Authors: J. W. von Goethe,David Luke
I see now I’m an idiot; I stand corrected;
A shallow simpleton, as I’ve long suspected.
THE GRADUATE
. I’m glad you now show such intelligence!
The first old man I’ve ever heard talk sense.
MEPHISTOPHELES
. I’ve searched for buried treasure in the ground,
And ugly dross was all the gold I found.
THE GRADUATE
. Admit it then: your skull, bereft of hair,
Is just as hollow as those skulls up there!
MEPHISTOPHELES
[
affably]
.
No doubt you are politer when you try.
6770
THE GRADUATE
. In German, sir, politeness is a lie.
MEPHISTOPHELES
[rolling his wheelchair nearer and nearer to the footlights and addressing the pit].
I’m being crowded out here, as you see;
Perhaps down there you might make room for me?
THE GRADUATE
. In dotage years, to keep up the pretence
Of being somebody, is sheer impertinence.
Man’s life lives in the blood: where does blood stir
More strongly than in youth? That, ancient sir,
Is the young living blood, blood that creates
A new life out of life as it pulsates.
Here all’s in movement, here’s where things get done;
6780
The weak fall down, the strong take over. We
Have conquered half the world, as all can see,
While you’ve been nodding, dreaming, meditating,
Making your plans, plotting and ruminating!
Old age is a cold fever, it’s an ague
That freezes, fancies that torment and plague you.
Once over thirty you’re as good as dead:
We’d do better to knock you on the head
At once, and finish you off straight away.
MEPHISTOPHELES
. So much for that; what can the Devil say?
6790
THE GRADUATE
. The Devil needs my permission to exist.
MEPHISTOPHELES
[
aside]
.
The Devil may yet give your young tail a twist.
THE GRADUATE
. This is youth’s noblest task! The world was not
There till I made it; it was I who brought
The sun out of the sea; the moon began to weave
Its changing circles when I gave it leave;
Mine was the morning’s various ornament,
The earth turned green and blossomed where I went,
The stars on that first night unfolded all
Their splendour at my beck and call.
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By me you were released from the constriction
Of limited and philistine reflection.
I for my part, free as the spirit bids,
Pursue my inner light whither it leads,
And in the special rapture of my mind
Follow the bright day, leave the dark behind. [
Exit
.]
MEPHISTOPHELES
. Fantastic crank! Go on your glorious way!—
How you would hate to know that nothing wise
And nothing foolish can be thought today
That’s not been thought for many centuries!—
6810
And yet, there’s no great harm in our young friend;
A few more years will bring about a change.
The fermentation may be rich and strange,
But the wine’s drinkable in the end.
[
To the younger spectators in the pit, who do not applaud
.]
My words appear to leave you cold;
But never mind, my dears, I pardon you.
Remember that the Devil’s old—
When you’re his age, you’ll understand him too.
[
in medieval style, with elaborate clumsy apparatus for fantastic purposes
.]
WAGNER
[
at his furnace]
.
That dreadful bell’s reverberation
Comes shuddering through the sooty walls.
6820
Too long my doubtful expectation
Has waited for what now befalls.
From blackness to illumination
The deep alembic now has passed,
And like a living coal at last
A fine carbuncular fire is glowing,
Into the dark its brilliance throwing:
An incandescent white shines through!
Let me succeed, just this once more!—
Oh God, who’s rattling at my door?
6830
MEPHISTOPHELES
[entering].
A well-meant greeting, sir, to you!
WAGNER
[
anxiously]
.
Greetings, by this hour’s ruling star!
[
sotto voce
] But hold your words and breath: I am not far
From a great work’s goal, now to be displayed.
MEPHISTOPHELES
[sotto voce].
What great work’s that?
WAGNER
[in
a whisper]
.
A man is being made.
MEPHISTOPHELES
.
A man? So you have locked an amorous pair
Up in your chimney-stack somehow?
WAGNER
.
Why, God forbid! That method’s out of fashion now:
Procreation’s sheer nonsense, we declare!
That tender point where life used to begin
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That gentle power springing from within,
Taking and giving, programmed to portray
Itself, to assimilate what came its way
From near or far—all that’s now null and void;
By animals, no doubt, it’s still enjoyed,
But man henceforth, being so highly gifted,
Must have an origin much more uplifted.
[
Turning to the furnace]
.
See how it gleams!—Now we may hope to see
Results. The ingredients—our manifold
Materia anthropica
, they are called—
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We mix in a retort most patiently,
With all due care, and so by perlutation
And proper double-distillation,
They quietly reach their consummation.
[
Turning to the furnace again]
.
It works! The moving mass is clarified,
And our conviction fortified:
These mysteries we thought only great Nature knew,
Our expertise now dares attempt them too!
Her way with living matter was to organize it,
And we have learnt to crystallize it.
6860
MEPHISTOPHELES
. When we live long, we learn a thing
Or two; nothing surprises any more.
I have, in my long years of wandering,
Seen crystallized humanity before.
WAGNER
[
who has been staring intently at the retort]
.
It flashes, swells and rises! One
More moment and it will be done.
Great plans seem mad at first, but one day we
Shall laugh at what is bred haphazardly;
And one day, too, some great brain will create
A brain designed to think and cerebrate!
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[
Gazing at the retort in delight
.]
