of Faust was the 1790 Fragment that Goethe prepared in Rome for an edition of his collected works. The Urfaust had the opening Night scene in rudimentary form, and the Faust-­Gretchen affair up to the end of the Cathedral scene. To it he now added Witch’s Kitchen and Forest and Cavern. In the third and final period of composition, from 1797 to 1806, he added all the remaining material and put the dramatic poem into final form. This includes the prefatory frames—­the Dedication, Prelude in the Theater, Prologue in Heaven—as well as the material to fill the “­great lacuna” with the pact with the devil that Goethe had put off for many years and that he altered from the legend. Goethe rescripted it as the famous wager: if Faust ever finds a moment of complete fulfillment, Mephistopheles ­w ill have won and can carry him off to Hell. This wager, like the Gretchen tragedy, is Goethe’s contribution to the Faust story, though in a 1674 chapbook ­there is a brief mention of Faust’s infatuation with a servant girl.13 Goethe also added Walpurgis Night, though—­perhaps to the regret of ­today’s readers—he abandoned the plan of showing an orgy presided over by Satan at the top of the Brocken mountain. Instrumental in the third phase of composition was Goethe’s friendship and creative collaboration with Schiller—­the poet and playwright ten years Goethe’s ju­ nior, and almost as famous—­from 1795 to Schiller’s early death in 1805. In a letter of 29 November 1794 Schiller characterized what he had read of Faust as “the torso of Hercules,”14 and, worried that Goethe was being distracted by his scientific pursuits, repeatedly urged him to complete the drama. A professor at Jena when he moved to Weimar in 1799, Schiller was intellectually invested in the

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Kantian and the post-­K antian idealist philosophy that flourished at the end of the eigh­teenth c­entury at the university, where the young Hegel joined the faculty in 1801. Schiller advised Goethe that “the nature of your material w ­ ill require a philosophical treatment,” and was ­eager to see how “the folk fable” would fit into “the philosophical part of the w ­ hole” (letters of 23 and 26 June 1797). In March 1801, he wrote to Goethe that the Jena phi­los­o­phers w ­ ere “unspeakably curious” to see the completion of Faust; Goethe replied that “since the phi­los­o­phers are so curious about this work, then I certainly must take care to do my best.” Without Schiller’s encouragement and prompting, Goethe might not have completed Part I when he did, nor in the final form it took. The philosophical dimension is most apparent in Faust’s extended soul-­searching soliloquies, which Goethe added in the third and final phase of composition to help fill in the “­g reat lacuna.” It is ­there not only ­because of Goethe’s evolving and maturing conception of the Faust legend over the de­ cades, but certainly also ­ because of Schiller’s influence. Given that Goethe worked on dif­fer­ent versions and sections of Part I for over three de­cades, it is not surprising that ­there has been a long-­standing debate among scholars and critics about ­whether, at one end of the interpretive spectrum, it is a unified artistic ­whole or, at the other end, a series of ill-­joined fragments that do not add up to a larger and coherent unity, but that Goethe has, as it w ­ ere, shored up against his ruin. Certain inconsistencies or discrepancies in the drama can be seen as evidence of the latter position; for instance, in the beautiful speech at the beginning of Forest and Cavern in which Faust thanks the Earth Spirit for having given him all that he has asked for when he, we, and Goethe all know that it is Mephisto who has provided ­these gifts. Then too the Intermezzo of Oberon and Titania’s Golden Wedding appears to be an insertion that has nothing to do with the main story. It consists mostly of overflow material from a poetry collaboration with Schiller, the

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satirical and epigrammatic Xenien, for which Goethe wanted to find a home. It alludes to literary disputes now long forgotten even by German scholars and would be impossible in any production of Faust. Granted that the Intermezzo is a significant challenge to modern readers, the question of w ­ hether Faust, Part I adds up to a unified w ­ hole can nevertheless be answered largely in the affirmative by a s­ imple test: set aside the entire and complicated history of its composition, and read the play naively, as if for the first time. In my experience, and that of generations of students I have taught, with the exception of some minor discrepancies and uncertainties, such as the passage of time, Faust, Part I comes across effectively as a unified work, even in its more riotous and carnivalesque scenes, such as Witch’s Kitchen, Auerbach’s Cellar, and Walpurgis Night. ­There are no obvious signs of splicings or sutures between dif­fer­ent parts of the drama written at very dif­fer­ent points of time, and no jarring tonal or motival discrepancies that point to radically changing conceptions on the poet’s part. The play stands on its own, ­whole and beautifully thought out and through as a complex and many-­layered dramatic poem that somehow manages magically to fuse the tragic with the comic, the farcical with the serious, the satirical with the lyrical, the sensual with the sublime, the earthy with the transcendent. This view of Faust’s essential unity also seems to be the gist of recent Faust scholarship. As Jane K. Brown has noted, “Much work in the last generation has demonstrated the fundamental coherence of the text,” though she adds, “but it is still helpful to understand the dif­ fer­ent stages of composition.”15 The Three Parts of Faust : Prefatory Frames, Scholar’s Tragedy, Gretchen Tragedy The Dedication, Prelude in the Theater, and Prologue in Heaven can be seen as three prefatory frames surrounding the play proper. The first, written in 1797, strikes a poignant personal and

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lyrical note as Goethe, speaking in his own voice, resumes work on his play ­a fter a long hiatus. The reference to the shifting shapes that approach him reaches back to the beginnings of his work on Faust nearly a quarter of a c­ entury e­ arlier. By way of association, he recalls friends who heard his early compositions and who are now scattered far and wide. ­There is a hint of alienation in the thought that his “song” w ­ ill now be heard by an unknown audience, and the confession at the end of tears of nostalgia for a long-­ago past that has now vividly resurfaced in his imagination is quite moving. The Prelude in the Theater shifts from personal confession to a playful dramatic set of exchanges about the purpose and function of art. The Poet, Director, and Comedian in this meta-­ theatrical and witty exchange are at one level all aspects of Goethe’s own literary ­career. The Poet’s romantic and idealizing view of art as a transcendent kind of self-­expression—­a version of the young Goethe—­clashes with the Director’s commercial view, with his P. T. Barnum and Hollywood goal of diverting the masses with what they want for profit as well as with the Comedian’s professional insistence on the importance of humor and the entertainment value of drama. As a theater director, Goethe was well aware of ­these dif­fer­ent roles and demands. And his favorite author, Shakespeare—­both poetic genius and commercial artist—­also embodied all three of ­these personas. Thus the Prelude is a dialogic reprise of Goethe’s mature and sophisticated awareness of the dif­fer­ent if complementary modalities of and motives for producing and consuming works of lit­er­a­t ure. The Prologue in Heaven moves us beyond the personal and meta-­theatrical dimensions to the cosmic. The scene with the Archangels, the Lord, and Mephistopheles is grounded in the Old Testament. Goethe acknowledged (Eckermann, 18 January 1825) that his “exposition” has some similarities with the book of Job and Milton’s Paradise Lost, though his devil is very dif­fer­ent from Milton’s Satan, and Christ the Redeemer is

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missing altogether. The opening lines invoke the older, Ptolemaic astronomy with Michael’s reference to the m ­ usic of the spheres as the poetic trope of divine harmony. The Lord of the Prologue with his endorsement of ­human striving and his tolerant ac­cep­tance of errant h ­ umans seems at a far remove from the stern and vindictive Jehovah of the Old Testament whose stories Goethe loved reading as a boy. Already Mephistopheles is scripted as the spirit of negation who ultimately serves the Lord’s purposes by goading ­humans out of their self-­indulgent “ease.” If in this dialectical scenario the Archangels sound like a chorus of heavenly yes men, Mephistopheles as rogue and scoffer strikes a very dif­fer­ent and entertaining note with his sarcastic wit in the vein of a Swift or Voltaire. The bet Mephisto makes with the Lord to lead Faust astray is a structural parallel to the wager that Faust ­w ill in turn make with him, and the Lord’s assertion that he ­will lead Faust “into clarity” anticipates the latter’s ascension to higher spheres at the end of Faust, Part II and suggests that the “tragedy” of Part I is part of a divine comedy. Fittingly enough, the Prologue ends, ­after the departure of the heavenly host and the Lord’s invocation of the divine order, on a comic note in Mephisto’s playful comment about “the Old Man.” Although the Faust-­Gretchen plot has become identified with the gist of Goethe’s play, the Scholar’s Tragedy, consisting of the sequence of scenes from Faust’s opening monologue to his meeting with Gretchen, actually takes up more space. Often radically truncated in the rare productions of the play, Faust’s long soliloquies revealing his tortured consciousness bear the philosophical burden of Goethe’s dramatic poem. As Cyrus Hamlin has noted, “Faust quickly achieved the reputation of being a philosophical poem,” and “it is especially in the ‘­great lacuna’ . . . ​that the full philosophical implications of Faust’s dilemma are articulated.”16 Goethe’s conception raises Faust to a level far beyond the chapbook version and also Marlowe’s tragedy. The magician of the chapbook wants to know the secrets

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of heaven and earth, and makes a pact with the devil to serve him in his worldly desires; Marlowe’s Faust’s pursuit, as he states in his opening monologue, is that of worldly power, assured that “a sound magician is a demigod.” Goethe’s Faust reaches beyond both t­hese melodramatic cartoon figures in his—­inevitably frustrated b ­ ecause impossible—­existential desire to fathom the entire range of ­human experience, and his metaphysical craving to comprehend the mysterious and divine order of the universe—­what some two centuries ­later physicists have pursued as the dream of a Theory of Every­thing. The Enlightenment prized the pursuit of knowledge, but also set limits to what we can know. Its greatest phi­los­o­pher, Kant, had confined our understanding to the phenomenal world, with the noumenal Ding-­an-­sich (thing-­in-­itself) forever beyond the mind’s reach. The Faust we meet at the beginning of Goethe’s play turns to magic for an ave­nue to the latter, acting in the spirit of Blake’s proverbial assertion “More! More! Is the cry of a mistaken soul. Less than all cannot satisfy Man.”17 In the opening scene, Faust, having mastered the vari­ous branches of learning of the medieval university and discovered that they have not given him the higher knowledge he has sought, turns to necromancy, only to have his metaphysical quest doubly short-­circuited. The sign of the Macrocosm in Nostradamus’s book makes him giddy with its symbolism of universal harmony, but he is deflated to realize that all of this is “only a spectacle.” He is unable to reach beyond the sign to the mysterious real­ity it signifies. Worse yet, when he conjures the gigantic Earth Spirit, his presumptuous claim of equality is summarily and devastatingly rejected. At this point the high dramatic tension of the super­natural encounter is broken by the appearance of Faust’s academic assistant, Wagner, the eternal grind and bookworm who has no intimations of or aspirations to higher t­ hings. The use of comic relief to ground the character back in the everyday world is something Goethe must have learned from Shakespeare—as in Hamlet’s banter with his

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f­ ather at the end of their ghostly encounter, or the earthy jibes of the gravedigger, or the drunk porter the night of Duncan’s murder in Macbeth. The complexity of Faust’s character as developed in the “­great lacuna” is such that no neat or definitive analytic outline of it can be drawn. Even the famous “two souls” passage, with the divided self scenario of his earthbound and worldly desires versus his ethereal and transcendent ones, fails to do justice to it. In the new material that Goethe added to the first Night scene, the depth of Faust’s frustration and despair at the limits of earthly existence is powerfully stated in a confessional register that may point back to the author’s own midlife state of mind: “The splendid emotions that gave life to us / Grow rigid in the terrestrial chaos.” The plaintive tone of despair at his once soaring and “expansive imagination” hoping to reach eternity now grounded in a room is devastating. In the spirit of a Nietz­schean truth that kills, he now sees the ­human dilemma in the worst light pos­si­ble. Added to this is the burden of “Care” (Sorge) that bears down on ­humans once they leave their youth ­behind. A favorite motif of eighteenth-­century and Romantic poets, it is an aspect of midlife despair that Words­worth strikingly epitomized at the time Goethe was working on the final version of his play: “We poets in our youth begin in gladness; / But thereof come in the end despondency and madness.”18 In Faust’s case, the anxiety is not only about what we cannot have, but also about what we lose, or might lose, as our imagination preys on us and we envision the most dire possibilities: “Care” makes us “­tremble at every­thing that does not occur / And what you ­don’t lose, ­you’re in constant fear of losing.” His fearful anticipation of a dire ­future intensifies Faust’s despair, and when his final attempt to escape or transcend mortal limits, his decision to commit suicide, is interrupted by the Easter chorus celebrating the risen Christ, which momentarily saves him by reminding him of the innocence of his childhood—­a very Romantic motif—he is almost ready for his bargain with

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Mephistopheles. The movement to the external world of ordinary ­humans as they celebrate Easter Sunday and the coming of spring provides a temporary relief from Faust’s solipsistic self-­ enclosure in his study as he identifies with their sense of rebirth: “­Here I’m fully h ­ uman, h ­ ere I can be so!” But his skepticism and despair resurface as he is thanked by the peasants for having saved them from the plague, when he knows that the dire nostrums administered by his ­father and him killed more than the dread disease. As he dismisses Wagner’s naively rationalizing praise that his intentions w ­ ere good, his awareness that ­humans are immersed in a “sea of endless error”—­Faust’s shorthand for Plato’s Cave—­the setting sun reawakens his desire, expressed in a beautifully soaring lyrical passage, for metaphysical transcendence. The farcical appearance of Mephistopheles in the guise of a playful poodle who follows Faust into his study sets the stage for the second half of the Scholar’s Tragedy and the pact-­cum-­ wager. Once Mephisto emerges from the poodle in his new guise as a “traveling scholar,” his self-­definition as the spirit of negation who “always seeks / To do evil and always brings about the good” is consistent with his scripted role in the Lord’s dialectical cosmography in the Prologue in Heaven. His character too has its complexities, b ­ ecause his assertion that “all that’s been created / Deserves to be destroyed,” seen from a dif­fer­ent perspective is consistent with Buddhist wisdom (demonstrated in the ritual of the Tibetan monks who lovingly create beautiful sand paintings, only to erase them upon completion) as well as modern astrophysics (billions of stars in billions of galaxies, possibly in multiple universes, none of them eternal). And his conclusion that “therefore it would be better if nothing ever came to be” has some theological warrant, since all that is created is by definition imperfect. Of course, Mephisto’s explanation is self-­serving, even as it serves the Lord’s purposes, as is evident in his claim that he is part of the original darkness of the universe that was ­there before the light associated with the

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Lord and his Creation. Mephisto may not be the true hero of the play, as Blake claimed of Milton’s Satan in Paradise Lost, but Goethe invests his figure with a certain amount of pathos in his futile strug­gle to destroy life, “that damned stuff, the brood of man and beast,” which defeats his best efforts, so that “always new, fresh blood circulates.” He knows the game is rigged against him, but has to persist in his efforts, which come to nothing at the end of Part II with his attempt to claim Faust’s soul foiled by an angelic host. The fact that the pathos of his no-­ win situation is constantly leavened by his sarcastic and nihilistic wit makes his role in the play the most brilliant and striking. In the second Study scene Faust sought, like Martin Luther, to translate the Bible into German, and changed the famous “In the beginning was the Word” (log­os) to “the deed”—­a rendering consistent with his own driving dynamism. But by the third and final Study scene, Faust’s frustrated paralysis is more than evident in his confessional rant to Mephisto that he is nauseated with a life of perpetual renunciation of desires where “not a single” wish of his is ever fulfilled, and where “the divinity that dwells within” can find no external expression. The long and crescendoing curse in which he rejects traditional ­human aspirations for worldly success and plea­sure, and which culminates with his rejection of the Christian virtues of Love, Hope, and Faith, and Patience, is an expression of how “hateful” his life has become—­and demonstrates that he is ready for Mephisto’s intervention. Now that he finds “all knowledge nauseating” and wishes with infernal help to immerse himself “in the depths of sensuality,” his pact with Mephisto is a kind of felix culpa or fortunate fall, though the wager that Hell can claim him if he ever finds a completely satisfying experience shows that even the earthbound or sensual part of his psyche has not abandoned its trajectory of endless striving. Goethe’s scripting of the romantic rhe­toric of Faust’s wager also owes something to the Rousseau of the Fifth Walk of his Reveries, in which he asserts that “hardly is ­there an instant in our most intense enjoyments where

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the heart could truly say, ‘I wish that this instant could last forever.’ ”19 If we consider the wager as a legally binding contract, then of course Faust would have lost it long before the end of Part I, ­because he surely must have experienced some perfect moments with Gretchen in his arms. But the wager is more of a propulsive device than a strict l­egal contract, one that drives the plot forward—­all the way to the end of Faust, Part II, where the angels assert that they “can only save him / Who forever strives.” And so, once the bargain is sealed with blood, Faust claims to embark on his new ­career with the heroic and impossible goal of experiencing “that which is the lot of all humanity,” only to fall in love and seduce, with the help of the devil— in what may seem quite the anticlimax to many readers20—an innocent young girl. The Gretchen tragedy unfolds rapidly in a series of scenes that trace the course of their relationship from their first encounter to Gretchen’s day of execution for the murder of their child. With Mephisto’s help, Faust is transformed from an unworldly and socially awkward scholar into a man of the world and a roué. Before he is ready to make any romantic moves, he must undergo the trial of a make­over in the grotesque Witch’s Kitchen scene, in which he is both rejuvenated and infused with erotic energy through the draught he is made to drink. (A con­temporary version of such proceedings would be plastic surgery by a celebrity surgeon and a steady supply of Viagra.) In a letter Schiller wrote (23 June  1797) regarding some of the fragments of the play Goethe had shown him, he observes that in them “one does not lose sight of the duplicity of h ­ uman nature and the unfortunate striving to combine the physical and the divine in [the] h ­ uman.” In dramatizing the relationship between Faust and Gretchen, Goethe powerfully emphasizes both sides of the spectrum of erotic experience and the varying combinations of sensual and spiritual ele­ments. The physical and erotic realities of life surface repeatedly in the play, though Faust in his scholarly c­ areer seems to have

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largely ignored them. They appear in their most innocent guise in the Before the Town Gates scene in the citizens enjoying their Easter Sunday outing, including the servant girls and the students looking for romantic encounters, and in their most grotesque and sexualized version in Walpurgis Night, with all the bawdy trappings of a pagan orgy-­in-­the-­making, including the cameo appearance of Adam’s apocryphal first wife, the seductress Lilith, and the obscene songs of the young and the old witch. Mephisto, with his voy­eur­is­tic interest in Faust’s trysts with Gretchen and his salacious advice to the freshman on “how to h ­ andle w ­ omen” as a doctor, is happily at home in this id-­ centered world. His initial ploy to introduce Faust into this realm via the “ jolly com­pany” in Auerbach’s Cellar misfires badly, as Faust is repelled by the riotous crew of drunk students and their Animal House carousing and into which Mephisto is happy to enter with his wine trick. The bestial side of life that Faust has ignored in his cloistered academic life is satirically foregrounded h ­ ere, as seen in the songs of the poisoned rat suffering “as if love w ­ ere consuming him,” the flea at court, and the wine-­fueled students who “feel so cannibalistically fine / As if we ­were five hundred swine!” The “duplicity” of ­human nature that Schiller identified in Faust is shown in a dif­fer­ent key in the Witch’s Kitchen, where the grotesquely absurd pranks of the monkeys, traditional symbols of irrationality and lust, drive Faust to distraction, but where he also beholds in a magic mirror “a divine image . . . ​the most beautiful image of a [presumably naked] w ­ oman!” His vision of “the epitome of all that’s heavenly,” an aesthetically idealized version of female beauty— as in a Botticelli or Titian painting—­but set in this farcical monkey and witch circus, is a symbolic foreshadowing of Faust’s experience with Gretchen, compounded of lust and love, physicality and spirituality. For Mephisto, the cynic and nihilist for whom, like Shakespeare’s Iago, t­ here is no love but only lust, Faust’s mirror vision is a function of the Witch’s brew. As he wittily puts it, “Soon

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enough with this drink inside of you / You’ll see Helen of Troy in ­every girl that you view.” But it is of course precisely the problematic combination of the higher and the lower that defines and complicates the relationship between the two lovers. The first time Faust sees Gretchen as she returns home from confession—­and one won­ders what if any sins she would have to confess—he immediately desires her, ordering Mephisto, “You have to get this girl for me!” This demand reflects the patriarchal and sexist gender dynamic of Goethe’s own culture, in which ­women, especially ­those of the lower classes, are seen as being at the disposal of men.21 The age difference between Faust and Gretchen is also telling: although his age is never specified in the play, it seems likely that he is in his late forties or early fifties. She is sometimes referred to as a “child” (Kind), even though when he first sees her he guesses that “she’s over fourteen”—­the age of sexual consent for young w ­ omen in Germany even ­today. Mephisto is quite correct in his jibe, “you talk like some lewd fellow” desiring this “pretty child,” but when Faust surreptitiously visits her bedroom, his guilt at his intrusion into this sanctum of innocence turns into admiration and love for the “divine image” of this child-­woman, and his lust is momentarily “dissolved in a dream of love.” His carnal impulses as well as the dream of love, already reflected in the idealized image of the ­woman in the mirror, both define and complicate his relationship with Gretchen for the remainder of Part I. When he seeks to resist his scheme to seduce Gretchen ­because he knows it would destroy her, his higher self asserts itself, as symbolized by his retreat to the natu­ral setting of Forest and Cavern. His beautiful lyrical and quasi-­Franciscan effusion about how the Earth Spirit has taught him “to know [his] b ­ rothers / In the ­silent greenery, and in the air and the w ­ ater” soon gives way to a recoil to his carnal self, and the vicious circle of desire (“Thus I stagger from desire to enjoyment / And in enjoyment I’m famished with desire”). Right on cue Mephisto turns up to pull Faust back

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into that circle with an obscene gesture capping his salacious suggestion that Faust’s sublime enjoyment of the natu­ral setting is merely a self-­deluded deflection of his frustrated sexual desires. Once Faust has seduced Gretchen and made her pregnant— in the pro­cess incurring the guilt of the death of her ­mother, done in by Mephisto’s sleeping potion, and having killed her soldier b ­ rother, who, having heard of the affair, has come back home not out of concern for his s­ ister but angry about how she has sullied his name and reputation—he abandons Gretchen and allows himself to be diverted by the pagan cele­bration of Walpurgis Night. It is only when at the end of that sequence he beholds a monitory vision of Gretchen as “a beautiful pale child, standing all alone” with “a single red thread” around her neck, signifying her impending execution, that his guilty memory of her breaks through the distractions Mephisto has used to make him forget her. When, in the only prose scene in Part I, he discovers her doom, he deflects his own guilt by blaming Mephisto, venting his anger in a self-­serving barrage of curses. At Faust’s insistence, Mephisto agrees to arrange the escape of Gretchen, whose refusal to do so is based as much on her recognition that the ­father of her child no longer loves her as on her moral resolve to take responsibility for her role in the killing of her baby and the deaths of her ­mother and ­brother. The dramatically spectacular deus ex machina—­“she is saved!”—­ resolution of her fate is in stark contrast to that of Faust, who flees with Mephisto at the latter’s command. At the beginning of Faust, Part II, he has forgotten all about Gretchen, and is ready for yet another set of new c­ areer incarnations. As the female academics in the NEH Faust Institute I attended put it nicely, “Being Faust means never having to say you are sorry.” What attracts Faust to Gretchen is pretty obvious, but what attracts her to him? Within the limiting patriarchal context of Goethe’s framing of their relationship, his dramatic portrait of her is far from ­simple. Like Werther’s Lotte, who is slicing bread

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for her younger siblings the first time he sees her and who is acting the part of her deceased m ­ other, Gretchen too combines the roles of both m ­ other and s­ ister to the infant she had to nurture and raise. As she confides to Faust, in replacing her semi-­ invalid ­mother, she has had a hard time of it, looking ­after the infant and ­doing the ­house­hold chores, “and ­every day the same routine.” More maid than ­daughter to a strict and demanding ­mother—­“I have to cook, sweep, knit / And sew, and be on my feet early and late”—­she too, like Faust, has experienced keen frustration, but in a very dif­fer­ent context and setting. The ste­ reo­t ypical burdens of both her gender and her social position bear down on her, and she too longs to escape the narrow sphere to which she feels herself confined. Faust, as the older male and university professor invested with social authority and the higher knowledge from which she is debarred, appeals to her as a f­ ather figure as well as a glamorous suitor and lover. The jewels that he deposits in her room, courtesy of Mephisto, may appeal to her female vanity, but they also signify a world of genteel wealth and status to which she may aspire but which she knows is beyond her reach: “Of what use is your beauty, young blood?,” she asks, already knowing the ways of the world at her tender age. Her concluding lament—­“young and old yearn for gold, / For sure every­thing depends / On gold. Pity us poor!”—­shows her in a sympathetic light as a level-­headed young w ­ oman. Goethe’s pre­sen­ta­tion of Gretchen as a flesh-­and-­blood, down-­to-­earth quin­tes­sen­tial German “good girl” is highly realistic, but it is also idealized according to the gender norms of his age. If Faust’s attraction to her is from the first overtly sexual, her attraction to him is of a dif­fer­ent order. Her innocence and virtue put her at the opposite end of the licentious carnality embodied in the witches in Walpurgis Night. This is evident when she tells him that she was “dismayed” by him accosting her on the street, and wondered, “did he see in my conduct / Something improper or too f­ ree?”—­a question still asked ­today by some w ­ omen subjected to sexual harassment. And

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though she is clearly charmed by him, her attraction to him is that of a sublimated eros conforming to rigid norms of female propriety. The “King of Thule” ballad she sings a­ fter having met him and before she finds the jewels is a sentimental and idealized vision of the marital fidelity to which she aspires, and which Faust betrays, unlike the King, who, “faithful u ­ ntil his grave,” kept the golden cup given to him by his ­dying consort. Gretchen is never allowed anything approaching an overt expression of sexual desire, unlike her faithless lover, whose libido “burns” for a sexual consummation. The register in which she speaks to him is that of love, never lust, and her succumbing to him is mostly at his demand and for his satisfaction. Her awareness of the gender constraints policing female virtue is shown in the exchange at the well with Lieschen, who informs her that the flirtatious Barbara is pregnant and has been abandoned by the lover whose advances she encouraged, and that even if he ­were to marry her, “the boys ­w ill tear her wedding wreath, / And ­we’ll pile chaff at her door.” Faced with the shame of her secret pregnancy—­“And now I stand exposed to sin myself ”—­the closest to acknowledging her own fulfillment in her affair with Faust is in a suitably romantic and vague effusion: “But all that drove me to this / Oh God! It was so good! It was such bliss!” Gretchen’s goodness and innocence are also attested by her religious beliefs, and in her questioning of Faust about his. When she enjoins him to believe in the holy sacraments, he answers in a circumlocutory rigmarole, and her naïveté is evident in this comedic scene when she replies, “Our priest says pretty much the same, / Only he uses somewhat dif­fer­ent words.” It is the purity of her Christian devotion even as a fallen ­woman, as reflected in her prayer to the Mater Dolorosa (at the Town Wall) and her instinctive dread of and revulsion from Mephisto, that sustains her to the very end of the play and that must have moved Goethe to add the divine intervention on her behalf (not pre­sent in the Urfaust). His God is willing to forgive the infanticide that his society could not. It has often been noted that

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the young Goethe working as a l­ awyer in Frankfurt and beginning to write Faust must have been aware of the public trial and execution, in January 1772, of a servant girl for killing her illegitimate child. It has also been pointed out that in 1783, when Goethe was living in Weimar, a young w ­ oman was put to death for infanticide, and he supported the verdict by voting for it on the Duke’s privy council.22 Thus, while the story of Gretchen may owe something to that of the young w ­ oman executed in Frankfurt, his ac­cep­tance of the verdict is a stark reminder that the poet’s imaginative sympathy for his tragic heroine-­v ictim did not extend, at least a de­cade l­ater, into real life. A very ­human if morally compromised foil to Gretchen’s youthful innocence and vulnerability is her neighbor, the “straw ­w idow” Dame Martha, who Mephisto uses as a go-­between to set up the meetings between Faust and Gretchen. Like the Nurse in Romeo and Juliet, Martha is a flawed but sympathetic character who facilitates the relationship between the lovers. Like the Nurse, she is no longer young and has lived long enough to witness, as well as to survive in, the ways of a corrupt world. Her husband, a traveling journeyman from whom she has not heard in years and who may well be dead, leaves her in a dire predicament: she is an abandoned wife who cannot marry again ­because she cannot prove that she is a ­w idow. In a dif­fer­ent key than in Gretchen’s tragic story, we again see a ­woman victimized by the patriarchy, though Martha is smart and experienced enough to try and get what she desires within its barriers. The wonderfully comedic Neighbor’s House scene in which Mephisto brings her news of her husband’s death and promises to swear to it in court with Faust in order to set up the Gretchen-­Faust rendezvous is a theatrical coup, as is the follow-up scene in Martha’s Garden where the straw w ­ idow begins to make her moves to ensnare Mephisto in the toils of matrimony, but he pretends not to understand her more and more overt suggestions that he should quit his bachelor life. As we see the two ­couples moving about the stage and overhear

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their conversation, the love between Gretchen and Faust is confirmed in her symbolic flower-­plucking game and his romantic pledge of unending love. The unromantic and cynical view of this budding romance is the closing note of this scene, with the interaction of this “­little pair” characterized by Mephisto as “the way of the world.” The tragic outcome of Gretchen’s story is of course also very much the way of Goethe’s Eu­ro­pean and provincial patriarchal world. Publicly stigmatized as a “whore” before her fellow townspeople by her d ­ ying soldier-­brother killed by her lover, abandoned by him, languishing in prison, and moving in and out of fits of delusion, she accepts her fate both in this world and in the afterlife. In giving Faust directions for her burial, she even scripts her ­family restored in the graveyard, with places for her ­mother, ­brother, herself, and her baby, but, tellingly, not for Faust.

