And lo! 'twas done with speed of light;
The evening soon the world embraced,

And o'er the mountains hung the night.
Soon stood, in robe of mist, the oak,

A tow'ring giant in his size,
Where darkness through the thicket broke,

And glared with hundred gloomy eyes.
From out a hill of clouds the moon

With mournful gaze began to peer:
The winds their soft wings flutter'd soon,

And murmur'd in mine awe-struck ear;
The night a thousand monsters made,

Yet fresh and joyous was my mind;
What fire within my veins then play'd!

What glow was in my bosom shrin'd!
I saw thee, and with tender pride

Felt thy sweet gaze pour joy on me;
While all my heart was at thy side.

And every breath I breath'd for thee.
The roseate hues that spring supplies

Were playing round thy features fair,
And love for me--ye Deities!

I hoped it, I deserved it ne'er!
But, when the morning sun return'd,

Departure filled with grief my heart:
Within thy kiss, what rapture burn'd!

But in thy look, what bitter smart!
I went--thy gaze to earth first roved

Thou follow'dst me with tearful eye:
And yet, what rapture to be loved!

And, Gods, to love--what ecstasy!
1771.

-----
NEW LOVE, NEW LIFE.

[Written at the time of Goethe's connection with Lily.]
HEART! my heart! what means this feeling?

What oppresseth thee so sore?
What strange life is o'er me stealing!

I acknowledge thee no more.
Fled is all that gave thee gladness,

Fled the cause of all thy sadness,
Fled thy peace, thine industry--

Ah, why suffer it to be?
Say, do beauty's graces youthful,

Does this form so fair and bright,
Does this gaze, so kind, so truthful,

Chain thee with unceasing might?
Would I tear me from her boldly,

Courage take, and fly her coldly,
Back to her. I'm forthwith led

By the path I seek to tread.
By a thread I ne'er can sever,

For 'tis 'twined with magic skill,
Doth the cruel maid for ever

Hold me fast against my will.
While those magic chains confine me,

To her will I must resign me.
Ah, the change in truth is great!

Love! kind love! release me straight!
1775.

-----
TO BELINDA.

[This song was also written for Lily. Goethe mentions, at the end
of his Autobiography, that he overheard her singing it one

evening after he had taken his last farewell of her.]
WHEREFORE drag me to yon glittering eddy,

With resistless might?
Was I, then, not truly blest already

In the silent night?
In my secret chamberrefuge taking,

'Neath the moon's soft ray,
And her awful light around me breaking,

Musing there I lay.
And I dream'd of hours with joy o'erflowing,

Golden, truly blest,
While thine image so beloved was glowing

Deep within my breast.
Now to the card-table hast thou bound me,

'Midst the torches glare?
Whilst unhappy faces are around me,

Dost thou hold me there?
Spring-flow'rs are to me more rapture-giving,

Now conceal'd from view;
Where thou, angel, art, is Nature living,

Love and kindness too.
1775.

-----
MAY SONG.

How fair doth Nature
Appear again!

How bright the sunbeams!
How smiles the plain!

The flow'rs are bursting
From ev'ry bough,

And thousand voices
Each bush yields now.

And joy and gladness
Fill ev'ry breast!

Oh earth!--oh sunlight!
Oh rapture blest!

Oh love! oh loved one!
As golden bright,

As clouds of morning
On yonder height!

Thou blessest gladly
The smiling field,--

The world in fragrant
Vapour conceal'd.

Oh maiden, maiden,
How love I thee!

Thine eye, how gleams it!
How lov'st thou me!

The blithe lark loveth
Sweet song and air,

The morning flow'ret
Heav'n's incense fair,

As I now love thee
With fond desire,

For thou dost give me
Youth, joy, and fire,

For new-born dances
And minstrelsy.

Be ever happy,
As thou lov'st me!

1775.*
-----

WITH A PAINTED RIBBON.
LITTLE leaves and flow'rets too,

Scatter we with gentle hand,
Kind young spring-gods to the view,

Sporting on an airy band.
Zephyr, bear it on the wing,

Twine it round my loved one's dress;
To her glass then let her spring,

Full of eager joyousness.
Roses round her let her see,

She herself a youthful rose.
Grant, dear life, one look to me!

'Twill repay me all my woes,
What this bosom feels, feel thou.

Freely offer me thy hand;
Let the band that joins us now

Be no fragile rosy band!
1770.

-----
WITH A GOLDEN NECKLACE.

THIS page a chain to bring thee burns,
That, train'd to suppleness of old,

On thy fair neck to nestle, yearns,
In many a hundred little fold.

