1. 1. Bursche or Burschen, in the Middle Ages particularly applied to wandering students. wohl (redundant), see No. 5, l. 1, n. 1. 3. Sie, the third pers. sing., used in address for the second, as often in the eighteenth century. gut, undeclined, by poetical license.

1. 17. hub, arch. for hob.

32. Ein bißchen Freude

Meyer's nature, always vigorous and sturdy, is well expressed in this wholesome poem.

1. 1. verlassen, arch. for verlassenes.

1. 3. Becher-Rundgeläute, the noises of the cups when the round is being drunk.

1. 4. frevlem, cf. No. 7, 1. 21, n.

1. 5. ein bißchen, uninflected, like ein wenig.

1. 9. bunten, gen., in agreement with Bands.

1. 11. die verjährte Schuld, a legal term: a debt outlawed on account of its long standing; here, a wrong which is too old to be set right.

1. 9. verliebte Schäfer, enamored swains.

1. 25. A little parody on No. 28, l. 18.

35. Die Musik kommt

From Gedichte, Berlin, 1895. Baron von Liliencron, an officer in the Prussian army, gives here, in epic-humorous description, a realistic picture from daily life in Berlin.

1. 1. The imitative sound-words in this and other lines need no definition.

1. 5. Schellenträger, player upon the "crescent," an instrument fixed upon a pole and hung with small metal bells.

1.6. Bombardon (pronounce as in French), a very deep brass bass-horn.

1. 7. Beckenschlag, clash of cymbals. Helikon, helicon, a large spiral tube carried over the shoulder; see Century Dictionary.

1. 8. Piccolo, a small flute of very high pitch. Zinkenist, player upon the 3inte, a harsh, old-fashioned instrument of the oboe-class.

1. 9. Türkentrommel, bass-drum.

1. 10. Herre, for Herr, with serio-comic emphasis of impor

tance.

1. 16. Lieut(e)nants, in two syllables.

1. 19. Der, demonstrative.

1. 29. Wilhelmine, Katherine, Christine: housemaids, no doubt.

36. Der gute Kamerad

Written 1809. In form and spirit closely related to popular songs in the Wunderhorn.

1. 2. nit = nicht.

1. 7. gilt's mir, is it meant for me?

1. 11. Sc. er as subj.

1. 12. derweil = während.

1. 13. Sc. ich as subj.

37. Soldatenliebe

Sung everywhere to a simple popular melody of the eighteenth

century.

1.5. When I was compelled to follow the flag away.

1. 12. gedacht, sc. hat.

1. 18. umrungen, for umringt, surrounded.

1. 20. Soldatenblut, a hearty young soldier.

1. 24. mein, gen., obj. of dent.

38. Mein Kind, wir waren Kinder

Written for the poet's sister Charlotte, and published 1826. The

scene is from Heine's childhood home in Düsseldorf. "The father used to punish the lively boy by locking him up in a hen-house, upon which the latter invited his sister to join him there, and crowed so naturally like a cock that all the fowls in the neighborhood followed suit" (Buchheim).

1. 20. Mancher alten Kaße, with Heine's characteristic double meaning, is to be taken in a personal sense.

1. 25. Glauben (nom.), less common than Glaube.

39. Das Blatt im Buche

From Gedichte, 1837.

1. 7. What can it be that so affects the aged woman?

40. Bei dem Grabe meines Vaters

Published 1775.

1. 1. um... her, round about.

1. 11. Ahnden, by older usage for Ahnen or Ahnung, presentiment, intimation.

41. Das Erkennen

Written before 1842. In style closely allied to the Volkslied. 1. 6. Schlagbaum, the barrier across the city gateway, where toll was collected.

1. 13. Schätzel, sweetheart; popular diminutive of Schaß. 1. 23. Wie... auch, however.

1. 24. gleich = sogleich, immediately.

SECOND PART

42. Erlkönig

Probably written 1781. Goethe's power of transmuting the crude ore of popular songs into the refined gold of artistic poetry is nowhere more successfully manifested than in this dramatic work, which is based on a rude Danish ballad in which a young noble. man falls in with the elves and thereby receives his doom to death. Goethe's treatment is far more imaginative and subjective than

that of the original. Buchheim calls this "the most popular of all ballads"; the magnificent romantic musical compositions by Schubert and Loewe are worthy settings of this work.

Title. Erlkönig, king of the elves. Goethe got this term from Herder's translation of the Danish ballad mentioned.

1. 3. wohl, snugly clasped (Harris).

1. 5. was, colloquial for warum.

1. 7. Schweif, train (of his robe).

11. 9-12. The words of the Erlkönig heard by the child.

1. 20. ein, with the preceding verbs has the force of to sleep. 1. 28. ein Leid(e)s, harm.

1. 30. in Armen, for in den Armen.

43. Die Bürgschaft

Written 1798. A characteristic example of Schiller's elaborate and artistic ballads, all of which deserve most earnest study. Their length forbids that many should be included in this book (cf. Nos. 84, 89). For a sumptuous edition of his poems, the publication of which was prevented by his death, Schiller corrected the title into, Damon und Pythias," and substituted Damon" for Möros" in 1. 2. These alterations have not been generally adopted. The subject-matter of the ballad is taken almost literally from the Latin writer Hyginus.

"

1. 2. den Dolch, acc. absolute.

"

1. 12. gefreit, given in marriage; usually, "married" or "wooed."

1. 20. erblassen, for sterben, by Greek euphemy.

1. 22. gebeut, arch. for gebietet.

1. 30. aus, adverbial prefix with liefert.

1. 43. an Ufers Rand, poetic for an des Ufers Rand.

1. 44. wie... auch, however.

1. 56. erbleichen, cf. note to erblassen, 1. 20.

1. 68. und schnaubet Mord, a Biblical phrase, from Acts, ix, 1. 1. 71. vor. Editions published in Schiller's lifetime had the archaic für.

1. 82. ans heilige Land, the land is called blessed because so intensely desired by the swimmer struggling in the torrent.

11. 85-89. Notice the ingenious use of descriptive sounds, as in Tennyson's The Brook.

1. 95. die Straße ziehn, faring along the road.

1. 105. Der, demonstrative.

1. 118. zweie, acc. pl. In the older language the numerals were often declined.

1. 124. Chor, poetic for Haufen, throng.

1. 128. sich, dat., modifying Armen.

44. Xenophon

The text was considerably changed by the author after its first publication. In the Greek life of Xenophon (author of the Anabasis) by Diogenes Laertius is the following passage: "It is said that Xenophon was at this time [i.e., the time of the battle of Mantinea, 362 B.C.] engaged in sacrificing, crowned with a garland, and that when he learned that his son had been slain he laid by the garland; but when he heard that his son had fallen fighting valiantly, he placed the garland upon his head again. Some relate that he did not even weep, but merely said: 'I knew that my son was only a mortal.""

1. 4. Sc. war.

1. 5. Hände, acc. absolute.

45. Petrus

The legend here related, which is also commemorated by the church "Domine Quo Vadis" near Rome, is told in a letter of Saint Ambrose (340-397) to the emperor Valentinian (Migne's Patrologia Latina, xvi, 1010 ff.): "Because Peter preached the commandments of God to the people [in Rome] and enjoined a life of abstinence, he inflamed the minds of the heathen, and while these were endeavoring to take him prisoner, the Christians im. plored him to go away for a short time. Now, although he was very eager for martyrdom, he was nevertheless moved at the sight of the band of Christians who were remonstrating with him, for they besought him to save himself in order that he might establish and confirm the flock. To be brief: at night he set about leaving