Faust as a Dramatic Poem Faust, Part I was not staged in Germany u ­ ntil 1829, more than two de­cades ­after its publication. That Goethe never chose to have it performed in the years that he was director of the Weimar theater suggests that he considered it more a dramatic poem than a stage play. When it was performed on his eightieth birthday (29 August 1829) in Weimar, he approved, but chose not to attend. Since then it has been put on the stage a number of times, as well as adapted for film versions. The most famous twentieth-­century stage per­for­mance is the 1956 one in Germany with Gustav Gründgens in the role of Mephisto,23 which he reprised in the 1960 film directed by Peter Gorski. The leading film director to tackle the play is Ingmar Bergman, who staged an Urfaust version in Sweden in 1958 to mixed reviews. The most recent film adaptation is by the Rus­sian director Alexander Sokurov, whose German-­language version won the Golden Lion Award at the 2011 Venice Film Festival. To what lengths directors ­will go to revise the text is evident in Sokurov’s turning

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Mephisto into a moneylender financing Faust’s research—­one who is revealed having his genitalia attached to his rear end. What Goethe would have thought of such directorial license is open to question. Goethe was reluctant about offering any hints or suggestions as to the meaning and interpretation of his most famous work. Shortly before his death, he referred to both parts of Faust as “­these very serious jests” (17 March 1832). He stated his reluctance in some detail in a conversation with Eckermann, asserting, “The Germans are, certainly, strange p ­ eople. . . . ​They come and ask what idea I meant to embody in my Faust; as if I knew myself, and could tell them. . . . ​It would have been a fine t­ hing indeed if I had strung so rich, varied, and highly diversified a life as I have brought to view in Faust upon the slender string of a single pervading idea. On the ­whole it was . . . ​not my bent, as a poet, to strive to embody anything abstract” (6 May 1827). He also liked to use the word “incommensurable” to characterize the play in its entirety, as in a comment (of 3 January 1830) about the recently published French translation: “Faust is certainly something entirely incommensurable, and all attempts to bring it closer to our understanding are futile.” Perhaps the closest he came to any general pronouncement about the import of Faust was in response in 1828 to another French translation, with illustrations by Delacroix, “a painter of undeniable talent,” that he thought beautifully captured the substance of his play, whose “success, near and far,” is due to the fact that “it captures forever the period of development of a ­human spirit troubled above all by that [which] pains and tortures humanity, by all that [which] trou­bles and moves it . . . ​[and] by that which it has desired and also filled with bliss.”24 This view of Faust as a representative h ­ uman figure has been endorsed by most of the students and interpreters of the play. As a seminal and enduring work of modern Eu­ro­pean lit­er­ a­t ure and culture, incommensurable or not, Faust, Part I stands in the com­pany of other leading canonical works in that ­great

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tradition. Goethe’s mature ideal was not that of a national but of a world lit­er­a­t ure. He was well read in vari­ous literary traditions, including some non-­Western ones, and his play reflects a range of intertextual allusions and borrowing. Commentators have noted, for instance, the influence of the classic Indian drama Shakuntula on Prelude in the Theater. He was happy to acknowledge the intertextuality of his work, and also pleased to see when other writers he admired, such as Byron, whose closet drama Manfred shows the influence of Faust, borrowed from him. Indeed, for Goethe, intertextuality was the very fabric and lifeblood of lit­er­a­t ure. As he told Eckermann in a conversation about ­those who question the originality of authors, one might as well question domestic animals about what they ate, and mentions being indebted to Greek, French, and En­glish authors, adding that “the sources of his culture are not exhausted by that list and would approach the boundless” (16 December 1828). He concludes that since the world is now so old that “­little that is new can be found or expressed,” the “main ­thing is that one has a soul that loves truth, and that takes it in wherever it finds it.” Thus for him the vast repository of world lit­er­ a­ture was a resource available to writers for appropriation according to their individual talents and artistic needs. For English-­speaking readers of Faust it should be a pleasant surprise that the most impor­tant influence on the development of Goethe as a poet is Shakespeare. In his autobiography, he acknowledges that as a law student he moved in a circle of young Shakespeare enthusiasts who saw in the venerated dramatist a way out of the narrow limits imposed on German lit­ er­a­ture by the hegemony of French culture, whose “poetry” they found “cold, its criticism destructive, its philosophy abstruse and insufficient.” Shakespeare showed them a new world, to the point that he “is recognized more by the Germans than by any other nation, perhaps even more than by his own.”25 Goethe maintained this view throughout his life, placing Shakespeare above all other poets, but tempering his youthful enthusiasm

In troduc tion   | 29

with more balanced critical appreciation, as evident in his essay “Shakespeare and No End” (1816), where he is credited with expressing every­thing that is hidden in the heart of man, and “we discover the truth of life and d ­ on’t know how.”26 Shakespeare, he enthused to Eckermann, is the universal genius: “How infinitely g­ reat and rich is Shakespeare! Th ­ ere is not a single motive of ­human life that he has not represented and expressed! And all with such fa­cil­i­t y and freedom.” It is even “impossible to talk about Shakespeare, it is all inadequate” (25 December 1825). The influence of Shakespeare on Faust is apparent in obvious echoes and borrowings as well as in less obvious and more substantive similarities and affinities—­for instance, the shared character traits of Juliet’s Nurse and Dame Martha, or the sinister combination of cynicism and voyeurism of Iago and Mephisto, or the madness of Ophelia and that of the imprisoned Gretchen. The latter also has a touch of the sleepwalking Lady Macbeth when she sees blood on Faust’s hand and asks him to wipe it off. Nor did Goethe have any scruples about incorporating a version of Ophelia’s mad song directly into his play, as he acknowledged: “So my Mephistopheles sings a song by Shakespeare, and why should he not? Why should I go to the trou­ble of inventing my own, when that by Shakespeare is quite right and says exactly what he should?” (Eckermann, 18 January 1825). Minor verbal echoes and scenic parallels are also pre­ sent, such as Gretchen’s enraged ­ brother confronting Mephisto and calling him “rat-­catcher,” the epithet Mercutio used to provoke the fiery Tybalt in Romeo and Juliet, or the coven of witches glimpsed by Faust in Night, Open Field, that points back to the Weird ­Sisters in Macbeth. Like Shakespeare, Goethe can compress a world of experience into a single pregnant and ironic phrase: when Miranda, at the end of The Tempest, exclaims upon seeing the re­united court party, “O brave new world / That hath such ­people in’t!,” Prospero’s terse reply is “ ’Tis new to thee”; when Faust berates Mephisto upon learning Gretchen’s

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fate, Mephisto’s trenchant reply is “She’s not the first.” The generic hybridity of Faust is also very much in the spirit of Shakespeare, with his mixture of the comic—­farcical, satirical, bawdy, grotesque—­and the serious, sublime, and tragic in plays like Hamlet and King Lear. As evident in the Prelude in the Theater, Goethe is also attuned to the meta-­theatrical dimensions of Shakespearean drama as seen in the latter’s plays-­w ithin-­ plays and prologues (as in Henry V with its reference to the Globe Theater as “this wooden O”). Ironically, the scene with the most direct references to Shakespeare, the Golden Wedding of Oberon and Titania, which has the King and Queen of the fairies and Puck from Midsummer Night’s Dream, as well as Ariel from The Tempest, has, as I noted ­earlier, no substantive connection to t­ hese characters or the plays in which they appear. Perhaps that too is part of the teasing incommensurability of Faust, Part I. Notes









All translations in the introduction are mine. 1. ​Letter of 11 May 1801, in Crabb Robinson in Germany, 1800–1805, ed. Edith J. Morley (London: Oxford University Press, 1929), 65. 2. ​L esley Sharpe, Introduction to The Cambridge Companion to Goethe, ed. Lesley Sharpe (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2002), 4. 3. ​Der Steppenwolf (Frankfurt: Suhrkamp, 1927, rpt. 1971), 91. 4. ​W hen young Robinson read the novel in 1802, he exclaimed, “What work besides The New Eloisa can for a moment be compared with Werter [sic]? And if we compare the effect produced . . . ​the German ­w ill obtain the Prize for in Werter all is Passion. . . . ​Werter is personified Sensibility”; letter of 13 January 1802, in Morley, Crabb Robinson in Germany, 97. 5. ​Daniel Steuer, “In Defence of Experience: Goethe’s Natu­ral Investigations and Scientific Culture,” in Sharpe, The Cambridge Companion to Goethe, 160. 6. ​Johann Peter Eckermann, Gesprӓche mit Goethe in den letzten Jahren seines Lebens (Leipzig: Brockhaus, 1885), conversation of 11 April 1827. Subsequent conversations w ­ ill be cited in the text.

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7. ​Aus meinem Leben: Dichtung und Wahrheit, in Werke, vol. 5 (Munich: Winkler Verlag, 1973), 203. 8. ​Dichtung und Wahrheit, book 7, p. 256. 9. ​Hermann Weigand, “Goethe’s Faust: An Introduction for Students and Teachers of General Lit­er­a­t ure,” in Faust, ed. Cyrus Hamlin (New York: Norton, 1976), 448. 10. ​Words­worth, The Prelude, book 6, lines 537–538; Shelley, “One Word Is Too Often Profaned,” line 13. 11. ​Confessions, trans. R. S. Pine-­Coffin (London: Penguin, 1961), 241–242. 12. ​Das klassische Weimar: Texte und Zeugnisse, ed. Heinrich Pleticha (Munich: Komet, 1983), 44. 13. ​“He fell in love with a pretty but poor servant girl, who worked for a shop­keeper in the neighborhood,” in “Der Faust-­Stoff,” Hamburg edition of Faust in Werke, vol. 3, ed. Erich Trunz (Hamburg: Christian Wegner, 1967), 464. 14. ​The Schiller-­Goethe correspondence regarding Faust is quoted from the “Goethe über seinen ‘Faust’ ” appendix in the Hamburg edition of Faust, in Werke, vol. 3, ed. Trunz, 421–460. Subsequent citations of this correspondence w ­ ill be in the text, by date. 15. ​Brown, “Faust,” in Sharpe, The Cambridge Companion to Goethe, 89. 16. ​Hamlin, “Reading Faust,” in Faust, ed. Hamlin, 369, 372. 17. ​Blake, “­There is No Natu­ral Religion.” 18. ​Words­worth, “Resolution and In­de­pen­dence.” 19. ​Les rěveries du promeneur solitaire, ed. Jacques Voisine (Paris: Garnier-­F lammarion, 1964), 101. 20. ​Cf. Nietz­sche’s witty observation, “A l­ ittle seamstress is seduced and made unhappy; a ­g reat scholar of the four faculties is the culprit. And that could not have happened in the normal way? No, certainly not! Without the help of the Devil incarnate the g­ reat scholar could not have brought it about”; quoted from The Wanderer and His Shadow (1880) by Karl Robert Mandelkow, “Wandlungen des Faust-­Bildes in Deutschland” (“Transformations of the Faust Picture in Germany”), in Interpreting Goethe’s “Faust” ­Today, ed. Jane K. Brown, Meredith Lee, and Thomas P. Saine (Columbia, SC: Camden House, 1994), 242–243. 21. ​The commodification of lower-­class young w ­ omen in Goethe’s culture is reflected, for instance, in Henry Crabb Robinson’s description of the “very pretty [servant] girl” of the lodgings in which he lived in 1802 as “Besen [broom], in the cant language of

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the Burschen [students],” in Diary, Reminiscences, and Correspondence of Henry Crabb Robinson, vol. 1, ed. Thomas Sadler (Boston: Osgood, 1871), 85. 22. ​Daniel Wilson, Introduction to Faust (New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2014), xii. 23. ​Gründgens was a leading German actor and theater director best known for his brilliant per­for­mances of Mephistopheles—­a role in which he first appeared in 1932 u ­ nder the direction of Max Reinhardt. An avowed leftist, he collaborated with the Nazis when they came to power in 1933, and, ­under the patronage of Nazi leader Hermann Göring, served as director of Berlin’s Staatstheater u ­ ntil nearly the end of World War II. His collaborationist c­ areer as the (morally pliable) genius who serves corrupt power is profiled in Klaus Mann’s clairvoyant satire of the new Nazi elite, Mephisto, published in Amsterdam in 1934, and not permitted to be published in (West) Germany u ­ ntil 1980. A famous film adaptation appeared in 1981 (with Klaus Maria Brandauer in the title role). 24. ​Werke, ed. Trunz, vol. 12, “Schriften zur Literatur,” 354–355. 25. ​Dichtung und Wahrheit, book 11, p. 445. 26. ​Werke, ed. Trunz, vol. 12, “Schriften zur Literatur,” 289.

Faust, Part I

Dedication1 Once more you draw near, shifting shapes that In early days appeared to my dim gaze. Should I seek to hold you fast this time? Is my heart still inclined to t­ hose illusions? You press forward! Well, then, have your way As you rise from the mist and fog surrounding me: The enchanting breath of your magic train Thrills my heart with youth’s vigor once again. You bring with you images of happy days, And many dear shadows reappear; First love and friendship rise up like An old, half-­forgotten fairy tale; The pain returns and repeats anew the woe Of life’s labyrinthine errant ways, And names t­ hose good souls who, cheated of happy hours By fate’s decree, dis­appeared long before me. They do not hear the ensuing songs, ­Those souls to whom I sang my first; Their friendly throng has been dispersed; The first reverberation, alas, has died away And now my sad song2 resounds to an unknown crowd Whose very applause gives my heart a fearful start, And ­those who once delighted in my song, If still alive, now wander far and wide too long.

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I feel again the long-­lost yearning For that serene and somber spirit world, My lisping melody soars in uncertain Tones like t­ hose of an antique wind harp,3 A shudder seizes me, tear follows tear, The stern heart grows mild and soft, What I possess seems so far from me, And all that’s gone becomes a living real­ity.

Prelude in The Theater4 director: Tell me, you two who have so often stood by Me in need and adversity, what do You expect from our enterprise In the German-­speaking lands? I’d like very much to please the multitude, Especially ­because they live and let live. The posts and boards have been set up, And every­one has come to be entertained. They already sit t­ here at their ease with Raised eyebrows, and want some ­grand surprise. I know how to stroke the spirit of the ­people, But I’ve never been this embarrassed: They may not be accustomed to the best, But t­ hey’ve read an amazing lot. How can we arrange it so that all is fresh And new, but significant and pleasing too? Of course I like to see the crowd Streaming into our establishment And with heated and repeated complaining Force its way, already before four, in broad Daylight, through the narrow gate of grace, Pushing and shoving up to the box office And almost breaking their necks To get a ticket as if it ­were a piece of bread At the bakery door during a famine. Only the poet can bring about this miracle For so many dif­fer­ent folk; you, my friend, do it ­today!

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poet: ­Don’t talk to me about this motley crowd, Whose very sight destroys my inspiration. Conceal from me the surging mass That against our ­w ill draws us into its whirl. No, lead me instead to the quiet corner of heaven Where only pure joy blooms for the poet, Where with divine power love and friendship Create and nurture the blessing of the poet’s heart. Alas, what has sprung from our heart’s core, What lips have shyly lisped, A failure at times, and a success at ­others, Is devoured by the fierce moment’s force. Often, only when it has been in the making for years Does it fi­nally come forth in perfected form. What glitters is only a momentary prize, What’s genuine is never lost to posterity’s eyes. comic person: Enough already of posterity! Even if I wanted to talk about the f­ uture world Who would entertain the current one? That’s what it wants and what it deserves. I’m sure the presence of a good fellow Already counts for something. He who can communicate with ease ­Will not let the public’s caprice embitter him; He desires a large circle of spectators, The better to bring them to their knees. So do your best, display your gifts in exemplary fashion, Let fantasy with all its choirs, and Reason, understanding, sensation, passion all Be heard, but d ­ on’t forget: never without tomfoolery. director: But above all, let something happen! They come to gaze, they want above all to see. If much is unreeled before their eyes

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So that they can gape in won­der Then you have won over the w ­ hole crowd, ­You’re a much-­admired man. The masses can only be compelled with a mass of material, In the end each one can to find something for himself. If you bring a lot, you’ll bring something to every­one, And they all go home satisfied. If you offer a piece, then offer it in pieces! Such a ragout is bound to satisfy; It is laid out as easily as it is conceived. What’s the use of offering something w ­ hole? The public ­w ill pluck it to pieces anyway. poet: You have no idea how bad such handi­work is And how inappropriate for the true artist! I see that rude mechanical bungling Has already become your proper maxim. director: Such an objection d ­ oesn’t offend me: A man who wants to make a splash Must use the best available tools. Remember that you have to split soft wood, And by all means d ­ on’t forget for whom you write! If this one comes out of boredom, That one comes from too opulent a meal, And what’s worst of all Quite a few come a­ fter reading the papers. They hurry to us distracted, as to a masked ball, And curiosity alone moves their feet; The ladies show themselves in their best finery And perform without a salary. Of what do you dream up t­ here in your poetic height? ­Doesn’t a full h ­ ouse fill you with delight? Consider the patrons up close! Half are lukewarm, half rough lumber.

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One hopes for a game of cards a­ fter the play, One dreams of a wild night in some easy girl’s arms. Why do you poor fools plague The lovely Muses for such paltry ends? Let me tell you, offer only more and ever more And you c­ an’t fail to reach your goal. Just seek to confuse the good folks, To satisfy them is hard— What’s wrong with you? Are you in ecstasy or pain? poet: Go and find yourself another drudge! Should the poet for your sake wantonly Betray the fundamental h ­ uman right That Nature endowed him with at birth? By what means does he move all hearts? How does he conquer all the ele­ments? Is it not the harmony that comes from within And that folds the world back into his soul? When Nature spins the thread’s eternal length And, indifferent, forces it onto the spindle, When the unharmonious mass of all t­ hings Resounds in vexed cacophony, Who separates the series flowing ever the same With living hand, so that it moves in rhythmic order? Who calls the single being to dedicate itself to the ­whole, Where it beats in splendid chords? Who makes the storm rage into passion? The setting sun glow in his inmost soul? Who spreads the bright blossoms of spring In the path his beloved one walks? Who twines the s­ imple green leaves Into the wreath that honors ­great accomplishments? Who safeguards Olympus, unites the gods? It is humanity’s strength, revealed in the Poet.

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comic person: Well, use it then, this beautiful strength, And carry on your Poet’s business As one conducts a love affair. You draw near by chance, you feel, you remain, And by and by you become entwined; Your happiness grows, and then it is challenged, You are enchanted, but then pain enters in, And before y­ ou’ve realized it, y­ ou’ve got a novel. Let us too offer such a spectacle! Only reach into the full flow of h ­ uman life! Every­one experiences it, but not many r­ eally know it, And it’s in­ter­est­ing wherever you grab hold of it. The best drink that is brewed and that Refreshes and renews the w ­ hole world Consists of colorful pictures with ­little clarity, Much confusion with a spark of truth. Then the young folk’s most beautiful blossoms Gather at your play and attend the revelation And each tender soul sucks melancholy Nurture from your work: Sometimes the one, sometimes the other w ­ ill get Excited, ­because each sees what’s in his heart. Soon enough ­they’re ready to weep and to laugh, They honor the spirit and the illusion of the piece; He who is accomplished ­w ill always find fault, But one who’s still half-­formed w ­ ill thank you. poet: Well, give me then the times again When I myself was only half-­formed, When I poured forth an uninterrupted Stream of turbulent song, When the world to me was still veiled in a haze, The bud’s won­der still full of promise, When I plucked a thousand flowers

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With which the valleys w ­ ere ablaze. I had nothing, but yet enough: The passion for truth and the delight in illusion. Give me unbridled t­ hose very impulses, The deep happiness replete with pain, The force of hatred, the might of love, But above all give me back my youth again! comic person: Dear friend, your youth you’ll certainly need When in b ­ attle your enemies press in upon you, When the loveliest of girls strive with all Their might to drape themselves about you, When in the far distance the victory wreath of The fast race winks at you from the goal, When a­ fter the heated swirl of dancing feet You drink away the night in feasting. But to fin­ger the musical strings With spirit and grace And to pursue a self-­appointed goal In an enchanted errant quest, That, old gentlemen, is your duty, And for that we honor you not less. Old age ­doesn’t make us childish, as they say, It only finds us as the c­ hildren that we still are t­ oday. director: Enough already of this pointless chit-­chat, Let me fi­nally see some deeds! While you are turning out t­ hese compliments Something useful could be done. What’s the use of so much talk about the right mood? To him who hesitates it w ­ ill never come. If you want to pass for Poets, Well, then produce some poetry! You know well enough what’s required: We want to imbibe strong spirits;

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Well then, get down to brewing me some! What’s not accomplished ­today w ­ on’t be done tomorrow, You ­shouldn’t waste a single day. If ­you’re resolved you should directly Seize what is pos­si­ble by the hair, Such resolution cannot then fail But persists, simply ­because it must. You know that on our German stage Every­one tries to do what he deems best; Thus ­don’t spare me on this day ­Either fine scenery or stage machinery. Employ the greater and the lesser lights of heaven; You can even play the spendthrift with the stars; ­Don’t let t­ here be a dearth of w ­ ater, fire, Sheer rock f­ aces, beasts, and even birds to boot. Thus you pace in our narrow wooden ­house of boards The entire circumference of the created world, And you travel with a speed considered well From Heaven through the world straight down to Hell.5

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Prologue in Heaven6

[The Lord. The Heavenly Host. Afterwards Mephistopheles. The three Archangels appear.]

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raphael: The sun resounds as it always has In the rival song of fraternal spheres,7 And completes its prescribed journey With the sound of thunder in our ears. Even if none can fathom it, Its sight invigorates the angels; The incomprehensibly high works Are glorious as on the first day. gabriel: And rapidly, incomprehensibly rapidly, The splendor of the earth revolves; The brilliant light of Paradise alternates With the thrilling depths of night; The sea surges in broad streams Against the bottom of the cliffs, And both sea and cliff are borne away In the eternal rapid course of the spheres. michael: And storms rage in competition, From the sea to the land, from land to sea, And in their fury form a chain Of the deepest impact all around. Flashing devastation lights up

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The path of the thunderbolt, But your messengers, Lord, worship The gentle pro­gress of your day. all three: The sight of it strengthens the angels, Since none can fathom you, And all your divine works Are glorious as on the first day. mephistopheles: Since you, O Lord, have once more approached And asked how we are getting on, And you in the old days w ­ ere quite pleased to see me, You now also see me among the mob of your retainers. ­Pardon me, but I c­ an’t trade in hifalutin words, And even if all of you despise me, My pathos would surely bring a smile to your face, If you ­hadn’t cured yourself of the habit of laughing. I ­don’t have much to say about the sun and its worlds, I only see how ­humans plague themselves. The paltry god of the world is always molded from the same clay, And is just as odd as he was on the first day. He would live a bit better if you ­Hadn’t endowed him with the reflected light of heaven; He calls it reason and employs it only To be more beastly than any beast. If your Grace permits my saying so, He’s like one of ­those long-­legged grasshoppers, That always flies, and ­after its flying leaps Soon enough sings its old song in the grass; If only it could always lie t­ here in the green! It sticks its nose in ­every bit of muck to be seen.

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mephistopheles: No, Lord! I find that t­ hings ­there are always getting worse. I feel downright sorry for ­humans in their days of misery, I ­don’t even want to plague the poor dev­ils any more. the lord: Do you know one Faust? mephistopheles: The Doctor? the lord: My servant!

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mephistopheles: For sure he serves you in an odd fashion. Nothing mortal is that fool’s meat or drink. He takes his mind’s ferment far afield, He’s half-­aware of his mad condition; Of Heaven he demands the most beautiful stars And of earth the highest plea­sure, And nothing near or far ­humans can mea­sure Can satisfy the deep cravings of his heart.

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the lord: Even if he only serves me now in errant ways, Soon I ­w ill lead him into clarity. The gardener knows well enough that when the ­little tree Shows leaves that blossom and fruit ­w ill grace the years to come.

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mephistopheles: What are you willing to bet? You w ­ ill lose him If you ­w ill permit me to lead Him according to my ways!

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the lord: So long as the earth endures, So long you have my permission. ­Humans w ­ ill err so long as they strive. mephistopheles: For that I thank you; I’ve never been fond Of fraternizing with the dead. I much prefer full and blooming cheeks. I want no corpses in my ­house, I prefer to be the cat chasing the mouse. the lord: So be it, you can have your way with him! Draw his soul away from its original source, And if you can seize him, lead him Along your downward path, And then stand shame-­faced when you must admit That a good man even in his confused desires Is always aware of the path that’s higher. mephistopheles: All right then! This ­shouldn’t take too long. I’m not afraid to make this bet. When I achieve my objective Please allow me my full-­hearted triumph. He s­ hall gorge himself with dust, and do so with plea­sure, Like my cousin, the famous snake. the lord: Even ­there you may freely have your way; I’ve never hated the likes of you. Of all the spirits who negate The rogue is the one who trou­bles me the least. ­Humans’ activity can too easily slacken, Soon enough they seek unconditional ease; For that reason I like to give them a companion Who provokes and acts and does the dev­il’s ­thing.

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But you, legitimate sons of God,8 Rejoice in the living wealth of the word! Let the ever-­becoming, as it acts and lives, Enfold you within love’s fair bound­aries, And fasten with your enduring thoughts That which hovers in wavering appearances. mephistopheles [alone]: I like to see the Old Man from time to time, And take care not to fall out with him. It’s quite attractive for such a g­ reat Lord To converse so humanely with the devil himself.

The First Part of The Tragedy Night

[High narrow gothic room with vaulted ceiling; Faust, restless at his chair and desk.]

faust: Alas, I have thoroughly studied Philosophy, Medicine, Law, And, unfortunately, even Theology9 With sweat and effort. Yet h ­ ere I stand, poor fool, As clever as I was before! Have earned my Master’s and my Ph.D., And for ten years now have led My students by the nose Up and down, h ­ ere and t­ here— Only to see that we c­ an’t know anything! It’s enough to sear my heart. Of course I’m smarter than t­ hose academic dunces, Ph.D.s, Masters, clerks and parsons; I’m not both­ered by scruples or doubts, I fear neither Hell nor Devil— That’s why I’m devoid of all joy And ­don’t presume I know anything worthwhile, Or that I could teach anything To improve or transform humanity. Nor have I property or wealth, Or honors or the splendors of the world. No dog would want to live like this!

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That’s why I’ve turned to magic To see if through a ghostly force or source Some secrets might not be revealed to me; So that I ­wouldn’t have to teach in the sour Sweat of my brow what I ­don’t know; So that I could recognize what holds The world together in its depths, View all the active forces and seeds And no longer carry on a paltry trade in mere words. Oh if you could look down, light of the full moon, For the last time on my trou­bles and pain In which I have sat on many a midnight Awake at this dusty desk: Then over books and papers My mournful friend you would appear to me. Ah, if only I could walk high up in the Mountains in your lovely sheen, And hover in mountain caves with spirits Weaving in your twilight on the meadows And relieved of all the plagues of learning Bathe myself back to health in your dew! What? Am I still stuck in this prison cell? This damned dank hole in the wall Where even heaven’s lovely light Is only dimly filtered through t­ hese painted panes! Hemmed in by worm-­eaten And dust-­covered piles of books, Smoke-­stained paper up to the vaulted ceiling, Surrounded by vials and boxes Crammed with instruments, Filled with the h ­ ouse­hold stuff of my forefathers— That’s your world—­that’s what you call a world!

N igh t  | 51

And still you ask yourself why your heart Beats so anxious within your breast? Why an unexplained pain Stifles any vital impulse? Instead of the living Nature Into which God placed humanity, ­You’re surrounded by animal Skele­tons and the bones of the dead Reeking of smoke and decay. Flee! Away into a wider world! And this mysterious book In Nostradamus’s10 own hand, ­Isn’t it guide enough for you? Then you ­w ill recognize the course of the stars, And when Nature instructs you Your mighty soul w ­ ill start to life, As one spirit speaks to another spirit. Your arid cogitations ­here are futile as you Seek to comprehend the sacred signs; You hover above me, or next to me, you Spirits, answer if you can hear me!

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[He opens the book and sees the sign of the Macrocosm.11]

What rapture suddenly flows through All my senses as I look at the sign! I sense the young and blessed joy of life Rushing with new vigor through my nerves and veins. Was it a god who inscribed t­ hese signs That calm my inner turmoil, Fill the starved heart with joy And reveal with a secret impulse the primal Powers of Nature that surround me?

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52  |  Faust, Part I

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Am I a god? I feel so giddy! In ­these pure strokes I behold The very activity of Nature before my soul. Only now I recognize what the wise men say: “The spirit world is not sealed; Your mind is closed, your heart is dead! Rise, student, and bathe your mortal being Unaggrieved in dawn’s rosy light!” [He examines the sign.]

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How every­thing is woven into a ­whole And each part acts and lives in the o­ thers! How the heavenly powers rise and descend, And hand each other the golden pails! How with fragrant blessings they Glide from Heaven and through the earth, Sounding harmoniously throughout the universe. What a spectacle! But alas, it’s only a spectacle! Where can I grab hold of you, infinite Nature? You breasts, where? You sources of all life On which both heaven and earth depend And for which we thirsty beings long— You gush, you suckle, and I alone thirst in vain? [He turns the pages in annoyance and sees the sign of the Earth Spirit.12]

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How differently this sign acts upon me! You, Spirit of Earth, are closer to me; Already I feel my powers increase, And I’m aglow as if I’d drunk new wine; I feel brave enough to enter the world, To bear the earth’s sorrow and its delight, To be battered by storms

N igh t  | 53

And not to lose heart in the shipwreck’s shattering. Clouds gather overhead— The moon’s light begins to hide— The lamp grows dim! ­There’s a cloud of steam—­crimson rays flash Around my head—­a shudder descends From the vaulted ceiling And takes ahold of me! I feel you hovering about me, you long sought Spirit, Reveal yourself! Ha! How my heart pounds! All my confused senses work themselves Up into a frenzy! My heart I feel is entirely given up to you! You must! You must! Even if it w ­ ere to cost my life!

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[He takes the book and pronounces the sign of the mysterious Spirit. The Spirit appears in the flash of a red flame.]

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spirit: Who calls me? faust [his face turned away]: You horrific visage! spirit: You have drawn me to you with a power­ful force, And have long sucked at my sphere, And now— faust: Oh woe! I dare not behold you! spirit: With deep sighs you begged to behold me, To hear my voice, to see my face; I was moved by the mighty pleading of your soul, Well, h ­ ere I am!—­W hat pitiful dread Has now seized Superman you? Where is the call of your soul?

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54  |  Faust, Part I

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Where the bosom that created a world within itself, Carried and nurtured it, that in the tremors Of joy aspired to fellowship with us Spirits? Where are you, Faust, the sound of whose voice reached me, Who forced his way to me with all his strength? Are you the one, who surrounded by my breath Now ­trembles in the depths of h ­ uman life, A fearful and contorted worm? faust: You phantom of flame, should I yield to you? It is I, Faust, your equal—­the same as you!

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spirit: In life’s vital flow, in the storm of action Up and down I surge, Weave back and forth. Cradle and grave, An ocean without end, A glowing life, A shifting woof and web, Thus I work at the whirring loom of time without cease And fashion the Godhead’s living dress. faust: You who circumnavigate the wide world, Ever-­active Spirit, how close I feel to you! spirit: You resemble the spirit that you comprehend, Not me! [Dis­appears.] faust [collapsing]: Not you? Who then? I who was created in the image of God, And not even you! [One knocks.] Death and damnation! I know it’s my assistant— My happiest moment is being ruined!

N igh t  | 55

This arid drudge comes to demean The sublimity of my visionary dream! 600

[Wagner in a nightgown and cap, a lamp in his hand. Faust turns to him reluctantly.]

wagner: Excuse me, but I heard you declaim; No doubt you w ­ ere reciting a Greek tragedy? I’d like very much to learn something of this skill, ­Because ­today it can accomplish much. I have often heard it said That a comedian could instruct a priest. faust: Yes, if the priest is a comedian, As may sometimes be the case. wagner: Oh! When one is banished in such a museum, And barely sees the world except on a holiday, Barely through a spyglass, and from a distance, How can one use persuasion to overcome its re­sis­tance? faust: If you ­don’t feel it, you w ­ ill never achieve it, If it ­doesn’t come straight from your soul And with primal assurance Conquer the hearts of all listeners. Just sit t­ here and patch together, Brew a ragout of alien stuff, And blow the miserable flames From your ­little heap of ashes! Gain the admiration of c­ hildren and baboons, If such success is to your taste— But you ­w ill never be able to speak heart to heart If it ­doesn’t come from the heart.

