to him who boldly dares! A devil's pluck thou'rt wont to show; As for a devil
who despairs, Nothing I find so mawkish here below.
Margaret's Room
Margaret (alone at her spinning wheel)
My peace is gone, My heart is sore, I find it never, And nevermore!
Where him I have not, Is the grave; and all The world to me Is turned to gall.
My wilder'd brain Is overwrought; My feeble senses Are distraught.
My peace is gone, My heart is sore, I find it never, And nevermore!
For him from the window I gaze, at home; For him and him only Abroad I
roam.
His lofty step, His bearing high, The smile of his lip, The power of his eye,
His witching words, Their tones of bliss, His hand's fond pressure And ah -
his kiss! My peace is gone, My heart is sore, I find it never, And nevermore.
My bosom aches To feel him near; Ah, could I clasp And fold him here!
Kiss him and kiss him Again would I, And on his kisses I fain would die.
Martha's Garden
Margaret and Faust
Margaret
Promise me, Henry!
Faust
What I can!
Margaret
How thy religion fares, I fain would hear. Thou art a good kind - hearted man,
Only that way not well - disposed, I fear.
Faust
Forbear, my child! Thou feelest thee I love; My heart, my blood I'd give, my
love to prove, And none would of their faith or church bereave.
Margaret
That's not enough, we must ourselves believe!
Faust
Must we?
Margaret
Ah, could I but thy soul inspire! Thou honourest not the sacraments, alas!
Faust
I honour them.
Margaret
But yet without desire; 'Tis long since thou hast been either to shrift or mass.
Dost thou believe in God?
Faust
My darling, who dares say, Yes, I in God believe? Question or priest or sage,
and they Seem, in the answer you receive, To mock the questioner.
Margaret
Then thou dost not believe?
Faust
Sweet one! my meaning do not misconceive! Him who dare name? And who
proclaim, Him I believe? Who that can feel, His heart can steel, To say: I
believe him not? The All - embracer, All - sustainer, Holds and sustains he not
Thee, me, himself? Lifts not the Heaven its dome above? Doth not the firm -
set earth beneath us lie? And beaming tenderly with looks of love, Climb not
the everlasting stars on high? Do we not gaze into each other's eyes? Nature's
impenetrable agencies, Are they not thronging on thy heart and brain,
Viewless, or visible to mortal ken, Around thee weaving their mysterious
chain? Fill thence thy heart, how large soe'er it be; And in the feeling when
thou utterly art blest, Then call it, what thou wilt, Call it Bliss! Heart! Love!
God! I have no name for it! 'Tis feeling all; Name is but sound and smoke
Shrouding the glow of heaven.
Margaret
All this is doubtless good and fair; Almost the same the parson says, Only in
slightly different phrase.
Faust
Beneath Heaven's sunshine, everywhere, This is the utterance of the human
heart; Each in his language doth the like impart; Then why not I in mine?
Margaret
What thus I hear Sounds plausible, yet I'm not reconciled; There's something
wrong about it; much I fear That thou art not a Christian.
Faust
My sweet child!
Margaret
Alas! it long hath sorely troubled me, To see thee in such odious company.
Faust
How so?
Margaret
The man who comes with thee, I hate, Yea, in my spirit's inmost depths
abhor; As his loath'd visage, in my life before, Naught to my heart e'er gave a
pang so great.
Faust
Him fear not, my sweet love!
Margaret
His presence chills my blood. Towards all beside I have a kindly mood; Yet,
though I yearn to gaze on thee, I feel At sight of him strange horror o'er me
steal; That he's a villain my conviction's strong. May Heaven forgive me, if I
do him wrong!
Faust
Yet such strange fellows in the world must be!
Margaret
I would not live with such an one as he. If for a moment he but enter here, He
looks around him with a mocking sneer, And malice ill - conceal'd; That he
with naught on earth can sympathize is clear Upon his brow 'tis legibly
revealed, That to his heart no living soul is dear. So blest I feel, within thine
arms, So warm and happy, - free from all alarms; And still my heart doth
close when he comes near.
Faust
Foreboding angel! check thy fear!
