Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, TO LAURA, PLAYING, by JOHANN CHRISTOPH FRIEDRICH VON SCHILLER


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

TO LAURA, PLAYING, by                     Poet's Biography
First Line: When o'er the chords, thy fingers steal
Last Line: Souls in elysium speak?
Alternate Author Name(s): Schiller, Friedrich Von
Subject(s): Music & Musicians


When o'er the chords thy fingers steal,
A soulless statue now I feel,
And now a soul set free!
Thou rulest over life and death,
Mighty as over souls the breath
Of some great Sorcery.

Then the vassal airs that woo thee,
Hush their low breath hearkening to thee:
In delight and in devotion,
Pausing from her whirling motion,
Nature in enchanted calm,
Silently drinks the floating balm,
Sorceress, her heart with thy tone
Claiming — as thine eyes my own!

O'er the transport — tumult-driven,
Doth the music gliding swim;
From the strings, as from their heaven,
Burst the new-born Seraphim.
As when from Chaos' giant arms set free,
'Mid the creation-storm, exultingly
Sprang sparkling forth the Orbs of Light —
So streams the rich tones in melodious might.

Soft-gliding now, as when o'er pebbles glancing,
The silver wave goes dancing,
Now with majestic swell, and strong,
As thunder peals in organ-tones along;
And now with stormy gush,
As down the rock, in foam, the whirling torrents rush;
To a whisper now,
Melts it amorously,
Like the breeze through the bough
Of the aspen-tree;
Heavily now, and with a mournful breath,
Like midnight's wind along those wastes of death,
Where Awe the wail of ghosts lamenting hears,
And slow Cocytus trails the stream whose waves are tears.
Speak, maiden, speak! — O, art thou one of those
Spirits more lofty than our region knows?
Should we in thine the mother-language seek,
Souls in Elysium speak?





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