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56  |  Faust, Part I

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faust: You should seek the honest reward! ­Don’t be a loud-­mouthed fool! Good sense and right understanding Communicate themselves without much art; And if ­you’re serious about having something to say, Is it necessary to go hunting a­ fter words? Indeed, your speeches that shine so bright, With their crowd-­flattering flourishes Are as unedifying as the foggy wind Which whistles through the dry autumn leaves! wagner: Oh God! Art is so long, And so short our life.13 Often in my critical exertions My head and heart grow numb. How difficult it is to find the means To ascend to the sources! And before one gets even halfway t­ here, A poor devil has to give up the ghost. faust: Is parchment the sacred source From which a draught w ­ ill forever still one’s thirst? You ­w ill never gain the refreshment you seek If it ­doesn’t emanate from your own soul. wagner: Excuse me! But it’s a ­great delight To transport oneself into the spirit of past times, To see what wise men before us have thought, And how we have fi­nally brought it so splendidly far! faust: Oh yes, as far as the stars! My friend, the times of the past

N igh t  | 57

Are for us a book sealed with seven seals. What you call the spirit of the past Is in fact the gentlemen’s own spirit In which the times reflect themselves. ­There it’s often a pitiable shame! You run away from it at first glance: A trash barrel and a lumber room And at best a pompous dramatic piece With fittingly appropriate maxims As they seem to suit the puppets’ mouths! wagner: But every­one would like to learn something Of the world and of the ­human heart and mind! faust: Yes, if you want to say that’s knowledge. Who may call the child by its proper name? The few, who have come to know something about it, Who foolishly enough did not guard their full hearts, Who shared their feelings and their views with the mob Have always been crucified and burned. But I beg you, friend, it’s late at night And we must to stop our conversation. wagner: I would very much have liked to go on forever Having such learned exchanges with you. But tomorrow is the first day of Easter, So please permit me to ask a question or two: I’ve pursued my studies with ­great zeal, And though I know a g­ reat deal, I’d like to know every­ thing. [Exits.] faust: How can the head not lose hope That is perpetually immersed in shallow stuff, With greedy hands digs for trea­sures And is glad when it finds worms a­ fter rain!

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58  |  Faust, Part I

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Is such a shallow voice14 allowed to sound ­here Where such spirit wealth appeared to me? But for now I thank you, The neediest of all the sons of earth. You rescued me from the despair That was on the verge of unhinging me. So gigantic was the towering apparition That I felt very much like a Lilliputian. I, created in God’s own image, who deemed himself Very near to the mirror of eternal truth, Who indulged himself in the reflected glory and clarity of Heaven As he cast off the son of earth; I, more than a cherub, who had the presumptuous Presentiment that my proper strength was flowing Through Nature’s veins and that, creating, I was Enjoying the life of the gods, how was I punished! A thundering word cast me down, utterly admonished. I dare not mismatch myself by claiming any resemblance to you! Even if I possessed the power to attract you I did not have the power to retain you. In that blessed moment I felt myself so small and yet so g­ reat; Cruelly you forced me back Into the forever uncertain h ­ uman condition. Who w ­ ill instruct me? What should I avoid? Should I obey that urge? Alas, our very deeds themselves as well as our afflictions Constrict the course of our lives. Even the most glorious influxes which our soul has received

N igh t  | 59

Are always mixed with strange and stranger stuff; When we achieve the goods of this world Then we call the better fraud and delusion. The splendid emotions that gave life to us Grow rigid in the terrestrial chaos. Where once our expansive imagination soared In bold flight and full of hope to reach Eternity, Now a ­little room is quite sufficient When joy ­after joy found­ers in the raging sea of Time. Soon anxious Care takes root deep in the heart; ­There it c­ auses secret misery, Uneasily cradled it disturbs our joy and rest; Constantly it assumes new masks, Appearing as h ­ ouse and goods, as wife and child, As fire, w ­ ater, dagger, and poison; You ­tremble at every­thing that does not occur, And what you ­don’t lose, ­you’re in constant fear of losing. Too deeply do I feel that I hardly resemble the gods! I resemble the worm instead that wallows in the dust, And that, while it lives by feeding on that dust, Is crushed and buried by the random wanderer’s foot. Is it not the dust that from a hundred drawers In this high wall oppresses me, The junk that with its endless flimflam Confines me in this moth-­eaten world? ­Here I should find what I’m missing? Should I perhaps read in a thousand books That h ­ umans the world over have always plagued themselves, That now and then t­ here’s been a happy one? Why are you grinning at me, you hollow skull As if your brain like mine once sought

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60  |  Faust, Part I

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The light of day and in the gathering twilight Erred miserably in the search for truth? You instruments certainly ridiculed me With wheel and cogs, iron hoop and cylinder; I stood at the door to which you w ­ ere supposed to be the key; Your gray beard may be curled, but you ­don’t lift the bolt. Nature is secretive and does not allow its veil To be lifted in the light of the bright day, And that which refuses to reveal itself to your spirit You ­aren’t ­going to force her to yield up with levers and screws. You only lie t­ here, old tools that I never used, ­Because my f­ ather needed them. You ancient scroll, you’ll be subject to smoke As long as the dim lamp on my desk smolders. It would have been far better had I wasted what l­ittle’s my own Than to sweat ­here weighed down by the l­ittle I have! In order to possess it, you have to earn What you have inherited from your ­fathers. What one d ­ oesn’t make use of is a heavy burden, Only what the moment creates can be of use. But why are my eyes fixed on that par­tic­u­lar spot? Is that l­ittle vial t­ here a magnet for my sight? Why do I suddenly feel so wonderfully light, As if the nighttime forest ­were bathed in moonshine bright? I greet you, you singular vial, Which I take down with true devotion! In you I worship ­human intelligence and art. You epitome of the fairest juices inducing slumber, You extract of all the more refined forces of mortality,

N igh t  | 61

Show your master your good w ­ ill! I see you, and my agony diminishes, I seize you, and my restlessness grows less, The high tide of my agitated spirit slowly ebbs away. I am carried out to sea, The mirrored flood shines at my feet, A new day tempts me to new shores. A chariot of fire soars on light wings ­Toward me! I feel ready To move through the ethereal realm on a new path ­Toward new spheres of pure activity. This exalted existence, this rapture of the gods, Do you, just recently a worm, r­ eally deserve it? Yes, resolutely turn your back On the fair sunshine of earth! Presume that you can tear asunder the gates By which most mortals prefer to steal. Now is the time to demonstrate through deeds That h ­ uman dignity does not yield to divine heights, Not to quake before that dark cave In which the ­human imagination has damned itself to its own agony; To aspire to that thoroughfare Around whose mouth flames all Hell; To cheerfully commit yourself to this final step Even if you risk disappearing into the void. Now descend to me, pure crystal bowl! Emerge from you old case Of which I have not thought in many a year! You sparkled at the ­fathers’ joyful feasts And cheered the somber guests When one passed you to his neighbor. The drinker’s obligation to explain in rhyme

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62  |  Faust, Part I

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The many artful pictures of your rich magnificence And to empty you in one long draught Reminds me of many a youthful night; I ­shall not pass you on to any neighbor, I ­shall not demonstrate my wit regarding your art; ­Here’s a juice that rapidly intoxicates; A brown flood fills your hollow space. This final drink that I’ve prepared and chosen With my w ­ hole soul, let it be a solemn High greeting offered to the morning! [He puts the cup to his lips.]

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[The sound of bells and the song of the choir.]

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choir of angels: Christ is risen! Joy to all mortals Trapped by The hereditary burden Of stealthy original sin. faust: What deep humming, what a crystal-­clear tone Forcibly draws the glass away from my lips? Are ­those leaden bells now proclaiming The first festive hour of the Easter cele­bration? You choirs, are you now singing the consoling song That once sounded from angels’ lips in the night of the grave The assurance of a new u ­ nion? chorus of w ­ omen: With spices we Anointed him, We his devotees Laid him on the ground; Wound and bound him

N igh t  | 63

In rich sheets, But alas! We cannot find The Christ ­here! choir of angels: Christ is risen! Blessed are t­ hose who love, Who have withstood The troubling, the necessary Trial from above. faust: You mighty and yet mild heavenly tones Why do you seek me h ­ ere in the dust? Make your m ­ usic where gentle folk abide. I hear your message, but I lack faith; The sense of won­der is faith’s sweetest child. I ­don’t dare aspire to ­those exalted spheres From which resounds the blessed news; And yet, accustomed to ­these tones from my youth They again call me back to life. Once, in the very silence of Sunday The kiss of heavenly love descended upon me; The rich sound of the bells would fill me with foreboding hope And my prayer was a fervent delight; An incomprehensible sweet longing Drove me to wander through wood and field, And in a flood of hot tears I felt a world arise within me. This ­music conveyed to me the animated games of youth, The springtime festival of untrammeled joy; Now ­these memories hold me back with the feelings Of childhood from the last, most serious step. Oh sound on, you sweet songs of heaven! My tears flow, earth’s child I am once more!15

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64  |  Faust, Part I

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choir of disciples: If the buried One Has already ascended above, The incarnate Sublime Splendidly risen in love, In the joy of becoming He is now near creative bliss: But we, alas! are fixed at earth’s Breast in our grief. If He has left his own ­Behind to languish, Alas, Master, we weep At your joy! choir of angels: Christ has arisen From corruption’s core; Joyfully f­ ree yourself From all that binds you! Actively praising Him, Demonstrating love, Fraternally feeding, Preaching as you travel, Promising pure joy, For you the Master is ­here, To you is He dear! Before the town Gates

[Townspeople of all classes are ­going out for a walk.] 940

several apprentices: Why go ­there? another: ­We’re heading out to the hunting lodge.

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the former: We’d rather stroll down to the mill. an apprentice: I’d advise you to go to the ­Water Inn.

B e f ore th e tow n Gate s  | 65

another: The way ­there is not pleasant. the latter: What are you ­going to do?

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a third: I’ll go with the ­others. a fourth: Head up to C ­ astle Village, y­ ou’re certain To find the best beer and the prettiest girls ­there, And lots of action. a fifth: You super-­merry character, ­You’re just itching to go ­there. But I’d rather not; the place gives me the creeps.

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a servant girl: No, no! I’m heading back to town. another: I’m sure ­we’ll find him by t­ hose poplars over ­there.

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the first: That’s not so nice for me; ­He’ll walk by your side, And ­he’ll only dance with you. I could care less about your happiness!

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another: But t­ oday he certainly w ­ on’t be alone, The curly-­headed fellow said he’d be with him. student: Look how t­ hose bold girls are striding! Come, my b ­ rother, we must accompany them. Strong beer, stronger tobacco And a girl all dolled up appeal to me. citizens’ ­d aughters: ­There you see the handsome fellows! It ­really is a shame:

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66  |  Faust, Part I

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second student [to the first]: Not so fast! Back t­ here are two, Very nicely dressed, My neighbor’s d ­ aughter is among them, And I find her more attractive than the rest. ­They’re g­ oing quietly on their way, But w ­ ill take us with them t­ oday. first: My friend, no! I’m not easily embarrassed. Hurry up! We ­don’t want to lose the game w ­ e’re a­ fter. The hand that wields the broom on Saturday, ­Will caress you the best on Sunday. citizen: No, I d ­ on’t like him, the new mayor! Now that he’s in office, he gets more overbearing e­ very day! And pray tell what is he ­doing for the town? ­A ren’t t­ hings getting worse by the day? More ordinances than ever, And the taxes keep g­ oing up forever. beggar [sings]: You, good sirs, and beautiful ladies, So well dressed and with red cheeks, Please have the courtesy to look at me And see and take pity on my poverty! ­Don’t let me turn my barrel organ for nothing! Only he who is willing to give can be happy. The day on which all celebrate Should be a harvest day for me. another citizen: I know nothing better than to talk on a Sunday Or holiday about war and the noise of ­battle,

B e f ore th e tow n Gate s  | 67

When far away, deep in Turkey The nations fight each other. You stand by the win­dow, empty your glass And watch the gay ships glide down the river; Then in the eve­ning you return home content And bless peace and the happy times of peace. third citizen: Ah yes, neighbor, I too like to have it happen that way; Let them split their heads And make a mess of every­thing, But at least at home t­ hings go on as usual. old crone: Well, how gussied up the young blood is! Who’s not ­going to lose his head ogling you? Only not so haughty! Let that be. And what you wish, I can make it come true. citizen’s ­d aughter: Agatha, let’s get out of ­here! I take care Not to be seen in public with such hags, Though on St. Agnes Eve she let me have a glimpse In the flesh of my lover to be— the other: To me she showed him in her crystal ball, Soldier-­like, with several bold ones, I look around, I search for him all over, But unfortunately he ­can’t be found. soldiers: ­Castles with high walls And pinnacles, Maidens with proud And imperious minds We would like to conquer! Daring is the attempt, Splendid the prize!

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68  |  Faust, Part I

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And let the trumpets Woo for us, ­Either for our joy Or for our doom. What a way to attack! What a way to live! Maidens and ­castles Have to yield. Daring is the attempt, Splendid the prize! And then the soldiers Are on their way.

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[Faust and Wagner.]

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faust: Through the fair and animating breeze of spring The brooks and streams are freed of ice; In the valley the hoped-­for buds are greening; Old winter has grown weak And retreated into the raw mountains. From t­ here, in his flight he can only Send faint showers of sleet In streaks on the green meadows; But the sun ­w ill not suffer the white of snow: Everywhere the germs of growth are emerging, It wants to animate every­thing with colors, But b ­ ecause the flowers are still missing for now It’s willing to accept folks decked out for show. Turn around so you can look back On the town from ­these heights. From the dark hollow of its gate A colorful crowd is emerging. Every­one wants to sun himself t­ oday. They celebrate the resurrection of the Lord ­Because they too have been reborn,

B e f ore th e tow n Gate s  | 69

From their damp rooms in lowly ­houses, From the demands of commerce and apprenticeship, From the pressing weight of roofs and gables, From the confines of narrow streets, From the church’s dignified night ­They’ve all emerged into the light. Only see how nimbly the multitude Is forcing its way through the gardens and fields, How in the breadth and depth of the river Many a small boat is cheerily moving along And how the last skiff, full almost to sinking, Is disappearing in the distance. Even on the mountain’s remote trails Bright clothes wink at us. Already I hear the village bustle; ­Here is the ­people’s true salvation Where both big and l­ittle shout with joy. ­Here I’m fully h ­ uman, h ­ ere I can be so! wagner: To take a walk with you, Doctor Faust, Is both an honor and a boon; But yet I ­wouldn’t want to linger h ­ ere by myself ­Because I’m opposed to all that’s low and vulgar. Truly detestable to me is the sound of fiddles, Bowling balls, ­people shouting; They rage as if driven by an evil spirit And have the nerve to call it singing.

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[Peasants ­under the linden tree. Dancing and singing.]

The shepherd has put on his Sunday best, decked out In jacket bright, with ribbon and wreath. Now all are whirling about The linden tree in riot and rout.

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70  |  Faust, Part I

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Huzzah! heyday! Oho! Hoho! Haha! The fiddle bow rakes the strings. Forward he pushes in haste, Prods a dancing girl with his elbow, The fresh young lass turns her head And says, I find that r­ eally stupid. Huzzah! Heyday! Oho! Hoho! Haha! ­Don’t be such a clumsy Joe! Swiftly they turn in a circle, They dance to the right, they dance to the left, Skirts and jackets flying askew. Their cheeks are red, they grow warm And they rest out of breath arm in arm, Huzzah! Heyday! Oho! Hoho! Haha! And hips and elbows too. And ­don’t pretend to be so intimate! Many a one has cheated and lied To his fiancée on their wedding day! But still he flatters her right at her side And from the tree the sound travels far and wide: Huzzah! Heyday! Oho! Hoho! Haha! Shouting and the fiddle bow. old farmer: Professor, it’s very good of you That you d ­ on’t disdain ­today, Learned scholar that you are, To join us ordinary folk on our way. So please accept our finest jug

B e f ore th e tow n Gate s  | 71

That we have filled with our best drink; I offer it to you with the wish That it w ­ ill not only slake your thirst But that ­every drop it may hold ­Will add another day to make you very old. faust: I accept this refreshing draught With thanks and good health wishes to you and your lot. old farmer: For sure it’s very kind of you To join us on such a joyful day When in the bad times in the past You ­were of such help to us! Many a one is still alive h ­ ere who Your ­father saved from the burning fever’s Rage, as he sought to end the plague. You too, then a young man, Entered e­ very hospital; Many a corpse was carried out, But you emerged safe and sound And withstood many a hard trial; The helper was helped by help from Above. all: Good health to the true and proven man So that he can help us for a long time to come! faust: Bow low to the One on High Who both teaches us to help and sends help.

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[He moves on with Wagner.]

wagner: What satisfaction you must take, ­great man, In the veneration in which you are held by this crowd! O how fortunate is he who can Derive such an advantage from his gifts!

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72  |  Faust, Part I

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The f­ ather points you out to his boy, Every­one asks and hurries and shoves, The fiddling stops, and the dancers pause. They stand in rows as you walk by, Their caps fly up on high: It ­wouldn’t take much for them to bend their knees As if the Host ­were being passed. faust: Only a few more steps up to that rock Where we ­w ill rest from our wandering. ­Here I often sat in thought alone And plagued myself with prayer and fasting. Rich in hope, firm in faith, I sought to force the Lord of Heaven With tears, sighs, and the wringing of hands To bring the plague to an end. The crowd’s applause now strikes me as scorn. Oh could you see into my inmost soul You’d know how l­ittle f­ ather and son ­Were deserving of such fame! My f­ ather was a dark man of honor Who contemplated Nature and her sacred circles With capricious toil In his own honest fashion And who in the com­pany of ­adepts in alchemy16 Shut himself in the black kitchen And blended together according to his unending ­Recipes the most unpleasant stuff. ­There was the red lion, the bold suitor Wedded to the lily in the lukewarm bath, And both w ­ ere then forced with the open flames of fire From one bridal chamber into the other. If then the young queen emerged With vivid colors in the glass, ­Here was the medicine. The patients died,

B e f ore th e tow n Gate s  | 73

And no one asked: who recovered? And thus we raged with our infernal nostrums In ­these very valleys and mountains Far worse than any plague. I myself have proffered the poison to thousands, And I had to see as they wasted away That the bold murderers received more praise by the day. wagner: And why should that trou­ble you? ­Doesn’t a good man do enough If he practices the skill that has been imparted to him With punctilious conscientiousness? If you, as a youth, honor your ­father, Then you are pleased to receive from him; If you, as a man, increase the science Then your son in turn can reach the higher goal. faust: Happy is he who can still aspire To surface from this sea of endless error! It’s precisely what we d ­ on’t know that we require, And what we do know we c­ an’t put to use. But d ­ on’t let us spoil the pleasant gift Of this hour with such dim and troubling thoughts! Look how drenched in the glow of the eve­ning sun The huts shine in their leafy bowers. The sun moves on and yields; the day is done, Yet it speeds on elsewhere and fosters new life. Oh if only wings could lift me from the ground So I could strive to follow it forever. In the eternal rays of eve­ning I would see the ­silent world at my feet, The heights aflame in light, the valleys at peace, The silvery brook flowing into golden streams. The wild mountain with all its ravines Could not then block my godlike course;

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74  |  Faust, Part I

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Already the sea with its warmed inlets Appears before my dazzled eyes. But the goddess fi­nally seems to sink away And yet a new impulse wakes in me; I hurry on to drink its eternal light, Ahead of me the day, b ­ ehind me the night, The sky above me, and the waves below: A pleasant dream, even as the sun fades away. Alas, we have no corporeal wings To match our soaring spirit’s flight. Yet every­one possesses the inward sense That his feelings drive him onward and upward When, lost in the blue expanse above us, Gaily the lark so loudly sings, When above rugged, fir-­covered heights The ea­gle soars on extended wings, And when over plains and lakes The crane seeks its distant home. wagner: Though I’ve had my hours of crotchets and whims, I’ve never yet experienced such an impulse. It’s easy to get one’s fill of woods and fields; I’m not one to envy birds their feathers. How dif­fer­ent are the pleasures of the mind That carry us from book to book, from page to page! Then winter nights become pleasant and fair, A blessed feeling warms all our limbs, And oh, if you can even unroll a noble parchment Then all of heaven descends to your ele­ment. faust: ­You’re aware of only this one impulse, Oh never learn to know the other! Two souls, alas, are h ­ oused within my breast, And one wants to split off from the other;

B e f ore th e tow n Gate s  | 75

One seeks with love’s crude zest To attach itself to the world with all its organs; The other to ascend with ­great velocity To the higher spheres of eternity. Oh if t­ here are spirits of the air Who hover regally between heaven and earth, Descend from your ethereal heights And lead me away from ­here to a new bright life! If only a magic cloak w ­ ere mine To transport me to strange new lands! I ­wouldn’t trade it for the most precious garments, Not even for the robe of a king. wagner: ­Don’t invoke the well-­k nown host That streams above us in circles of mist And that brings to h ­ umans Uncounted dangers from all corners. From the North the demon train bears down On you with sharpened arrow tongues; From the East they approach desiccated And take nurture from your lungs; And when high noon sends them from the desert To heap scorching breath a­ fter breath on your head Then the West brings the swarm that first refreshes Only to drown you as well as field and meadow. They attend on you, always happy to do harm, They like to obey b ­ ecause they like to betray; They pretend to be heaven-­sent, And they lisp like angels when they lie. But let us depart! The world is turning gray, The air is growing cool, the fog is moving in. It’s only in the eve­ning that we prize our home.— Why do you stand ­there and look around in such amazement? How is it that dusk can affect you so?

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76  |  Faust, Part I

faust: Do you see the black dog ­r unning through the stubble field? 1335

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wagner: I’ve watched him for some time, but h ­ aven’t noticed anything unusual. faust: Take a good look at him! What sort of an animal do you see? wagner: Only a poodle, who in his canine way Is only intent to follow the steps of his master.

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faust: ­Don’t you notice how he’s been ­r unning around us In a wide circle and always drawing closer? And if I’m not mistaken he’s trailed By an eddy of flames. wagner: I see nothing other than a black poodle; It must be that your eyes deceive you. faust: It seems to me he’s quietly winding magic Snares about our feet as a way to trap us. wagner: I see him jumping around in fearful uncertainty ­Because, instead of his master, he sees two strangers.

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faust: The circle is narrowing, already he’s near! wagner: You see! It’s a dog, not a spectral apparition. He growls and paws, lies down on his stomach. He wags his tail, just like a dog.

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faust: Join us! Come ­here!

Faust’ s Study I  | 77

wagner: It’s a crazy poodle of a dog. You stand still, and he waits; You speak to him, and he seeks to climb up on you; Lose something, and ­he’ll find it for you. ­He’ll jump into the w ­ ater to fetch your cane.

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faust: You must be right, I d ­ on’t find a trace Of a specter, but only a trained dog. wagner: A well-­trained dog can even gain The f­ avor of a wise man. Yes, he’s entirely deserving of your good w ­ ill, He, gifted with the student’s most impressive skill! Faust’s Study I

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[Faust enters with the poodle.]

faust: I’ve left the fields and meadows Cloaked in deep night, With a premonitory and sacred dread My better soul within me comes to life. The wild impulses that fuel our raging deeds Are now asleep, The love of humanity now begins to stir, As does the love of God. Be quiet, poodle! Stop ­r unning back and forth! Why are you sniffing and snuffling by the threshold? Lie down b ­ ehind the stove, I’ll give you my best cushion. Just as you amused us outside with your ­Running and jumping on the hilly path Now accept my hospitality and rest As a welcome quiet guest.

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78  |  Faust, Part I

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Oh, when in our narrow room The lamp burns again with friendly light Then within us too it grows bright And in the heart that knows itself. Reason once more begins to speak, And hope to bloom again, We yearn for the streams of life, And oh! Even for life’s very source. ­ on’t growl like that, poodle! D Your brutish sound simply ­w ill not suit The sacred notes that now surround my soul. ­We’re used to the fact that ­people w ­ ill mock What they d ­ on’t understand, That they grumble at the Good and Beautiful That they often find troublesome, But w ­ ill you, a dog, growl at it too? Alas, I feel that even with the best ­w ill Contentment still w ­ on’t well up from my heart. But why must the stream ebb away so soon, And leave us parched with thirst? Too often I have experienced that. But this deficiency can be remedied: We learn to prize the super­natural, We long for a sacred revelation Which shines nowhere with greater dignity and beauty Than in the New Testament. I’m moved to open that text of texts, And for once with a sincere feeling To translate the Greek of the gospel of St. John Into my own beloved German tongue.

Faust’ s Study I  | 79 [He opens a volume and begins.]

It is written: “In the beginning was the Word!”17 Already I’m stuck! Who ­w ill help me onward? I ­can’t possibly prize the Word so highly; I’ll have to render it differently When I’m quite illuminated by the Holy Spirit. It is written: In the beginning ­there was thought. Consider well that first line So your pen w ­ on’t be too hurried. Is it thought that creates and brings forth every­thing? It should say instead: In the beginning was the power! But even as I write this down, Something warns me that I ­can’t stop t­ here. The Spirit helps me! Suddenly I see what I need And write with full confidence: In the beginning was the deed. If I’m g­ oing to share the room with you, Poodle, then stop the howling, Stop the barking! I ­can’t bear such a disruptive companion Right in my vicinity. One of us two ­Will have to take his leave. I’m reluctant to suspend the rite of hospitality, The door is open, your departure ­free. But what do I see? Can this be happening naturally? Is it a shadow, or is it real­ity? How my poodle grows long and wide! He expands violently, That’s hardly the figure of a dog! What a specter have I brought into the h ­ ouse! He’s swelled to hippopotamus size,

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80  |  Faust, Part I

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With fearsome jaws and fiery eyes! Oh, I can make sure of you! For such a brood of Hell Salomon’s key18 ­will do well. spirits in the corridor: ­There’s one trapped within! Stay outside, ­don’t follow him! Like a fox caught in the iron snare An old quaking lynx of Hell is ­there. But take care! Soar hither, soar yon, Up and down, And he has freed himself. If you can help him, ­Don’t let him be stuck t­ here! ­Because he’s done all of us Many a f­ avor. faust: To encounter the beast I need the formula of the four:19 Let Salamander glow, Undine wind, Sylph vanish, Goblin take pains. He who does not know them, The ele­ments, Their power And properties, Can never command ­Those spirits. Vanish in flames, Salamander! Rushing ­waters flow and join,

Faust’ s Study I  | 81

Undine! Light up in meteoric glory, Sylph! Bring domestic help, Incubus! Incubus! Step forth and make an end. None of ­these four Is hidden inside the beast. He lies ­there perfectly calm and leers at me; I’ve not yet done him any harm. You ­shall hear me Use a stronger charm. Fellow, are you A refugee from Hell? Then behold this sign20 To which they bow, The dark troops! Now it swells larger with bristly hair. Depraved being! Can you read Him? The One never begotten, Never named, Through all the heavens diffused, Sacrilegiously stabbed? Banished ­behind the stove, It swells like an elephant. It fills the entire room, And seeks to dissolve into fog. Do not rise to the ceiling! Lie down at your master’s feet. You see that I d ­ on’t threaten in vain. I ­w ill singe you with the sacred flame!

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82  |  Faust, Part I

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Wait not for The threefold glowing light!21 Wait not for The strongest of my spells! [As the fog lifts, Mephistopheles, dressed like a traveling scholar, steps from

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­behind the stove.]

mephistopheles: Why all this noise? How can I serve the master? 1550

faust: So that was the core of the poodle! A traveling scholar? The situation makes me laugh. mephistopheles: I salute the learned gentleman! ­You’ve certainly given me a good sweat!

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faust: What do you call yourself? mephistopheles: The question seems petty posed to me by one Who so despises the word, Who, so far removed from mere appearances, Seeks only the depths of t­ hings. faust: With you gentlemen one can usually Discern your nature from your name, Which is all too clearly shown When p ­ eople call you Lord of the Flies, Destroyer, Liar.22 So which of t­ hese then are you? mephistopheles: A portion of that power that always seeks To do evil and always brings about the good.

Faust’ s Study I  | 83

faust: What do you mean with t­ hose riddling words? mephistopheles: I am the spirit that always denies! And rightly so, b ­ ecause all that’s been created Deserves to be destroyed; Therefore it would be better if nothing ever came to be. Thus all that you call sin, Destruction, in short, evil, Is the proper ele­ment that I glory in.

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faust: You call yourself a part, but stand before me w ­ hole? mephistopheles: I’m telling you a ­simple truth. Even if ­humans take this ­little world Of fools for a whole— I’m a part of that part that once was the w ­ hole, A portion of the darkness that gave birth to light, The proud light that now contests its ­Mother night her old priority and primal space; And yet it ­doesn’t succeed, b ­ ecause despite How much it strives it’s still forced to cling to ­matter.23 From m ­ atter it streams, ­matter it beautifies, ­Matter hinders it in its course, And so I hope it w ­ on’t take long That with ­matter it w ­ ill find its end. faust: Now I see your noble duties! You ­can’t destroy anything in the ­grand scheme, And so you start by nibbling at the edges. mephistopheles: Certainly not much has been achieved. What opposes the void is That something, this coarse world; No m ­ atter how much I’ve attempted I could never quite get at it,

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84  |  Faust, Part I

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With waves, storms, quakes, fire— In the end sea and land lie undisturbed! And that damned stuff, the brood of man and beast, It’s impossible to do it any real harm: How many ­haven’t I buried already! And always new, fresh blood circulates. So it goes on, one could go stark raving mad! From air and ­water as from the earth A thousand seeds spring up In the dry, the moist, the warm, the cold! If I ­hadn’t reserved the flame for myself I ­wouldn’t have anything to call my own. faust: So against the ever active, the Creative and restorative power You oppose your cold Dev­il’s fist Clenched in vain in spiteful fury! Why not try something new You strange son of chaos!

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mephistopheles: ­We’ll certainly consider this When we meet again! For this time may I take my leave?

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faust: I ­don’t see why you ask. I’ve just met you, Now leave me, as you wish. ­Here’s the win­dow, ­here the door, A chimney is also available.

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mephistopheles: Do I have to admit this? A l­ittle obstacle Prevents my departure, The pentagram on your threshold24—

Faust’ s Study I  | 85

faust: The pentagram is the prob­lem? Well, you son of Hell, tell me If that holds you ­here, how did you get in? How was a spirit like you tricked by a spell? mephistopheles: Look at it carefully! It’s not well-­drawn; The one corner, closed to the outside, Is, as you can see, a l­ittle open.

