Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, GERMANY; A WINTER TALE: CAPUT 25, by HEINRICH HEINE


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

GERMANY; A WINTER TALE: CAPUT 25, by                     Poet's Biography
First Line: Some tea the goddess quickly made
Last Line: And in my works as a poet.
Subject(s): Freedom; Germany; Poetry & Poets; Liberty; Germans


SOME tea the goddess quickly made,
And then the rum pour'd she in;
But she herself preferr'd the rum
Without a drop of tea in.

Against my shoulder she lean'd her head,
And rather tumbled her bonnet
Or mural crown, and gently she spake,
While I reflected upon it:

"I often have thought with much alarm
"That in Paris, that wicked city,
"With the frivolous French thou'rt living still, --
"'Tis really a very great pity.

"Without an object thou'rt passing thy time,
"And hast not even beside thee
"Some faithful German publisher who
"As a Mentor might warn and guide thee.

"And then the temptations there are so groat,
"So many a sylph amuses,
"Whose health is bad, and one's peace of mind
"One far too easily loses.

"Return not again, but stop with us,
"Here modesty reigns still, and morals;
"And here thou may'st gather, e'en in our midst,
"In silence many fair laurels.

'In Germany stay, and thou'lt relish things more
"Than thou wert formerly able;
"We're fast advancing, and thou must have seen
"Our progress so rapid and stable.

"The censorship even less rigorous is,
"Friend Hoffmann is milder and older;
"His youthful passion for cutting up
"Thy Reisebilder is colder.

"Thou too art older and milder now,
"And many things quietly takest,
"And in a better spirit than once,
"Past times thou now awakest.

"That matters in Germany used to go ill
"Is a great exaggeration;
"One could always escape, like the Romans of old,
"From serfdom, by self-immolation.

"The people enjoy'd full freedom of thought,
"For the masses it never was stinted;
"Restrictions affected nobody, save
"The limited number who printed.

"No lawless despotism then reign'd,
"The worst of demagogues never
"Were deprived of their rights of citizenship,
"Till condemn'd for some wicked endeavour.

"Things never in Germany went so ill,
"Whatever disputes may have risen;
"Believe me, no mortal was e'er starved to death
"Inside a German prison.

"In those long vanish'd days there bloom'd
"Full many a fair apparition
"Of simple faith and kindliness too, --
"Now all is doubt and sedition.

"The practical freedom that's all outside
"Will soon destroy the Ideal
"That we bore in our bosoms, -- as fair as a dream
"Of lilies, and not more real!

"Our beautiful poetry's fading fast,
"Already 'tis somewhat faded;
"The Moorish King of Freiligrath,
"Like the rest of the kings, is degraded.

'O couldst thou be silent, I soon would unseal
"The book of fate, free from all error,
"And suffer thee future ages to see
"Within my magic mirror.

"That which to mortal man I ne'er show'd,
"To thee would I gladly discover:
"The future of thy fatherland, --
"Thou wouldst tell it, though, all the world over!"

"Good heavens, dear goddess!" I cried with delight,
"It would give me most exquisite pleasure;
"O let me the future of Germany see,
"I know how a secret to treasure.

"I'm ready to swear whatever oath
"Thou soonest would have me swallow,
"As a pledge to thee of my secrecy;
"So say what form I shall follow."

But she rejoin'd: "Thou must swear to me
"As by Father Abraham's order
"His servant Eliezer swore,
"When starting to cross the border.

"Lift up my dress and place thy hand
"Upon my thigh below it,
"And swear that in speaking, the secret thou'lt keep,
"And in thy works as a poet!"

The moment was solemn. I felt as though fann'd
By the breath of ages long perish'd,
When I swore the oath in the manner ordain'd
By Abraham, our forefather cherish'd.

I lifted up the goddess's dress,
And placed on her thigh below it
My hand, vowing secrecy both in my words
And in my works as a poet.





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