The New York herald., 1876-12-26
LITERATURE.
BOSTON BOOKS.
POETRY AND PoKTs-rHE TRANsLATIoN-NEw
TEMPERANCE IDEA.

TEMPERANCE IDEA.
BosroS, Dec. %. 1876.
II Is refreshing at this season. when holiday books
and magazines fall from the press in shower, 10 and
four volumes that have reference 70 Christmas
New Years, and contain allusion to evergreen,
holly berries or mistetoe. The first OF the iour Is
John Weiss translation Of Goethe's swest Easerly
Divan, published by Roberts Brothers These poems.
any student OF German knows, II neither the
valuable poems that the great author wrote,
those which the most likely to survive are. when
their history is considered the most remarkable and
the most characteristic In 1915, the very day or
Waterloo, he found a copy OF Won Hammer Purg-
staps translation Of the "Dvan OF Hadsn greatly
impressed by It, and deliberately set himself TO
work TO compose something IN tho same spirit. Ho
prepared for the task by the Oriental studies
which he had been pursuing for years with view OF
absracting his mind from tho politics and battles OF
the day, Tor botn OF which he manifested n hearty
hatred that his followers admire MS iervcntly as his
opponents condemn IT, When The poems IN "Gocthc's
Divan" first appeared very few readers were able TO
decide whether they limitations direct transa-
tions closely had caught the tone and color OF
the Orient, and the mystic style Of tho poets. still
the thought ana the topics upon which It exercised
itself was Western and many OF the doctrines although
originally Persian had long been known in Europe, SO
ter OF tho work perfectly
The volume Is divided into twelve books. respect
ivcly entitled tho "Book of the Singer" "Book OF
Hans,n "Book OF Love-" "Book of Reflections"
"Book Of Ill Humor, !" "Book of Sayings" "Book OF
Timur" Book OF Suicika," "Book OF tho Cup
Bearer" "Book OF Parabes," /" "Book OF the. Parsee"
and .Book Of Paradise" Mr.. Weiss has translated
the poems tho principle OF giving their form well
as their contents at would have been CASTER" be
says, ITO unravcl OF tho compact sets OF lines
into distinct verses dilute strong favored verses by
paraphrase, TO tamper with Gocthe's terrible sim-
plciy break up his crystals No verso, no line has
been omitted"
Tho ssBook OF Sulcika," In tho opinion OF Goethe
himself is the fullest in the collection. and concern
ing It's history MIR. Weiss gives many terestng de-
tails in tho notes. Its chief nspirer was Marianne
Jung, lady who left tho Frankfort stage al scven.
teen to marry the Gehoimrack Willemer Goethe
became acquainted with her In 1914, when shc was
thry-our years OF age, and he thirty years her
senior Herman Grimm describes her OF those
wonderful women who seem to reproduce In our day
tho charm and the influence of Aspasia 'Hcr lie,
her freshness, her song, her poetic sensblty, her
genuine good WILL beloved by Goethe" or
him "she desired nothing more than tho silent
sciousness OF his esteem and attachment" Her
rcspondcnce with Goethe deposited in tho Frank.
fort library, with Instructions that IL should be
published for twenty years. II will appear in 1872
and then much that Is interesting concerning the
ssIook OF Suleika" will bo divuged. sho confessed
to Grimm that sho wrote several OF the poems pub
shed in this The following, which deceived Ger
many is of them and may be found interesting by
those who think Goethe inimitable:--