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faust: That’s a lucky chance! So y­ ou’re my prisoner? I’ve succeeded by accident! mephistopheles: The poodle ­didn’t notice anything when he jumped in, But now t­ hings look dif­fer­ent: The Devil cannot leave the h ­ ouse. faust: So why not use the win­dow? mephistopheles: It’s a rule for both dev­ils and demons: Wherever they enter, t­ here they must leave. The first choice is ours, but the second is not.

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faust: You mean even Hell has its laws? That I like: that means it would be pos­si­ble To make a secure pact with you gentlemen? mephistopheles: What we promise, that you ­shall enjoy, Not a jot w ­ ill be taken away from that. We d ­ on’t have the time to take this up ­today, But we ­w ill discuss it soon. For now I request most insistently To be set f­ ree from this room.

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86  |  Faust, Part I

faust: Why ­don’t you stay for a moment or two So I can hear some good news from you. 1680

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mephistopheles: Let me leave now! I’ll come back soon And then you can question me to your heart’s content. faust: I ­didn’t set a trap for you, You yourself walked into the snare. Let him who caught the Devil keep him! He w ­ on’t catch him a second time! mephistopheles: If you so desire, I’m prepared To keep you com­pany h ­ ere, But on the condition that I entertain You properly through my art. faust: I would like to see it, so have your way, Only make sure your art pleases me t­ oday!

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mephistopheles: My friend, you w ­ ill gain more with your Senses in this hour than in A year’s worth of humdrum. What for you rarefied spirits sing, The beautiful pictures that they bring, Are not an empty magic show. They ­w ill delight your sense of smell, And your taste buds as well, And entirely enchanted you w ­ ill feel. No preparations are required, We are together, so let us begin! spirits: Dissolve, you dark Vaults above! Charmed eyes see The blue ether heavenly!

Faust’ s Study I  | 87

Let the dark clouds Dissipate. ­Little stars twinkle, Milder suns shine Among them. Fair spirits Of cerulean skies Soar past In swaying sighs. Yearning inclinations Follow them, And the vestments’ Streaming bands Cover the land, Cover the bowers Where lovers lost Deep in thought While away the hours. Arbor upon arbor! Sprouting vines! Heavy grapes Forced into the container Of the wine press Pour forth in streams Of foaming wine, Filter through fine Precious gems, Leave the heights In their wake, Expand into lakes And for their ease Greening knolls that please. Creatures of the air Take their plea­sure t­ here, Fly t­ oward the sun,

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88  |  Faust, Part I

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Fly ­toward The bright isles That on the waves Seem to move by magic; Where we hear loud voices Of ­those rejoicing, On the meadows See dancers’ shadows All scattering In the distance. Some climb Over the heights, ­Others swim Across the lakes, Still o­ thers wing the air; All t­ oward life, All t­ oward the distant space Of the loving stars, Blessed grace. mephistopheles: ­You’ve done well, my airy tender boys! ­You’ve lulled him to sleep with your empty noise! For this concert I’m in your debt. ­You’re not yet the man to detain the Dev­il! Charm him with sweet dream figures, Plunge him deep into a sea of illusions, But in order to break this threshold’s spell I require a rat’s tooth. I ­don’t have to conjure for long, A rat’s already creeping near and ­w ill hear me right away. The Lord of rats and mice, Flies, frogs, vermin, and lice Commands you to appear And gnaw on this door sill,

Faust’ s Study II  | 89

As he dabs it with oil— ­Here you come hopping right away! Get right to work! The tapering tip that shut me in Is at the very front of the edge. One bite, and it’s done. Now, Faust, dream on u ­ ntil we meet again. faust [waking up]: Have I been cheated yet again? Does the demon-­teeming horde thus fade? Did a lying dream conjure the Devil for me t­ oday, And a poodle give me the slip and run away?

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Faust’s Study II faust: Who knocks? Come in! Who’s come to bother me again?

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mephistopheles: It’s me. faust: Come in!

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mephistopheles: You must say it three times. faust: Well, then, come in! mephistopheles: I like you like this. I hope we w ­ ill get along! To rid you of your crotchets, I’m ­here as a young nobleman, Decked out in red and trimmed with gold, A l­ittle cape of stiff silk, A cock’s feather in my hat, With a long, sharp sword, And I advise you, not to put too fine a point on it,

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90  |  Faust, Part I

To wear something similar So that you, set f­ ree and loose Can see what life is all about. 1820

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faust: In any outfit I w ­ ill still feel The misery of our narrow earthly existence. I’m too old just to play, And too young to be quite without wishes. So what can the world offer me? You should do without! Do without! That’s the eternal song Constantly dinned into our ears, That which our w ­ hole life long ­Every hoarse hour sings. I greet each morning in a fit of fear, I would like to cry ­bitter tears, To see each day that in its course Does not a fulfill a wish of mine, not a single one, And ­doesn’t undermine even the hint of any joy With self-­destroying carping, That thwarts the living creative impulses within With life’s thousand-­fold grotesqueries. Then too, when night descends, I must Stretch my limbs in dread on my bed, Nor do I find any rest t­ here Where wild dreams frighten me. The divinity that dwells within Can move me to my being’s core, The one enthroned above all my faculties Can get no purchase on the external world, And so my existence is a burden, Death desirable, and my life hateful to me. mephistopheles: And yet death is never an entirely welcome guest.

Faust’ s Study II  | 91

faust: Oh happy he, about whose forehead Death winds the bloody laurel leaves, He who a­ fter Death’s rapid raging dance Has the happy chance to find a girl in his arms! Oh if only, when I was enraptured by the exalted spirit’s force, I had sunk into soulless oblivion! mephistopheles: And yet someone did not drink a brown juice On a certain night.

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faust: It appears that you delight in spying. mephistopheles: I’m not all-­k nowing, but I do know quite a lot. faust: If a sweet familiar tone Drew me from the terrible tumult, And betrayed the remainder of childish feelings With the resonance of happy times, I now curse all that surrounds the soul With the juggling impostures of temptation, And banishes it to this sad cave Full of pandering illusions! Cursed be the high opinion With which the mind invests itself! Cursed the delusory appearances That press in upon our senses! Cursed be the false and feigning dreams Of fame, or the deception of a name’s endurance! Cursed be the possessions that flatter us, Such a wife or child, as servant or plow! Cursed be Mammon, when his trea­sures Prompt us to daring enterprises,

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92  |  Faust, Part I

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When he arranges the cushions For us to repose at our ease! Cursed be the balm of the grape! Cursed be the high grace of Love! Cursed be Hope! Cursed be Faith! But the greatest curse of all on Patience! spirit chorus [unseen]: With your mighty fist ­You’ve destroyed it, The beautiful world; It’s collapsed, fallen to bits. A demigod has smashed it! We bear its fragments Into the void, And mourn Its lost beauty. Mighty Son of Earth, Splendidly Build it once more, Build it in your heart’s core! Begin A new c­ areer, With a clear mind That new songs ­Will intone! mephistopheles: ­These L ­ ittle Ones Are some of mine.25 Listen to how, wise before their time, They advise you! Into the wide world, Away from the seclusion Where your senses and vital juices are para­lyzed, They seek to entice you.

Faust’ s Study II  | 93

Cease to indulge your grief That like a vulture feeds on your life; Even the worst com­pany lets you know That y­ ou’re a h ­ uman among h ­ umans ­here below. But that ­doesn’t mean I intend to thrust you among the rabble. I’m not one of the ­great ones, But if you want to make your way through this life With me at your side, I ­w ill be happy to accommodate you And on the spot be yours and with you abide. I’m your companion, And I’ll do right by you, I’ll be your attendant, your servant true!

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faust: And what in return am I supposed to do for you? mephistopheles: ­There is plenty of time to consider that. faust: No, no! The Devil is an egoist And certainly w ­ on’t do anything at God’s request To make another’s fortune. Make your conditions quite clear, Other­w ise the cost of your servitude is too dear. mephistopheles: I ­w ill ­here bind myself to serve you, And never to rest or repose at your slightest request, And then when we meet again on the other side, You ­w ill do the same for me. faust: The other side d ­ oesn’t concern me in the least; Once this world’s been knocked to pieces Let the other one come into being. My joys emanate from this earth, And this sun shines on my suffering’s birth;

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94  |  Faust, Part I

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Once I’m able to bid t­ hese farewell, Then let come what w ­ ill. I ­don’t want to hear more about it, ­W hether we w ­ ill still love and hate in the f­ uture, And ­whether in t­ hose spheres as well ­There’s an above and a below. mephistopheles: In that spirit you can certainly h ­ azard it. Bind yourself to me; you ­shall see In the days to come my magic skills with plea­sure, I ­w ill give you what no man has ever seen, beyond all mea­sure. faust: You poor Devil, what can you offer? Has a h ­ uman soul in its high aspirations Ever been comprehended by one like you? You have food that d ­ oesn’t satisfy, You have the red gold that perpetually Runs through your fin­gers like quicksilver, A game which no one ever wins, A girl who even in my arms Is already ogling my neighbor, Honor’s glorious aura That vanishes, like a meteor. Show me the fruit that rots before one plucks it, And trees that ­every day grow green again! mephistopheles: Such a commission d ­ oesn’t frighten me! ­Those sorts of trea­sures I can serve up. But, good friend, the time draws near When we can quietly feast on what we hold dear. faust: If ever I lie down and repose on a bed of ease, Then you can take me as you please! If you ever succeed in flattering me with lies

Faust’ s Study II  | 95

So that I’m quite satisfied with myself, If you seduce me with plea­sure Then let that be my last day! That is the bet I’m willing to make ­today!

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mephistopheles: Agreed! faust: The deal is done! If I should ever say to the moment Remain! You are so beautiful! Then you can put your fetters on me, Then I ­w ill be happy to be Destroyed. Then let the death knell ring, Then your servitude is done and you are ­free, The clock may stop, its hand may fall, And time be over for me once and for all!

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mephistopheles: Consider it well, we w ­ on’t forget it. faust: To that y­ ou’re fully entitled; I ­haven’t blasphemously miscalculated. So long as I stagnate in place I’m a servant; w ­ hether yours or someone e­ lse’s I ­don’t ask. mephistopheles: Even ­today at the Professors’ feast I ­w ill do my duty as your attendant. Only one ­thing! For the sake of life or death I need a ­couple of written lines. faust: You even need something written down, you pedant? Have you never known a man or a man’s word? Is it not enough that my spoken word Should forever rule my days? ­Doesn’t the world rage on in full mea­sure, And I should be bound by an agreement?

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96  |  Faust, Part I

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But this delusion is planted in our hearts, And who would want to f­ ree himself from it? He’s fortunate whose loyalty lies in his pure breast, He s­ hall never regret any sacrifice! But a piece of parchment, written and stamped, Is a specter we all shun in fear. The word dies even before it leaves the pen, Wax and leather rule the day. What do you, devil, then require of me? Brass, marble, parchment, paper? Should I write with a quill, a chisel, or a pen? The choice is entirely yours. mephistopheles: How can you exaggerate so crudely With your heated rhe­toric? Any sheet of paper is good That you sign with a ­little drop of blood.26 faust: If this ­w ill give you full satisfaction, Then let’s proceed with this grotesque nonsense. mephistopheles: Blood is a very special juice.

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faust: ­There’s no need to fear that I w ­ ill break our covenant. To strive with all my might Is exactly what I promise. I’ve puffed myself up too much, When I’m only at your level. The g­ reat Spirit has scorned me,27 Nor can I fathom nature’s secrets. The thread of thought is torn asunder And I find all knowledge nauseating. In the depths of sensuality let me Satisfy the passion consuming me. Let each feat of magic with its hidden

Faust’ s Study II  | 97

Trickery be ready at my beck and call! Let me plunge into the rushing river of time, Into the whirl of the world’s occurrences! Then pain and enjoyment, Success and disappointment Can alternate as best they can; Only in restless activity can you find what is truly ­human. mephistopheles: ­There’s no set mea­sure or goal for you. If you’d like to taste a dainty morsel everywhere, Or in haste catch something in the air, What­ever delights you becomes you well. Only grab what you can and ­don’t be dull. faust: As you can tell, I’m not concerned with joy. I dedicate myself to the giddy whirl, the painful plea­sure, Enamored hate, refreshing discontent without mea­sure. My soul, healed from the thirst for knowledge, ­Shall not seal itself off from any f­ uture pain, And that which is the lot of all humanity I ­shall experience deep within me, With my spirit seize the heights and depths, Heap their weal and woe upon my head, And thus expand my single self to all their selves, And in the end, like them, run my ship on the rocks. mephistopheles: O believe me, who’s fed for many Thousand years on this tough diet, That from the cradle to the grave h ­ ere below No one can digest that sour dough! Take it from one of us: this totality Is made only for a god! He finds himself in an eternal glory, Us he’s relegated to the dark, And ­you’re fit only for day and night.

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98  |  Faust, Part I

faust: But that’s what I want!

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mephistopheles: I like to hear that! But one t­ hing gives me pause: Time is short, art is long. But I would think you w ­ ill let yourself be taught. Connect yourself with a Poet, Let the gentleman range in thought, And heap all noble qualities On your honored head, The lion’s courage, The buck’s speed, The Italian’s fiery blood, The North’s durability. Let him find the secret for you How to combine generosity of soul with cunning, And to have you, with the warm impulse of youth, Fall in love according to a plan. I ­wouldn’t mind knowing such a gentleman, Mister Microcosmus28 I would call him. faust: What am I then, if it’s not pos­si­ble To attain the crown of humanity That all our senses strive for? mephistopheles: In the end you are—­just what you are. Put on a wig with a thousand curls, Put your feet in shoes the height of an ell, You ­w ill always remain simply what you are. faust: I feel it; in vain I’ve snatched all the trea­sures Of the h ­ uman spirit and made them my own, But when in the end I sit down alone, No new force emerges from within;

Faust’ s Study II  | 99

I’m not a hair’s breadth higher, Nor any nearer to the Infinite. mephistopheles: My good Sir, you see ­these t­ hings Like every­one ­else; But we have to be cleverer about seizing Life’s joys before they flee from us. What the dev­il! Certainly hands and feet And head and ass are yours, But all that in which I take delight Is it for that reason any less my right? If I can pay for six steeds, ­Isn’t their power my own? I run about and am a proper man, As if I had twenty-­four legs. Then get right to it! Stop all your thinking And head straight into the world without blinking! Let me tell you: a fellow who cogitates too much Is like a beast on a barren heath Led in circles by an evil spirit when all around ­There’s plenty of green to be seen on the ground.

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faust: How do we begin? mephistopheles: We simply leave. What sort of torture chamber is this? What sort of life do you lead h ­ ere Boring yourself and the boys you teach? Leave that to your good neighbor Sir Paunch. Why plague yourself to thresh that straw? The best that you do know You ­can’t tell the boys h ­ ere below. I think I hear someone in the hallway! faust: ­There’s no way I can see him t­ oday.

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100  |  Faust, Part I

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mephistopheles: The poor lad has waited too long, We c­ an’t let him depart without some comfort. Come, give me your gown and cap, This disguise ­w ill suit me very well. [He changes clothes.] Only leave him to my pranks! All I need is a ­little quarter hour While you get ready for our pleasant journey! [Faust exits.] [Mephistopheles in Faust’s long gown.]

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Just despise reason and knowledge, ­Humans’ loftiest attainments, Just let the demon of lies strengthen your convictions With dazzling feats of magic, And ­you’re mine unconditionally— Fate has endowed him with a spirit That perennially pushes on without restraint, And whose over-­eager striving Always leaps beyond earth’s joys. Him I’ll drag through the wide world Of meaningless and shallow toys; I’ll have him flounder, stare, stick in the muck, And in his utter insatiability Food and drink s­ hall taunt his greedy lips; Refreshment he w ­ ill seek in vain, And even if he h ­ adn’t made a deal with the devil He would still have to go straight to Hell! [A freshman enters.]

2200

student: I’ve only been h ­ ere a short time, And come full of dedication

Faust’ s Study II  | 101

To speak to and get to know a man Whom all name with veneration. mephistopheles: Your courtesy is most commendable! You see a man like other men. Have you had a chance to get to know the place?

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student: I beg of you to take me on as your advisee! I come with a good ­w ill, Sufficient money and youth’s energy; My m ­ other hardly wanted me to go, But I’d very much like to learn what I need to know.

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mephistopheles: Well, y­ ou’ve come to the right place. student: Honestly, I’d rather be gone again; Within t­ hese walls, this learning’s den I ­can’t be at my ease, It’s much too confined a space, ­There’s nothing green, not a single tree, And in the seats in the lecture hall I ­can’t hear or see or think at all. mephistopheles: It’s just a ­matter of getting used to it. An infant d ­ oesn’t nurse at the ­mother’s breast Willingly at the beginning But soon it takes nourishment with plea­sure. So you too ­w ill find with ­every day That you w ­ ill learn for the best at Wisdom’s breasts. student: I ­w ill be happy to attach myself to her, But do tell me, how can I get t­ here?

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102  |  Faust, Part I 2235

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mephistopheles: Before we proceed any further, explain to me What ­w ill be your choice of a faculty?29 student: I wish very much to know a lot of ­things, And would like very much to learn All about earth and heaven, And study Science and Nature.

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mephistopheles: ­You’re on the right track then, But d ­ on’t let yourself get distracted.

2250

student: I’m all for it with heart and soul; But certainly it would be a plea­sure To have some freedom and time for leisure On sunny summer holidays.

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mephistopheles: Use your time well, it runs away so rapidly, But a regular routine instructs you how to gain time. My worthy friend, for that very reason I suggest the Collegium Logicum. ­There the intellect is well trained, In Spanish boots it’s constrained, So that from then on you w ­ ill creep ­Behind trains of thought deep, And not, as it w ­ ere, crisscross Back and forth like a will-­o’-­the-­w isp. Then on many a day you ­w ill learn That what you once accomplished In one fell swoop, like eating and drinking, Now requires one! two! three! thinking. Though indeed with the fabric of thought It’s as with the weaver’s masterpiece, Where on step on the treadle moves a thousand threads,

Faust’ s Study II  | 103

The shut­tles shoot back and forth, The threads flow invisibly, And a single stroke forms a thousand connections: Then the phi­los­o­pher appears And proves to you that it must be thus: If the first is so, then the second too, And therefore the third and fourth as well, And if the first and second ­weren’t t­ here, Then the third and fourth ­couldn’t be anywhere. Though students from everywhere praise this, Yet none have become weavers. He who seeks to recognize and describe a living entity, First tries to strip it of its active spirit, But when he’s got the pieces in his hand, What’s missing, alas! is the living band. Encheiresis naturae30 it’s called in Chemistry, In an unwitting form of self-­parody.

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student: I ­can’t quite grasp what y­ ou’re saying. mephistopheles: Soon you will be able to do better When y­ ou’ve learned how to simplify every­thing And to classify it according to the letter. student: This all makes me feel so stupid As if a mill wheel w ­ ere turning in my head. mephistopheles: ­A fter that, above all other ­things, You ­w ill have to get started on Metaphysics. ­There you w ­ ill see that you grasp What ­doesn’t fit into the h ­ uman brain; And that ­there’s always an impressive word For what does and does not fit in. But first of all this half year Be sure to observe the best routine.

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104  |  Faust, Part I 2305

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Five hours you have ­every day, Be in your place at the sound of the bell! Be sure to have prepared well And studied the paragraphs So that afterwards you can better tell That he says nothing but what’s in the book; But be sure to write it all down As if it ­were dictated to you by the Holy Ghost! student: You ­don’t have to tell me that twice! I’m thinking how productive that is; ­Because what you have in white and black You can comfortably carry home in your sack. mephistopheles: But do choose a faculty!

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student: I ­can’t reconcile myself to study the law. mephistopheles: For that I cannot fault you, I know all about this discipline. Laws and rights are inherited Like perennial diseases, They linger from generation to generation, And softly move from place to place. Sense becomes nonsense, benevolence a plague; Woe to you if you are a grand­child! Of the moral right that is born with us ­There is never, alas! the slightest question. student: My aversion has been increased by you. Happy must he be whom you teach so edifyingly! Now I’d almost like to study Theology. mephistopheles: I ­don’t want to lead you astray. As far as this science is concerned,

Faust’ s Study II  | 105

It’s so difficult to avoid taking the wrong path, ­There’s so much concealed poison in it, And to distinguish it from medi­cation ­there’s hardly a way. ­Here too it’s for the best to listen to only one master, And to swear by what that master has to say; In sum, commit yourself to words! Then you ­w ill walk through the safe entry­way Of the t­ emple of certainty.

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student: But t­ here has to be a concept to go with the word. mephistopheles: ­You’re right! But d ­ on’t let that give you fits of anxiety; Precisely where concepts are lacking A word at the right time w ­ ill provide the necessary backing. With words one can quarrel splendidly, With words create a system, In words one can believe most admirably, And from a single word no iota can be taken. student: Excuse me, I’m holding you up with many questions, But I have to bother you with another one. Would you also be willing to put in for Medicine A power­ful ­little word? Three years is a short time, And, oh God! the academic field is all too broad. If only you can give me a pointer t­ oday I think I could more easily find my way. mephistopheles [to himself]: I’m tired of this dry tone, It’s time for me to play the devil again. [aloud] The essence of Medicine is easy to grasp; You study thoroughly the g­ reat and the ­little world,

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106  |  Faust, Part I 2375

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In order in the end to let t­ hings go Just as God wants them to h ­ ere below. It’s pointless to roam in wide scientific circles, Every­one learns only what he’s capable of learning; But the one who can seize the pre­sent moment— He’s the proper man. ­You’re pretty well built, No doubt y­ ou’re not lacking in daring, And if only you believe in yourself, Other souls w ­ ill believe in you. Learn especially how to ­handle w ­ omen, Their eternal “ouch” and “oh” Can be cured a thousandfold In a single spot, just so. And if you conduct yourself halfway honorably, Then you’ll have them all in your care. A title must first give them the confidence That your skills surpass ­those of many ­others, By way of welcome you grope them all over Where another bumbles for many years; Learn how to press her l­ittle pulse And with a fiery sly glance Seize her by her slender waist To see how tightly she is laced. student: I like the sound of that! Now I see the where and how. mephistopheles: My dear friend, all theory is gray, And life’s golden tree is green.

2405

student: I have to confess to you that all this seems like a dream. Would it be all right if I troubled you another time, So I could learn from the deep well of your wisdom?

Faust’ s Study II  | 107

mephistopheles: What I’m able to do, I w ­ ill do gladly. student: I ­can’t possibly leave without Handing you my a­ lbum.31 Grant me the ­favor of writing something in it.

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mephistopheles: Very well. [He writes and returns the ­a lbum.] student [reads]: “Eritis sicut Deus scientes bonum et malum.”32

2420

[Shuts it with veneration and takes his leave.]

mephistopheles: Only follow my cousin’s, the snake’s advice And for sure your resemblance to God w ­ ill frighten you in a trice. [Faust enters.]

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faust: So where then are we g­ oing? mephistopheles: Wherever your fancy takes you. ­We’ll see the ­little world and then the g­ reat. With what profit and what glee You’ll idle your way through the curriculum for f­ ree! faust: But with my long beard I lack the address to be a man of the world. I ­won’t succeed if I try, In the fash­ion­able world I’m just too shy. Before ­others I always feel so small, Ill at ease and unable to please at all.

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108  |  Faust, Part I 2045

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mephistopheles: My good friend, all in good time; Once you have confidence in yourself, you w ­ ill know how to live. faust: How do we leave this ­house? Do you have h ­ orses, a servant and a coach? mephistopheles: All we do is spread my cloak, Which ­w ill carry us through the air. But as you take this bold step ­Don’t encumber yourself with a large bundle. A bit of hot air, which I w ­ ill prepare Lifts us33 easily above this earth. And as w ­ e’re light, our ascent w ­ ill be rapid and sheer: Congratulations on your new c­ areer! Auerbach’s Cellar34

[A drinking party of rowdy students.]

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frosch: No one h ­ ere wants to drink? Or laugh? I’ll teach you to make long f­ aces! ­Today y­ ou’re a bunch of wet straw When normally your burn sky-­high. brander: That’s your fault; you h ­ aven’t brought us anything, Not a single stupid joke, no beastliness. frosch [pours a glass of wine over his head]: Th ­ ere you have both!

2475

brander: Doubly swinish! frosch: You asked for it, that’s what we should be!

Aue rbac h ’ s C e ll ar   | 109

siebel: Out the door with you, if y­ ou’re g­ oing to fight! With a full throat sing “a round,” booze it up and yell! Down the hatch! Hem! Ho!

2480

altmayer: Poor me, I’m done for! Bring some cotton balls! That fellow splits my ear­drums! siebel: When the vaulted raf­ters resound Then we know the bass is beating on the ground. frosch: That’s right, throw anyone out who ­doesn’t like it! Ah! Tara tara la!

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altmayer: Ah! Tara tara la! frosch: Our throats are tuned. [sings] The dear old Holy Roman Empire, How is it still entire? brander: An awful song! Yuck! A po­liti­cal song, An abominable song! Thank God e­ very morning That you d ­ on’t have to worry about the Roman Empire! I consider it at least a positive gain That I’m not emperor or chancellor. But even we c­ an’t do without a chief, So let’s elect a pope. You well know what quality Gives impetus and elevates the man.

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frosch [sings]: Wing your way up high, Mrs. Nightingale, And greet my sweetheart ten thousand times. siebel: No greeting for your sweetheart! I d ­ on’t want to hear about it!

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110  |  Faust, Part I

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frosch: You ­can’t deny me my sweetheart’s greeting and kiss! [sings] Unlock the door in the still night. Unlock the door! Your lover is awake. Lock the door! In the morning light. siebel: Yes, sing, only sing and praise and extol her! But I w ­ ill laugh all in good time. She led me on, and s­ he’ll do the same to you! The best for her would be a goblin lover! Let him fool around with her at a crossroad; An old goat, when he comes from Goblin Hill,35 Should bleat at her as he goes galloping by! An honest fellow of flesh and blood Is far too good for that slut. ­Don’t talk to me about any greeting, I’d rather break all her win­dows! brander [slamming his fist on the ­table]: Listen up! Pay attention! Obey me! Admit it, gentlemen, that I know how to live; Folks in love are sitting ­here, And to ­those I must, according to our custom, Offer an appropriate entertainment. Heads up! A song cut in the newest fashion! And join in the refrain with some passion! [he sings] A rat had a nest in a cellar room, Lived only on fat and butter, Put on a l­ittle paunch quite soon, Just like Doctor Luther. The cook set out her poison for him And he felt such terrible cramps As if love w ­ ere consuming him. chorus [cheers]: As if love w ­ ere consuming him.

Aue rbac h ’ s C e ll ar   | 111

brander: He ran around, inside and out, And drank from e­ very puddle, Gnawed and scratched all through the ­house But all his raging left him still in a muddle; He made many a fearful leap, But soon the poor creature had enough As if love w ­ ere consuming him. chorus: As if love w ­ ere consuming him. brander: In broad daylight and frightened to death He ran into the kitchen, Fell by the stove where he lay And sniffled miserably, alack the day. The poisoner had a good laugh: Ha! A final gasp is his last breath As if love w ­ ere consuming him. chorus: As if love w ­ ere consuming him. siebel: How the low fellows are enjoying themselves! I think it’s quite a skill To sprinkle poison for poor rats at ­w ill!

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brander: No doubt you are quite fond of them? altmayer: The fat-­belly with the bald head! Bad luck makes him tame and mild, In that bloated rat he sees nevertheless His natu­ral and exact likeness.

2575

[Faust and Mephistopheles enter.]

mephistopheles: Before we do anything e­ lse I have to bring you into a jolly com­pany,

2580

112  |  Faust, Part I

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So that you can see how easy and gay the good life can be. For the folks h ­ ere e­ very day is a holiday. With l­ittle wit and much ease They all spin in a narrow circle as they please Just like young cats chasing their own tails. If they ­don’t suffer from a headache, And as long as the innkeeper is willing to run the tab ­They’re happy and without a worry in the world. brander: ­They’ve just come from a journey, You can tell by their odd manner, They ­haven’t been h ­ ere for an hour.

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frosch: ­You’re right, for sure! I laud my Leipzig! It’s a ­little Paris,36 and polishes its inhabitants. siebel: What do you think ­these strangers do?

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frosch: Let me have my way! Give us some full glasses. I’ll easily draw the worms out of the asses Of ­these fellows like a child’s first teeth. They seem to come from a noble h ­ ouse And look proud and ill at ease. brander: Mountebanks from the marketplace, I’ll bet! altmayer: Perhaps.

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frosch: Pay attention, I w ­ ill go to work with them! mephistopheles [to Faust]: Th ­ ese l­ittle p ­ eople never sense the devil Even when he’s got them by the collar. faust: Welcome to you, gentlemen!

Aue rbac h ’ s C e ll ar   | 113

siebel: We return the greeting with thanks. [Softly, looking at Mephistopheles from the side.]

2620

Why does that fellow limp on one leg? mephistopheles: ­Will you permit us to sit down with you? Instead of a good drink, which one c­ an’t have h ­ ere, We w ­ ill hold your com­pany dear.

2625

altmayer: You seem to be very pampered. frosch: You must have left late from Rippach?37 Did you first have your eve­ning meal with Mr. Hans Ass? mephistopheles: ­Today we passed him on the way! But the last time we spoke with him, Of his cousins he had much to say, And he sends you all his best regards t­ oday. [He bows to Frosch.] altmayer [softly]: ­There you have it! He knows what’s what!

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siebel: A clever fellow! frosch: Just you wait, I know a way to get him!

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mephistopheles: ­Unless I’m mistaken, ­didn’t I hear practiced voices singing in chorus? Certainly singing must resound splendidly From this vaulted ceiling!

2650

frosch: Perhaps y­ ou’re even a virtuoso?

114  |  Faust, Part I

mephistopheles: Oh no! My powers are so-so, but I love to do it. 2655

altmayer: Let’s have a song! mephistopheles: If you so desire, any quantity.

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siebel: How about a brand-­new piece?

2665

mephistopheles: We’ve just returned from Spain, That lovely land of song and wine. [sings] Once upon a time t­ here was a king Who had a g­ reat big flea38— frosch: Listen! A flea! Did you get that? To me a flea’s a proper guest.

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mephistopheles [sings]: Once upon a time ­there was a king Who had a g­ reat big flea, He loved him more than a ­little As if he was his own heir to be. Then he called his tailor, And when the tailor came: Mea­sure my young squire a coat And pants that are a delight to see! brander: Only d ­ on’t forget to make it clear to the tailor That his mea­sure­ments must be most precise, And that if his head is dear to him The outfit shows no wrinkles without or within! mephistopheles: Decked out now he shows His best in velvet and in silk, With ribbons in his hose

Aue rbac h ’ s C e ll ar   | 115

And also with a cross, He was made a minister right away And sported a ­great star e­ very day. Then his siblings too Grew g­ reat at court. And the court ladies and lords Suffered terrible torments, The Queen and her maid ­Were bitten and gnawed, But cracking them or scratching Was outlawed. But if one bites us t­ oday We crack and kill it right away.

