The Poems of Schiller — Third period
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HUMAN KNOWLEDGE
Since thou readest in her what thou thyself hast there written, And, to gladden the eye, placest her wonders in groups; — Since o'er her boundless expanses thy cords to extend thou art able, Thou dost think that thy mind wonderful Nature can grasp. Thus the astronomer draws his figures over the heavens, So that he may with more ease traverse the infinite space, Knitting together e'en suns that by Sirius-distance are parted, Making them join in the swan and in the horns of the bull. But because the firmament shows him its glorious surface, Can he the spheres' mystic dance therefore decipher aright?COLUMBUS
Steer on, bold sailor — Wit may mock thy soul that sees the land, And hopeless at the helm may droop the weak and weary hand, Yet ever — ever to the West, for there the coast must lie, And dim it dawns, and glimmering dawns before thy reason's eye; Yea, trust the guiding God — and go along the floating grave, Though hid till now — yet now behold the New World o'er the wave! With genius Nature ever stands in solemn union still, And ever what the one foretells the other shall fulfil.LIGHT AND WARMTH
In cheerful faith that fears no ill The good man doth the world begin; And dreams that all without shall still Reflect the trusting soul within. Warm with the noble vows of youth, Hallowing his true arm to the truth; Yet is the littleness of all So soon to sad experience shown, That crowds but teach him to recall And centre thought on self alone; Till love, no more, emotion knows, And the heart freezes to repose. Alas! though truth may light bestow, Not always warmth the beams impart, Blest he who gains the boon to know, Nor buys the knowledge with the heart. For warmth and light a blessing both to be, Feel as the enthusiast — as the world-wise see.BREADTH AND DEPTH
Full many a shining wit one sees, With tongue on all things well conversing; The what can charm, the what can please, In every nice detail rehearsing. Their raptures so transport the college, It seems one honeymoon of knowledge. Yet out they go in silence where They whilom held their learned prate; Ah! he who would achieve the fair, Or sow the embryo of the great, Must hoard — to wait the ripening hour — In the least point the loftiest power. With wanton boughs and pranksome hues, Aloft in air aspires the stem; The glittering leaves inhale the dews, But fruits are not concealed in them. From the small kernel's undiscerned repose The oak that lords it o'er the forest grows.THE TWO GUIDES OF LIFE.
THE SUBLIME AND THE BEAUTIFUL
Two genii are there, from thy birth through weary life to guide thee; Ah, happy when, united both, they stand to aid beside thee? With gleesome play to cheer the path, the one comes blithe with beauty, And lighter, leaning on her arm, the destiny and duty. With jest and sweet discourse she goes unto the rock sublime, Where halts above the eternal sea 42 the shuddering child of time. The other here, resolved and mute and solemn, claspeth thee, And bears thee in her giant arms across the fearful sea. Never admit the one alone! — Give not the gentle guide Thy honor — nor unto the stern thy happiness confide!THE IMMUTABLE
Time flies on restless pinions — constant never. Be constant — and thou chainest time forever.VOTIVE TABLETS
That which I learned from the Deity, — that which through lifetime hath helped me, Meekly and gratefully now, here I suspend in his shrine.DIFFERENT DESTINIES
Millions busily toil, that the human race may continue; But by only a few is propagated our kind. Thousands of seeds by the autumn are scattered, yet fruit is engendered Only by few, for the most back to the element go. But if one only can blossom, that one is able to scatter Even a bright living world, filled with creations eterne.THE ANIMATING PRINCIPLE
Nowhere in the organic or sensitive world ever kindles Novelty, save in the flower, noblest creation of life.TWO DESCRIPTIONS OF ACTION
Do what is good, and humanity's godlike plant thou wilt nourish; Plan what is fair, and thou'lt strew seeds of the godlike around.DIFFERENCE OF STATION
Even the moral world its nobility boasts — vulgar natures Reckon by that which they do; noble, by that which they are.WORTH AND THE WORTHY
If thou anything hast, let me have it, — I'll pay what is proper; If thou anything art, let us our spirits exchange.THE MORAL FORCE
If thou feelest not the beautiful, still thou with reason canst will it; And as a spirit canst do, that which as man thou canst not.PARTICIPATION
E'en by the hand of the wicked can truth be working with vigor; But the vessel is filled by what is beauteous alone.TO —