Margaret
It so o'ermasters me, that when, Or wheresoe'er, his step I hear, I almost
think, no more I love thee then. Besides, when he is near, I ne'er could pray.
This eats into my heart; with thee The same, my Henry, it must be.
Faust
This is antipathy!
Margaret
I must away.
Faust
For one brief hour then may I never rest, And heart to heart, and soul to soul
be pressed?
Margaret
Ah, if I slept alone! To - night The bolt I fain would leave undrawn for thee;
But then my mother's sleep is light, Were we surprised by her, ah me! Upon
the spot I should be dead.
Faust
Dear angel! there's no cause for dread. Here is a little phial, - if she take
Mixed in her drink three drops, 'twill steep Her nature in a deep and soothing
sleep.
Margaret
What do I not for thy dear sake! To her it will not harmful prove?
Faust
Should I advise it else, sweet love?
Margaret
I know not, dearest, when thy face I see, What doth my spirit to thy will
constrain; Already I have done so much for thee, That scarcely more to do
doth now remain.
(Exit.)
Mephistopheles (enters)
Mephistopheles
The monkey! Is she gone?
Faust
Again hast played the spy?
Mephistopheles
Of all that pass'd I'm well apprized, I heard the doctor catechised, And trust
he'll profit much thereby! Fain would the girls inquire indeed Touching their
lover's faith and creed, And whether pious in the good old way; They think, if
pliant there, us too he will obey.
Faust
Thou monster, does not see that this Pure soul, possessed by ardent love, Full
of the living faith, To her of bliss The only pledge, must holy anguish prove,
Holding the man she loves, fore - doomed to endless death!
Mephistopheles
Most sensual, supersensualist? The while A damsel leads thee by the nose!
Faust
Of filth and fire abortion vile!
Mephistopheles
In physiognomy strange skill she shows; She in my presence feels she knows
not how; My mask it seems a hidden sense reveals; That I'm a genius she
must needs allow, That I'm the very devil perhaps she feels. So then to - night
Faust
What's that to you?
Mephistopheles
I've my amusement in it too!
At The Well
Margaret and Bessy, with pitchers
Bessy
Of Barbara hast nothing heard?
Margaret
I rarely go from home, - no, not a word.
Bessy
'Tis true: Sybilla told me so to - day! That comes of being proud, methinks;
She played the fool at last.
Margaret
How so?
Bessy
They say That two she feedeth when she eats and drinks.
Margaret
Alas!
Bessy
She's rightly served, in sooth, How long she hung upon the youth! What
promenades, what jaunts there were, To dancing booth and village fair! The
first she everywhere must shine, He always treating her to pastry and to wine
Of her good looks she was so vain, So shameless too, that to retain His
presents, she did not disdain; Sweet words and kisses came anon And then
the virgin flower was gone.
Margaret
Poor thing!
Bessy
Forsooth dost pity her? At night, when at our wheels we sat, Abroad our
mothers ne'er would let us stir. Then with her lover she must chat, Or on the
bench or in the dusky walk, Thinking the hours too brief for their sweet talk;
Her proud head she will have to bow, And in white sheet do penance now!
Margaret
But he will surely marry her?
Bessy
Not he! He won't be such a fool! a gallant lad Like him, can roam o'er land
and sea, Besides, he's off.
Margaret
That is not fair!
Bessy
If she should get him, 'twere almost as bad! Her myrtle wreath the boys
would tear; And then we girls would plagued her too, For we chopp'd straw
before her door would strew!
(Exit.)
Margaret (walking towards home)
How stoutly once I could inveigh, If a poor maiden went astray; Not words
enough my tongue could find, 'Gainst others' sin to speak my mind! Black as it
seemed, I blacken'd it still more, And strove to make it blacker than before.
And did myself securely bless Now my own trespass doth appear! Yet ah! -
what urg'd me to transgress, God knows, it was so sweet, so dear!
Zwinger
Enclosure between the City - wall and the Gate.