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chorus [cheering]: But if one bites us t­ oday We crack and kill it right away. frosch: Bravo! Bravo! That was splendid!

2705

siebel: ­Every flea should be treated that way! brander: Spit on your fin­gers and pluck them right away! altmayer: Long live freedom! Long live wine! mephistopheles: I would gladly drink a glass to toast freedom If your wines ­were only a l­ittle better.

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siebel: We d ­ on’t want to hear that again! mephistopheles: I only fear the innkeeper would complain; Other­w ise I would offer ­these worthy guests Something of the best from our private cellar.

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116  |  Faust, Part I

siebel: Let’s have it! I’ll take the risk. 2725

2730

frosch: If you produce a good glass, we w ­ ill praise you. Only ­don’t offer too small a sample, ­Because if I’m ­going to have to judge, I want it full and ample. altmayer [softly]: They are from the Rhine, I suspect. mephistopheles: Bring me a drill!

2735

brander: What is that for? You ­don’t have the barrels by the door? altmayer: Back t­ here the innkeeper has a basket with tools.

2740

mephistopheles [takes the drill] to Frosch: Now tell me, what would you like to taste? frosch: What do you mean? You have several sorts?

2745

mephistopheles: Every­one can have his choice. altmayer [to Frosch]: Aha! ­You’re already beginning to lick your lips!

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frosch: Good! If I have to choose, I’ll have the Rhine wine. My native region offers the best gifts. mephistopheles [while he is boring a hole at the end of the ­table where Frosch is seated]: Get me a ­little wax to make the plugs! altmayer: Ah, t­ hese are a juggler’s tricks.39

Aue rbac h ’ s C e ll ar   | 117

mephistopheles [to Brander]: And you? brander: I want a champagne wine, And one that sparkles r­ eally fine!

2760

[Mephistopheles drills; in the meantime someone has made and inserted the wax plugs.]

brander: One c­ an’t always avoid what’s foreign, What’s good is often far away. A true German c­ an’t abide a Frenchman, But he likes to drink their wine. siebel [while Mephistopheles approaches his seat]: I have to confess I ­can’t stand sour wine, So let me have a glass of the truly sweet! mephistopheles [drills]: Soon the sweet one from Tokay ­w ill flow.

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altmayer: No, gentlemen, look me in the face: I can see that you are making fools of us. mephistopheles: Nonsense! No! With such noble guests That would be a bit too much. Quickly! Just tell me straight out! With what wine may I serve you? altmayer: With e­ very one! Just ­don’t take too long.

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[­A fter all the holes have been drilled and plugged, Mephistopheles, making odd gestures]

The vine bears the grapes! Horns the he-­goat;

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118  |  Faust, Part I

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The wine is juicy, wood the vines, The wooden ­table can also yield wine. A deep look into the natu­ral world! Only believe ­here’s a won­der unfurled! Now pull the plugs and enjoy! all [while they pull the plugs and each has the chosen wine ­r unning into his glass]: O beautiful fountain that flows for us! mephistopheles: Just take care not to spill any wine! [They drink repeatedly.] all [sing]: We feel so cannibalistically fine As if we w ­ ere five hundred swine!

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mephistopheles: The ­people are ­free, you can see how happy they are! faust: I think I would like to leave now.

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mephistopheles: Just watch and you w ­ ill see A wonderful revelation of bestiality. siebel [drinks carelessly. The wine spills on the floor and turns into a flame.]: Help! Fire! Help! Hell is burning! mephistopheles [conjuring the flame]: Calm down, you friendly ele­ment!

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[to the students]: This time it was only a drop of purgatorial fire.

Aue rbac h ’ s C e ll ar   | 119

siebel: What does that mean? Hold on! This is ­going to cost you dear! That you d ­ on’t know us is quite clear. frosch: ­Don’t try this trick a second time!

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altmayer: I think we should show him the door. siebel: What, Sir? You have the audacity To play your hocus-­pocus pranks ­here?

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mephistopheles: Quiet, you old tub of wine! siebel: Broomstick! You dare to insult us?

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brander: Just you wait, and w ­ e’ll rain blows down on you! altmayer [pulls a plug from the ­table, and fire shoots up]: I’m on fire! I’m on fire!

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siebel: Sorcery! Stab him! That fellow is an outlaw! 2850

[They pull their knives and move t­ oward Mephistopheles.]

mephistopheles [with a serious gesture]: False appearance and word Change meaning and place! Be ­here and t­ here!

2855

[They stand amazed and look at each other.]

altmayer: Where am I? What a beautiful countryside!

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120  |  Faust, Part I

frosch: Vineyards! Am I seeing ­things right? siebel: And grapes for the picking! 2865

brander: ­Here in this arbor, See what a vine! See what grapes! [He grabs Siebel by the nose. The ­others do it mutually and lift their knives.]

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mephistopheles [as above]: Illusion, set their eyes f­ ree! And remember well the dev­il’s pranks. [He dis­appears with Faust; the students disperse.] siebel: What happened?

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altmayer: How? frosch: Was that your nose?

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brander [to Siebel]: And I have yours in my hand! altmayer: It was a shock that went through all our limbs! Get me a chair, I’m g­ oing to collapse!

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frosch: No, just tell me what’s happened? siebel: Where is that fellow? If I can find him He w ­ on’t escape with his life!

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altmayer: I saw him myself riding out the cellar door— On a barrel— My feet are heavy as lead. [He turns to the t­ able.] ­Really, do you think the wine w ­ ill still be flowing? siebel: That was all deception, lies, and trickery.

W itc h ’ s K itc h e n   | 121

frosch: I could have sworn that I was drinking wine. brander: But w ­ ere ­those grapes? altmayer: Now ­don’t tell me not to believe in miracles!

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Witch’s Kitchen

[A large cauldron stands on a low hearth above the fire. Vari­ous figures can be seen in the rising steam. A female long-­tailed monkey sits by the cauldron and stirs it, making sure it d ­ oesn’t overflow. The male monkey squats next to it with

2905

their young and warms himself. Walls and ceiling are decorated with the oddest bits of witch’s utensils.]

faust: I’m revolted by this crazy magic business! Do you promise me that I ­w ill be rejuvenated In this jumbled heap of insanity? Should I seek advice from an old hag? And is this muddle-­puddle cookery ­Going to subtract thirty years from me? Woe is me if you know nothing better than that! Already I’m bereft of hope. ­Hasn’t nature or some noble spirit Discovered any kind of balm? mephistopheles: My friend, now y­ ou’re being clever again! ­There is a natu­ral remedy to rejuvenate you; However, it comes from a dif­fer­ent book, And it’s a very odd chapter at first look.

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faust: I want to know it.

2925

mephistopheles: Good! Th ­ ere is a way Without money or physician or magic: Go out at once into a field, Begin to hack and dig,

2930

122  |  Faust, Part I

2935

2940

Maintain yourself and your thoughts In a very narrow circle, Feed on the plainest diet, Live like a beast among your beasts, and d ­ on’t regard it a robbery To manure yourself the acre that you harvest; Believe me, that is the best way To stay young till eighty. faust: I’m not accustomed to that, I ­can’t bear to take a spade in hand. Such a confined life would not suit me at all. mephistopheles: So then it’s time for the Witch, I say.

2945

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faust: But why exactly that old hag? ­Can’t you brew the drink yourself? mephistopheles: That would be a pretty way to spend my time! Meanwhile I might as well build a thousand bridges! Art and science ­aren’t enough, But such a scheme requires patience. A quiet spirit works at it for years as a ­matter of course And time alone gives the fine fermentation its full force. And all that belongs to it Is such a mishmash of wonderful ­things! To be sure, the devil may have taught her; But the devil c­ an’t make it by himself! [He sees the animals.] Look, what a dainty clan! ­Here is her maid, and her servingman! [to the animals] It appears the Mistress is not at home? the animals: At the feast,

W itc h ’ s K itc h e n   | 123

Out of the h ­ ouse, Up the chimney! mephistopheles: How long does she usually swarm abroad?

2970

the animals: So long as we warm our paws. mephistopheles: How do you find t­ hese delicate beasts? faust: About as vulgar as I’ve ever seen! mephistopheles: No, a conversation like this Is exactly what I’m most fond of! [to the animals] But tell me, you cursed puppets, What ­you’re stirring in this brew.

2975

2980

the animals: ­We’re cooking a mess of paupers’ stew. mephistopheles: ­There y­ ou’ve got a large public. the male monkey [approaches and makes up to Mephistopheles]: Do throw the dice right away, Make my day And let me win! I’m not ­doing well at all But if I had some dough ­Things would be well with me ­here below. mephistopheles: How happy would this monkey be If only he could play the lottery!40

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[In the meantime the young monkeys have been playing with a large ball that they roll forward.]

3000

124  |  Faust, Part I

3005

3010

3015

the male monkey: That is the world: It rises and falls And rolls perpetually; It hums like glass— How soon it breaks! Inside it’s hollow. ­Here it shines galore And ­here even more: I am alive! My dear son Run away from it! You must pass away! It’s made of clay, And ­w ill break into pieces t­ oday.41 mephistopheles: What’s the point of the sieve? the male monkey [brings it down]: If you w ­ ere a thief I’d know you right away.

3020

[He runs to the female monkey and lets her look through the sieve.]

3025

Look through the sieve! Do you recognize the thief And dare not name him? mephistopheles [approaching the fire]: And this pot?

3030

male and female monkeys: The silly sot! He d ­ oesn’t recognize the pot, He d ­ oesn’t know the cauldron. mephistopheles: Rude beast!

3035

the male monkey: ­Here, take the duster

W itc h ’ s K itc h e n   | 125

And sit in the chair, buster. [He forces Mephistopheles to sit down.] faust [who has during this time stood near a mirror, and has sometimes approached it, and sometimes moved away from it]: What do I see h ­ ere? What a divine image Appears in this magic mirror! O Love, lend me the quickest of your wings And transport me to her Elysian realm! Ah, if I d ­ on’t remain on this spot, If I dare draw near to her I can only see her as if in a fog! The most beautiful image of a w ­ oman! Is it pos­si­ble that a ­woman can be this beautiful? Do I see in this recumbent body The epitome of all that’s heavenly? Something like this can be found on earth? mephistopheles: Of course, if a god ­labors for six days, And in the end himself says well done, Then something good must come of it. For this time gaze to your heart’s content; I know how to seek out such a trea­sure for you, And blessed is he who has the good fortune To lead her home as his bride!

3040

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[Faust continues to look into the mirror. Mephistopheles, stretching in the chair and playing with the duster, continues to speak.]

­ ere I sit like a king on his throne, H The scepter I have, I need only the crown.

3065

[The animals, which up to now have made vari­ous strange movements amongst themselves, with a ­g reat outcry bring Mephistopheles a crown.]

3070

126  |  Faust, Part I

the animals: O please be so good And glue this crown With your sweat and blood! 3075

[They h ­ andle the crown awkwardly and break it into two pieces, with which they jump around.]

3080

Now ­we’ve done it to a tee! We speak and we see, We listen and we rhyme— faust [in front of the mirror]: Woe is me! I’m about to go mad.

3085

3090

mephistopheles [pointing to the animals]: Now even my head is beginning to spin. the animals: And if we succeed, And it turns out as it o­ ught, Then it’s a thought! faust: My heart begins to burn! Let’s get away in a hurry!

3095

mephistopheles [same as above]: Well, at least you have to acknowledge That t­ hese are honest poets. [The cauldron, which the female monkey has neglected so far, begins to overflow;

3100

a ­g reat flame emerges and shoots up through the chimney. The Witch comes down through the flame with terrifying screams.]

3105

witch: Ow! Ouch! Ow! Ow! Damned beast! Cursed swine! Neglect the cauldron! Singe the mistress!

W itc h ’ s K itc h e n   | 127

Damned beast! [sees Faust and Mephistopheles] What’s ­going on ­here? What are you ­doing ­here? What do you want h ­ ere? How did you get in ­here? Let the torment of fire Make you perspire!

3110

[She dips the foam scoop into the cauldron and squirts flames at Faust, Mephistopheles, and the animals. The animals whimper.]

mephistopheles [holding the duster in his hand, turns around and uses it to smash glasses and pots]: All in pieces! In pieces! ­There’s your brew! ­There’s your glass in two! It’s my plea­sure, you ass, To beat the time To your melody.

3115

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3125

[The Witch steps back, angry and horrified.]

You ­don’t recognize me? You cadaverous scarecrow, you! You ­don’t know your lord and master? What’s to keep me from striking you And smashing you and your beastly retinue? ­Can’t you show more re­spect to the red vest? ­Don’t you recognize the rooster’s feather? Have I hidden my face? Do I need to name myself? witch: O Lord, please forgive the rude reception! But I see no h ­ orse’s hoof. And where are your two ravens?

3130

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3140

128  |  Faust, Part I

3145

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3155

mephistopheles: For this once I’m letting you off the hook; I know it’s been some time That we ­haven’t seen each other. And with the spread of culture everywhere Even the devil has to have his share; The northern phantom is no longer on display; Where do you see horns, tail, and claws t­ oday? And as far as my foot is concerned, which I ­can’t do without, It would prejudice folks against me, So as you can see, like some young gentlemen I’ve worn false calves for many years. witch [dancing]: When I see Squire Satan h ­ ere I lose my senses and understanding entirely! mephistopheles: That name, w ­ oman, is taboo!

3160

3165

witch: Why? What’s it done to you? mephistopheles: It’s long been relegated to the book of fables; But h ­ umans ­aren’t any the better for it: The Evil One t­ hey’ve banished, the evil ones still remain. Just call me Sir Baron, and that w ­ ill do for my name. I’m a cavalier, just like other cavaliers. ­Don’t doubt my noble blood; Look, ­here’s the coat of arms I sport!

3170

[He makes an obscene gesture.]

3175

witch [laughs uncontrollably]: Ha! Ha! That’s just your way! You are a rogue, just like y­ ou’ve always been!

W itc h ’ s K itc h e n   | 129

mephistopheles [to Faust]: My friend, learn this well from me! This is the way to ­handle witches, as you can see. witch: But tell me now, gentlemen, what you are ­doing ­ here. mephistopheles: A good glass of your well-­k nown juice! But I have to ask you for the oldest; The years double its strength. witch: I’m happy to oblige! I have a ­bottle ­here From which I sip on occasion myself, And which d ­ oesn’t stink in the least; I’ll be glad to let you have a nip. [softly] But if this man drinks from it without preparation He w ­ on’t live an hour, as you know well enough. mephistopheles: He’s a good friend, and it ­w ill serve him well; I’m happy to grant him the best from your kitchen. Draw your circle, pronounce your magic spell, And let him have a full cup! [The Witch makes odd gestures as she draws a circle and puts strange t­ hings

3180

3185

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3195

3200

into it; in the meantime the glasses begin to ring and the cauldron to sound, making m ­ usic. At last she brings a large book and puts the monkeys into a circle, who have to serve as a desk for her and hold the torch. She signals to Faust to approach her.]

faust [to Mephistopheles]: ­Really, what’s the point of all this rigmarole? ­These crazy d ­ oings, the deranged gestures, The vulgar fraud, I know it well enough And hate it on the w ­ hole.

3205

3210

130  |  Faust, Part I

mephistopheles: Only pranks to be laughed at; ­Don’t be so uptight! As physician she has to do her hocus pocus So that the potion can come into the proper focus. 3215

[He forces Faust to step into the circle. With ­g reat emphasis, the Witch begins to recite from the book.]

3220

3225

3230

witch: You must understand! Out of one make ten, And let go of two, And three make immediately, Then you are rich. Lose the four! From five and six, So says the Witch, Make seven and eight, Then ­you’ve reached the height: And nine is one, And ten is none. That is the Witch’s one-­times-­one.42 faust: I think the old crone is speaking in a fever.

3235

3240

3245

mephistopheles: That’s just the beginning, I know it well, the entire book sounds like this; I’ve wasted a lot of time on its rules ­Because a complete contradiction Is as enigmatic for the wise as for the fools. My friend, this art is both old and new. It’s been the manner of all times To disseminate error instead of truth Through three and one, and one and three. So they babble on and teach merrily; Who’s ­going to bother with the fools?

W itc h ’ s K itc h e n   | 131

Commonly p ­ eople think if only they hear words That t­ here must be some thought b ­ ehind them. witch [continues]: The mighty sway Of science Hidden from the world t­ oday! And ­those who ­don’t think Receive it gratuitously Without the slightest care. faust: What nonsense is she uttering for us? It’s bound to break my head forthwith. It seems to me that I’m hearing a w ­ hole chorus Of a hundred thousand fools hold forth. mephistopheles: Enough, enough, you excellent Sybil! Let’s have your potion and quickly fill The cup to the very rim, For my friend ­w ill suffer no harm from the drink’s charm; He’s a man of many degrees Who’s swallowed many a drink with ease.

3250

3255

3260

3265

[The Witch, with many ceremonies, pours the potion in the cup; as Faust brings it to his lips, a small flame appears.]

3270

mephistopheles: Drink it right down! D ­ on’t hesitate! It ­w ill warm your heart right away. ­You’re on familiar terms with the devil, And you fear that the flame w ­ ill lead you astray?

3275

[The Witch opens the circle. Faust steps outside of it.]

mephistopheles: Now let’s go right away. You must not rest.

3280

132  |  Faust, Part I

witch: May that l­ittle mouthful become you well! mephistopheles: If I can do you any ­favor You only have to tell me on Walpurgis Night. 3285

3290

3295

witch: ­Here’s a song! If you sing it on occasion You ­w ill feel a very special effect. mephistopheles [to Faust]: Just come quickly and let me guide you; It’s required that you perspire, So that the potion’s power inspires you within and without. In due time I ­w ill teach you to prize noble leisure, And soon you w ­ ill experience with keenest plea­sure How Cupid stirs and leaps about. faust: Let me have another quick glance into the mirror! That w ­ oman’s image was just so beautiful!

3300

mephistopheles: No! No! Soon you ­w ill see the female ideal Before you in the flesh, for real. [softly] Soon enough with this drink inside of you You’ll see Helen of Troy in e­ very girl that you view.

3305

[Faust. Margaret passes by.]

3310

Street

faust: My pretty young lady, may I be so bold To offer you my arm and escort you? margaret: I’m no lady, nor pretty, And need no escort to see me home.

3315

[Disengages herself and leaves.]

Stre et  | 133

faust: By Heaven, this girl is pretty! I ­haven’t seen anything like her. She is so proper and virtuous, And yet at the same time quite snippety. ­Those red lips and bright cheeks I ­won’t forget for the rest of my days! How she cast down her eyes Has filled my heart with sighs; And her pert reply Drives me to sheer ecstasy!

3320

3325

[Mephistopheles enters.]

faust: Listen, you have to get this girl for me! mephistopheles: Well, which one?

3330

faust: The one that just passed by. mephistopheles: That one? She came from her priest, Who remitted all her sins; I crept close by the confessional. She’s a very innocent young t­ hing Who went to confession for hardly anything; Over her I have no power at all.

3335

3340

faust: But she’s over fourteen. mephistopheles: You talk like some lewd fellow Who craves e­ very flower for himself, And fancies in his conceit that t­ here’s no Virtue or f­ avor cannot be plucked, But that ­isn’t always so. faust: My honorable Master Rectitude,

3345

3350

134  |  Faust, Part I

3355

Leave me in peace with the law! And let me tell you this straight out: If that sweet young t­ hing Is not lying in my arms to­night Then we part ways at midnight. mephistopheles: Consider what can and cannot be done! I need at least two weeks To even spy out an opportunity.

3360

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3385

faust: If I had only seven hours alone with her, I would hardly need the Devil To have my way with such a sweet creature. mephistopheles: Now ­you’re speaking almost like a Frenchman; But permit me to ask you not to Let this delay vex you unduly: Of what use is instant gratification? As we learn from many an Italian tale The plea­sure is by far not as ­great As when ­you’ve kneaded and prepared the ­little puppet, Leading her up and around As on a merry-­go-­round. faust: I’ve plenty of appetite without all that. mephistopheles: No offense, but let me explain without joking That with this pretty child Speed is not at all the way to proceed. With haste ­there’s nothing to be gained; We have to make do with guile. faust: Get me something from this angel’s trea­sure!

Ev e­n in g  |  135

Lead me to her bedroom! Fetch me the kerchief on her breast, Or a stocking garter to satisfy my craving! mephistopheles: So that you can see that I’m willing To help you in your tormented state The moment cannot come too soon When I w ­ ill conduct you even t­ oday to her room. faust: And I ­w ill be able to see her? And have her? mephistopheles: No! ­She’ll be with a female neighbor. In the meantime, in anticipation of your ­Future delights you can feast in good cheer All by yourself in her maiden sphere.

3390

3395

3400

faust: Can we go t­ here now? mephistopheles: It’s still too early.

3405

faust: Get me a pre­sent for her! [Exits.] mephistopheles: A pre­sent right away? That’s well done! No doubt h ­ e’ll succeed! I know of many a pretty spot And many a trea­sure buried long ago, I’ll have to check through the rec­ords that I’ve got. [Exits.]

[A small, clean room.]

Eve­n ing

margaret [braiding and binding her pigtails]: I’d give a lot to know Who that gentleman was that I saw ­earlier t­ oday!

3410

3415

3420

136  |  Faust, Part I

He looked so gallant And is no doubt from a noble ­house; That much I could read from his brows— Other­w ise he ­wouldn’t have dared to be so bold. [Exits.] 3425

[Enter Mephistopheles and Faust.]

mephistopheles: Come in h ­ ere, but quietly, come right in! 3430

faust [­after being s­ ilent for some time]: I beg you, leave me alone! mephistopheles [snooping around]: Not ­every young girl keeps her room so neat. [Exits.]

3435

3440

3445

3450

3455

faust [looking around]: Welcome, sweet radiant twilight That permeates this inner sanctum! O delicious pain of love, seize my heart, That lives only to languish for the dew of hope! How this room breathes the feeling of peace, Of order and contentment! What plenitude in this poverty! In this prison what blessedness I see! [He throws himself in a leather armchair by the bed.]

Oh receive me, you who welcomed ­earlier days Of joy and pain with open arms! Ah, how often has a crowd of c­ hildren gathered Around this paternal throne! Perhaps, full of gratitude to the blessed Christ My darling h ­ ere, with a child’s blooming cheeks, Devoutly kissed the wrinkled hand of her forebear. My dear girl, I feel the full force of your Domestic routine whisper about me,

Ev e­n in g  |  137

And the daily maternal instruction To spread the neat carpet on the t­ able, And even to strew the sand at your feet. O beloved hand! So divine! Through you this cottage becomes a sacred shrine! And ­here! [He lifts a bed curtain.] What blissful dread seizes upon me! ­Here I could remain for hours. Nature! ­Here you formed in gentle dreams The native angel! ­Here lay the child, her tender breast Filled with pulsing life, And ­here the divine image was woven Into a pure and holy form. And you! What has brought you ­here? I feel moved to my very heart’s core. What do you seek ­here? Why has your heart grown heavy? Miserable Faust! I no longer know you.

3460

3465

3470

3475

Am I enveloped ­here in a magic fragrance? I was e­ ager for immediate enjoyment, And now I feel myself dissolved in a dream of love! Are we merely playthings of e­ very breeze that blows?

3480

And if she suddenly set foot in this room How you would repent this sacrilege! You ­great big John, y­ ou’ve grown small so soon! You’d lie ­there, melted at her feet.

3485

mephistopheles: Quick! I see her approaching down below. faust: Away! Away! I w ­ ill never return!

3490

138  |  Faust, Part I

3495

mephistopheles: ­Here’s a ­little box worth its weight, I’ve brought it from elsewhere. Just put it into the cabinet ­here, I promise you it ­w ill make her swoon; I’ve put some l­ittle t­ hings in ­there To win her for you quite soon Even if a child’s a child, and a game a game. faust: I ­don’t know. Should I?

3500

3505

mephistopheles: Why so many questions? Perhaps you intend to keep the trea­sure? Then I would advise Your Horniness To spare this pleasant time of day And me any further trou­ble. I only hope ­you’re not tightfisted! I scratch my head, rub my hands— [He puts the ­l ittle box in the cabinet and closes the lock.]

3510

3515

3520

Now, away! Quick! To make that sweet young t­ hing Sing any song your heart wants her to sing; And ­here you look as if you had to stand In the lecture hall, as if Gray Physics and Metaphysics Incarnate held you in thrall! Away now! [Exits.] margaret [with a lamp]: It’s so sultry in h ­ ere, so pressing; [She opens the win­dow.]

3525

Even though it’s not so warm outside. I ­don’t know what’s come over me.

Ev e­n in g  |  139

I wish my ­mother would come home. I’m trembling and my mind is in a whirl— I’m just a foolish and frightened girl! [She begins to sing while getting undressed.]

3530

­ ere was a king in Thule43 Th Faithful u ­ ntil his grave To whom his ­dying love A golden goblet gave.

3535

Nothing could rise above it, He emptied it at e­ very feast; As he drank from it for years, His eyes would fill with tears.

3540

And when it was his time to die, All the cities in his realm he added up, Left every­thing to his heirs All but that golden cup.

3545

He sat at the royal meal, His knights around him in high glee, In the ancestral hall, In his ­castle by the sea.

3550

­ ere sat the old reveler Th Downed the last fiery drop of life, And threw the blessed cup Deep down into the flood.

3555

He watched it fall, drink and sink Deep into the sea, his eyes grew dim, And nevermore did he drink another drop From that golden cup.

3560

140  |  Faust, Part I [She opens the cabinet to put away her clothes, and sees the jewelry box.]

3565

3570

3575

How did that pretty box come to be ­here? I know I locked the cabinet ­earlier. This is wonderfully strange! What might it contain? Perhaps somebody brought it as a pledge, For which my ­mother advanced money. A l­ittle key is hanging on a ribbon, I think I ­w ill open it! What’s ­here? Lord in Heaven, look, Something like this I’ve never seen before! A piece of jewelry! With this any noble lady Could let herself be seen on the highest feast day. And how would this necklace suit me? To whom might this splendid piece belong? [She puts on the jewelry and steps in front of the mirror.]

3580

3585

If only the earrings ­were mine! How they make one look dif­fer­ent and fine! Of what use is your beauty, young blood? That’s all well and good, Only every­thing remains the same; We poor earn the half-­praise of mere pity. Young and old yearn for gold, For sure every­thing depends On gold. Pity us poor! Promenade

3590

[Faust paces back and forth deep in thought. Mephistopheles approaches him.]

3595

mephistopheles: By all rejected love! By the hellish ele­ment itself! I wish I could think of something worse so it could have my curse!

Pro m e nade   |  141

faust: What’s the ­matter? What’s eating you so much? I’ve never in my life seen such a face! mephistopheles: I’d like to give myself up to the Devil, If I ­weren’t a Devil myself!

3600

faust: Has something scrambled your brain? You look like a raving maniac! mephistopheles: Just think, the jewels that I brought for Gretchen ­today A priest has grabbed them right away! Her m ­ other gets to see the goods, And immediately falls into a fit of fear: That w ­ oman has a very sharp nose, She’s always snuffling around in her prayer book And sniffs ­every piece of furniture she can To see if the ­thing is holy or profane; And of the jewelry she has no need for guessing That it d ­ idn’t come with any blessing. My child, she cried, ill-­gotten goods Harm the soul and taint the blood. If we dedicate it to the M ­ other of God Our reward ­w ill be manna from Heaven! ­Little Margaret made a wry mouth, It’s a gift ­horse, she thought, And truly! He c­ an’t be ungodly Who brought something so fine to me! The m ­ other asked for a priest to come, Who had hardly taken the story’s mea­sure Than he began to feel a certain plea­sure: Said he: That is the proper way to proceed! ­Those who overcome win indeed. The Holy Church has a ­great appetite,44 Has consumed entire countries outright,

3605

3610

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3620

3625

3630

142  |  Faust, Part I

Yet never to the point of overindulgence; Only ­Mother Church, my ladies dear, Can digest corrupt goods without any fear. 3635

3640

3645

3650

3655

faust: That’s a common practice, A King or a Jew can do it too. mephistopheles: Then he pocketed up brooch, necklace, and ring As if they ­were mushrooms in the wood, Thanked them no more or less than he could If it was a basket full of nuts, And left them on a heavenly reward relying, Which they found very edifying. faust: And Gretchen? mephistopheles: She’s restless now, Knows neither what she should or would, Thinks about the jewelry night and day, And even more of him who sent it her way. faust: I pity the sweet ­thing’s grief. Get more jewels right away for her relief! The first lot ­wasn’t all that much. mephistopheles: Oh yes, for the Gentleman that’s all child’s play!

3660

faust: Do it, and arrange it according to my wishes! Make up to the neighbor lady! You, Devil, d ­ on’t be like cold clay, But bring new jewelry right away!

Th e N e igh b or ’ s H ouse   | 143

mephistopheles: Yes, my Lord, to your heart’s content. [Exit Faust.] Such an infatuated fool w ­ ill blow up The sun, the moon, and all the stars, And all for the diversion of his sweet ­little Buttercup. The Neighbor’s House martha [alone]: God forgive my poor husband, But he’s never done right by me. Into the wide world he’s flown And left me a straw ­w idow all alone. Surely I’ve never caused him grief, Surely, God knows, I loved him with all my heart. [She weeps.]

3665

3670

3675

3680

Perhaps he’s even dead! O woe! If only I had a death certificate to show! [Margaret arrives.]

3685

margaret: Mrs. Martha! martha: Gretchen, what’s happening? margaret: My knees ­w ill barely support me! I’ve found yet another ­little box In my cupboard, one made of ebony, With splendid ­things to see Much richer than the first one. martha: Your ­mother m ­ ustn’t know of this, ­She’ll confess it right away to her priest.

3690

3695

144  |  Faust, Part I

margaret: Oh, only look at them! Just look at them! 3700

martha: [decking her with jewelry]: You blessed creature! margaret: Unfortunately I ­can’t let myself be seen like this On the street or in the church.

3705

3710

3715

3720

martha: Then just come often to visit me And wear the jewels secretly. Parade an hour or so before the mirror, ­We’ll take delight in that; And then if ­there’s an occasion, if ­there’s a feast, ­Little by l­ittle you can show yourself at your best. A necklace at first, then a pearl in your ear; Your ­mother may not notice it, or w ­ e’ll make up a story for the rest. margaret: Only who could have brought both boxes? Something surely is amiss! [A knock at the door.] Oh God, could it be my m ­ other? martha [looking through the l­ittle curtain]: It’s a strange gentleman—­Come in! [Mephistopheles enters.]

3725

mephistopheles: If I enter without much ceremony, I must beg the ladies’ forgiveness for such liberty. [Takes a respectful step back from Margaret.]

3730

I’m looking for Mrs. Martha Schwerdtlein! martha: That’s me, what has the gentleman to say?

Th e N e igh b or ’ s H ouse   | 145

mephistopheles [whispers to her]: I know you now, that’s enough for me; I see you have a genteel visitor. Excuse the liberty I’ve taken, I ­w ill come back this after­noon. martha [aloud]: Only think, child, for all the world The gentleman takes you for a demoiselle.

