And swift and swift, in wondrous guise,Revolves the earth in splendour bright, The radiant hues of ParadiseAlternating with deepest night.
From out the gulf against the rock,In spreading billows foams the ocean,--And cliff and sea with mighty shock,The spheres whirl round in endless motion.
MICHAEL.
And storms in emulation growlFrom land to sea, from sea to land, And fashion, as they wildly howl,A circling, wonder-working band.
Destructive flames in mad careerPrecede Thy thunders on their way;Yet, Lord, Thy messengers revereThe soft mutations of Thy day.
THE THREE.
Strength find the angels in Thy sight,Though none may hope to fathom Thee;Still glorious are Thy works of might,As when first form'd in majesty.
III.
CHORUS OF ANGELS.
CHRIST is arisen!
Mortal, all hail!
Thou, of Earth's prisonDreary and frail, Bursting the veil,Proudly hast risen!
CHORUS OF WOMEN.
Rich spices and myrrh,To embalm Him we brought;His corpse to interHis true followers sought.
In pure cerements shrin'd,'Twas placed in the bier But, alas! we now findThat Christ is not here.
CHORUS OF ANGELS.
Christ is arisen!
Speechless His love.
Who to Earth's prisonCame from above, Trials to prove.
Now is He risen!
CHORUS OF YOUTHS.
Death's gloomy portalNow hath He rended,--Living, immortal,Heavenward ascended;Freed from His anguish,Sees He God's throne;We still must languish,Earthbound, alone.
Now that He's reft us,Heart-sad we pine;Why hast Thou left us,Master divine?
CHORUS OF ANGELS.
Christ is arisen,Death hath He slain;Burst ye your prison,Rend ye each chain!
Songs of praise lead ye,--Love to show, heed ye,--Hungry ones feed ye,--Preaching, on speed ye,--Coming joys plead ye,--Then is the Master near, Then is He here!
IV.
CHORUS OF SPIRITS.
VANISH, dark clouds on high,Offspring of night!
Let a more radiant beam Through the blue ether gleam,Charming the sight!
Would the dark clouds on highMelt into air!
Stars glimmer tenderly,Planets more fairShed their soft light.
Spirits of heav'nly birth, Fairer than sons of earth, Quivering emotions trueHover above;Yearning affections, too,In their train move.
See how the spirit-band, By the soft breezes fann'd, Covers the smiling land,--Covers the leafy grove, Where happy lovers rove, Deep in a dream of love, True love that never dies!
Bowers on bowers rise,Soft tendrils twine;While from the press escapes, Born of the juicy grapes,Foaming, the wine;And as the current flows O'er the bright stones it goes,--Leaving the hilly landsFar, far behind,--Into a sea expands,Loving to wind Round the green mountain's base;And the glad-winged race,Rapture sip in, As they the sunny light, And the fair islands bright,Hasten to win, That on the billows play With sweet deceptive ray, Where in glad choral song Shout the exulting throng;Where on the verdant plainDancers we see, Spreading themselves amainOver the lea.
Some boldly climbing areO'er the steep brake, Others are floating farO'er the smooth lake.
All for a purpose move,All with life teem, While the sweet stars aboveBlissfully gleam.
V.
MARGARET AT HER SPINNING-WHEEL.
MY heart is sad,My peace is o'er;
I find it neverAnd nevermore.
When gone is he, The grave I see;
The world's wide all Is turned to gall.
Alas, my headIs well-nigh crazed;
My feeble mindIs sore amazed.
My heart is sad,My peace is o'er;
I find it neverAnd nevermore.
For him from the windowAlone I spy;
For him aloneFrom home go I.
His lofty step,His noble form, His mouth's sweet smile,His glances warm,His voice so fraughtWith magic bliss, His hand's soft pressure,And, ah, his kiss!
My heart is sad,My peace is o'er;
I find it neverAnd nevermore.
My bosom yearnsFor his form so fair;
Ah, could I clasp himAnd hold him there!
My kisses sweetShould stop his breath, And 'neath his kissesI'd sink in death!
VI.
SCENE--A GARDEN,Margaret.Faust.
MARGARET.
DOST thou believe in God?
FAUST.
Doth mortal liveWho dares to say that he believes in God?
Go, bid the priest a truthful answer give,Go, ask the wisest who on earth e'er trod,--Their answer will appear to be Given alone in mockery.
MARGARET.
Then thou dost not believe? This sayest thou?
FAUST.
Sweet love, mistake not what I utter now!
Who knows His name?
Who dares proclaim:--Him I believe?
Who so can feel His heart to steel To sari believe Him not?
The All-Embracer, The All-Sustained, Holds and sustains He not Thee, me, Himself?
Hang not the heavens their arch overhead?
Lies not the earth beneath us, firm?
Gleam not with kindly glances Eternal stars on high?
Looks not mine eye deep into thine?
And do not all things Crowd on thy head and heart, And round thee twine, in mystery eterne, Invisible, yet visible?
Fill, then, thy heart, however vast, with this, And when the feeling perfecteth thy bliss, O, call it what thou wilt, Call it joy! heart! love! God!
No name for it I know!
'Tis feeling all--nought else;
Name is but sound and smoke, Obscuring heaven's bright glow.
VII.
MARGARET, Placing fresh flowers in the flower-pots.
O THOU well-tried in grief,Grant to thy child relief, And view with mercy this unhappy one!
The sword within thy heart,Speechless with bitter smart, Thou Lookest up towards thy dying son.
Thou look'st to God on high,And breathest many a sigh O'er his and thy distress, thou holy One!
Who e'er can knowThe depth of woePiercing my very bone?
The sorrows that my bosom fill, Its trembling, its aye-yearning will,Are known to thee, to thee alone!
Wherever I may go,With woe, with woe, with woe, My bosom sad is aching!
I scarce alone can creep,I weep, I weep, I weep, My very heart is breaking.
The flowers at my windowMy falling tears bedewed, When I, at dawn of morning,For thee these flow'rets strewed.
When early to my chamberThe cheerful sunbeams stole, I sat upon my pallet,In agony of soul.
Help! rescue me from death and misery!
Oh, thou well-tried in grief,Grant to thy child relief, And view with mercy my deep agony!
FROM FAUST--SECOND PART.
I.
ARIEL.