To please the silly thing consent!
'Tis harmless, and from boldness free;

By day a trifling ornament,
At night 'tis cast aside by thee.

But if the chain they bring thee ever,
Heavier, more fraught with weal or woe,

I'd then, Lisette, reproach thee never
If thou shouldst greater scruples show.

1775.*
-----

ON THE LAKE,
[Written on the occasion of Goethe's starting with his friend

Passavant on a Swiss Tour.]
I DRINK fresh nourishment, new blood

From out this world more free;
The Nature is so kind and good

That to her breast clasps me!
The billows toss our bark on high,

And with our oars keep time,
While cloudy mountains tow'rd the sky

Before our progress climb.
Say, mine eye, why sink'st thou down?

Golden visions, are ye flown?
Hence, thou dream, tho' golden-twin'd;

Here, too, love and life I find.
Over the waters are blinking

Many a thousand fair star;
Gentle mists are drinking

Round the horizon afar.
Round the shady creek lightly

Morning zephyrs awake,
And the ripen'd fruit brightly

Mirrors itself in the lake.
1775.

-----
FROM THE MOUNTAIN.

[Written just after the preceding one, on a mountain overlooking
the Lake of Zurich.]

IF I, dearest Lily, did not love thee,
How this prospect would enchant my sight!

And yet if I, Lily, did not love thee,
Could I find, or here, or there, delight?

1775.
-----

FLOWER-SALUTE.
THIS nosegay,--'twas I dress'd it,--

Greets thee a thousand times!
Oft stoop'd I, and caress'd it,

Ah! full a thousand times,
And 'gainst my bosom press'd it

A hundred thousand times!

• breath [breθ] n.呼吸；气息 (初中英语单词)
• connection [kə´nekʃən] n.联系；关系；联运 (初中英语单词)
• acknowledge [ək´nɔlidʒ] vt.(公开)承认；感谢 (初中英语单词)
• confine [kən´fain] vt.限制 n.边界；境界 (初中英语单词)
• resign [ri´zain] v.辞职；放弃；委托 (初中英语单词)
• release [ri´li:s] vt&n.释放；放松；赦免 (初中英语单词)
• farewell [feə´wel] int.再见 n.&a.告别 (初中英语单词)
• refuge [´refju:dʒ] v.&n.避难(所)；庇护 (初中英语单词)
• beloved [bi´lʌvd] a.为....所爱的 n.爱人 (初中英语单词)
• unhappy [ʌn´hæpi] a.不幸的；不快乐的 (初中英语单词)
• maiden [´meidn] n.少女 a.未婚的 (初中英语单词)
• youthful [´ju:θfəl] a.年轻的；青年的 (初中英语单词)
• trifling [´traifliŋ] a.微小的；轻浮的 (初中英语单词)
• horizon [hə´raizən] n.地平线；范围；视野 (初中英语单词)
• prospect [´prɔspekt, prəs´pekt] n.景色；境界 v.勘察 (初中英语单词)
• thicket [´θikit] n.灌木丛；密集的东西 (高中英语单词)
• gloomy [´glu:mi] a.昏暗的；忧郁的 (高中英语单词)
• joyous [´dʒɔiəs] a.充满快乐的 (高中英语单词)
• rapture [´ræptʃə] n.着迷；全神贯注 (高中英语单词)
• forthwith [fɔ:θ´wið] ad.立刻 (高中英语单词)
• chamber [´tʃeimbə] n.房间；议院；会议室 (高中英语单词)
• incense [´insens, in´sens] n.香(气) vt.激怒 (高中英语单词)
• harmless [´hɑ:mləs] a.无害的，无恶意的 (高中英语单词)
• reproach [ri´prəutʃ] vt.&n.责备；指责；耻辱 (高中英语单词)
• enchant [in´tʃɑ:nt] vt.使迷住；使惊喜 (高中英语单词)
• mournful [´mɔ:nful] a.令人沮丧的 (英语四级单词)
• fragile [´frædʒail] a.易碎的；虚弱的 (英语四级单词)
• boldness [´bəuldnis] n.大胆；冒失；显著 (英语四级单词)
• nourishment [´nʌriʃmənt] n.食物；营养品(情况) (英语四级单词)
• preceding [pri(:)´si:diŋ] a.在先的；前面的 (英语四级单词)
• blithe [´blaið] a.快乐的；冒失的 (英语六级单词)
• nestle [´nesl] v.偎依；抱；使紧贴 (英语六级单词)
• fraught [frɔ:t] a.充满...的 (英语六级单词)