3735

3740

margaret: I’m a poor young t­ hing; O Lord, the gentleman is far too kind: The jewels that adorn me are not my own. mephistopheles: Oh, it’s not the jewelry alone; You have such a manner, and a keen gaze! I’m delighted that I’m permitted to remain. martha: What brings you h ­ ere? I very much—

3745

3750

mephistopheles: I wish I had a better tale to tell! I hope you ­won’t make me regret it too: Your husband is dead and sends his greetings to you. martha: He’s dead? That faithful heart! O woe! My husband is dead! What a terrible blow!

3755

margaret: Dear lady, do not despair! mephistopheles: Do listen to the sad story.

3760

margaret: I’d never want to fall in love, The loss of it would put me in my grave. mephistopheles: Joy must have grief, grief joy.

3765

146  |  Faust, Part I

martha: Tell me his life’s end.

3770

mephistopheles: He lies buried in Padua With the holy Antonius, In a well-­consecrated spot A cool eternal rest is his lot. martha: You have nothing ­else to bring to me?

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mephistopheles: Yes, a request, g­ reat and difficult, That you should let three hundred masses be sung for him! For the rest, my pockets are empty.

3785

martha: What! No ornament? No jewelry? What ­every wandering apprentice keeps at the bottom of his knapsack, Preserved as a memento, That he’d rather starve for or beg than let go!

3790

mephistopheles: Madam, I’m truly sorry; But in all honesty he was no spendthrift with his money. He also regretted his errant ways very much, Yes, and lamented his bad fortune even more. margaret: Oh, that p ­ eople should be so unhappy! I ­w ill certainly pray many a requiem for him.

3795

mephistopheles: You would be worthy to enter into marriage right away; ­You’re a lovable young t­ hing. margaret: Oh no, I’m not ready for that yet.

3800

mephistopheles: Well, if not a husband, then a beau.

Th e N e igh b or ’ s H ouse   | 147

It’s one of the greatest gifts of Heaven To hold so sweet a t­ hing in one’s arms. margaret: That’s not the country custom h ­ ere.

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mephistopheles: Custom or no custom, it often happens so. martha: But to your tale! mephistopheles: I stood by his ­dying bed, It was made of better stuff than manure, Half rotten straw; but he died as a Christian, And found that he had more than he reckoned on his account. “How,” cried he, “must I hate myself from the bottom of my heart, To abandon thus my trade and my wife! Oh, the memory tears me apart! If she could only forgive me in this life!”

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martha [crying]: The good man! I forgave him long ago! mephistopheles: “But, God knows, she was more at fault than I.” martha: He lies! What! To lie with one foot in the grave! mephistopheles: I’m sure he told tales with his last breaths, Even if I’m only half in the know. “I had,” he said, “no time to relax, But had to provide first ­children and then bread,

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148  |  Faust, Part I

And bread in the widest sense, And ­couldn’t even eat my share in peace.” 3840

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martha: He’s forgotten all my love and devotion, My drudgery by night and day! mephistopheles: Not so, he thought of you warmly. He said: “When I took my leave of Malta, I prayed for my wife and c­ hildren with deep fervor; Heaven favored us t­ here on the ocean So that our ship caught a Turkish vessel, Which held a trea­sure of the ­great Sultan. ­There bravery found its reward, And thus I received what was my due My share well-­measured and true.” martha: ­Really? And where? Perhaps he’s buried it?

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mephistopheles: Who knows where the four winds have dispersed it now. A pretty young miss looked ­after him When he wandered around Naples as a stranger, Such ­were her devoted and loving ways That he felt them to the end of his days.45 martha: The villain! The thief who stole from his ­children! Not even all the misery and destitution Could prevent his scandalous life!

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mephistopheles: Very true! And for that reason he’s now dead. If I ­were in your place I’d mourn him for a decent year, But in the meantime also look around for a new dear. martha: Oh God, I ­won’t easily find another in this world

Th e N e igh b or ’ s H ouse   | 149

Like my first one! He could be such a sweet l­ittle fool. Only he loved the wandering life too much; And foreign w ­ omen and foreign wine he found all too fine, And the vice of playing with ­those damned dice. mephistopheles: Well, then, ­things could go on in the usual way If on the w ­ hole he had been complaisant And also let you make hay. I swear to you, on this condition Even I’d be happy for you to change my position. martha: Oh, the gentleman is pleased to make a jest! mephistopheles [to himself]: I’d best high-­tail it out of ­here! ­She’d take the very devil at his word! [to Margaret] What’s the state of your heart?

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margaret: What does the Gentleman mean by that? mephistopheles [to himself]: You sweet, innocent girl! [aloud] Farewell, you ladies!

3895

margaret: Farewell! martha: Oh tell me quickly! I’d very much like a certificate to be assured Where, how, and when my dear one died and was interred. I’ve always wanted ­things done properly, And would like the weekly paper to carry his obituary.

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150  |  Faust, Part I

3910

mephistopheles: Yes, my dear lady, through two witnesses’ oral testimony46 The truth can always be made known; I even have a very fine companion Whom I can bring to appear before the judge. I’ll bring him ­here. martha: O please do that!

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mephistopheles: And this young lady w ­ ill be ­here too? He’s a brave lad and has traveled the world to see, And shows young ladies the proper courtesy. margaret: I would have to blush before the gentleman. mephistopheles: Before no monarch on this earth.

3925

martha: This eve­ning in the garden ­behind my h ­ ouse We w ­ ill wait for you gentlemen.

[Faust. Mephistopheles.] 3930

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3940

Street

faust: How is it ­going? Any pro­gress? ­Will it soon be underway? mephistopheles: Bravo! Do I find you all on fire? In a short while Gretchen ­w ill be yours. This eve­ning you’ll see her at her neighbor Martha’s ­ house: This is a ­woman especially chosen To act a pander’s or a gypsy’s role. faust: That’s good!

Stre et  | 151

mephistopheles: But something is required of us as well. faust: One f­ avor is well worth another. mephistopheles: We only have to swear an oath in court That her husband’s outstretched limbs Rest in Padua in consecrated ground. faust: Very clever! First w ­ e’ll have to travel ­there!

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mephistopheles: Sancta simplicitas!47 ­There’s no need for us to go, Just to testify that we know. faust: If you have nothing better, then our plan is a no-go. mephistopheles: Oh you saint, if that’s what you aspire to be! Is this the first time in your life That y­ ou’ve committed perjury? ­Haven’t you offered up with proud forehead and g­ reat vigor Definitions of God, and the world and all That it contains, and of h ­ umans as well And what’s in their heads and hearts with all due rigor? And if you w ­ ere ­really to get to the heart of the m ­ atter You’d have to confess that you know as much About t­ hese t­ hings as about Mr. Schwerdtlein’s death! faust: You are and ­w ill always be a liar and a sophist. mephistopheles: Yes, if one ­didn’t know more of the true gist. ­Because tomorrow a­ ren’t you g­ oing to beguile Poor Gretchen with seemingly honorable words and your smile While you profess to her your deep heart’s love?

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152  |  Faust, Part I

faust: Yes, and in all sincerity.

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mephistopheles: Well and good! Then your professions of eternal devotion and love And the almighty impulse from Heaven above— ­Will that flow from your full heart? faust: Enough of that! It ­w ill be!—­W hen I seek For a name for the whirl of feelings I experience and ­can’t find a single one, And when my senses search the w ­ hole world To find the sublimest words, And call this white heat which consumes me Eternal, unending like infinity, Is that an infernal game of lies? mephistopheles: I knew I was right!

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faust: Listen, and remember this— I beg of you, and spare my lungs—­: Whoever wants to be in the right and heeds only his own tongue, Is sure to keep it. But come, I’ve had enough of this empty chat with you, And I agree, mostly b ­ ecause I have to. Garden

[Margaret on Faust’s arm. Martha walks up and down with Mephistopheles.] 4005

4010

margaret: The gentleman is condescending and kind, I’m sure, only to spare me embarrassment. You travelers always keep it in mind To be amiable to the likes of us. I know too well that to a worldly man like you My conversation can hardly be entertaining.

Garde n   | 153

faust: One glance from you, one word entertains me more Than all the wisdom of the world. [He kisses her hand.] margaret: ­Don’t go to the trou­ble! How could you kiss it? It’s so nasty and so rough! What work have I not had to do! My m ­ other is very demanding. [They walk on.] martha: And you, dear Sir, are you always on the road?

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mephistopheles: Alas, business and duty require it! With how much regret one leaves many a place, When one would much prefer it to the busy race! martha: In one’s impetuous years it may be fine To freely roam the world hither and yon, But when the bad times come It’s never done anyone any good To drag himself alone to the grave as a confirmed bachelor.

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mephistopheles: With dread I see that fate in the distance. martha: Therefore, dear Sir, make your plans in time. [They walk on.] margaret: Yes, out of sight, out of mind! It’s your custom to be kind; But you have so many friends Who know so much more than me. faust: O dear one! Believe me when I say that what we call knowledge Is more often vanity and short-­sightedness.

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154  |  Faust, Part I

margaret: What?

4050

4055

faust: Alas, that simplicity and innocence never Recognize themselves and their sacred worth! Humility and lowliness, ever The highest gifts distributed by the loving hand of Nature— margaret: You may think of me only for a moment, But I w ­ ill have plenty of time to think of you. faust: You must be much alone?

4060

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margaret: Yes, our h ­ ouse­hold is small, But still requires looking a­ fter. We have no maid; I have to cook, sweep, knit And sew, and be on my feet early and late; And my ­mother is always So very strict! Not that she needs to economize so much; We could easily afford more than o­ thers, My f­ ather left b ­ ehind plenty of money, A l­ittle h ­ ouse and garden outside the city. But now I have mostly quiet days; My b ­ rother is a soldier, And my ­little s­ ister is dead. That child took a lot of work, But I would happily assume ­these cares once more, For so dear to me was that child. faust: An angel, if she looked like you. margaret: I raised her, and she loved me with all her heart. She was born ­after my f­ ather’s death. My m ­ other almost died, She lay t­ here in her misery,

Garde n   | 155

And she recovered slowly, only gradually. But she ­couldn’t even think Of nursing the poor worm herself, And thus I raised her on my own With milk and w ­ ater; and so she became mine. Wriggling in my arms, on my lap she felt at home, And grew bigger. faust: You must have felt the purest joy. margaret: But many a difficult hour as well. The l­ittle one’s cradle stood by my bed At night; as soon as she moved I was wide awake; Often I had to feed her, take her into my bed; Often, when she cried, I had to get out of bed And walk up and down the room with her, And get to the washtub at daybreak; And go to the market and watch the stove, And ­every day the same routine. So you see, Sir, it w ­ asn’t always the most cheerful scene, But it makes you appreciate the food and enjoy the rest. [They walk on.]

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4105

martha: We poor w ­ omen have such a hard time, It’s not easy to get a bachelor to change his mind. mephistopheles: It would only depend on someone like you To teach me something better. martha: Tell me honestly, dear Sir, h ­ aven’t you ever found That your heart to someone has been bound?

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156  |  Faust, Part I

mephistopheles: As the proverb has it, one’s own hearth and A good ­woman are worth their price in pearls and gold. 4120

martha: I mean, ­haven’t you ever been tempted? mephistopheles: I’ve been entertained everywhere with ­great courtesy.

4125

martha: I mean to say, i­sn’t your heart still ­free? mephistopheles: One should never joke with w ­ omen.

4130

martha: Oh, you ­don’t seem to understand. mephistopheles: For that I’m heartily sorry! But I do understand—­that you are very kind. [They walk on.]

4135

4140

faust: You recognized me again right away, you l­ittle angel, When I came into the garden? margaret: ­Couldn’t you see it? I cast my eyes down. faust: And you forgive my boldness And the impudence of my approach As you left the cathedral?

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4150

margaret: I was dismayed; this has never happened to me before; No one could ever say anything bad about me. And I thought, did he see in my conduct Something improper or too f­ ree? He seemed to think he had the right

Garde n   | 157

To treat me as a loose girl at first sight. But let me confess it! I ­couldn’t tell What moved me to think of you well; All I know is that I was angry with myself That I w ­ asn’t angrier with you.

4155

faust: You sweet ­thing! margaret: Enough of that!

4160

[She picks a daisy and plucks the petals off it, one a­ fter the other.]

faust: What are you ­doing? Making a bouquet? margaret: No, it’s a game.

4165

faust: How’s that? margaret: Go! You ­w ill laugh at me. [She plucks and murmurs.]

4170

faust: What are you whispering? margaret: He loves me—he loves me not.

4175

faust: You fairest face of Heaven! margaret [continues]: Loves me—­Not—­Loves me—­ Not—

4180

[Plucking the last petal, with g­ reat joy.]

He loves me! faust: Yes, my dear! Let this flower’s word

4185

158  |  Faust, Part I

Be the judgment of the gods: He loves you! Do you understand what that means? He loves you! 4190

[He takes hold of her hands.]

margaret: I’m all atremble!

4195

4200

faust: ­Don’t be afraid! But let this glance, Let the pressure of my hands tell you What cannot be expressed: To give oneself entirely and feel A delight that must be eternal! Eternal! Its end would mean despair. No, no end! No end! [Margaret squeezes his hands, f­ rees herself, and runs off. He remains for a moment deep in thought, then follows her.]

4205

martha [enters]: Night is coming on. mephistopheles: Yes, and we have to be gone.

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4215

martha: I would ask you to stay longer, But this is an evil-­minded neighborhood. It seems as if no one had any business Or any work to do, But to watch their neighbor’s e­ very step, And ­they’ll gossip no m ­ atter what you do. And our ­little pair? mephistopheles: They ran down the garden path. Capricious summer birds!

4220

martha: He seems taken with her.

In A ­L it tle Garde n H ouse   | 159

mephistopheles: And she with him. It’s the way of the world. In A ­L ittle Garden House48

[Margaret comes ­r unning in, hides ­behind the door, holds her fin­ger to her lips,

4225

and peeps through a crack.]

margaret: He’s coming! faust [arrives]: Ah, you imp, that’s how you tease me! But I’ve caught you now! [He kisses her.]

4230

margaret [holding him and returning the kiss]: Dearest man, I love you with all my heart! 4235

[Mephistopheles knocks at the door.]

faust [stamping his foot]: Who’s t­ here? mephistopheles: A good friend!

4240

faust: A beast! mephistopheles: It’s about time to part. martha [arrives]: Yes, it is late, dear Sir.

4245

faust: May I not escort you? margaret: My m ­ other would—­goodbye! faust: Must I leave? Farewell! martha: Bye!

4250

160  |  Faust, Part I 4255

4260

margaret: ­Until we meet again soon! [Faust and Mephistopheles exit.] Dear God! All the ­things such A man can think of! I stand shamefaced before him, And to every­thing he says I can only reply “yes.” I’m just a poor innocent she And ­can’t imagine what he sees in me. [Exits.] Forest and Cavern49

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4285

faust [alone]: Sublime Spirit,50 ­you’ve granted me every ­thing, Every­thing I asked of you. Not in vain Did you turn your face in the fire t­ oward me. You gave me Nature’s splendor as my realm, And the strength to feel and enjoy it. Not Only cold contemplation do you allow me, But you also permit me a look into her very depths As into the bosom of a friend. You parade the sequence of the living Before me, you teach me how to know my b ­ rothers In the ­silent greenery, and in the air and the w ­ ater. And when the storm thunders and groans in the wood, When the g­ reat fir tree tears adjoining branches, Crushing the nearby trees as it crashes to the ground And the hills thunder in hollow response, Then you lead me to the safety of the cave, Reveal me to myself, and the secret won­ders Of my innermost being come forth. And the pure moon rises before my eyes In its serene ascent, and from the sheer Cliff walls and the damp shrubbery Silver figures of the primal age float up And ease the rigor of contemplation.

F ore st an d C av e rn   | 161

Oh I sense now that we h ­ umans can never attain To any perfection. With this joy that brings Me close and closer to the gods, you also Gave me the companion whom I can no longer Do without, even when he, cold and mocking, Abases me before myself and with a Single breath turns your high gifts to nothing. He fans a flaming desire within my breast For that exquisite image of her. Thus I stagger from desire to enjoyment, And in enjoyment I’m famished with desire.

4290

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4300

[Enter Mephistopheles.]

mephistopheles: ­Will you not soon have had enough of this? How could it please you in the long run? It’s fine to try it once, But then on to something new! faust: I wish you had something better to do To trou­ble me on a good day. mephistopheles: All right! All right! I’m glad to let you rest, You ­don’t have to tell me that twice. With a rude fellow like you, gruff and mad, ­There’s l­ittle to be lost. The w ­ hole day long I’ve got my hands full! What the gentleman likes and what one should leave alone Is never quite apparent from his face. faust: ­You’ve struck just the right tone! You even want my thanks for boring me.

4305

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162  |  Faust, Part I 4325

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4355

mephistopheles: You poor piece of mortality, How would you have carried on without me? I’ve cured you for quite some time From the hodge-­podge of your imagination; And without me, for what it’s worth, You’d already have left the face of the earth. Why should you skulk in caves and crags Hiding like an owl? Why do you suck sustenance like a toad From damp moss and dripping rocks? A delightful way to pass the time! The Professor in you is still in his prime! faust: ­Can’t you see what new vigor My stay in this wilderness has given to me? Yes, if you would be able to guess You’d be devil enough to ruin my happiness. mephistopheles: A transcendent delight! To lie at night on the mountains drenched in dew, And embrace earth and heaven in ecstasy, Let yourself swell up into a divinity, To dig into the marrow of the earth with deep intuition, To feel the six days of creation within you, To savor in the pride of your strength I know not what, And soon overflow onto every­thing in a transport of bliss, The son of earth quite in remission— And then the high intuition— [Makes an obscene gesture.]

I dare not say, how—to conclude. faust: ­You’re disgusting!

F ore st an d C av e rn   | 163

mephistopheles: You dislike this; You claim the right to call it revolting. Chaste ears should never have to hear What chaste hearts cannot bear to do without. In short, I grant you the plea­sure Of lying to yourself on occasion, But you cannot keep it up for long. ­You’re ­really not that strong, And if you keep it up for any stretch You’ll be deranged or a fearful wretch! Enough! Your sweetheart is sitting ­there Feeling sad and confined in her room. She c­ an’t get you out of her mind, She loves you beyond all mea­sure. At first your raging desire came flooding Like the melted snow that overflows a brook; Now your l­ittle stream is shallow again. It seems to me that instead of sitting enthroned in the wood It would become the ­great Lord To reward the poor ­little ninny For her g­ reat love. Her days are pitifully long; She stands by the win­dow and gazes at the clouds Passing over the old city wall. If only I ­were a ­little bird51 she sings All day long and half the night. Sometimes she’s cheerful, but mostly sad, Sometimes out of tears, Then again, so it seems, calm, But always in love. faust: Serpent! Serpent! mephistopheles [to himself]: Yes! Th ­ ere I’ve caught you!

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164  |  Faust, Part I 4395

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faust: You abomination! Get you gone, And do not name the beautiful creature! ­Don’t bring my craving for her sweet flesh Again before my half-­crazed senses! mephistopheles: What’s to be done? She thinks, y­ ou’ve run away And so you have, truth to say. faust: I’m always near her, no m ­ atter how far away, I can never forget her, never lose the dear; Yes, I even envy the body of the Savior When her lips touch the consecrated host. mephistopheles: For sure, my friend, and I have often envied you For that twin pair52 that feeds among roses. faust: Away from me, you pimp!

4415

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4425

mephistopheles: Very nice! You scold me, and I must laugh. The God who created boys and girls Immediately recognized the noblest of professions To give them the opportunity. Let’s away, and end this misery! ­You’re ­going to your sweetheart’s room, Not your doom. faust: What is divine bliss in her arms? Let me grow warm at her breast! ­Don’t I always feel her distress? Am I not a fugitive? Indeed, a homeless one, A brute without aim or rest Who like the waterfall that rushes in headlong

Gretc h e n ’ s Ro o m   | 165

Fury down the cliff-­face into the abyss. And she, with childlike innocence Sits in her cottage in the alpine meadow, With all her daily ­doings Encompassed in that small world. And I, reviled by the gods, ­Wasn’t satisfied that I seized the crags And shattered them to ruins! I had to undermine her peace as well! You, Hell, demanded this sacrifice! Devil, help me to shorten my time of fear! What must be, let it immediately come to pass! May her fate come crashing down on me And she share my catastrophe! mephistopheles: How we boil and b ­ ubble again! Go now and comfort her, you fool! When such a clever head sees no way out, He immediately thinks the game is up. Long live he who knows what he’s about! In other regards y­ ou’re a good student in the infernal school. ­There’s nothing as tasteless anywhere As a devil who gives in to despair. Gretchen’s Room53

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[Gretchen at the spinning wheel alone.]

gretchen: My peace is gone, My heart is sore; I can find it never And nevermore. Where he’s not Is a grave to me,

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166  |  Faust, Part I 4465

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My w ­ hole world has turned Into misery. My poor head Is all awry, My poor mind has flown Into the sky. My peace is gone, My heart is sore; I can find it never And nevermore.

4485

I look out the win­dow Only for him, I leave the h ­ ouse Only to look for him. His majestic manner that I prize, His noble figure, The smile of his mouth, And the vigor of his eyes,

4490

And the magic flow Of his words, and oh The pressure of his hands, And then his kiss!

4495

My peace is gone, My heart is sore, I can find it never And nevermore.

4480

My g­ reat yearning for him Feels like the sweetest sin.

M artha’ s Garde n   | 167

Could I but clasp And hold him close,

4500

I would kiss him To my heart’s content And expire In his love’s fire!

4505

[Margaret. Faust.]

Martha’s Garden

margaret: Promise me, Henry.54

4510

faust: As best I can. margaret: Tell me, where do you stand with regard to religion? ­You’re a very good man, But I fear you d ­ on’t think much of it. faust: Let it be, my girl! You feel that I mean you well; For t­ hose I love I would give body and blood, And ­don’t want to take anyone’s faith or church. margaret: But that’s not right, one must believe in ­ these!

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4525

faust: Must one? margaret: Oh! If only I could convince you! You also ­don’t honor the holy sacraments. faust: I do honor them.

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168  |  Faust, Part I

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margaret: But you d ­ on’t partake of them. You ­haven’t been to mass or confession in a long time. Do you believe in God? faust: My darling, who can say: I believe in God? You may ask a priest or a wise man And their reply Seems only to mock the questioner. margaret: So you d ­ on’t believe?

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faust: ­Don’t ­mistake me, you fair creature! Who can name Him? And who avow I believe in Him? Who can feel And venture to say, I ­don’t believe in Him? The All Embracing, The All Sustaining, ­Doesn’t He contain and sustain You, me, and Himself? ­Doesn’t the sky form a vault above us? ­Doesn’t the earth lie firm beneath your feet? And ­don’t eternal stars rise And shine so kindly upon us? And when I look into your eyes ­Doesn’t every­thing rise Into your head and heart, And weave its eternal secrecy Visibly-­invisibly next to you? Let its vastness fill your soul, And when that feeling has made you blissfully w ­ hole Then call it what you ­w ill,

M artha’ s Garde n   | 169

Happiness! Heart! Love! God! I have no name for it! Feeling is every­thing; Names are the muffled echo and smoke That envelop the glow of Heaven like a fog. margaret: That’s all well and good; Our priest says pretty much the same, Only he uses somewhat dif­fer­ent words. faust: All hearts say it everywhere In the heavenly light of day, Each in its own tongue, Why ­can’t I say it in mine? margaret: When you put it that way, it seems all right, But still ­there’s something not right with it, ­Because ­you’re r­ eally not a Christian.

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faust: Dear girl! margaret: It has long caused me misery To see you in such com­pany.

4590

faust: What do you mean? margaret: That person who’s always at your side, Whom I deeply detest and cannot abide; My w ­ hole life long Nothing in life has caused me such pain As seeing his repulsive face again. faust: Dear sweet ­thing, ­don’t be afraid of him!

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170  |  Faust, Part I

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margaret: His presence makes my blood run cold. Usually I like every­one, But just as I long to see you I feel a secret dread of that man Who I know is a villain up to no good. God forgive me if my judgment is untrue. faust: The world has to have such jokers too. margaret: I could never want to live with someone like him! As soon as he enters a room He has such a sneering grin And he looks half-­angry and grim; It’s easy to see he feels no sympathy for anyone; It’s written on his forehead That he cannot love a single soul. In your arms I feel so ­whole, So warm and ­free, But his appearance constricts my soul. faust: You foreboding angel, you!

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margaret: This overcomes me so much, That as soon as he walks through the door I feel as if I ­didn’t love you anymore. And when he’s ­there, I cannot pray, That eats into my heart too; And Henry, it must be the same for you. faust: You just have an antipathy! margaret: I have to leave now.

4635

faust: But c­ an’t I ever repose at your breast for a l­ittle while, And join heart to heart and soul to soul with you?

M artha’ s Garde n   | 171

margaret: Oh, if only I slept alone! I’d gladly leave the door unlocked to­night for you; But my m ­ other’s sleep is not sound, And if she found us together, I would die on the spot! faust: You angel, t­ here’s no need to worry. ­Here’s a ­little b ­ ottle. Only three drops In her drink and she w ­ ill sink Into a natu­ral deep sleep. margaret: What ­won’t I do for you? I trust it ­w ill do no harm!

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faust: Darling, would I suggest it other­w ise? margaret: Simply by looking at you, dearest man, I ­don’t know what makes me do what I can For you; I’ve already done so much That t­ here’s hardly anything left for me to do. [Exits.]

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[Mephistopheles appears.]

mephistopheles: That pert l­ittle pipsqueak! Has she left?

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faust: Have you been spying again? mephistopheles: I’ve heard in ­great detail How the Professor was catechized; I trust he ­wasn’t too surprised. Girls are always interested to see If their lovers follow old customs and piety. They think: if he kowtows ­there, h ­ e’ll obey us as well. faust: You monster, you cannot see

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172  |  Faust, Part I

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How this truly loving and devout soul Filled with the faith That alone can make her feel blessed Suffers holy tortures to think That the man she loves is a lost soul. mephistopheles: You supersensual sensualist of a suitor, A l­ittle girl leads you by the nose as your tutor! faust: You misbegotten birth of filth and fire!

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mephistopheles: And in physiognomy she’s well versed: In my presence she feels she knows not what, She reads hidden meanings in my ugly mug, She’s certain that I’m a demonic thug; Perhaps even the Devil himself. But what about to­night? faust: What’s that to you? mephistopheles: Ah, I take my plea­sure in it too! At The Well55

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[Gretchen and Lieschen with w ­ ater pitchers.]

lieschen: Have you heard anything from Barbara? 4700

gretchen: Not a word. I ­don’t get out very much.

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lieschen: It’s certain, Sybil told me ­today! She’s fi­nally fooled herself enough to let him have his way. That comes from putting on airs! gretchen: Why so?

At Th e W e ll  | 173

lieschen: It stinks to high heaven! When she eats and drinks she’s feeding two. gretchen: Oh no! lieschen: It fi­nally serves her right. She held on to that fellow so tight! All that gallivanting about, ­Going into the village and dancing, She had to be the first one in line. He paid her court with pastries and wine; She thought she was so pretty and fine, But she was so wanton that she thought it no sin To accept all sorts of pre­sents from him. What a fondling and smooching ­there was, And now the ­little flower’s been plucked! gretchen: The poor ­thing! lieschen: ­Don’t tell me you pity her! When the rest of us had to spin and weave, And our ­mothers kept us in at night, ­She’d stand with her sweetheart By the bench near the door or in the dark hallway And no hour was too long for them. Now let her bow her head, And do penance in church in a sinner’s shirt! gretchen: But surely he w ­ ill marry her. lieschen: He’d have to be a fool! A clever lad Knows where fresher air is to be had. He’s flown the coop. gretchen: But that’s not nice!

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174  |  Faust, Part I

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lieschen: If she catches him, it ­won’t go well for her. The boys ­w ill tear her wedding wreath, And ­we’ll pile chaff at her door! [Exits.] gretchen: How bravely could I scold as well When some poor girl went wrong! My tongue ­couldn’t find enough words To condemn o­ thers’ sins! What seemed black to me, and blacker still I blackened even more with a good w ­ ill, And blessed myself and felt so g­ rand And now I stand exposed to sin myself. But all that drove me to this Oh God! It was so good! It was such bliss! The Town Wall

[A picture of the Mater Dolorosa56 in a niche in the wall; vases with flowers 4760

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before it.]

gretchen [puts fresh flowers in the vases]: Oh please incline57 You who are so rich in suffering Your countenance in pity of this ­great need of mine. With the sword piercing your heart, And a thousand agonies that tore it apart You beheld the death of your son. You looked up to the F ­ ather, And sent your sighs up to Him For his and your need.

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Who could feel The g­ reat pain

N igh t  | 175

Afflicting my brain? What my poor heart dreads, What makes it t­ remble, what it seeks Only you, only you can ascertain! Wherever I may go What woe, what woe, what woe Lodges in my bosom ­here! No sooner when I am alone I weep, weep, and moan And my heart breaks. The flower pots by my win­dow I watered with my tears When early in the morning I picked ­these flowers to bring h ­ ere. When in the early morning The bright sun shone into my room I sat up in my bed in misery All too soon. Help! Save me from ignominy and death! Oh please incline You who are so rich in suffering Your countenance in pity of this ­great need of mine!

[Street before Gretchen’s door.]

Night

valentine [soldier, Gretchen’s ­brother]: When I used to sit drinking with my friends It was the custom to brag, And they would praise to the skies The pretty girls on whom t­ hey’d laid their eyes,

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176  |  Faust, Part I

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With full glasses washing down their praise. With my elbows propped upon the t­ able And in perfect confidence I was able To listen to all their boastful ranting. I’d stroke my beard with a smile, And when it came my turn I’d say: Each to his own! But in this entire land is ­there a single one Like my dear Gretel, Or who can match her beauty in any way? Right! Right! Down the hatch! The chorus resounded; She’s the ornament of the w ­ hole sex, the only one! And all the boasters ­were struck dumb. But now! It’s enough to make me tear my hair And climb the walls!— Now ­every lowlife can look down his nose at me And heap me with insults for all to see! Like a bankrupt I’ll have to sit, And ­every passing slight w ­ ill make me sweat! And even if I beat them to a pulp t­ oday I still could not deny the truth of what they say. But who comes ­here? What’s sneaking by? ­Unless I’m mistaken, ­there are two of them. If it’s him, I’ll grab him by the throat, He w ­ on’t get out of h ­ ere alive! [Enter Faust and Mephistopheles.]

faust: As the win­dow of the vestry over t­ here Is lit by the light of the eternally flickering flame That fades in the eve­ning air And the darkness closes in all around! So gathers the night in my breast as well.