Tell me all that thou knowest, and I will thankfully hear it! But wouldst thou give me thyself, — let me, my friend, be excused!TO —
Wouldst thou teach me the truth? Don't take the trouble! I wish not, Through thee, the thing to observe, — but to see thee through the thing.TO —
Thee would I choose as my teacher and friend. Thy living example Teaches me, — thy teaching word wakens my heart unto life.THE PRESENT GENERATION
Was it always as now? This race I truly can't fathom. Nothing is young but old age; youth, alas! only is old.TO THE MUSE
What I had been without thee, I know not — yet, to my sorrow See I what, without thee, hundreds and thousands now are.THE LEARNED WORKMAN
Ne'er does he taste the fruit of the tree that he raised with such trouble; Nothing but taste e'er enjoys that which by learning is reared.THE DUTY OF ALL
Ever strive for the whole; and if no whole thou canst make thee, Join, then, thyself to some whole, as a subservient limb!A PROBLEM
Let none resemble another; let each resemble the highest! How can that happen? let each be all complete in itself.THE PECULIAR IDEAL
What thou thinkest, belongs to all; what thou feelest, is thine only. Wouldst thou make him thine own, feel thou the God whom thou thinkest!TO MYSTICS
That is the only true secret, which in the presence of all men Lies, and surrounds thee for ay, but which is witnessed by none.THE KEY
Wouldst thou know thyself, observe the actions of others. Wouldst thou other men know, look thou within thine own heart.THE OBSERVER
Stern as my conscience, thou seest the points wherein I'm deficient; Therefore I've always loved thee, as my own conscience I've loved.WISDOM AND PRUDENCE
Wouldst thou, my friend, mount up to the highest summit of wisdom, Be not deterred by the fear, prudence thy course may deride That shortsighted one sees but the bank that from thee is flying, Not the one which ere long thou wilt attain with bold flight.THE AGREEMENT
Both of us seek for truth — in the world without thou dost seek it, I in the bosom within; both of us therefore succeed. If the eye be healthy, it sees from without the Creator; And if the heart, then within doubtless it mirrors the world.POLITICAL PRECEPT
All that thou doest is right; but, friend, don't carry this precept On too far, — be content, all that is right to effect. It is enough to true zeal, if what is existing be perfect; False zeal always would find finished perfection at once.MAJESTAS POPULI
Majesty of the nature of man! In crowds shall I seek thee? 'Tis with only a few that thou hast made thine abode. Only a few ever count; the rest are but blanks of no value, And the prizes are hid 'neath the vain stir that they make.THE DIFFICULT UNION
Why are taste and genius so seldom met with united? Taste of strength is afraid, — genius despises the rein.TO A WORLD-REFORMER
"I Have sacrificed all," thou sayest, "that man I might succor; Vain the attempt; my reward was persecution and hate." Shall I tell thee, my friend, how I to humor him manage? Trust the proverb! I ne'er have been deceived by it yet. Thou canst not sufficiently prize humanity's value; Let it be coined in deed as it exists in thy breast. E'en to the man whom thou chancest to meet in life's narrow pathway, If he should ask it of thee, hold forth a succoring hand. But for rain and for dew, for the general welfare of mortals, Leave thou Heaven to care, friend, as before, so e'en now.MY ANTIPATHY
I have a heartfelt aversion for crime, — a twofold aversion, Since 'tis the reason why man prates about virtue so much. "What! thou hatest, then, virtue?" — I would that by all it were practised, So that, God willing, no man ever need speak of it more.ASTRONOMICAL WRITINGS
Oh, how infinite, how unspeakably great, are the heavens! Yet by frivolity's hand downwards the heavens are pulled!THE BEST STATE
"How can I know the best state?" In the way that thou know'st the best woman; Namely, my friend, that the world ever is silent of both.TO ASTRONOMERS
Prate not to me so much of suns and of nebulous bodies; Think ye Nature but great, in that she gives thee to count? Though your object may be the sublimest that space holds within it, Yet, my good friends, the sublime dwells not in the regions of space.MY FAITH
Which religion do I acknowledge? None that thou namest. "None that I name? And why so?" — Why, for religion's own sake?INSIDE AND OUTSIDE
God alone sees the heart and therefore, since he alone sees it, Be it our care that we, too, something that's worthy may see.FRIEND AND FOE
Dearly I love a friend; yet a foe I may turn to my profit; Friends show me that which I can; foes teach me that which I should.LIGHT AND COLOR
Thou that art ever the same, with the changeless One take up thy dwelling! Color, thou changeable one, kindly descends upon man!GENIUS
