The Poems of Goethe Part 66

1797.

----- THE PARIAH.

I. THE PARIAH S PRAYER.

DREADED Brama, lord of might!

All proceed from thee alone; Thou art he who judgeth right!

Dost thou none but Brahmins own?

Do but Rajahs come from thee?

None but those of high estate?

Didst not thou the ape create, Aye, and even such as we?

We are not of n.o.ble kind,

For with woe our lot is rife; And what others deadly find

Is our only source of life.

Let this be enough for men,

Let them, if they will, despise us;

But thou, Brama, thou shouldst prize us, All are equal in thy ken.

Now that, Lord, this prayer is said,

As thy child acknowledge me; Or let one be born in-stead,

Who may link me on to thee!

Didst not thou a Bayadere

As a G.o.ddess heavenward raise?

And we too to swell thy praise, Such a miracle would hear.

1821.

----- II. LEGEND.

[The successful manner in which Goethe employs the simple rhymeless trochaic metre in this and in many other Poems will perhaps be remarked by the reader.]

WATER-FETCHING goes the n.o.ble Brahmin's wife, so pure and lovely; He is honour'd, void of blemish.

And of justice rigid, stern.

Daily from the sacred river Brings she back refreshments precious;-- But where is the pail and pitcher?

She of neither stands in need.

For with pure heart, hands unsullied, She the water lifts, and rolls it To a wondrous ball of crystal This she bears with gladsome bosom, Modestly, with graceful motion, To her husband in the house.

She to-day at dawn of morning Praying comes to Ganges' waters, Bends her o'er the gla.s.sy surface-- Sudden, in the waves reflected, Flying swiftly far above her, From the highest heavens descending, She discerns the beauteous form Of a youth divine, created By the G.o.d's primeval wisdom In his own eternal breast.

When she sees him, straightway feels she Wondrous, new, confused sensations In her inmost, deepest being; Fain she'd linger o'er the vision, Then repels it,--it returneth,-- And, perplex'd, she bends her flood-wards With uncertain hands to draw it; But, alas, she draws no more!

For the water's sacred billows Seem to fly, to hasten from her; She but sees the fearful chasm Of a whirlpool black disclosed.

Arms drop down, and footsteps stumble, Can this be the pathway homewards?

Shall she fly, or shall she tarry?

Can she think, when thought and counsel, When a.s.sistance all are lost?

So before her spouse appears she-- On her looks he--look is judgment-- Proudly on the sword he seizes, To the hill of death he drags her, Where delinquents' blood pays forfeit.

What resistance could she offer?

What excuses could she proffer, Guilty, knowing not her guilt?

And with b.l.o.o.d.y sword returns he, Musing, to his silent dwelling, When his son before him stands: "Whose this blood? Oh, father! father!"

"The delinquent woman's!"--"Never!

For upon the sword it dries not, Like the blood of the delinquent; Fresh it flows, as from the wound.

Mother! mother! hither hasten!

Unjust never was my father, Tell me what he now hath done."-- "Silence! silence! hers the blood is!"

"Whose, my father?"--"Silence! Silence!"

"What! oh what! my mother's blood!

What her crime? What did she? Answer!

Now, the sword! the sword now hold I; Thou thy wife perchance might'st slaughter, But my mother might'st not slay!

Through the flames the wife is able Her beloved spouse to follow, And his dear and only mother Through the sword her faithful son."

"Stay! oh stay!" exclaim'd the father: "Yet 'tis time, so hasten, hasten!

Join the head upon the body, With the sword then touch the figure, And, alive she'll follow thee."

Hastening, he, with breathless wonder, Sees the bodies of two women Lying crosswise, and their heads too; Oh, what horror! which to choose!

Then his mother's head he seizes,-- Does not kiss it, deadly pale 'tis,-- On the nearest headless body Puts it quickly, and then blesses With the sword the pious work.

Then the giant form uprises,-- From the dear lips of his mother, Lips all G.o.d-like--changeless--blissful, Sound these words with horror fraught: "Son, oh son! what overhast'ning!

Yonder is thy mother's body, Near it lies the impious head Of the woman who hath fallen Victim to the judgment-sword!

To her body I am grafted By thy hand for endless ages; Wise in counsel, wild in action, I shall be amongst the G.o.ds.

E'en the heav'nly boy's own image, Though in eye and brow so lovely, Sinking downwards to the bosom Mad and raging l.u.s.t will stir.

"'Twill return again for ever, Ever rising, ever sinking, Now obscured, and now transfigur'd,-- So great Brama hath ordain'd.

He 'twas sent the beauteous pinions, Radiant face and slender members Of the only G.o.d-begotten, That I might be proved and tempted; For from high descends temptation, When the G.o.ds ordain it so.

And so I, the Brahmin woman, With my head in Heaven reclining, Must experience, as a Pariah, The debasing power of earth.

Son, I send thee to thy father!

Comfort him! Let no sad penance, Weak delay, or thought of merit, Hold thee in the desert fast Wander on through ev'ry nation, Roam abroad throughout all ages, And proclaim to e'en the meanest, That great Brama hears his cry!

"None is in his eyes the meanest-- He whose limbs are lame and palsied, He whose soul is wildly riven, Worn with sorrow, hopeless, helpless, Be he Brahmin, be he Pariah, If tow'rd heaven he turns his gaze, Will perceive, will learn to know it: Thousand eyes are glowing yonder, Thousand ears are calmly list'ning, From which nought below is hid.

"If I to his throne soar upward, If he sees my fearful figure By his might transform'd to horror, He for ever will lament it,-- May it to your good be found!

And I now will kindly warn him, And I now will madly tell him Whatsoe'er my mind conceiveth, What within my bosom heaveth.

But my thoughts, my inmost feelings-- Those a secret shall remain."

1821.

----- III. THE PARIAH'S THANKS.

MIGHTY Brama, now I'll bless thee!

'Tis from thee that worlds proceed!