N igh t  | 177

mephistopheles: I’m like the slender l­ittle cat That slinks past the fire ladders And creeps by the walls; I feel entirely virtuous, But also in the mood to snatch a bit of lechery. The splendid Walpurgis Night Already twitches in my limbs; It’s coming again the day a­ fter tomorrow, So every­one knows to stay awake.

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faust: In the meantime is the trea­sure58 rising That I see glimmering back t­ here? mephistopheles: Soon you w ­ ill have the plea­sure Of lifting out that golden bucket. I peeked into it the other day, And it’s full of splendid golden ducats. faust: No jewelry, no ring To adorn my dear mistress? mephistopheles: I saw something ­there, It looked like a string of pearls.

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faust: That’s good! I hate To visit her without a pre­sent. mephistopheles: It ­shouldn’t spoil your plea­sure To enjoy something for ­free. Now that the heavens are bright with stars, You ­shall hear a true masterpiece: I’m ­going to sing a moral song for her To infatuate her more.

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178  |  Faust, Part I [He sings, accompanying himself on a zither.]

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Sweet l­ittle Catherine,59 My dear, what are You ­doing ­here at your sweetheart’s door So early in the morning? Let it be, let it be! No bar to your entry, A Miss you go in through the door, But leave a Miss no more. O do take care! Young men w ­ ill do it, if they come to it, Then good night, You poor, poor t­ hings! If you hold yourself dear ­Don’t let the thief come near Nor do him any ­favor ­Until his ring is on your fin­ger. valentine [comes forward]: Hell and high ­water! You damned rat-­catcher, Who are you luring h ­ ere? First to the Devil with your instrument! And then to the Devil with you! mephistopheles: The zither is in two! It’s ruined.

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valentine: And now it’s time to break some heads! mephistopheles [to Faust]: Professor, no yielding now! Fight! Stay to my right, and do as I say.

N igh t  | 179

Out with your feather duster! Keep on thrusting, and I ­w ill parry.

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valentine: Let’s see you parry this one! mephistopheles: And why not?

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valentine: And this one! mephistopheles: For sure! valentine: It seems the Devil is the swordsman! What’s this? My hand is ­going lame!

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mephistopheles [to Faust]: Stab him! valentine: I’m hurt! mephistopheles: Now that lout is tame! But out of ­here! We have to dis­appear. ­They’re already shouting murder. I can deal with the police, but not with The high court’s blood decree.

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martha [at the win­dow]: Come! Come! gretchen [at the win­dow]: Bring a light!

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martha [same as above]: Th ­ ere’s brawling and scolding, ­there’s screaming and fighting! townspeople: ­Here’s one lying dead! martha [emerging]: Have the murderers already fled?

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180  |  Faust, Part I

gretchen [emerging]: Who is that on the ground? 4950

townspeople: Your ­mother’s son! gretchen: Almighty God! How horrible!

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valentine: I’m ­dying! That’s easily said, And even more easily done. You ­women, why do you stand h ­ ere and wail? Come near and listen to me! [They surround him.] My Gretchen, see, ­you’re still young, ­You’re not yet smart enough And make a mess of t­ hings. Let me tell you this in confidence: ­A fter all y­ ou’re a whore, So make the best of that. gretchen: My b ­ rother! God! How can you say such a t­ hing! valentine: Let’s leave our Lord out of this business. What’s done is done, And what ­w ill come, w ­ ill come. You started first secretly with one, But soon t­ here w ­ ill be several more, And when it adds up to a dozen The w ­ hole town ­w ill have you, you whore. When scandal is first born It comes secretly into the world, And the veil of night is furled Over its head and ears; Indeed, one would prefer to kill it. But once it grows and becomes proud It walks boldly bare by day, Yet still carries the taint of its blight.

N igh t  | 181

The uglier its face has grown The more it seeks broad daylight. Truly I can see the time When all the good townspeople ­Will turn aside from a strumpet like you As from an infected corpse. Your heart w ­ ill sink within you When they look into your eyes! No longer w ­ ill you wear a golden chain! Nor in the church stand at the altar again! Nor feel at your ease ever again At dances in your fine lace collar! In some dark miserable corner you’ll have to hide And among beggars and cripples abide, And even if God forgives your transgression ­Here below you should be cursed without remission!

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martha: Commend your soul to God’s grace! ­Don’t load it with blasphemy! valentine: If only I could lay my hands on scarecrow you, You pimping crone I’d beat you black and blue! ­There I’d hope to find a rich mea­sure of forgiveness For all the ways I’ve found to transgress. gretchen: Oh my b ­ rother, what infernal pain! valentine: I say, enough tears! When you set your maiden honor apart You stabbed me straight through the heart. Through the sleep of death I go to God, Drawing my last breath as a soldier brave and decent. [Dies.]

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182  |  Faust, Part I

Cathedral

[High mass, organ, and choir. Gretchen among a crowd. Evil spirit ­ behind her.] 5020

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evil spirit:60 How dif­fer­ent you felt, Gretchen, When in full innocence You stepped up to the altar, And from the much fingered missal You lisped your prayers, Half in child’s play, Half with God in your heart. Gretchen! How is it with you now? What crime is deep In your heart? Are you praying for your m ­ other’s soul that through your ­doing Crossed over in her sleep to long, long torments? And on your doorstep whose blood? And beneath your heart ­Isn’t t­ here something swelling that Frightens you and it With a foreboding presence? gretchen: Woe is me! If only I could be rid of t­ hese thoughts Which cross and vex My peace of mind. choir:61 Dies irae, dies illa Solvet saeclum in favilla. [Organ m ­ usic.] evil spirit: Wrath has you in its grip! The trumpet sounds! The graves quake!

C ath e dr al  | 183

And your heart Restored from The peace of ashes To the agony of the flames Also quakes!

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gretchen: If only I ­were away from ­here! I feel as if the organ is Taking away my breath, And the song Penetrates the depths of my heart.

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choir: Judex ergo cum sedebit, Quidquid latet adparebit, Nil inultum remanebit.

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gretchen: Every­thing presses in on me! The wall and pillars Imprison me! The vault stifles me!—­A ir! evil spirit: Hide yourself! Sin and shame Do not remain hidden. Air? Light? Woe unto you! choir: Quid sum miser tunc dicturus? Quem patronum rogaturus? Cum vix justus sit securus. evil spirit: Blessed souls turn away Their ­faces from you. ­Those who are pure Dread giving you their hands. Woe!

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184  |  Faust, Part I

choir: Quid sum miser tunc dicturus?

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gretchen: Neighbor! Your smelling salts!62 [She faints.] Walpurgis Night63

[The Harz Mountains. Region near Schierke and Elend.]64 5095

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mephistopheles: ­Wouldn’t you like a broomstick? I’d like the horniest old goat. On this path ­we’re still far from our goal. faust: So long as my legs still feel fresh This gnarled stick is enough for me. What’s the use of shortening the way! To wander in this labyrinth of valleys And then ascend ­these crags From which a stream of ­water cascades down Is the spice that makes t­ hese paths so pleasant. Spring is already weaving in the birch trees And even the forest firs can feel it; ­Shouldn’t it also stir in our limbs? mephistopheles: I certainly d ­ on’t feel any of that! It’s still winter in my limbs, and I’d prefer frost and snow on my path. How sadly the imperfect disk Of the red moon rises with a belated glow And lights badly, so that with ­every step We stumble against a rock or tree! I need a will-­o’-­the-­w isp so I can see! Over t­ here one is burning merrily. You, t­ here! My friend! May I ask you to join us? Why should you flame to no purpose? Be so good and light our way up ­there!

Walp urgis N igh t  | 185

will-­o ’-­t he-­w isp:65 I hope with all re­spect I ­w ill succeed In controlling my easy-­going ways. Usually I only go zig-­zag. mephistopheles: Well! Well! You seek to mimic humanity, Just go straight in the Dev­il’s name Or ­else I’ll blow out your flickering flame. will-­o ’-­t he-­w isp: I’ve noted well that y­ ou’re the master of the ­house, And ­w ill be happy to accommodate you. But do recall that the mountain runs mad with magic ­today, And if a will-­o’-­the-­w isp is to show you the way You ­can’t be too par­tic­u­lar about it. faust, mephistopheles, and the will-­o ’-­t he-­w isp [singing in turn]: It seems that we have entered h ­ ere Into the dream and magic sphere. Guide us and perform well That we ­w ill rapidly reach Regions wide and bleak! I see the trees and b ­ ehind trees, How quickly they move past us, And the cliffs that bend low, And the long rock-­noses How t­ hese snore and blow! Through the rocks, through the grass Stream and streamlet hurry down. Do I hear a rushing sound? Songs? Fair lovers’ moans, Voices of ­those heavenly days? Of what we hope for, what we love!

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186  |  Faust, Part I

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And the echo from above Resounds like the tales of old. Too-­woo! Too-­woo! sounds nearby, The owl, the peewit, and the jay Have they all stayed awake ­today? And are ­those newts in the bushes? Long legs and fat bellies! And the roots, like snakes Twist out from rock and sand, Stretch queer bands To frighten us, to hold us; From lively tangled brakes Polyp-­fibers stretch all round To catch the weary wanderer. And mice, myriad-­colored, in hordes In the moss and in the heather! And the fireflies fly In dense swarms through the sky As our confusing escort. But tell me if we should stay Or if we should move on? Every­thing seems to be whirling about, Cliffs and trees make grimaces As well as the wandering lights That puff up and increase all around us. mephistopheles: Take a firm hold of my coattails! ­Here’s a kind of intermediate peak That to our astonishment shows How Mammon66 in the mountain glows. faust: How strangely a dim dawning sheen Glimmers in the valleys below, Casting its rays even into The deepest chasms of the abyss.

Walp urgis N igh t  | 187

­ ere steam rises, ­there vapor plumes drift by, H The glow of fire shines through a hazy veil, Then it slinks like a frail thread Or spills forth like a fountain into the sky. For a long stretch h ­ ere it winds In a hundred veins through the vale, And then squeezed into a corner It shrinks to a single strand. Sparks spray into the air Like scattered grains of golden sand. But look! Up to its very height The cliff-­face now is burning bright. mephistopheles: ­Hasn’t Lord Mammon lit up the palace Magnificently for this feast? ­You’re lucky to have seen this, I can already sense the arrival of unruly guests. faust: How the wind-­demon rages through the air! With what blows she buffets my neck! mephistopheles: ­Unless you seize the ribs of the rocks ­there ­She’ll plunge you into the depths of ­these gorges. A fog thickens the dark night, Hear the uproar in the forest! Owls fly off in fear. Listen to the columns splinter In the evergreen palaces. The cracking and breaking of branches! The tree trunks’ mighty groans! The roots creak and moan! In horrific confusion they crash All over each other, And through the fragment-­heaped chasms The winds hiss and howl.

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188  |  Faust, Part I

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Do you hear voices on high Coming from far and near? Yes, along the entire mountain A furious magical song streams! chorus of witches: The Witches on Brocken Mountain ­w ill be seen, The stubble is yellow, the seed is green. ­There gathers the g­ reat horde To see Master Urian above, their Lord. Pell-­mell over stick and stone, cheek-­by-­cheek, The witches fart, and the old goats reek. voice: Old Baubo comes alone now, Riding on a m ­ other sow. chorus: Then honor ­those to whom honor is due! Up front Dame Baubo leads the pack, A stalwart sow with our m ­ other on her back, And all the witches in her track. voice: How did you come?

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voice: By way of the Ilsenstein! There I peeked into an owl’s nest. She made eyes at me! voice: Oh go to Hell at last! You are riding too fast! voice: She’s flayed me! See, h ­ ere are my wounds!

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chorus of witches: The path is broad, the path is long, What is this crazy throng?

Walp urgis N igh t  | 189

The pitchfork stabs, the broomstick pokes, The m ­ other bursts, the fetus chokes. warlocks, half-­c horus: We creep like the snail into its shell, The w ­ omen go faster and very well. ­Because if you go to the Evil One’s h ­ ouse ­They’re a thousand steps ahead of us. warlocks [other half-­chorus]: We d ­ on’t let this throw us off, ­Because however much they may rush, What it takes w ­ omen a thousand steps to do We can do it in a single leap or two.

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voice [from above]: Come with us, come with us, from the rock-­bound lake! voice [from below]: We’d rather be with you up ­t here! We scrub ourselves and are perfectly clean, But forever sterile, it would seem. both choruses: The wind dies down, the stars flee, The dim moon hides and is hard to see. In the rush the magic choir Sprays a thousand sparks of fire.

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voice from below: Stop! Stop! voice from above: Who’s calling from the chasm? voice from below: Take me with you! Take me with you! I’ve been climbing for three hundred years, And still cannot reach the peak To join the friends that I seek.

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190  |  Faust, Part I

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both choruses: A broom or a stick ­w ill carry you, A pitchfork or a goat ­w ill too; And ­those who ­can’t ascend t­ oday Are lost for all eternity.

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half-­w itch [below]: I’ve scurried a­ fter you so long; But the o­ thers are so fleet and strong! At home I have no peace, And even h ­ ere I find no release.

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chorus of witches: An unction gives the witches gumption, Any rag ­w ill do for a sail, ­Every trough makes a good ship And he who c­ an’t fly ­today is forever unfit. both choruses: And when we circle round the peak, Then you flit along the ground, And cover the heather all around With your swarm of witchery. [They land on the ground.] mephistopheles: What pushing and shoving, what sliding and clattering! What a hissing swirl, and bog of babbling! Glowing sparks spray and stink and burn! A veritable witch’s churn! Hold on to me or e­ lse we two ­w ill be separated. Where are you? faust [in the distance]: ­Here! mephistopheles: What? Already dragged over ­there? I’ll have to assert my birthright h ­ ere. Make way, Squire Voland67 is ­here. Sweet rabble, make way! ­Here, Professor, grab hold of me! And now, in one leap

Walpurgis N igh t  | 191

Let us escape from this crush; It’s too much even for someone like me. I see a very peculiar light is shining over t­ here, Something pulls me over t­ oward t­ hose bushes. Come, come! Let’s slip in and see.

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faust: You spirit of contradiction! Lead on! You can guide me. I do think this was cleverly done: We trek up to the Brocken during Walpurgis Night, Only to isolate ourselves and be alone.

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mephistopheles: Oh, but look what bright flames! ­There’s a lively club at its games. In a small group y­ ou’re never alone.

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faust: But I’d rather be on top up t­ here! I see the fire and swirling smoke in the air. The crowds press ­toward the Evil One Where t­ here must be answers to many riddles. mephistopheles: But many riddles are also posed. Let the ­great world go its way, ­We’ll linger in a quiet spot t­ oday. It’s long been the practice That in the ­great world one makes many l­ittle ones. Over t­ here I see young witches naked and bare, And old ones covered up so folks d ­ on’t stare. Be sociable, if only for my sake, And enjoy the fun for the ­little effort you make. I hear some instruments resound! A damned racket! You have to get used to it. Come along with me! Come! You have no choice, I’ll step over t­ here and make the introduction, And you’ll be obliged to me anew.

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192  |  Faust, Part I

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What say you, my friend? It’s no small space. Just look over t­ here, you can hardly see it end. A hundred fires are burning in a row; Some dance, some chat, some cook, some drink, and some make love; Tell me now, is ­there anything better h ­ ere below or above? faust: When you make your introduction do you plan To pre­sent yourself as magician or devil in this production? mephistopheles: Though I’m much in the habit of g­ oing incognito, On gala days one likes to put one’s medals on show. A garter lends me no distinction as such, But h ­ ere a cloven hoof is honored very much. Do you see the snail creeping over t­ here? Though it feels its way with its blind face It has already sensed my presence in this place. Even if I wanted to, I ­can’t deny my identity h ­ ere. Come now! ­We’ll go from fire to fire, And I’ll be the spokesman while you woo. [To several seated around d ­ ying embers.]

You aged gentlemen, what are you ­doing ­here in this secluded spot? I would praise you if I saw you seated nicely in the midst Of the hullaballoo of youthful riot; At home every­one’s alone enough. a general: Who can put his trust in nations No m ­ atter how much y­ ou’ve done for them; The p ­ eople are like ­women, They always value youth above all.

Walp urgis N igh t  | 193

a minister: We’ve strayed too far from what is right and good, I praise the good old days of proper men; When we ­were on top then That truly was the golden age. parvenu: We certainly ­were not stupid, And often did what we should not; But now every­thing is topsy-­t urvy, Just when we’d like to keep what w ­ e’ve got. author: Who nowadays would want to read A work that shows some signs of good sense! And as for the younger generation ­There’ve never been such smart-­a lecks in any nation. mephistopheles [who suddenly appears very old]: I feel the p ­ eople are ready for the Last Judgment, Since this is my last time climbing up Witch Mountain, And since my ­little barrel is a clouded fountain The world too is in decline. huckster witch: You gentlemen, ­don’t pass me by! ­Don’t miss this opportunity! Have a good look at my wares, I’ve quite a variety of good fare. And yet ­there’s nothing in my shop That d ­ oesn’t resemble something on this earth That h ­ asn’t at some point greatly Harmed humanity and the world. ­There’s not a dagger h ­ ere that ­hasn’t dripped with blood, No beaker from which poison’s hot flood Has not destroyed a healthy body, No jewelry that has not seduced an amiable lady,

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194  |  Faust, Part I

No treacherous sword that has not stabbed most cruelly The opponent from b ­ ehind. 5440

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mephistopheles: My dear Aunt! ­You’re quite b ­ ehind the times! What’s done is done, and then some! You need to shift to novelties! Only novelties attract and please. faust: I must not take leave of my senses h ­ ere! That this is an amazing carnival is clear! mephistopheles: The swarming horde is rushing to the peak, You think y­ ou’re pushing when ­you’re being pushed. faust: And who is that?

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mephistopheles: Take a good look at her. It’s Lilith. faust: Who?

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mephistopheles: Adam’s first wife.68 Beware of her enchanting hair, The only ornament she needs to wear. When with that she snares a young man ­She’ll hold on to him so long as she can. faust: The two sitting over t­ here, the old one with the young one; They must have been jumping and leaping and then some! mephistopheles: ­There’s no end of that t­ oday. A new dance is beginning, come on, let’s make hay.

Walpurgis N igh t  | 195

faust [dancing with the young witch]: Once I had a beautiful dream: I saw an apple tree And in it I could see two gleaming apples, They tempted me, so I climbed the tree. the pretty one: ­Those apples have tempted your eyes Since the days of Paradise. I’m delighted to let you know That now such apples in my garden grow. mephistopheles [with the Old One]: Once I had the wildest dream; In the cleft of a tree I could see A g­ reat big hole; As big as it was, it d ­ idn’t scare me! the old one: I offer my best greeting in meeting The knight with the cloven hoof! If he’s ready with his pole And not afraid of that big hole. proctofantasist:69 Damned rabble! How dare you? ­Hasn’t it been proven to you long ago That spirits ­can’t walk on ordinary feet? And now ­you’re dancing, like real ­humans on the street! the pretty witch [dancing]: What’s that one d ­ oing at our ball? faust [dancing]: Oh, he’s everywhere where p ­ eople party. He needs to judge how ­others dance. And if he ­doesn’t get a chance to see each step Then your best moves are simply wasted. What irritates him most of all is when we move forward.

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196  |  Faust, Part I

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If you simply turn in a circle The way his old grinding mill does, He’d praise it with his best word; Especially if you offered him a greeting.

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proctofantasist: ­You’re still ­here! How outrageous! Dis­appear now! ­Haven’t you heard that ­we’ve become enlightened! This dev­il’s crew ignores all the rules! ­We’re so clear-­headed now, but still Tegel is haunted. How long I’ve sought to sweep away this delusion, But it’s never clean, to my g­ reat revulsion!

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the pretty witch: So stop your boring prattle!

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proctofantasist: I’ll tell you spirits to your face I ­can’t put up with this spirit tyranny From which my mind c­ an’t seem to set us f­ ree. [The dancing continues.] I see I ­won’t succeed t­ oday, But an account of my travels70 I’m ready to write And I still hope before my final journey Through exorcism to set the dev­ils and the poets right. mephistopheles: He’s g­ oing to put his bum into a puddle; That’s his way to find relief from his muddle, And when leeches feast on his ­behind He’s cured of both spirits and of mind. [To Faust, who has ­stopped dancing.]

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Why did you abandon that pretty young girl Who sang so sweetly to you?

Walp urgis N igh t  | 197

faust: Ugh! In the m ­ iddle of her song A l­ittle red mouse jumped out of her mouth. mephistopheles: So what? Why quibble about such t­ hings ­today; At least the mouse ­wasn’t gray. Who cares when you are on the make?

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faust: And then I saw— mephistopheles: What? faust: Mephisto, do you see in the distance ­there A beautiful pale child, standing all alone? She’s moving slowly, And it appears her feet are fettered. I have to say that it seems to be My dear Gretchen that I see.71 mephistopheles: Let that be! No good can come of it. It’s a magic illusion, lifeless, an idol. To encounter it brings bad luck; Its stark stare freezes up the blood And turns you almost into stone. The story of the Medusa72 is well known. faust: Indeed, t­ hose are the eyes of someone dead, Eyes that no loving hands have closed, That is the breast that Gretchen offered to me, And that is the sweet body I held in such ecstasy. mephistopheles: That’s all sorcery, you easily-­g ulled fool! To every­one she appears as his sweetheart.

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198  |  Faust, Part I 5575

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faust: What delight! What pain! I cannot part from this image again. But how odd that her pretty neck Is graced by single red thread Not wider than a knife’s blade! mephistopheles: ­You’re right! I can see it as well. She can also carry her head u ­ nder her arm; Perseus73 did her that harm. But you ­can’t get your fill of illusions! Come on up to the ­little hill where ­Things are just as jolly as in the Prater,74 And ­unless someone’s fooling me I think I see a theater. What’s on offer ­there? mr. at-­y our-­s ervice: It’s about to begin. A new piece, the last of seven. It’s the custom ­here to offer so much fare. A dabbler wrote it, And it’s being acted by amateurs. Excuse me if on you I turn my back But I’m the curtain-­raising hack. mephistopheles: It’s good to find your crew on the Blocksberg ­here, ­Because that’s where you should appear. Walpurgis Night Dream, or Oberon and Titania’s Golden Wedding75 Intermezzo stage man­a g­e r: ­Today we take a day of rest You busy sons of Mieding.76

WALPURGIS NIGHT DREAM  | 199

Ancient mountain and misty vale That’s the scene for our tale. herald: For a wedding to be golden Fifty years must have gone by; Once the quarreling is done, I prefer the golden one. oberon: If you spirits are where I dwell Then show us in ­these hours in between That the King and Queen Are united anew and well. puck: ­Here’s Puck who whirls askew On his fleet feet in circles, A hundred ­others w ­ ill turn up too To join in the entertainment. ariel: Ariel strikes up the song In pure ethereal tones; Misfits arrive in throngs, But he also draws some beauties. oberon: Spouses who wish to live in harmony, Learn from us two! When c­ ouples should be joined heart to heart All you have to do is keep them apart. titania: If the husband sulks and the wife acts prim Seize them both nimbly And send her to the southern zone And him to the North Pole all alone. orchestra tutti [fortissimo]: Flies’ wings and gnats’ noses

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200  |  Faust, Part I 5645

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With their near relatives, Frogs in the fo­liage and crickets in the grass ­Those are our musicians. solo: ­Here comes the bagpipe, It’s the Soap B ­ ubble. You can hear the snail’s silly sniveling Through his nose that’s shriveling. the immature spirit: Spider’s leg, toad’s belly And miniature wings of the teensy fellow: ­There’s no living beastie h ­ ere to see, But t­ here is some silly poetry. a small c­ ouple: We take small steps and high leaps Through honeydew and fragrant air; Though your tripping feet w ­ ill do for me, Higher up w ­ e’ll never be. curious traveler: ­Isn’t this a mocking masquerade? Can I trust my eyes to see ­Great Oberon In all his divinity? orthodox:77 No claws, no tail! But t­ here c­ an’t be any doubt That like the gods of Greece He too is a devil. northern artist:78 What I attempt ­today Is truly only a sketch; But in due time I w ­ ill make my way On my Italian journey. purist: My bad luck has brought me h ­ ere,

WALPURGIS NIGHT DREAM  | 201

Where t­ here is nothing but lechery, I fear! And among this entire witches’ crew Only two wear powder. young witch: Powder and skirt are for Gray old crones who cannot flirt; That’s why I sit naked on my goat And display my bare butt. matron: I am too genteel To exchange words with a slut, But I do hope that in your young and tender state Rotting bones w ­ ill be your fate. conductor: Snout of fly and nose of mosquito ­Don’t swarm about the naked beauty! Frog in fo­liage and hopper in the grass, Do your duty and keep the tempo of the concerto! weathervane79 [turned to one side]: The best com­pany one can wish to see! Nothing but brides-­to-­be! And hopeful bachelors galore For them to adore. weathervane [turned to the other side]: And if the earth d ­ oesn’t open up To swallow them all Then with nimble steps I ­w ill Jump directly into hell! biting verses:80 As insects we are h ­ ere With small sharp shears To offer our f­ ather and patron The honors due to Satan.

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202  |  Faust, Part I 5715

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hennings:81 Behold how this compendious crew Makes their silly jokes at you! In the end t­ hey’ll even say They came ­here for your good t­ oday. musaget [follower of the Muses]: I ­wouldn’t mind blending in With this lot of witches; It’s easier to lead ­these spirits fine Than the Muses nine. quondam spirit of the age: You need to know the right ­people to get ahead. Grab hold of my coattail to ­ride up, Mount Brocken, like the German Parnassus, Has plenty of room at the top. the curious traveler: Do tell, who is that stiff-­necked man Who struts on such proud feet? He sniffs what­ever and wherever he can, “And scents a Jesuit.” crane:82 I like to fish in clear As well as troubled ­waters. Thus you see the pious man Mixing with dev­ils when he can. worldly youth:83 Believe me, for the pious man Every­thing’s a vehicle; And atop the Brocken ­here They found many a conventicle. dancer: Is ­there a new chorus coming? I hear a distant drumming.

WALPURGIS NIGHT DREAM  | 203

Rest assured, it’s only the bitterns in the reeds Together in one voice humming. the dancing master: How they lift their legs like fops! How they seek to dance by the book! The hunchback leaps, the plump one hops, And ­don’t care how they look! fiddler: They hate each other, this riffraff crew ­They’d cut each other’s throats, But the bagpipe unites this entire Group of beasts like Orpheus’s lyre. dogmatist:84 I’m not ­going to let myself be put out By your criticism or doubt. A Devil certainly t­ here must be, Else whence came t­ hese dev­ils that we see? idealist: To­night my own fantasy Dominates me tyrannically. Indeed, if I am all I see Then I must be crazy. realist: Being’s become a torture to me, And my annoyance is complete: For the first time ever I ­can’t stand firmly on my feet. supernaturalist: I’m delighted to be ­here And enjoy ­these creatures of Hell, ­Because of them I have no fear That better spirits exist as well. skeptic: They trace the path of the flame And think t­ hey’re near the trea­sure.

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204  |  Faust, Part I 5785

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Since “devil” is linked with the word “doubt” I know what I’m about. conductor:85 Frog in fo­liage and hopper in the grass, Damned dilettantes! Snout of fly and nose of mosquito, Show that y­ ou’re musicians! the clever ones: Sans souci or “worry-­free” we happy Creatures are called; Since our feet are oft misled We now walk on our head. the hapless ones: We used to cadge many a meal, So God help us! But now that our shoes are worn through, Our naked feet ­w ill have to do. will-­o ’-­t he-­w isps: From the swamp w ­ e’ve emerged Where we first came into being, But now y­ ou’re seeing Us h ­ ere as dashing gallants. shooting star: From g­ reat heights I shot down In star fire and heat, But now that I’m lying flat in the grass Who’ll help me to my feet? the bullies: Make room for us, lots of room! The grass is trodden down, And spirits are coming soon, Beefy spirits with strong limbs. puck: Trample not so crudely h ­ ere Like fattened elephants’ calves,

B le ak Day, A F ie ld   | 205

The sprightliest who s­ hall appear ­Today is Puck, the prankster himself. ariel: If a loving Nature Or some ­great spirit gave you wings, Then trace my path along the air To the hill of roses t­ here! orchestra [pianissimo]: Cavalcade of clouds and veil of mist Grow bright with coming day. Breeze in the leaves, wind in the reeds, And all is blown away.

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Bleak Day, A Field86

[Enter Faust and Mephistopheles.]

faust: In misery! In despair! Pitifully wandering the earth, and now in prison! That fair unfortunate creature locked in jail as a criminal and exposed to unspeakable agonies! It’s come to this, to this! You treacherous, worthless demon, and ­you’ve kept this from me! Stand t­ here, just stand, and roll your infernal eyes at me in fury! Stand t­ here and mock me with your insufferable presence! Imprisoned! In irreparable misery! Delivered up to evil spirits and to a judging and unfeeling humanity! And in the meantime you lull me with tasteless distractions, conceal from me her growing misery, and deliver her helpless to utter destruction!

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mephistopheles: She’s not the first. faust: You dog! Miserable wretch! Transform him, you g­ reat infinite Spirit! Turn this snake back into his canine form, in which it pleased him to trot before me at night, to roll at the harmless wanderer’s feet and jump on his shoulders as he fell.

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206  |  Faust, Part I 5855

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Transform him again into his favorite shape, so that he can crawl on his belly in the dirt and I can trample on him with my feet, the reprobate! Not the first! Such suffering! Suffering! It’s not to be grasped by any ­human soul that more than one creature has sunk to such depths of misery, that the first one ­didn’t do enough for the guilt of all the o­ thers in his writhing agony of death before the eyes of the eternal Divine Mercy! The misery of this single soul tears me to the marrow, and you calmly smirk at the fate of thousands! mephistopheles: Once again w ­ e’re at the limit of our wits, ­there where you h ­ umans take leave of your senses. Why did you make common cause with us, if you ­can’t stay the course? You want to fly but are afraid of vertigo? Did we force ourselves upon you, or you on us? faust: ­Don’t grind your voracious teeth at me! You disgust me! ­Great and splendid Spirit87 who honored me with your appearance, you who know my heart and my soul, why have you chained me to this vile miscreant who gloats at my misfortune and who feeds on destruction? mephistopheles: Are you done?

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faust: Save her! Or may the most execrable curse descend on you for thousands of years! mephistopheles: I cannot undo the bonds of the Revenger, or open his bolts. Save her!—­W ho was it, that hurled her into destruction—me or you?

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[Faust looks around wildly.]

mephistopheles: Are you reaching for thunder? It’s a good ­thing it w ­ asn’t given to you mere mortals! To smash the

N igh t, Ope n F ie ld   | 207

innocent one who opposes you, that’s how tyrants behave when ­they’re embarrassed.

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faust: Take me to her! She s­ hall be freed! mephistopheles: And what about the danger that you w ­ ill expose yourself to? You must know that the guilt of blood spilled by your hand still hangs over the city. Avenging spirits hover over the place where the victim was killed and await the return of the murderer.