Understanding, indeed, can repeat what already existed, — That which Nature has built, after her she, too, can build. Over Nature can reason build, but in vacancy only: But thou, genius, alone, nature in nature canst form.BEAUTEOUS INDIVIDUALITY
Thou in truth shouldst be one, yet not with the whole shouldst thou be so. 'Tis through the reason thou'rt one, — art so with it through the heart. Voice of the whole is thy reason, but thou thine own heart must be ever; If in thy heart reason dwells evermore, happy art thou.VARIETY
Many are good and wise; yet all for one only reckon, For 'tis conception, alas, rules them, and not a fond heart. Sad is the sway of conception, — from thousandfold varying figures, Needy and empty but one it is e'er able to bring. But where creative beauty is ruling, there life and enjoyment Dwell; to the ne'er-changing One, thousands of new forms she gives.THE IMITATOR
Good from the good, — to the reason this is not hard of conception; But the genius has power good from the bad to evoke. 'Tis the conceived alone, that thou, imitator, canst practise; Food the conceived never is, save to the mind that conceives.GENIALITY
How does the genius make itself known? In the way that in nature Shows the Creator himself, — e'en in the infinite whole. Clear is the ether, and yet of depth that ne'er can be fathomed; Seen by the eye, it remains evermore closed to the sense.THE INQUIRERS
Men now seek to explore each thing from within and without too! How canst thou make thy escape, Truth, from their eager pursuit? That they may catch thee, with nets and poles extended they seek thee But with a spirit-like tread, glidest thou out of the throng.CORRECTNESS
Free from blemish to be, is the lowest of steps, and highest; Weakness and greatness alone ever arrive at this point.THE THREE AGES OF NATURE
Life she received from fable; the schools deprived her of being, Life creative again she has from reason received.THE LAW OF NATURE
It has ever been so, my friend, and will ever remain so: Weakness has rules for itself, — vigor is crowned with success.CHOICE
If thou canst not give pleasure to all by thy deeds and thy knowledge, Give it then, unto the few; many to please is but vain.SCIENCE OF MUSIC
Let the creative art breathe life, and the bard furnish spirit; But the soul is expressed by Polyhymnia alone.TO THE POET
Let thy speech be to thee what the body is to the loving; Beings it only can part, — beings it only can join.LANGUAGE
Why can the living spirit be never seen by the spirit? Soon as the soul 'gins to speak, then can the soul speak no more!THE MASTER
Other masters one always can tell by the words that they utter; That which he wisely omits shows me the master of style.THE GIRDLE
Aphrodite preserves her beauty concealed by her girdle; That which lends her her charms is what she covers — her shame.THE DILETTANTE
Merely because thou hast made a good verse in a language poetic, One which composes for thee, thou art a poet forsooth!THE BABBLER OF ART
Dost thou desire the good in art? Of the good art thou worthy, Which by a ne'er ceasing war 'gainst thee thyself is produced?THE PHILOSOPHIES
Which among the philosophies will be enduring? I know not, But that philosophy's self ever may last is my hope.THE FAVOR OF THE MUSES
Fame with the vulgar expires; but, Muse immortal, thou bearest Those whom thou lovest, who love thee, into Mnemosyne's arms.HOMER'S HEAD AS A SEAL
Trusty old Homer! to thee I confide the secret so tender; For the raptures of love none but the bard should e'er know.GOODNESS AND GREATNESS
Only two virtues exist. Oh, would they were ever united! Ever the good with the great, ever the great with the good!THE IMPULSES
Fear with his iron staff may urge the slave onward forever; Rapture, do thou lead me on ever in roseate chains!NATURALISTS AND TRANSCENDENTAL PHILOSOPHERS
Enmity be between ye! Your union too soon is cemented; Ye will but learn to know truth when ye divide in the search.GERMAN GENIUS
Strive, O German, for Roman-like strength and for Grecian-like beauty! Thou art successful in both; ne'er has the Gaul had success.THEOPHANIA
When the happy appear, I forget the gods in the heavens; But before me they stand, when I the suffering see.TRIFLES.
THE EPIC HEXAMETER
Giddily onward it bears thee with resistless impetuous billows; Naught but the ocean and air seest thou before or behind.THE DISTICH
In the hexameter rises the fountain's watery column, In the pentameter sweet falling in melody down.THE EIGHT-LINE STANZA
Stanza, by love thou'rt created, — by love, all-tender and yearning; Thrice dost thou bashfully fly; thrice dost with longing return.THE OBELISK
On a pedestal lofty the sculptor in triumph has raised me. "Stand thou," spake he, — and I stand proudly and joyfully here.