Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, VISIONS: 8, by HEINRICH HEINE


Poetry Explorer

Classic and Contemporary Poetry

VISIONS: 8, by                     Poet's Biography
First Line: I came from the house of my mistress dear
Last Line: And the spirits rush'd back to their graves with a yell
Subject(s): Dreams; Love; Silence; Singing & Singers; Nightmares; Songs


I CAME from the house of my mistress dear,
And wander'd, half frenzied, in midnight fear,
And when o'er the churchyard I mournfully trod,
In solemn silence the graves seem'd to nod.

The musician's old tombstone seem'd nodding to be;
'Tis the flickering light of the moon that I see.
There's a whisper "Dear brother, I soon shall be here!"
Then a misty pale form from the tomb doth appear.

The musician it was who arose in the gloom,
And perch'd himself high on the top of the tomb;
The chords of his lute he struck with good will,
And sang with a voice right hollow and shrill:

"Ah, know ye still the olden song,
"That thrill'd the breast with passion strong,
"Ye chords so dull and unmoving?
"The angels they call it the joys of heaven,
"The devils they call it hell's torments even,
"And mortals they call it -- loving!"

The last word's sound had scarcely died,
When all the graves their mouths open'd wide;
Many airy figures step forward, and each
The musician draws near, while in chorus they screech

"Love, O love, thy wondrous might
"Brought us to this dreary plight,
"Closed our eyes in endless night, --
"To disturb us why delight?"

Thus howl they confusedly, hissing and groaning,
With roaring and sighing and crashing and moaning;
The mad troop the musician surround as before,
And the chords the musician strikes wildly once more

"Bravo! bravo! How absurd!
"Welcome to ye!
"Plainly knew ye
"That I spake the magic word!

"As we pass the livelong year
"Still as mice in prison drear,
"Let's to-day be full of cheer!
"First, though, please
"See that no one else is here;
"Fools were we as long as living,
"To love's maddening passion giving
"All our madden'd energies.
"Let, by way of recreation,
"Each one give a true narration
"Of his former history, --
"How devour'd,
"How o'erpower'd
"In love's frantic chase was he."

Then as light as the air from the circle there broke
A wizen'd thin being, who hummingly spoke:

"A tailor was I by profession
"With needle and with shears;
"None made a better impression
"With needle and with shears.

"Then came my master's daughter
"With needle and with shears,
"And pierced my sorrowing bosom
"With needle and with shears."

In right merry chorus the spirits then laughed;
In solemn silence a second stepp'd aft:

"Great Rinaldo Rinaldini,
"Schinderhanno, Orlandini,
"And Charles Moor especially,
"Were my patterns made by me.

"Like those mighty heroes, I
"Fell in love, I'll not deny,
"And the fairest woman most
"Haunted me like any ghost.

"Sighing, cooing like a dove,
"I was driven mad with love,
"And my fingers, by ill-luck,
"In my neighbour's pocket stuck

"But the constable abused me,
"And most cruelly ill-used me,
"And I sought to hide my grief
"In my neighbour's handkerchief.

"Then their arms policemen placed
"Quietly around my waist,
"And the bridewell then and there
"Took me 'neath its tender care.

"There, with thoughts of love quite full,
"Long time sat I, spinning wool,
"Till Rinaldo's ghost one day
"Came and took my soul away."

In right merry chorus the spirits then laughed;
A third, all-berouged and bedizen'd, stepp'd aft:

"As monarch I ruled on the stage,
"The part of the lover played I,
"Oft bellowed 'Ye Gods,' in a rage,
"Breath'd many a heart-rending sigh.

"I play'd Mortimer's part best, methinks,
"Maria was always so fair;
"But despite the most natural winks,
"She never gave heed to my prayer.

"Once when I, with desperate look,
"'Maria, thou holy one!' cried,
"The dagger I hastily took,
"And plunged it too deep in my side."

In right merry chorus the spirits then laugh'd;
A fourth in a white flowing garment stepp'd aft.

"Ex catkedra kept prating the learned professor,
"He prated, and I went to sleep all the while;
"Yet my pleasure had certainly not been the lesser,
"Had I revell'd instead in his daughter's sweet smile

"From the window she oft to me tenderly beckon'd
"That flower of flowers, my life's only light;
"Yet that flower of flowers was pluck'd in a second
"By a stupid old blockhead, an opulent wight.

"Then cursed I all women and rogues of high station
"And mingled some poisonous herbs in my wine,
"And held with old Death a jollification,
"While he said: 'Your good health! from this moment you're mine!'"

In right merry chorus the spirits then laugh'd;
A fifth, with a rope round his neck, next stepp'd aft:

"There boasted and bragg'd a count, over his wine,
"Of his daughter so fair, and his jewels so fine.
"What care I, Sir Count, for thy jewels so fine?
"Far rather would I that thy daughter were mine!

"'Tis true under bar, lock, and key they both lay,
"And the Count many servants retain'd in his pay
"What cared I for servants, for bar, lock, or key?
"Up the rungs of the ladder I mounted with glee.

"To my mistress's window I climb'd with good cheer
"Where curses beneath me saluted my ear.
"'Stop, stop, my fine fellow! I too must be there,
"'I'm likewise in love with the jewels so fair.'

"Thus jested the Count, while he grappled me tight
"His servants came round me with shouts of delight
"'Pooh, nonsense, you rascals! No robber am I,
"'I but came for my mistress -- 'tis really no lie.'

"In vain was my talking, in vain what I said,
"They got ready the rope, threw it over my head,
"And the sun, when he rose, with amazement extren
"Found me hanging, alas, from the gallows' high beam!"

In right merry chorus the spirits then laugh'd;
A sixth, with his head in his hand, next stepp'd aft;

"Love's torments made me seek the chace;
"Rifle in hand, I roam'd apace.
"Down from the tree, with follow scoff,
"The raven cried: 'head off! head off!'

"O, could I only see a dove,
"I'd take it home for my sweet love!
"Thus thought I, and midst bush and tree
"With sportsman's eye sought carefully.

"What billing's that? What gentle cooing?
"It sounds like turtle doves' soft wooing.
"I stole up slily, cock'd my gun,
"And, lo, my own sweet love was one!

"It was indeed my dove, my bride;
"A stranger clasp'd her waist with pride.
"Old gun, now let thy aim be good! --
"The stranger welter'd in his blood.

"Soon through the wood I had to pass,
"With hangmen by my side, alas!
"Down from the tree, with bitter scoff,
"The raven cried: 'head-off! head-off!'"

In right merry chorus the spirits then laughed;
At length the musician in person stepp'd aft:

"I've sung my own song, friends, demurely,
"That charming song's at an end;
"When the heart is once broken, why surely
"The song may homeward wend!"

Then began the wild laughter still louder to sound,
And the pale spectral troop in a circle swept round.
From the neighbouring church-tow'r the stroke of "One!" fell,
And the spirits rush'd back to their graves with a yell





Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!


Other Poems of Interest...
Home: PoetryExplorer.net