So lang der Mond noch leuchtet, So lang noch Lenze grünen So lang noch Gräber trauern So lange wallt auf Erden Die Göttin Poesie, Und mit ihr wandelt jubelnd, Und singend einst und jubelnd Durchs alte Erdenhaus, Zieht als der letzte Dichter Der letzte Mensch hinaus! Noch hält der Herr in Händen Die Schöpfung ungefnidt, Auf die er lächelnd blickt. Buchheim's Deutsche Lyrik. 22 Wenn diese Riesenblume Und Erden, Sonnenbälle Als Blüthenstaub versprüht: Erst dann fragt, wenn zu fragen Das alte, ew'ge Lied. Anaftafius Grün. CCCXIV. Gehet. Herr, den ich tief im Herzen trage, sei du mit mir, Du Gnadenhort in Glück und Plage, sei du mit mir; Im Brand des Sommers, der dem Manne die Wange bräunt, Wie in der Jugend Nosenhage, sei du mit mir; Behüte mich am Born der Freude vor Uebermuth, Und wenn ich an mir selbst verzage, sei du mit mix. Gieb deinen Geist zu meinem Liede, daß rein es sei, Und daß kein Wort mich einft verklage, sei du mit mir. Dein Segen ist wie Thau den Reben; nichts kann ich selbst Doch daß ich kühn das Höchste wage, sei du mit mir, O du mein Trost, du meine Stärke, mein Sonnenlicht Bis an das Ende meiner Tage sei du mit mir! Geibel. NOTES. FIRST PERIOD. P. 1, No. I. Martin Luther celebrates in these vigorous verses the charm and power of music and song. They first occur as a kind of poetical prelude in the collection of Songs· Lob und Preis der lieblichen Frau Musica, issued by the Saxon Capellmeister, H. Johann Walter, at Wittemberg, in 1538. The first general title of the Poem is Vorrede auf alle gute Gesangbücher, which designation still holds good; for we hardly know of any other verses which might, with equal propriety, be described as a preface to all good books of songs.' The second special title of the Poem is Frau Musica, which title we have also adopted here. The author introduces the art of music-the quaint designation Frau Mufica would hardly admit of an adequate English rendering--as speaking in the first person, and proclaiming the magic power possessed by her, and the beneficial influence she exercises on man. Für-werden, of all joys upon earth none can be more exquisite. The contraction mei'm, in the third line, for meinem, was formerly frequently used in poetry. Hie, the abbreviated and now rather obsolete form of hier, is to be rendered in this line by there, and Muth is to be taken in the old general sense of Gemüth, mind; corresponding somewhat to the English 'mood.' Gesellen gut is a poetical inversion for gute Gefellen. We do not think it too far-fetched to assume that the idea expressed in the lines Hie-gut has suggested to Seume the verse: Wo man singet, laß dich ruhig nieder, which has become so very popular as a quotation in the garbled but convenient form of Wo man singt, da laß dich ruhig nieder, Böse Menschen haben keine Lieder. Was-anleit, everything else which oppresses (us). Anleit is the obsolete form for anliegt. Auch-frei, and everybody may be at his ease about this. The adjective frei, which was formerly also used with the genitive, denotes here unburdened,' unoppressed.' Baß is an old comparative form denoting better.-denn for als after comparatives occurs chiefly in poetry. Und verhindert viel böser Mörd, prevents many a foul murder. The verb verhindern was formerly also used with the genitive case, and the plural form Mörde was sometimes employed instead of Morde. P. 2, No.-Gewehret hat. . . nicht fiel. The negative adverb is sometimes pleonastically used after wehren in the sense of 'to prevent,' and after other similar expressions. Das hat Eliseus bekannt, &c. 'But now bring me a minstrel (said the prophet Elisha). And it came to pass, when the minstrel played, that the hand of the Lord came upon him.' (2 Kings iii. 15.) The author alludes here to the fact stated in this verse, that the prophet was inspired by the strains of music to utter his divine prophecies. Ist der voll, is full of them. Der is here the abbreviated form for derer. Der Musicen ein' Meisterin, excelling in music. The author uses here the Latin form musice, music,' with the weak termination n, in accordance with the former usage of declining feminine nouns also in the singular number. Dem singt und springt sie, to his honour she sings and flutters. P. 3, No. II. Ein' feste Burg, &c. This most celebrated of all German sacred songs may be considered as the religious national hymn of Protestant Germany. Luther composed this hymn in order to inspire the adherents of the Gospel with courage in the struggle against their enemies, and to comfort them with the assurance, based on unshakable faith, that their just cause will finally be crowned with victory. It also expresses a martyr's readiness to sacrifice every worldly good for spiritual welfare. The composition is, in part, a free paraphrase of the first verses (2-6) of Psalm xlvi., and of some verses in other Psalms. It was first published in the Wittemberger Gesangbuch of 1529, of which, however, no copy is to be found. The text (of which we have given the usually adopted modern High German version) has been preserved in the Form und Ordnung Gaystlicher Gesang und Psalmen, published at Augsburg in the above-mentioned year. P. 4, No. Wie sauer er sich stellt, however grim he may be. Das Wort, &c., i.e. the word of God. Stahn (M.H.G. stân) is the now obsolete form for stehen. Dazu, for it; therefore. Er-Plan, He (i.e. God), sides with us on the field of battle. Nehmen sie, if they take. Laß fahren dahin, let it be gone. Sie haben's kein Gewinn, it will be no gain for them. Reich, in the next line, denotes kingdom. P. 4, No. III. There are several passages in Ovid which bear some resemblance to the Latin saying: Perstet amicitia, &c., more particularly the following: Illud amicitiæ quondam venerabile numen (Ex Ponto II. 3, 19.) That saying originally formed the title of the present poem, which is pervaded by a spirit of most tender feeling and humane sentiment. It is to be met with under various titles, and for convenience sake we have adopted the simple one of Freundschaft, which seemed to us the most suitable, retaining, however, the original title as a motto. Der-eigen, nothing is so peculiar to man. Soll-Bant, is about to form an union. Mit Herzen, is here the dative singular, say: with his heart. P. 5, No. Uns befragen, consult each other. Sehn auf, listen to. So-hat, which has befallen us. Der Was-verhehlt, how can that joy benefit us, which is hidden by solitude? Der es von Herzen sagt, who disburthens himself. muß, &c., he must consume himself, who grieves in silence. For the rather crude expression, sich auffressen, we should now use sich verzehren. The idea contained in this strophe has been happily expressed by Tiedge in the following verses, which are frequently used as a quotation by Germans : Getheilte Freud' ist doppelt Freude, (Urania. Gesang IV. V. 223, &c.) |