(In the niche of the wall a devotional image of the Mater dolorosa, with flower
- pots before it)
Margaret (putting fresh flowers in the pots)
Ah, rich in sorrow, thou, Stoop thy maternal brow, And mark with pitying eye
my misery! The sword in thy pierced heart, Thou dost with bitter smart, Gaze
upwards on thy Son's death agony. To the dear God on high, Ascends thy
piteous sigh, Pleading for his and thy sore misery. Ah, who can know The
torturing woe, The pangs that rack me to the bone? How my poor heart,
without relief, Trembles and throbs, its yearning grief Thou knowest, thou
alone! Ah, wheresoe'er I go, With woe, with woe, with woe, My anguish'd
breast is aching! When all alone I creep, I weep, I weep, I weep, Alas! my
heart is breaking! The flower-pots at my window Were wet with tears of
mine, The while I pluck'd these blossoms, At dawn to deck thy shrine! When
early in my chamber Shone bright the rising morn, I sat there on my pallet, My
heart with anguish torn. Help! from disgrace and death deliver me! Ah! rich in
sorrow, thou, Stoop thy maternal brow, And mark with pitying eye my
misery!
Night. Street Before Margaret's Door
Valentine (a soldier, Margaret's brother)
When seated 'mong the jovial crowd, Where merry comrades boasting loud
Each named with pride his favourite lass, And in her honour drain'd his glass;
Upon my elbows I would lean, With easy quiet view the scene, Nor give my
tongue the rein until Each swaggering blade had talked his fill. Then smiling I
my beard would stroke, The while, with brimming glass, I spoke; "Each to his
taste! - but to my mind, Where in the country will you find, A maid, as my
dear Gretchen fair, Who with my sister can compare?" Cling! Clang! so rang
the jovial sound! Shouts of assent went circling round; Pride of her sex is she!
- cried some; Then were the noisy boasters dumb.
And now! - I could tear out my hair, Or dash my brains out in despair! Me
every scurvy knave may twit, With stinging jest and taunting sneer! Like
skulking debtor I must sit, And sweat each casual word to hear! And though I
smash'd them one and all, Yet them I could not liars call.
Who comes this way? who's sneaking here? If I mistake not, two draw near.
If he be one, have at him; - well I wot Alive he shall not leave this spot!
Faust. Mephistopheles
Faust
How from yon sacristy, athwart the night, Its beams the ever - burning taper
throws, While ever waning, fades the glimmering light, As gathering darkness
doth around it close! So night - like gloom doth in my bosom reign.
Mephistopheles
I'm like a tom - cat in a thievish vein, That up fire - ladders tall and steep, And
round the walls doth slyly creep; Virtuous withal, I feel, with, I confess, A
touch of thievish joy and wantonness. Thus through my limbs already burns
The glorious Walpurgis night! After to - morrow it returns, Then why one
wakes, one knows aright!
Faust
Meanwhile, the treasure I see glimmering there, Will it ascend into the open
air?
Mephistopheles
Ere long thou wilt proceed with pleasure, To raise the casket with its treasure;
I took a peep, therein are stored, Of lion - dollars a rich hoard.
Faust
And not a trinket? not a ring? Wherewith my lovely girl to deck?
Mephistopheles
I saw among them some such thing, A string of pearls to grace her neck.
Faust
'Tis well! I'm always loath to go, Without some gift my love to show.
Mephistopheles
Some pleasures gratis to enjoy, Should surely cause you no annoy. While
bright with stars the heavens appear, I'll sing a masterpiece of art: A moral
song shall charm her ear, More surely to beguile her heart.
(Sings to the guitar.)
Kathrina say, Why lingering stay At dawn of day Before your lover's door?
Maiden, beware, Nor enter there, Lest forth you fare, A maiden never more.
Maiden take heed! Reck well my rede! Is't done, the deed? Good night, you
poor, poor thing! The spoiler's lies, His arts despise, Nor yield your prize,
Without the marriage ring!
Valentine (steps forward)
Whom are you luring here? I'll give it you! Accursed rat - catchers, your
strains I'll end! First, to the devil the guitar I'll send! Then to the devil with the
singer too!
Mephistopheles
The poor guitar! 'tis done for now.
Valentine
Your skull shall follow next, I trow!
Mephistopheles (to Faust)
Doctor, stand fast! your strength collect! Be prompt, and do as I direct. Out
with your whisk, keep close, I pray, I'll parry! do you thrust away!
