About the Book
This new series brings into modern English a reliable translation of a representative portion of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's vast body of work. This edition, selected from over 140 volumes in German, is the new standard in English, and contains poetry, drama, fiction, memoir, criticism, and scientific writing by the man who is probably the most influential writer in the German language. The executive editors of this collection are Victor Lange of Princeton University, Eric Blackall of Cornell University, and Cyrus Hamlin of Yale University. Princeton University Press is proud to be the distributor of the twelve volumes in hardcover of the originating publisher, Suhrkamp Verlag. In addition, Princeton will issue paperback reprints of these volumes over the next two years, beginning with volumes one through three. Goethe, the founder of the poetry of experience, created a body of poetry that is unsurpassed in lucidity of speech and imagery and in instinct for melody and rhythm. Nonetheless, many of his poems are relatively unknown to English-speaking audiences, partly because of the difficulties they have posed to translators.
This volume contains translations, side by side with the German originals, of Goethe's major poems--all prepared by eminent American and English writers, and all attesting to his poetic genius. Goethe's most complex and profound work, Faust was the effort of the great poet's entire lifetime. Written over 60 years, it can be read as a document of Goethe's moral and artistic development. Faust is made available to the English reader in a completely new translation that communicates both its poetic variety and its many levels of tone. The language is present-day English, and Goethe's formal and rhythmic variety is reproduced in all its richness. The reflections on art and literature that Goethe produced throughout his life are the premise and corollary of his work as poet, novelist, and man of science. This volume contains such important essays as "On Gothic Architecture," "On the Laocoon Group," and "Shakespeare: A Tribute." Several works in this collection appear for the first time unabridged and in fresh translations.
Table of Contents:
INTRODUCTION xv THE POEMS These appear in chronological sequence by year of composition. An exception is made for the five natural-scientific poems, variously dated, 'Parabasis,' 'The Metamorphosis of Plants,' 'Epirrhema,' 'Metamorphosis of Animals,' and 'Antepirrhema,' which appear on the dateline 1798. With allowance for changes in modern editions (Hamburg 1948, Artemis 1950), letters in brackets after German titles show in which group Goethe placed his poems, according to notions of genre, in the original collections of 1789,1808, and 1830. Code: AF = Antiker Form sich nadhernd (Approaching Classical Form); AP = An Personen (To Persons); B = Balladen (Ballads); CDJT = Chinesisch-Deutsche Jahres- und Tageszeiten (Chinese-German Times of Year and Day); E = Elegien (Elegies); Ep = Epigrammatisch (Epigrams); GW = Gott und Welt (God and World); K = Kunst (Art); L = Lieder (Songs); P = Parabolisch (Parabolic Poems); S = Sonette (Sonnets); Sp = Spruche (Sayings); VG = Vermischte Gedichte (Miscellaneous Poems); ZX = Zahme Xenien (Tame Invectives). Poems from the Diwan appear in a section of their own (IV). Texts follow the Artemis edition. I. EARLY POEMS, 1768-75 Scheintod (L) 3 Suspended Animation (Christopher Middleton) 3 Wechsel (L) 4 Exchange (E. A. Bowring/Christopher Middleton) 5 Brautnacht(L) 4 Wedding Night (Christopher Middleton) 5 An Luna (L) 6 To Luna (W. E. Aytoun-Theodore Martin/Christopher Middleton) 7 Willkommen und Abschied (L) 8 Welcome and Farewell (Christopher Middleton) 9 Mailied (L) 10 May Song (John Frederick Nims) I I Another version (Christopher Middleton) Der neue Amadis (L) 12 The New Amadis (Christopher Middleton) 13 Heidenroslein (L) 16 Rosebud in the Heather (John Frederick Nims) 17 Wandrers Sturmlied (VG) 16 Wanderer's Storm-Song (Christopher Middleton) 17 Mahomets Gesang (VG) 22 A Song to Mahomet (Christopher Middleton) 23 Prometheus (VG) 26 Prometheus (Michael Hamburger) 27 Ganymed (VG) 30 Ganymede (Christopher Middleton) 31 Der Konig in Thule (B) 34 The King in Thule (John Frederick Nims) 35 Gretchen am Spinnrade (Urfaust) 36 Gretchen at the Spinningwheel (Christopher Middleton) 37 Vor Gericht (B) 38 In Court (Christopher Middleton) 39 Auf dem See (L) 40 On the Lake (Christopher Middleton) 41 Herbstgefuhl (L) 42 Autumn Feeling (Christopher Middleton) 43 Kunstlers Abendlied (K) 44 An Artist's Evening Song (Christopher Middleton) 45 II. THE FIRST WEIMAR YEARS Erklarung eines alten Holzschnittes, vorstellend Hans Sachsens poetische Sendung (VG) 48 Explanation of an Old Woodcut Depicting Hans Sachs' Poetic Mission (Christopher Middleton) 49 Wandrers Nachtlied (L) 58 Wanderer's Night Song (Henry Wadsworth Longfellow) 59 Ein Gleiches (L) 58 Another Night Song (Henry Wadsworth Longfellow) 59 Another version (Christopher Middleton) 59 An Charlotte von Stein (AP) 60 To Charlotte von Stein (John Frederick Nims) 61 An den Mond 62 To the Moon 63 Legende(P) 64 Legend (Christopher Middleton) 65 Harzreise im Winter (VG) 66 A Winter Journey in the Harz (Christopher Middleton) 67 Gesang der Geister uber den Wassern (VG) 70 Song of the Spirits Over the Waters (Christopher Middleton) 71 Der Fischer (B) 72 The Fisherman (John Frederick Nims) 73 Meine gottin (VG) 74 My Goddess (Michael Hamburger) 75 Das gottliche (VG) 78 The Godlike (Vernon Watkins) 79 Nachtgedanken (VG) 82 Night Thoughts (Christopher Middleton) 83 Grenzen der Menschheit (VG) 82 Limits of Human Nature (Vernon Watkins) 83 erlkonig (B) 86 Erlkonig (Christopher Middleton) 87 Geweihter Platz (AF) 88 Consecrated Place (E. A. Bowring/Christopher Middleton) 89 Anakreons Grab (AF) 88 Anacreon's Grave (Michael Hamburger) 89 Zueignung (prologue to Schriften, 1789) 88 Dedication (Aytoun-Martin/Christopher Middleton) 89 III. "KLASSIK" AND THE TURN OF THE CENTURY Amor als Landschaftsmaler (K) 98 Amor as Landscape Painter (Christopher Middleton) 99 Romische Elegien (E) 102 Roman Elegies, I, Ia, IV, V, VI, VIII, X, XII, XlVa, XV, XVI, XX (Michael Hamburger) 103 Morgenklagen (VG) 118 Morning Complaints (Christopher Middleton) 119 Der Besuch (VG) 122 The Visit (Christopher Middleton) 123 Venezianische Epigramme (Ep) 124 Venetian Epigrams, 15, 53, 55, 77 (Michael Hamburger), 23, 38, 66, 72, 90 (Christopher Middleton) (numbers as in Artemis edition) 125 Nahe des Geliebten (L) 128 Nearness of the Beloved (Michael Hamburger) 129 Die Spinnerin (L) 128 The Spinner (Christopher Middleton) 129 Mignon (from Wilhelm Meisters Lehrjahre) 132 Mignon (Christopher Middleton) 133 Die Braut von Korinth (B) 132 The Bride of Corinth (Aytoun-Martin/Christopher Middleton) 133 Euphrosyne (E) 144 Euphrosyne (Christopher Middleton) 145 Die Musageten (VG) 150 The Musagetes (Christopher Middleton) 151 Parabase (GW) 154 Parabasis (Christopher Middleton) 155 Die Metamorphose der Pflanzen (GW) 154 The Metamorphosis of Plants (Michael Hamburger) 155 Epirrhema (GW) 158 Epirrhema (Christopher Middleton) 159 Metamorphose der Tiere (GW) 160 Metamorphosis of Animals (Christopher Middleton) 161 Antepirrhema (GW) 162 Antepirrhema (Christopher Middleton) 163 Spiegel der Muse (AF) 164 The Muse's Mirror (Bowring/Christopher Middleton) 165 Natur und Kunst (S) 164 Nature and Art (Michael Hamburger) 165 Weltseele (GW) 166 Universal Soul (Christopher Middleton) 167 Dauer im Wechsel (GW) 168 Permanence in Change (John Frederick Nims) 169 Bergschloss (L) 170 Mountain Castle (Christopher Middleton) 171 Nachtgesang (L) 174 Night Song (Christopher Middleton) 175 Freibeuter (L) 174 Buccaneer (Christopher Middleton) 175 Machtiges Uberraschen (S) 176 Sonnet 1: Immense Astonishment (Christopher Middleton) 177 Abschied (S) 178 Sonnet VIII: The Farewell (Christopher Middleton) 179 War nicht das Auge sonnenhaft (Sp) 178 Something like the Sun (Christopher Middleton) 179 Das Tagebuch (long suppressed, now VG) 180 The Diary (John Frederick Nims) 181 Fliegentod (P) 190 Death of a Fly (Christopher Middleton) 191 Sizilianisches Lied (L) 190 Sicilian Song (Michael Hamburger) 191 Gefunden (L) 190 Found (Michael Hamburger) 191 Gegenwart (L) 194 Presence (Christopher Middleton) 195 Ein Quidam sagt (Sp/Ep/ZX) 194 Somebody Says (Michael Hamburger) 195 Vom Vater hab ich die Statur (Sp/ZX) 196 My Build from Father I Inherit (Michael Hamburger) 197 Eigenturn (L) 196 Possessions (Christopher Middleton) 197 Landschaft (K) 196 Landscape (Christopher Middleton) 197 Die Jahre (Sp) 198 The Years (Michael Hamburger) 199 IV. POEMS FROM THE PARLIAMENT OF WEST AND EAST Hegire 202 Hegira (Michael Hamburger) 203 Unbegrenzt 204 Unbounded (Michael Hamburger) 205 Selige Sehnsucht 206 Blessed Longing (Michael Hamburger) 207 Versunken 208 Submerged (Michael Hamburger) 209 Gingo Biloba 208 Gingo Biloba (Michael Hamburger) 209 An vollen Buschelzweigen 210 On Laden Twigs (Michael Hamburger) 211 Behandelt die Frauen mit Nachsicht 210 Be Lenient When Handling Womankind (Christopher Middleton) 211 Hatem 212 Hatem (Christopher Middleton) 213 Wiederfinden 212 Reunion (Christopher Middleton) 213 In tausend Formen 216 A Thousand Forms (Christopher Middleton) 217 Hoheres und Hochstes 218 Sublimer and Sublimest (Christopher Middleton) 219 Schwarzer Schatten 220 Black is the Shadow (Christopher Middleton) 221 Mit der Deutschen Freundschaft 222 With a German Amity (Christopher Middleton) 223 V. LATER POEMS, 1815-30 Prooemion (GW) 226 Prooemion (Christopher Middleton) 227 Entoptische Farben (GW) 228 Entoptic Colours (Christopher Middleton) 229 Urworte. Orphisch (GW) 230 Primal Words. Orphic (Christopher Middleton) 231 Um Mitternacht (L) 232 At Midnight (Michael Hamburger) 233 Von Krudener (Sp) 234 Von Krudener (Christopher Middleton) 235 Sankt Nepomuks Vorabend (L) 234 Saint Nepomuk's Eve (Christopher Middleton) 235 Allerdings: Dem Physiker (GW) 236 True Enough (Michael Hamburger) 237 Auf den Kauf (Ep) 236 Shopping (Christopher Middleton) 237 Demut (Ep) 238 Humility (Christopher Middleton) 239 Kronos als Kunstrichter (Ep) 240 Kronos as Art Critic (Christopher Middleton) 241 Ins Weite (Ep) 240 Into the Blue (Christopher Middleton) 241 Eins und Alles (GW) 240 One and All (Christopher Middleton) 241 Trilogie der Leidenschaft (VG) 242 Trilogy of Passion (John Frederick Nims) 243 Ein Gleichnis (P) 254 A Likeness (Vernon Watkins) 255 Beruf des Storches (P) 256 The Stork's Profession (Christopher Middleton) 257 Im ernsten Beinhaus war's (VG) 256 Lines Written Upon the Contemplation of Schiller's Skull (David Luke) 257 Begeisterung (K) 258 Being Inspired (Christopher Middleton) 259 Dammerung senkte sich von oben (CDJT) 260 Twilight Down from Heaven (Christopher Middleton) 261 War Schomer als der schonster Tag (CDJT) 260 Lovelier She (Christopher Middleton) 261 Dem aufgehenden Vollmonde (VG) 262 To the Full Moon Rising (Christopher Middleton) 263 Fruh, wenn Tal, Gebirg und Garten (VG) 262 Garden, Valley, Hill (Christopher Middleton) 263 Es spricht sich aus der stumme Schmerz (VG) 264 Pain, Dumb (Christopher Middleton) 265 Der Brautigam (VG) 264 The Bridegroom (Michael Hamburger) 265 Vermachtnis (GW) 266 Testament (Christopher Middleton) 267 Parabel (P) 270 Parable (Christopher Middleton) 271 APPENDIX: A SELECTION OF TEXTS FROM "PARALIPOMENA" (CHRISTOPHER MIDDLETON) 273 NOTES 291
