Faust, an elderly man, sells his soul to the devil (Mephisto) to experience the pleasures of youth again...
The great master poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's play “Faust,” Part One, inspired me to compose a poem in a contemporary setting, to show the protagonist’s will to possess, and as a result a woman’s dilemma.
Each triplet in italic is from the original, paraphrased by me.
Faust and Gretchen
๐๐๐ ๐๐ฃ ๐๐๐๐ง๐๐ ๐ฅ๐๐๐ฃ๐จ, ๐๐ง๐ค๐ข ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐๐ฃ๐.
๐๐ค๐ฌ ๐๐๐ง๐ [๐๐ ๐๐จ], ๐ ๐๐ค๐ค๐ก ๐๐ค๐ง ๐จ๐ช๐ง๐!
๐๐ค ๐ฌ๐๐จ๐๐ง ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฃ [๐๐] ๐ฌ๐๐จ ๐๐๐๐ค๐ง๐:
His thought sober, unspoken, he gazes at a solo flyer,
An eagle going up higher and higher into a calm
Morning sky. He feels the fire of a wish to be as wise,
To leave behind earth-bound views, mortal design’s,
False luster, shattering happenings in youth, and
Paralyzing gloom of mentally destructive moods,
Absorbed by an overriding desire for love and wisdom
True, to saturate his mental attire, he scans the broad
Horizon anew. From the heavens at last he hears
An angelic voice: “Love knows the longings of your
Heart. “Be strong! Fear not!"
This—a brief message, and rich with healing flare
Gives him courage and with forward, easy air,
He calls the one he knows most fair.
[๐๐ ๐๐จ] ๐ฃ๐ค๐ฉ ๐ฅ๐ก๐๐๐ช๐๐ ๐๐ฎ ๐๐ค๐ช๐๐ฉ ๐ค๐ง ๐จ๐๐ง๐ช๐ฅ๐ก๐,
๐๐๐๐ง๐๐ ๐๐ฎ ๐ฃ๐๐๐ฉ๐๐๐ง ๐๐๐ก๐ก ๐ฃ๐ค๐ง ๐ฟ๐๐ซ๐๐ก –
๐๐ฃ๐จ๐ฉ๐๐๐ ๐๐ก๐ก ๐
๐ค๐ฎ ๐๐จ ๐จ๐ฃ๐๐ฉ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ฌ๐๐ฎ . . .
Now and here he keeps her in his keen sight.
At length they meet; this is the chance for his desire,
To be near her is his way to join an inner fire!
She, in soft shades retires as his intense love abides,
Buoyant with love he yields to love’s demands
In bright light’s enchantment—love on fire has
Commandments: “Be tender, thoughtful, deluge with
Rapture!” Skirting his loins, he pines, “What we have
Transcends a downward pull, and lifts us to
New heights. I love you hundred fold, of all
The women I knew, God knows I love you most,
It is you who makes me feel whole!
She reflects: “I see … but wait, dear”— she ponders,
“To what height of soaring should we wander?”
๐๐ค ๐จ๐๐ ๐๐, ๐ฉ๐๐ง๐ค๐ช๐๐ ๐๐ฅ๐๐ง๐๐ฉ ๐ฅ๐ค๐ฌ๐๐ง๐จ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ก๐๐ฅ๐จ,
[๐๐] ๐ข๐๐๐๐ฉ ๐๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐ก๐ก ๐จ๐๐๐ง๐๐ฉ๐จ ๐๐ฉ [๐๐๐จ] ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ง๐ฉ๐๐ฅ๐จ.
๐ผ๐ฃ๐ ๐ฃ๐ค ๐ก๐ค๐ฃ๐๐๐ง, ๐ฌ๐๐ฉ๐ ๐ง๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ ๐จ๐ฌ๐๐๐ฉ . . .
Within his heart burning—turning, “O amazing
Moments gloriously bright, my love, you are the light
Of my life.” She pauses … on the brow of time she
Reads the sign: “Love’s commencement a temporary
Madness, its oath of dauntless power an intoxicating
Wine.” His voice resounds: “My love, why hush?
Why make a pause as if waiting for dark clouds to part?
