Next book in my Daily Book Excerpt:
Next play on the script shelf:
Faust, by Johann Wolfgang Goethe. The copy I have is translated by Philip Wayne. I fell in love with this play in grad school. It’s meant to be read out loud.
Here’s an excerpt from the second meeting between Mephistopheles and Faust – the one where Mephistopheles makes his offer.
EXCERPT FROM Faust:
MEPHISTOPHELES. Leave off this traffic with your groping grief,
That like a vulture feeds upon your mind;
No company so vile but brings relief,
And marks you for a man among mankind.
By this I don’t suggest
We thrust you in among the common herd.
I’m not the grandest person or the best,
But if you care to take me at my word
And join with me, and make a common quest,
I’m very much at your disposal,
That’s my proposal:
I’ll make a pact with you,
Without ado,
Find what you crave,
And see you through,
Your comrade and your slave.
FAUST. And what return am I required to make?
MEPHISTOPHELES. A question time can settle — why insist?
FAUST. Nay, nay, the devil is an egoist,
The help he gives is not for Heaven’s sake.
State your conditions clearly, thus and thus:
Such servants in the house are dangerous.
MEPHISTOPHELES. Then here below in services I’ll abide,
Fulfilling tirelessly your least decree,
If when we meet upon the other side
You undertake to do the same for me.
FAUST. The other side weighs little on my mind;
Lay first this world in ruins, shattered, blind:
That done, the new may rise its place to fill.
From springs of earth my joys and pleasures start,
Earth’s sunlights sees the sorrows of my heart;
If these are mine no more when I depart,
The rest concerns me not: let come what will.
This is a theme to which I close my ears,
Whether hereafter we shall hate or love,
Or whether we shall find in distant spheres
A sense of things below or things above.
MEPHISTOPHELES. Now that’s the very spirit for the venture.
I’m with you straight, and we’ll draw up an indenture:
I’ll show you arts and joys, I’ll give you more
Than any mortal eye has seen before.
FAUST. And what, poor devil, pray, have you to give?
When was a mortal soul in high endeavour
Grasped by your kind, as your correlative?
Yours is the bread that satisfieth never,
Red gold you have, dissolving without rest,
Like quicksilver, to mock the gatherer’s labour;
The girl you give will nestle on my breast
Only to ogle and invite my neighbor;
Have you the game that only losers play,
Have you the stars of honor that afflict
With god-like dreams, only to fade away?
Then show me the fruits that rot before they’re picked,
Or trees that change their foliage every day.
MEPHISTOPHELES. A task that gives me little cause to shrink,
I’ll readily oblige you with such treasures.
But now, my friend, the time is ripe, I think
For relishing in peace some tasty pleasures.
FAUST. If I be quieted with a bed of ease,
Then let that moment be the end of me!
If ever flattering lies of yours can please
And soothe my soul to self-sufficiency,
And make me one of pleasure’s devotees,
Then take my soul, for I desire to die:
And that’s a wager!
MEPHISTOPHELES. Done!
FAUST. And done again!
If to the fleeting hour I say
‘Remain, so fair thou art, remain!’
Then bind me with your fatal chain,
For I will perish in that day.
‘Tis I for whom the bell shall toll,
Then you are free, your service done.
For me the clock shall fail, to ruin run,
And timeless night descend upon my soul.
MEPHISTOPHELES. This shall be held in memory, between!
Goethe in English is wonderful, but it loses in translation. Goethe in German is amazing.
Oh Mitch, I am SO sure that you are right. And I’m jealous that you have had that experience – because I do love this play. But translations are tough – It’s like reading Moliere in English … you definitely lose something.
Aaaaargh!
I put a couple of fake HTML tags above and below saying that my comment was a “pretentious and braggartly-sounding aside” .
Blah!
I mean, Goethe is Goethe.
(Although it IS cool in German…)
hahaha Well, I saw them – in the comment emailed to me – they made me smile. I don’t know why they didn’t show up, you pretentious braggart.
this is so great! i’ve been looking for this and i’m glad you had it posted here. :) i loved this specific excerpt also back in first year high :)
i wish i know German, though…