The glass is struck into harmonious sound.
Ah, now it cannot fail! It clouds and clears:
And moving daintily around
A well-formed tiny little man appears.
What more do I, what more does the world need?
The secret is at last made known.
Now hear this music: it has grown
To a voice, and into speech, indeed!
THE HOMUNCULUS
*
[
in the retort, to
WAGNER]
.
Well, dad! It worked, you see! And how are you?
Come now, embrace me tenderly—but do
6880
Be careful, please, my glass must not be cracked.
That is the way things are, in fact:
For natural growth the world’s too small a place,
But art must be enclosed in its own space.
[
To
MEPHISTOPHELES.]
So you are here as well, my mocking cousin?
I am much obliged; the moment was well chosen.
Our good luck brings this timely call by you.
Since I exist, I must find things to do:
I’d like to set to work this very day,
And you know how to set me on my way.
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WAGNER
. Just one word, please! It’s so embarrassing,
The way I’m questioned on this sort of thing.
For instance: no one yet can understand
How soul and body seem to have been planned
To fit so perfectly and cling so tight
Yet each torments the other day and night.
Furthermore—
MEPHISTOPHELES
. Stop, stop! One should ask him rather
Why man and woman can’t endure each other.
My friend, you’ll never get such matters straight.
There’s work to do here: our small guest can’t wait.
6900
THE HOMUNCULUS
. What’s to be done?
MEPHISTOPHELES
[
pointing to a side-door]
.
A case for you to cure.
WAGNER
[
stillgazing into the retort]
.
You are a little darling, to be sure!
[
The side-door opens
,
FAUST
seen lying on the couch
.]
THE HOMUNCULUS
[
astonished]
.
Remarkable!—
[
The retort slips out of
WAGNER
’
S HANDS, HOVERS OVER
FAUST
and illuminates him
.]
Delightful place!—Clear streams
In a dense grove, and women making ready
To bathe; enchanting! Better still already!
But one shines brighter than them all, she seems
Descended from great heroes, gods perhaps.
She sets her foot in the translucent pool;
Life’s noble flame in her sweet body dips
Into the yielding crystal and grows cool.—
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But now, what flurry of quick wings, what whirring
Is this, in the smooth surface splashing, stirring?
The girls flee in alarm: the queen, calm-eyed,
Remains alone, but her heart fills with pride
And womanly contentment as she sees
The prince of swans come nestling to her knees,
Docile yet bold. He seems to like it there.—
And round them all at once has risen a veil
Of mist, thick-woven to conceal
The loves of this most charming pair.
6920
MEPHISTOPHELES
. What a strange tale! Your fantasies at least
Are out of all proportion to your size.
I can see nothing—
THE HOMUNCULUS
. Why should you! Your eyes
Are northern, steeped in medieval mist;
In that mad world of monks and armour-plated
Knights, naturally your vision’s obfuscated.
Dark ages are your proper habitat.
[
Looking round
.]
Black mouldering stones, arches in Gothic style
And absurd curlicues—how drab, how vile!
If he wakes up here, like as not
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He’ll drop dead on the very spot.
Nude women, swans and woodland streams
I saw in his prophetic dreams.
In this dank hole he’d have no future;
Neither would I, despite my unfastidious nature.
Away with him!
MEPHISTOPHELES
. I welcome this solution.
THE HOMUNCULUS
. Order a warrior to fight,
Or a young girl to dance all night,
And things soon reach their right conclusion.
And let me see—tonight is Classical
6940
Walpurgis Night, as I recall.
A lucky chance, I do declare!
He’ll be in his own element there.
MEPHISTOPHELES
. I know of no such date.
THE HOMUNCULUS
. Indeed!
You’ll not have heard of it, you and your breed.
Romantic ghosts are all they know in hell:
A proper ghost is classical as well.
*
MEPHISTOPHELES
. But where do we go, where do we start exploring?
My ancient history colleagues are so boring.
THE HOMUNCULUS
. Satan, the north-west is your stamping-ground!
6950
But for this trip, south-eastward we are bound,
To the great plain where the Peneus flows;
Tree-lined, bush-lined its moist meandering goes.
Out to the mountain glens the lowlands rise,
And up there, old and new, Pharsalus
*
lies.
MEPHISTOPHELES
. Ugh! why do you remind me of those gory
Wars between slaves and tyrants? That old story,
How stale it is! Their battle is begun
All over again as soon as it is done;
They never guess they merely are the dupes
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Of Asmodeus
*
who really rules the troops.
They call it fighting for their liberty:
Slaves against slaves in fact, it seems to me.
THE HOMUNCULUS
.
Just let them squabble; men will never mend.
Each one asserts himself as best he can
From boyhood on, and so becomes a man.
The question here is how to cure our friend.
If you’ve a remedy, then try it now;
If not, leave it to me to find out how.
MEPHISTOPHELES
. My Blocksberg
*
magic might be what he’d need
6970
But pagan rules forbid me to proceed.
The Greeks were never much good anyway!
But you are charmed by their free sensuous play,
They lure mankind to many a sinful blessing;
The sins we sell are gloomy and depressing.
And so, what now?
THE HOMUNCULUS
. But you do like some sport,
I think; Thessalian witches
*
are the sort
Of thing that might appeal to you.
MEPHISTOPHELES
[
lustfully]
.