The tone of your voice speaks of doubts, doubts make
Trust debark.”
She entreats him, “Dear,” with an urgent
Plea, “Explain: You gave hints of flirtatious stints,
Reckless plays with simulated fire, women beautiful,
You said, you desire. You have as friends a group of
Birds for your delight—of one you spoke as funny, light,
And sweet, and enjoyed her near your seat on a flight.”
[๐๐] ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐จ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ฌ๐ค๐ง๐ก๐’๐จ ๐๐ฃ๐ฃ๐๐ง๐ข๐ค๐จ๐ฉ ๐๐ค๐ง๐ ๐ฉ๐ค๐๐๐ฉ๐๐๐ง,
๐๐๐ ๐๐ก๐ก ๐๐ฉ๐จ ๐ฌ๐ค๐ง๐ ๐๐ฃ๐๐จ, ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ฉ๐จ ๐จ๐๐๐๐จ,
๐ฟ๐๐๐ก ๐ฃ๐ค ๐ข๐ค๐ง๐ ๐๐ฃ ๐ฌ๐ค๐ง๐๐จ’ ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ฉ๐ฎ ๐ง๐๐๐๐จ . . .
Deep in her throat she cries: “What does that mean?
Strange to say you are flirtatious, even though
You spoke of your own nature godly wise.”
A sigh, “Do you think of God so slight? Do you expect me to condone a playfulness so wild?This is false, and a wrong bestows no peace of mind.”
Defensive—he turns and winks. … She thinks:
“He does as if he cannot hear, or wish not
To see the Iight. O innocence, what is my lot? Is this
Empty air surrounding me, a plot, and his wooing the
Fiddle of his art?” Thus she bears in mind the concerns
Of her heart, however, she feels his tenderness
Dispenses bliss; her eyes soft, they blink; she needs to
Understand or sink — “Gracious Truth, please reply!”
๐ผ๐! ๐๐ ๐ค๐ฃ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ข๐ค๐ช๐ฃ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฃ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ฉ
[๐๐] ๐ข๐๐๐๐ฉ ๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ฃ [๐๐๐ง] ๐จ๐ฌ๐๐๐ฉ ๐ก๐๐๐๐ฉ,
๐๐ก๐ค๐๐ฉ ๐ฌ๐๐ฉ๐ ๐๐ฅ๐๐ง๐๐ฉ ๐๐ฃ ๐ข๐ค๐ช๐ฃ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฃ ๐๐๐ซ๐๐จ . . .
“Is not God’s will a constant guide as joyful unity
Provides eternal happiness the bride?”
He speaks again, “My dearest, have no fear, be patient
With a mother’s son! Even though this is a dark day —
One thing is sure—it is my love for you!”
As she within grapples, he in-tune with her, dazzles,
“Are you alright?” His caressing voice gently
Persuasive, puts her at ease, and she finds peace.
“My love be bold, perilous notions banish,
Most challenges are over least important
Points, best to let them vanish. There, you see,
Our love is soaring.” With a voice full of passion,
His behavior—rising, falling, dashing, “You are with
Me, it’s all that counts, I’ll keep my arms around.”
๐๐๐๐จ ๐๐จ [๐๐๐จ] ๐ฌ๐ค๐ง๐ก๐! ๐ผ๐ฃ๐ ๐ฌ๐๐๐ฉ ๐ ๐ฌ๐ค๐ง๐ก๐!
๐ผ๐ฃ๐ ๐ฃ๐๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช ๐๐จ๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ฎ [๐๐๐จ] ๐๐๐๐ง๐ฉ
๐๐๐ ๐๐จ ๐จ๐ช๐๐ ๐ฉ๐ง๐๐ข๐ค๐ง๐จ ๐๐ฃ [๐๐๐จ] ๐๐ง๐๐๐จ๐ฉ? . . .