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faust: That from you as well? May death and murder descend on you, you monster! Take me to her, I tell you, and ­free her! mephistopheles: I ­w ill take you t­ here, and hear what I can do! Do I have all the powers of heaven and earth? I w ­ ill shroud the jailer’s senses in fog, and you can take the key and lead her out with your own hand! I w ­ ill keep watch! The magic h ­ orses are ready, and I ­w ill carry the two of you away. This I can do.

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faust: Up and away! Night, Open Field

[Enter Faust, Mephistopheles riding furiously on black h ­ orses.]

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faust: What are they ­doing weaving around the Raven Stone?88 mephistopheles: ­Don’t know what t­ hey’re brewing and ­doing. faust: They float up, float down, they bow and bend.

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208  |  Faust, Part I 5925

mephistopheles: A coven of witches. faust: They strew and consecrate. mephistopheles: Ride on! Ride on!

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Prison faust [in front of an iron door with a bundle of keys and a lamp]: A long forgotten horror descends upon me, And I feel the full weight of h ­ uman misery. ­Here she sits ­behind this damp wall, Her only crime was a generous delusion! You hesitate to go to her! Your fear to see her again! Quick! Your hesitation brings on her death. [He seizes the lock; singing is heard from inside.]

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My ­mother,89 the whore Murdered me! My f­ ather, the knave Wolfed me down! My ­little ­sister Collected my bones In a cool place of stones; Then I became a pretty forest bird; Fly away, away unheard! faust [unlocking the door]: She has no idea that her lover is listening, Hears the chains clank, the straw as it rustles. [He enters.]

Prison   | 209

margaret [trying to hide in her straw bedding]: Oh no! They are coming! ­Bitter death!

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faust [softly]: Quiet! Quiet! I’ve come to ­free you. margaret [rolling on the ground ­toward him]: If ­you’re ­human, take pity on my plight.

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faust: You cries ­w ill wake the jailors out of their sleep! [He unlocks the chains.] margaret [on her knees]: Who, executioner, Has given you this power over me? Why do you fetch me already at midnight? Have mercy and let me live! ­Isn’t tomorrow morning early enough? [She stands up.] I’m still so young, so young! And now must die so soon! I was pretty as well, and that was my doom. My friend was close by, now he’s far away. My bridal wreath is torn to shreds, the flowers scattered. ­Don’t seize me with such rude hands! Spare me! What have I done to you? ­Don’t let me plead in vain, In all my days I’ve never laid eyes on you!

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faust: How can I survive this grief? margaret: Now I’m completely in your power, But first let me nurse my child. I hugged it close the entire night; They took it from me and that w ­ asn’t right, And now they say I’ve killed it. I ­w ill never be happy again.

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210  |  Faust, Part I 5995

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They even sing songs about me! How mean p ­ eople can be! An old story ends that way, But who can say it means me t­ oday? faust [falling at her feet]: Your lover lies at your feet to set you ­free From the dire bondage of your misery. margaret [throwing herself on him]: Oh let us kneel together, pray to the saints! Look! Beneath ­these steps, ­Under this sill, ­There’s the hissing cauldron of Hell! The Evil One With horrific ferocity Makes a dreadful racket! faust [aloud]: Gretchen! Gretchen!

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margaret [attentive]: That was the voice of my beloved! [She jumps up; the chains fall off.]

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Where is he? I’ve heard him calling. I’m ­free! No one can bar my way. I want to fly to him, And rest upon his breast. He cried, “Gretchen!” He stood on the door sill. Amidst the howling and clattering of Hell, And the vicious dev­ilish mockery I recognized well his sweet and loving voice. faust: I am h ­ ere!

Prison   | 211

margaret: It’s you! Oh say it once more! [Embracing him.] He’s h ­ ere! He’s ­here! Where’s all my pain? Where the dread of the dungeon? The chains? It’s you! Y ­ ou’ve come to rescue me! I’m saved! I see the street again Where I saw you for the first time. And the bright garden too Where Martha and I awaited you. faust [trying to leave]: Come with me! Come!

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margaret: Oh stay! I love to stay wherever you are. [Caressing him.] faust: Hurry! If you ­don’t hurry up We s­ hall pay a terrible price. margaret: What’s this? Have you forgotten how to kiss? Parted from me such a short time, my dear, And you d ­ on’t know any more how to kiss? Why does your embrace fill me with fear? Your words and a glance from your eyes Would once lift me up into the skies And your kisses would smother me. Kiss me! Or let me kiss you! [She embraces him.] Oh woe! Your lips are cold And ­silent. Where has all your love Gone? Who stole it from me? [She turns away from him.] faust: Come! Follow me! My dear, be brave!

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I’ll kiss you a thousand times over, but I seek to save You! Only follow me! That’s all I ask! margaret [turning to him]: And is it ­really you? Can I be sure it’s you?

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faust: I’m ­here! Come with me! margaret: You undo my chains, And take me in your arms again. But c­ an’t you see, my love, whom you set f­ ree? faust: Come! Come! Already night is fading and it’s growing light.

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margaret: I’ve killed my ­mother, I’ve drowned my child. ­Wasn’t it given to you and me? To you too!—­It’s you! I can hardly believe it. Give me your hand! This is no dream! Your loving hand!—­but it’s moist! Wipe it clean for it does seem To have blood on it.90 Oh God, what have you done! Put up your sword, I beg of you! faust: Let the past be past! ­You’re killing me.

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margaret: No, you must go on living! Let me describe the graves to you. Tomorrow early you have to hurry To arrange them; The best spot is for my ­mother,

Prison   | 213

And then right next to her my b ­ rother, Me a l­ittle bit out of the way, But not too far! And then it’s for the best To place the l­ittle one at my right breast. And no one ­else to lie by my side! When I used to nestle in your arms, How sweet a happiness, how true! But it’s no longer so, It seems to me as if I have to force myself on you, As if you in turn push me away; And yet it’s you, and you look so good and so true.

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faust: If you feel that it’s me, then come! margaret: Where? Out t­ here?

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faust: Into the open air. margaret: If the grave is ­there, And death lies in wait, then I come! From h ­ ere to the eternal place of rest— And not a single step further— Are you leaving, then? Oh Henry, if only I could go with you! faust: You can! Only choose! The door is open. margaret: I cannot leave; t­ here’s nothing for me to hope for. What’s the use of fleeing? They lie in wait for me. It’s such misery to have to beg, And with a bad conscience to boot. It’s such misery to have to wander far from home And still t­ hey’ll catch me!

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faust: I ­w ill stay with you. margaret: Quick! Make haste! Save your poor child. Hurry! Follow the path Beside the brook, Across the bridge Into the wood, To the left, by the planks, In the pond. Seize it right away! It’s trying to rise, It’s still moving! Save it now! Save it! faust: Come to you senses! A single step, and ­you’re f­ ree! margaret: If only we w ­ ere past that hill! ­There’s my ­mother sitting still Upon a stone and shakes her head; It sends chills down my spine; She d ­ oesn’t wave or nod; her head’s too heavy, She slept so long, and now she’s dead. She slept so we could take our plea­sure, ­Those w ­ ere happy times! faust: If my repeated pleas ­won’t move you, Then I’ll have to use force to remove you.

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margaret: Let me be! No, I w ­ on’t tolerate any vio­lence! ­Don’t seize me with your murderous hands! I used to do all that you asked of me! faust: I see the gray of dawn! My love, my love!

Prison   | 215

margaret: Day! Yes, day is dawning! The last day is pressing forward; It should have been my wedding day.91 ­Don’t tell anyone that y­ ou’ve been with Gretchen. Woe to my wedding wreath! What’s done is done! We s­ hall meet again some day, But not where we danced the night away. The s­ ilent crowd presses in again, The square, the streets ­Can’t contain them. The bell tolls, the rod breaks.92 How they seize and bind me! Already I am at the bloody place of execution! And the sharp blade so keen to fall on me Is ­eager to fall on e­ very neck you see. The dumb world lies s­ ilent as the tomb.

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faust: Oh that I had never left my m ­ other’s womb! mephistopheles [appears outside the cell]: Come! Or ­you’re both done for! Pointless delay! Empty prattle and chatter! My ­horses ­tremble, And the day is breaking. margaret: What is that rising from below? It’s him! Him! Send him away! What’s he seeking in this sacred place? He’s come to get me! faust: You must live! margaret: Justice Divine! I give myself up to you!

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mephistopheles [to Faust]: Come! Come! Or I ­w ill abandon you with her. margaret:­Father, I am yours. Save me! You angelic hosts divine Surround me and protect what is mine! Henry, you fill me with dread! mephistopheles: She is judged!

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voice from above: She is saved!93 mephistopheles [to Faust]: Follow me! [Dis­appears with Faust.]

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voice [from within, fading out]: Henry! Henry!

AC K N OW L­E D G M E NT S

I wish to express my deep gratitude to Jane K. Brown, the outside reader who—­amazingly enough!—­went to the trou­ble of ­doing a line-­by-­line cross-­checking of my translation against the German text of Faust. In addition to catching some mistranslations and inaccuracies as well as several (inadvertently) skipped lines, she also made many suggestions for improved fluency and economy of phrasing. Her deep knowledge of the play as a leading Faust scholar was invaluable in her many recommendations for improving my translation, most of which I have followed. Any remaining flaws are strictly my own. Let me also acknowledge my SUNY Geneseo En­glish department colleague Melanie Blood, who or­ga­nized and directed a staged reading in 2016 with a student-­faculty ensemble of the first version of my translation. Seeing how well the play came across to the audience provided motivation to see my translation into print. Thanks to the actor/readers, and especially to Terry Browne in the role of Mephistopheles, Jeremy Jackson in the role of Faust, and Paige Gordon in the role of Gretchen. Thanks also to Geneseo alumna Meghan Barrett (2016) for contributing an article (“Translation M ­ atters”) to the Key Reporter about my Faust translation (http://­w ww​.­keyreporter​ .­org​/­PbkNews​/­PbkNews​/­Details​/­1954​.­html). I am indebted as well to the many students who over the course of more than four de­cades studied the play with me and improved my understanding and appreciation of its subtle and 217

218  |  Ac k n ow l­e d gm e n ts

complex riches. Ken and Evelyn (Westermann) Asher offered timely encouragement, as did my colleague Gillian Paku. Fi­nally, my greatest debt is to my wife, Elsje van Munster, who has steadfastly and lovingly supported all my scholarly and creative proj­ects.

E XP L A N ATO RY N OTE S

1. ​d edication: Goethe wrote this in 1797, ­a fter a decades-­long hiatus from working on Faust. The “shifting shapes” of the characters of his play conceived in his twenties bring with them nostalgic memories of his youth and of friends who then enjoyed his poetry but who may no longer be able to hear it now. 2. ​my sad song: The first (1808) edition had “Lied” (song), a misprint for “Leid” (sorrow). Goethe apparently chose to retain the misprint, and I opted for the inclusion of both meanings. 3. ​wind harp: The Eolian or wind harp was a string instrument placed in a win­dow that produced sounds when the wind blew over the strings. For the Romantic poets it became a symbol of poetic inspiration and composition. 4. ​p relude in the theater: One source is the classic Indian drama Shakuntala by Kalidasa, which has a prelude, and which Goethe read in German translation (from Sanskrit) in 1791; another pos­si­ble source, according to Jane K. Brown, is the prologue in John Gay’s The Beggar’s Opera (1728). She notes that “Goethe’s prelude . . . ​ amalgamates ­those of his pre­de­ces­sors, for Kalidasa has a director and a player, while Gay has an author and a player” (Faust, the German Tragedy, 113). 5. ​f rom Heaven . . . ​straight down to Hell: the cosmography of the plot of Faust (from Prologue in Heaven to the opening of Hell’s Mouth at the end of Part II). 6. ​p rologue in heaven: As Goethe acknowledged, the scripting of the scene is influenced by the biblical book of Job. The name “Mephistopheles” is a variant of that of the 1587 chapbook’s Mephostophiles. 7. ​song of fraternal spheres: the m ­ usic of the spheres associated with the older (Ptolemaic) astronomy. 8. ​You, legitimate sons of God: as opposed to the fallen angels, of which Mephistopheles is one. 219

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9. ​Philosophy, Medicine, Law . . . ​even Theology: the four faculties of the medieval university. 10. ​Nostradamus: legendary French astrologer (Michel de Notredame) famous for his prophecies. 11. ​Macrocosm: In the alchemical writings Goethe had immersed himself in for a time as a young man, the Macrocosm is the greater harmony of the universe, as opposed to the Microcosm, the small world of h ­ umans. 12. ​sign of the Earth Spirit: largely Goethe’s own mythopoeic creation. In a sketch he drew, the Earth Spirit’s gigantic head towers over Faust. 13. ​Art . . . ​long . . . ​short life: a version of the Latin proverb ars longa, vita brevis. 14. ​Is such a shallow voice: the beginning of the “­g reat lacuna” that Goethe filled in during the final phase of composition (see Introduction). 15. ​earth’s child I am once more: Faust is prevented from committing suicide not by religious faith (symbolized by the Easter chorus celebrating the risen Christ), but by memories of his childhood—­a very Romantic motif. (Cf. Words­worth’s “Intimations of Immortality” ode, “Heaven lies about us in our infancy!”) 16. ​­adepts in alchemy: Faust’s f­ ather was an alchemist as well as a doctor, and the nostrums against the plague that he concocted in his sinister laboratory—­“the black kitchen”—­a re described in recondite alchemical terms referring to chemical substances involved in the pro­cess (red lion, lily, bridal chamber, young queen). The young Goethe had studied alchemical writings and had also been treated, as he reports in his autobiography, with such a nostrum when he succumbed to a mysterious illness that made him interrupt his university studies. 17. ​“In the beginning was the Word!”: the opening of the gospel of John. Faust follows in the footsteps of Luther in translating the Bible. His choice of “deed” for “word” reflects his dynamic and striving character. 18. ​Salomon’s key: Clavicula Salomonis, a well-­k nown book of magic and conjuration. 19. ​formula of the four: a magic spell involving the four ele­ments: Salamander = fire, Undine = ­water, Sylph = air, Incubus = earth. 20. ​behold this sign: the sign of Christ. 21. ​threefold glowing light: sign of the Trinity.

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22. ​Lord of the Flies, Destroyer, Liar: traditional names of the Devil, including literal translation of the Hebrew Beelzebub (“Lord of the Flies”). 23. ​still forced to cling to m ­ atter: this may be Mephistopheles’s twisted version of Newton’s “corpuscular” theory of light. 24. ​The pentagram on your threshold: a five-­pointed star and ancient symbol of magic; a poorly drawn gap in the drawing allows Mephistopheles (as dog) to enter, but not to exit ­until a rat comes to gnaw an opening. The devil not being able to leave may be a trick on his part to begin the pro­cess of ensnaring Faust. 25. ​­These ­Little Ones / Are some of mine: Mephistopheles tries to cover up the Spirit Chorus’s lament at Faust’s curse on the Christian virtues with the specious claim that it is part of his cohort. 26. ​you sign with a ­little drop of blood: the pact signed in blood is a feature of the Faust chapbooks and is elaborated t­ here in detail as a ­legal contract. Goethe’s hero impatiently dismisses t­ hese legalities as a rigmarole. 27. ​The ­g reat Spirit has scorned me: i.e., the Earth Spirit. 28. ​Mr. Mircrocosmus: Possibly Mephistopheles’s reductive and parodic version of the totality of h ­ uman experience—­versus the greater and mysterious harmony of the Macrocosm—­that Faust aspires to in his pact with the devil. 29. ​your choice of a faculty?: What follows is Goethe’s spirited spoof of the faculties of the eighteenth-­century German university (as he experienced it as a student at Leipzig and Strasbourg). 30. ​Encheiresis naturae: a term compounded of Greek and Latin meaning “handhold of nature” and used as a pseudo-­scientific explanation of the nature of life by one of Goethe’s Strasbourg professors. 31. ​my ­album: The German “Stammbuch” is traditionally a book containing some ­family rec­ords with blank pages for signatures and comments. 32. ​Eritis sicut Deus scientes bonum et malum: the words (in Genesis) of the snake to Eve in Eden, “you ­shall be as God, knowing good and evil.” 33. ​hot air . . . ​lifts us: a reference to hot air balloons, the sensational new technological feat since the ascent of the Montgolfier b ­ rothers in 1783. 34. ​a uerbach’s cellar: A student watering hole in Leipzig during Goethe’s student days ­there, and still in existence ­today (with a

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statue of Mephistopheles and Faust outside). In the Urfaust this scene was in prose, and Faust performed the wine trick. In Goethe’s day the tavern had a painting on the wall with Faust drinking with students and riding on a wine barrel. 35. ​Goblin Hill: the German text has “Blocksberg,” the Brocken mountain and the site of the annual Witches’ Sabbath of Walpurgis Night. The drunk students’ riotous conduct is an anticipatory motif of the Walpurgis Night scene. 36. ​It’s a l­ittle Paris: Leipzig had a significant French population in the wake of the expulsion of the Huguenots from France (by the 1685 Edict of Nantes), a number of whom settled in German territories. In the eigh­teenth c­ entury, Paris was considered the center of Eu­ro­pean culture and fashion. 37. ​Rippach: town in which the legendary Hans Ass was reputed to live; Mephistopheles effectively parries Frosch’s insult by linking the students with Ass (“he sends you all his best regards”). 38. ​a ­g reat big flea: Mephistopheles’s song of the flea is a satiric take on the petty favoritism and obsequiousness prevalent at the German aristocratic courts. 39. ​­these are a juggler’s tricks: Mephistopheles producing wine from holes drilled in wood makes him an infernal and parodic double of the Jesus who turned w ­ ater into wine at the wedding at Cana (the first miracle attributed to Jesus in the gospel of John). 40. ​the lottery: popu­lar in some circles in Eu­rope in the ­later eigh­teenth ­century. 41. ​­will break into pieces ­today: possibly an allusion to the French monarchy, on the verge of collapse (this scene was written a year before the outbreak of the French Revolution in 1789) and to the near-­moribund Holy Roman Empire. 42. ​the Witch’s one-­times-­one: Some commentators have tried to tease some esoteric meaning out of this nonsense recital, but surely Mephistopheles speaks with Goethe’s authority h ­ ere in dismissing it as “a complete contradiction” that is “as enigmatic for the wise as for the fools.” 43. ​­There was a king in Thule: Goethe wrote this pseudo-­Scandinavian ballad that Gretchen recites (or sings?) in his twenties, perhaps in­de­pen­dently of Faust. “Thule” (pronounced as two syllables) was a mythical northern location. 44. ​The Holy Church has a ­g reat appetite: a satirical dig at the rapacity of a corrupt church establishment.

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45. ​he felt them to the end of his days: an allusion to syphilis, the “Neapolitan disease” that he acquired from the “young miss,” presumably a prostitute. 46. ​two witnesses’ oral testimony: ­legal requirement for the issuance of a death certificate. 47. ​Sancta simplicitas!: Holy simplicity! 48. ​in a l­ ittle garden h ­ ouse: The passage of time between this scene and the one before is uncertain; most likely this one comes immediately ­a fter the preceding one. 49. ​f orest and cavern: The last part of this scene—­Faust’s speech in which he describes himself as a waterfall destroying Gretchen—­ was already in the Urfaust (as part of the “Night” scene with the duel with Gretchen’s ­brother, Valentine). The 1790 Fragment has the scene in its entirety, but placed ­a fter “At the Fountain” (and thus ­a fter Gretchen’s seduction). In the German text Faust’s opening monologue is in blank verse. 50. ​Sublime Spirit: the Earth Spirit. Faust thanking the Earth Spirit for gifts that have been bestowed on him by Mephistopheles is an interpretive prob­lem or crux (see Introduction). My reading of it is that Faust is in denial, and indulging in wishful thinking in attributing the gifts to the Earth Spirit. 51. ​If only I ­were a l­ittle bird: from a popu­lar folk song (“If I w ­ ere a ­little bird . . . ​I would fly to you”). 52. ​that twin pair: an allusion to the Song of Solomon 4:5 (“Your two breasts are like two fawns . . . ​that feed among the lilies”). 53. ​g retchen’s room: Gretchen’s melancholy and beautifully poignant song has had dif­fer­ent musical settings by nineteenth-­ century composers, including Schubert. 54. ​t he german is heinrich : In the legend, Faust’s first name is Johann, so “Heinrich” is Goethe’s alteration. 55. ​at the well: Note the rigid gender roles: the ­women fetch ­water from the public well (as part of their domestic duties—cf. Gretchen at the spinning wheel). The public shaming of the pregnant Barbara predicted by Lieschen reflects the ritual abuse of “fallen” w ­ omen in provincial eighteenth-­century Germany and also indicates the humiliation awaiting the now pregnant and abandoned Gretchen. 56. ​m ater dolorosa: The Sorrowful ­Mother, i.e., the Virgin Mary grieving at the death of her son, Christ. 57. ​Oh please incline: The first three stanzas of Gretchen’s prayer are based on a medieval Latin hymn.

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58. ​the trea­sure: a buried trea­sure that is supposed to shine bright on Walpurgis Night. 59. ​Sweet l­ittle Catherine: As Goethe acknowledged to Eckermann, Mephistopheles’s song is based on mad Ophelia’s St. Valentine’s Day song (Hamlet 4.5.48–55). I have kept some of the lines of Shakespeare’s text. 60. ​Evil Spirit: Its status in the play is unclear, though this Spirit does not seem to have been sent by Mephistopheles. In the Urfaust version, the requiem mass of the Cathedral scene was for Gretchen’s ­mother (who died from the sleeping potion given to Faust by Mephistopheles). 61. ​The choir takes lines from the Medieval Latin (Day of Judgment) “Dies irae” hymn: Dies irae, dies illa / Solvet saeclum in favilla: The day of wrath, that day w ­ ill dissolve the world in ashes; Judex ergo cum sedebit,  / Quidquid latet adparebit, / Nil inultum remanebit: When therefore the Judge w ­ ill sit, what­ever lies hidden w ­ ill appear: nothing ­will remain unpunished; Quid sum miser tunc dicturus? / Quem patronum rogaturus? / Cum vix Justus sit securus: What w ­ ill I, poor wretch, say? What patron w ­ ill I entreat when even the just man is hardly secure? 62. ​smelling salts: In the German text, Gretchen asks her neighbor for a “­little ­bottle.” In Goethe’s time some w ­ omen carried small b ­ ottles of smelling salts to ward off faintness. 63. ​walpurgis night: the night of May 1, on which according to folk tradition the witches hold their Sabbath on the Brocken, the highest peak in the Harz Mountains. Goethe’s original plan was to show an orgy at the summit presided over by Satan. 64. ​Schierke and Elend: nearby villages. (“Elend” means “Misery.”) 65. ​Will-­o’-­the-­Wisp: ignis fatuus, a puckish spirit that leads travelers astray. 66. ​Mammon: Cf. Matthew 6:24, “You cannot serve God and mammon.” The personified spirit of worldly lucre; in Milton’s Paradise Lost Mammon built Pandemonium for the fallen Satan. H ­ ere Mammon has set aglow the mineral deposits in the Brocken mountain, “to splendidly light up the palace for this feast.” 67. ​Squire Voland: an older German name for the devil. 68. ​Adam’s first wife: According the Jewish folklore, Lilith the “night hag” (Isaiah 34:14) was a seductress of men. 69. ​Proctofantasist: This is Goethe’s satirical dig at Friedrich Nicolai (1733–1811), a Berlin writer, publisher, and avowed Enlightenment rationalist who attacked the Storm and Stress movement and wrote

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a parody of Goethe’s The Sufferings of Young Werther. When in 1797 ­there ­were reports of a haunted c­ astle in Tegel, a Berlin suburb, Nicolai revealed in a public lecture that he too had been visited by ghosts several years e­ arlier, but a doctor cured him of his affliction by applying leeches to his backside (procto = Greek/anus). Goethe obviously enjoyed this skewering of a minor and older writer who had attacked the young poet. 70. ​An account of my travels: Nicolai had published extensive accounts of his travels in Germany and Switzerland. 71. ​My dear Gretchen that I see: the wraith-­like figure Faust sees is a hallucinatory and premonitory vision of Gretchen’s execution (symbolized by the single red thread). 72. ​Medusa: the Gorgon of Greek my­thol­ogy who turned men who looked at her to stone. 73. ​Perseus: slew the Medusa by cutting off her head while looking at her image on his shield. 74. ​The Prater: famous amusement park in Vienna (still in operation ­today). 75. ​walpurgis night dream, or oberon and titania’s golden wedding: This playfully cryptic Intermezzo has nothing to do with the story of Faust and Gretchen (see introduction). In the eigh­ teenth c­ entury, an intermezzo was an interlude between the acts or major movements of an opera, usually for comic relief. Goethe’s insertion of this interlude as a catch-­a ll of unrelated and largely satirical takes on now largely forgotten and obscure literary m ­ atters and coterie quarrels of his day is the famous author’s self-­indulgent joke—­a nd a bizarre distraction from Gretchen’s impending doom. The Shakespeare characters appearing in the Intermezzo are Oberon and Titania, King and Queen of the fairies; Puck, the prankster fairy in A Midsummer Night’s Dream; and Ariel, the “airy spirit” attendant upon the magician Prospero in The Tempest. 76. ​Mieding: first stage man­ag­er of the Weimar court theater. 77. ​Orthodox: an orthodox Christian, suspicious of the non-­orthodox tendencies of Goethe. 78. ​Northern Artist: prob­ably Goethe himself, who intended a journey to Italy around the time he wrote this scene, and who a de­cade ­earlier had spent time in Italy and who much l­ater published his Italian Journey. 79. ​Weathervane: possibly the po­liti­cally expedient, who go with prevailing winds and fashions.

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80. ​Biting Verses: “Xenien” in the German text: the satirical epigrams that Goethe wrote with Schiller in 1796. 81. ​Hennings: a minor writer and editor who had attacked the “Xenien” and who published a collection of poetry entitled “The Musaget” (“leader of the poets”). 82. ​Crane: the charismatic Swiss preacher Johann Caspar Lavater, with whom Goethe was friendly in his youth but with whom he fell out ­later due to Lavater’s excessive religiosity. Goethe told Eckermann (17 February 1829) that “his walk was like that of a crane, and it’s for that reason that he appears as a crane on the Blocksberg [Brocken].” 83. ​Worldly Youth: Goethe’s name for himself in an e­ arlier poem. 84. ​Dogmatist/Idealist/Realist/Supernaturalist/Skeptic: philosophical positions current in Goethe’s lifetime. The Dogmatist represents the orthodox Christian view; the Idealist represents post-­K antian German Idealist philosophy, especially that of Fichte. The Realist and the Skeptic prob­ably represent dif­fer­ent versions of Enlightenment empiricism and materialism. 85. ​Conductor: introduces figures representative of dif­fer­ent groups in the wake of the French Revolution. The Clever Ones have survived its upheavals; the Hapless Ones are the French émigré aristocrats; Will-­o’-­the-­Wisps are t­ hose who r­ ose to social prominence due to the Revolution; the Shooting Star may represent t­ hose who achieved short-­lived fame during the Revolution but then fell into obscurity; the Bullies prob­ably represent the aggressive drive of the “sansculottes” mobs inspired by the Revolution. 86. ​b leak day, a field: This scene was already in the Urfaust, and is the only one in prose in the final (1808) version, in which the two concluding scenes (Night, Prison) w ­ ere turned into verse. (The 1790 Fragment stops at the end of the Cathedral scene.) 87. ​­Great and splendid Spirit: presumably the Earth Spirit. 88. ​the Raven Stone: site of Gretchen’s execution (outside of town). 89. ​My ­mother: Gretchen is singing in her deranged state, like Ophelia in Hamlet. Goethe based this song on an old folk tale, “The Juniper Tree,” in which a m ­ other kills her boy and feeds him to the unwitting f­ ather. His ­sister finds his bones and buries them u ­ nder the juniper tree, and he flies away as a bird. 90. ​To have blood on it: Gretchen’s hallucination refers back to Faust’s murder of her ­brother; her seeing blood on his hand is a borrowing from Lady Macbeth’s sleepwalking scene.

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91. ​my wedding day: Gretchen’s delusion, since t­ here is no suggestion in the play that Faust ever promised to marry her. 92. ​The bell tolls, the rod breaks: The customary ritual included ringing the “poor sinner’s bell” on the way to the place of execution and the breaking of a stick or staff over the prisoner before the beheading. 93. ​She is saved!: This deus ex machina intervention is not in the Urfaust version.

F U R TH E R R E A D I N G

Brown, Jane K. “Faust.” In The Cambridge Companion to Goethe, edited by Lesley Sharpe, 84–200. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2002. —­—­—. Goethe’s Faust: The German Tragedy. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1986. Brown, Jane K., Meredith Lee, and Thomas Saine, eds. Interpreting Goethe’s Faust ­Today. Columbia, SC: Camden House, 1994. Gearey, John. Goethe’s Faust: The Making of Part I. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1981. Hamlin, Cyrus. “Reading Faust.” In Faust: A Tragedy, edited by Cyrus Hamlin, 367–379. A Norton Critical Edition. New York: Norton, 1976. Mason, Eudo C. Goethe’s Faust: Its Genesis and Purport. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1967. Schulte, Hans, John Noyes, and Pia Kleber, eds. Goethe’s Faust: Theatre of Modernity. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2011. Weigand, Hermann. “Goethe’s Faust: An Introduction for Students and Teachers of General Lit­er­a­t ure.” In Faust: A Tragedy, edited by Cyrus Hamlin, 446–472. A Norton Critical Edition. New York: Norton, 1976. Williams, John R. Goethe’s “Faust.” London: Allen & Unwin, 1987.

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CO N­T E M P O R A RY E N­G LI S H TR A N S L ATI O N S O F FAU S T, PA RT I

Arndt, Walter. Faust: A Tragedy, edited by Cyrus Hamlin. A Norton Critical Edition. New York: Norton, 1976, reissued 2001. Atkins, Stuart. Faust I & II. Cambridge, MA: Suhrkamp/ Insel, 1984. Constantine, David. Faust: Part I. London: Penguin Classics, 2005. Greenberg, Martin. Faust: A Tragedy, Part I. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1992, revised 2014. Luke, David. Faust: Part One. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1987, reissued 2008. Williams, John R. Faust: The First Part of the Tragedy. Ware, Hertfordshire: Words­worth Editions, 1999.

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A B O U T TH E E D ITO R

Eugene Stelzig, Distinguished Teaching Professor of En­glish Emeritus at SUNY Geneseo, spent his childhood in Austria and France, and came permanently to the United States in 1961. He holds degrees in En­glish from the University of Pennsylvania, Cambridge University (King’s College), and Harvard University (PhD, 1972). In addition to nearly fifty articles in Romantic and autobiography studies, he has published books on Words­ worth (1975), Hermann Hesse (1988), Rousseau and Goethe (2000), and Henry Crabb Robinson (2010), for which he was awarded the Barricelli Book Prize by the International Con­ ference on Romanticism. He has also edited a collection of articles on Romantic autobiography in ­England (2009), as well as published two collections of poetry, translations of German poetry, including Schiller’s long poem “The Walk,” and six auto­ biographical essays.