New-York tribune., 1886-04-23
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
MARTINS "FAUS1."

When Sir Theodore. then MT. lhcod"re N'"i'"
cuhlislcd his translation of the first part vi
Faust" about twenty years ago, English fea"e's
were 50 much in tie habit of dsregardiug the sec
ond part of the poem, looking upon 1t then ~
problem either beyond solution. or perhaps no'
worth the extraordinary labor it required, tuae .oe
translator had no scrupe in ignoring It's very eA',
cncc. lie styled his version simply "oe.no
Faust" as II it were the whole drama ana i'o"
cover to cover there was not woro 10 "u,, n "'N
that n second part had ever been written in'i'
has been o great change in the worio Si"o nv
Sir Theodore now speaks oi the ione n'NN
second part with something ike eh'husi"Sn'
with nj least sense of ITS Importance; lie rehi"u'
us that Goethe looked upon it as his masterpieces
opd IN crown his own undertaking by this tardy
cor,rIet,on of the rendering begun so many years
ooo has been TO him labor o! love- 1t Is true that
b,s relish for the second part is not complete.
There are very few poems in existence when can
for so many explanatory notes. ana sir lheouore
has upon principle abstained from giving theln'
maintaining that "such meanings and suggestions
as our own imagination can help us "
are quite sufficient for what is really Vau
chile in the poem Such parts of IT as demand tre
exposition of elaborate commentary, most lovers o
poetry will agree can scarcely deserve one Inc
moment poetry begins to deal In MYSTICISM or
philosophical problems. and TO demand elaborate
cxpositon il ceases to be poetry. A natural ~
stnct inpcls us TO give all such rhymcd obscurltles
the go-by and to settle upon the howcrs ABOUT
whose fragrance and beauty there can oc no HIS
take" Most certainly the lovers OF Goethe Will ho'
assent to this doc ruc and those who read the sec
ond part Of Faust only for the sake OF the SIM
pier flowers to be found in it,wil have hard tlme
But Sir TheOdorc's remark is worth citing because
il illustrates so well his way OF looking at the poem
or rather of feeling it-and because 1T explains
# tp,
have to notice presently.
He has undertaken TO give III genera close rem
dcrng III the original metres-we say in general
but sometimes he indulges in paraphrase for the
sake of an easier flow of the verse, and sometimes
le varies the metre where it would seem that there
conld be no pressing reason for the change. lie has
not always been at pains to preserve the feminine
and dactyiic rhymes which Goethe employs so large
~ and with such marked effect, and winch Dayard
Taylor initiated with such brilliant and sustained
success. and this defect alone is enough to change
the of the lines and the very spirit OF the
movement. Here Is an example from the inter-
mezzo of Helena. Sir Theodore Martins transla-
tion of the passage begins, Faust speaking;
The gifts we here amass.
TO each gOodly kingdoms thraN'
Are great and glorious Let thcul pass
We hold our station midst them AL.
With emulous pride they'll guard thee round,
Hali-island. grdled by the man.,
To EnrOpe's mOuntain-r!dges bound
BY hills ihwoyen IN slender chain
The reader must be conscious that there is IN air
of commonness about these verses, though Just
where the fault lies NAV not be Immediately seen.
But compare Sir lheOdore's rendering with Bayard
Taylor's and the secret is disclosed-Iaylors dc
ton is more choice and precise, and the melody has
a characteristic lifting movement which the III
lishmans lines miss:
The gifts they've won by our conccssOn,-
In fee TO each wealthy land-
grand and fair: grant them possession!
We in the midst Will take our stand
And they in rivalry protect thcc
ii ilf-island, eirdled by the sea -
With whispering waves, soft hillchains connect
with the last branch of Europe's mountain tree!
In the first of the first act Is another in
stance of the American transators finer sense-or
shall we say of his loving laborf Sir Iheo-
dore presents Faust awakening III the fiowery mea-
dow, with the following lines:
LIES pulses dance with fre ali and bounding pace,
The ethereal spendors OF the dawn to greet:
Ihon earth thou TOO this night didst hold thy place
And breathest with new vgor at my feet. -
Didd'st Joy within my breast grow rife,
And high resolves dost STIR with kindli Ing heat .,
10 scale es topmOst heights through toll ana strle
But what a different music, what higher tone, |
Vings III IaylOrs verse:
LIES pulses now with fresher force awaken
To greet the mid ethereal twilight Ger me
Tins night. thou. Earth hast also stood uns shaken
Ana now thou breathe.t new-rcfreshed before me,
And now begnuest. all thy gladness grating,
a vigorous resolution to restore me,
TO seek that highest life Tor which IN painting.
Aspiration IS the key to Faust's trial and triumph,
and how much better this essential idea is repre- |
scented by Tayl to seek that highest life than
by Martins Ito scale hfe's tOpmost heights" !
which Is a vague conven tonallsm, we hardly need |
pause to show.
In spite of occasional laDscs however, and of
many weaknesses, Sir Theodore Martins translation
is a credit 10 English scholarship. An experienced
and fcrvent student Of German literature, he |
could not fail TO give Us work OF consideration,
so far as general faIthfuness TO the text and ap-
precatOn of the spirit of the original are con-
cerncd while his mastery of poetical forms Is |
guarantee of luency and elegance. His emphatic |
preference for the simple flowers about whose |
fragrance ana beauty there can be 10 mistake"
with his pronounced indifference to the mystical |
and obscure shows where we may look for his best |
efforts. He peascs III the lyrical rather than in |
the loltcr passages. The second scene Of the |
"Classical Walpurgis Night"-the scene with |
Faust Peneus, the Nvmphs and the Centaur-
contains beautiful specimens of genuine poet
ica trapslation i'll which it iseasy 10 forget that |
We aIe following thoughts borrowed from another |
language. Here is the beginning OF the scene:
PESEIos (s,urounded by streams and NymphE.
Stir, ye sedges, swaying slowly;
Breathe, ye tangled rushes. lowy;
Wave ye willows softly signing,
To the aspens' thrill replying,
Midst me piuses OF NY creams
But thuudrous murmur Tread
Scares from sumDr bed
Meath the ever-nOwing streams
FAUST tadrancing to the StreamI..
Hear rightly, then ween
In behind the leafy screen
or these woven bOughs noises,
Like the sound of human voices.
Yea, each wavelet seems to be
Brattling, prattlins nerrlly.
HYMPHs to FAUsTl
Lay thee down lOwly,
Thy Joy will be full!
Rest thy o'erwearied
Limbs In the cool.
The peace shall come DER thco
That eyerIuOre fees thee;
Well lisp. or we'll whisper.
Or murluur TO please thee.
FAUST.
wake indeed see them well,
These forms nf yrtp II