Brilliant sunlight, sea breeze blowing, her mind out of
A haze, thus her voice is raised,
“Can you hear me?” Asking with a sober gaze, “Is an accomplished creature, one like an eagle so unlike himself? To speed through vast
Skies to apply your wit to earthly gains, worldliness and
Fun? Such feebleness. … And what a pun? Please, tell me
The purpose of such a one?” He now in plain words tells her of his own demise: “I am at odds with a former wife, she is a bird of a different feather; disproves of my routines in life. Her fettered mass pitiless applies to loveless working of inflicted lies, removing those by words
Heartless, … a callous power of the human mind,
Bustling with friendships of various kind, she
By intent a charming socialite.”
๐๐๐ฎ ๐๐ก๐ก [๐๐๐จ] ๐ก๐๐๐-๐๐ฃ๐๐ง๐๐๐๐จ ๐๐ง๐
๐พ๐๐ค๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ฎ ๐จ๐ค๐ข๐ ๐ช๐ฃ๐ ๐ฃ๐ค๐ฌ๐ฃ ๐๐๐จ๐ฉ๐ง๐๐จ๐จ?
๐๐ข๐ค๐ ๐ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ข๐๐ก๐๐๐ฌ ๐๐๐ข ๐๐๐ข ๐๐ฃ . . .
Alas, her mate one of the most commanding birds in
The Sky, and as such appears as a highly valued plum
On her feathery bun, in the company of dim lights —
He calls to apologize, and explains, “You would have
To once in a while forgive me for some blunder,”
Casually phrasing, “I think of you with gratitude and
Wonder, you are a blessing set apart.” He then, having
Said this starts his flight to the river where his
Former wife and his child, in a country cottage reside.
Led by the ways of love, Love’s counsel brings release:
“I know you long to see her face, go after her! Don’t go in hiding. Have your peace.” He obeys, as an eagle
Discreetly upward gliding, his yearning for her makes
Him spy, and as he finds her, he cries: “My dearest,
๐๐๐๐ฃ ๐ ๐ ๐ฃ๐ค๐ฌ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ง๐ง๐ฎ ๐ง๐ค๐๐,
๐ผ๐ฃ๐ ๐๐๐ฉ๐ช๐ง๐, ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช ๐๐ฃ๐จ๐ฉ๐ง๐ช๐๐ฉ ๐ข๐,
๐๐ฎ ๐จ๐ค๐ช๐ก’๐จ ๐ฅ๐ค๐ฌ๐๐ง, ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช ๐จ๐๐๐ก๐ก ๐๐ก๐ค๐ฌ . . .
Why are you cautious, and circumspect with respect
To me? I know, it’s conditioned by trouble caught …we
Can talk,
As you correctly thought about our feelings,
Without holding back, please let us return to that
Enthusiastic sharing, to hear the sparkle
In our voices and the shear love in oneness daring.” Ho!
On lifting swells of joy she glides but still takes it all
In thoughtful stride, and cheerfully replies,
“The worth of love at our side is the strongest force in life,
And it is our one and only might!” Straightway he
Admires, “You are so wondrously wise, I knew it when
I saw you at first sight, let's rejoice, recapture, and
Continue our journey towards even closer ties, and
To be more grateful for the evidence of so much joy.”
๐ผ๐! ๐๐ฃ ๐ ๐ข๐ค๐ข๐๐ฃ๐ฉ, ๐ฌ๐๐๐ฉ ๐๐ก๐๐จ๐จ ๐๐ก๐ค๐ฌ๐จ
๐๐๐ง๐ค๐ช๐๐ [๐๐๐จ] ๐จ๐๐ฃ๐จ๐๐จ ๐๐ง๐ค๐ข ๐ฉ๐๐๐จ
๐๐๐๐ฃ! [๐๐] ๐๐๐๐ก๐จ ๐ก๐๐๐’๐จ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช๐ฉ๐๐๐ช๐ก, ๐๐ค๐ก๐ฎ ๐๐ค๐ฎ: ๐๐ฉ ๐๐ก๐ค๐ฌ๐จ . . .
She, “Generous heart, you take my breath apart, know,
With gladness I have spoken of a friendship as
Unbroken.” He answers with delight,
Speaking in a deep
Voice: “Let us sail the winds of pure love’s token,
In our own heavenly world so bright.”
Epilogue
Passion fills the mind with pain,
Is as death to the beguiled heart.
Where are the hours of innocence and belonging?
EMH (September 27, 2013)
