The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-11-10
A CENTURY OF GERMAN LYRICS

One OF tne oalntleSI HItIe volumes OF the
week is that of Kate Freiligrath Kroeker-
ga Century of German Lyrics" tits made
mp of translations from the writings of the
standard and classic poets in the German
tongue.
The translator's father was a poet whose
fame and name extended far beyond the
Dorders or his own country, and IN this
work of the daughter the transm isslon of
the divine aflatus from the father is
apparent. Not only does she give evil
dence of the poetic gift in the beauty.
polish and correctness of her trauslations,
but in the critical discrimination and .ap-
probation OF her selections from the great
German storehouse OF poetic thought. 1t
is only necessary to quote a few passages
TO show her poetic insight and careful
literary workmanship.
The following Resignation" is from
kari Beck, one OF the most sympathetic of
German poets:
Methought that already the swallow dreamed
OF her own true nest; d.
hethougnt tnat already the lark had tried
The songs in her breast:
-"etnousnt That already the blossoms were kissed
D,.,u., BY winds of the west;
Methought that already held thee clasped
Eternally blest.
How winterly have you turned overnight,
Ye zephyrs mild;
HOW oeao ana frozen the blossoms o. night
But yesterday smiled;
HOW the lark has forgotten overnight
.,a 49, 49,. her spring-song wild;
Thy poor, poor child,
One of her prettiest transIations is from
the Gypsy Song by Germany's beloved
Goethe, in which special interest is now
being taken on account of the Goethe
Schiller Festival:
In drizzling fog, in the deep, deep snow,
In forest wild, in the winter night,
heard the barking of hungry wolves
heard the shrieking OF owls:
WiIle-wow-wow-wow!
Wllle-wo-wO-wOi
WttohOo!
shot a cat by the garden fence
That night seven were-wolves came to my bed
seven village crones were they:
Wille-wow-wow-wowl
WiIlewo-wo-woI
Wito-hool
The following is from one of the short
poems of Miss Freiligrath's father, to
whom reference is made above:
WILD FLOWERS.
Alone strolled where the Rhine stream rolled.
on each hedge was the wild rose glowing,
And through the ar the perfume rare
MI NJ the blooming vine was blowing.
Inc poppies red their brilliance spread,
The corn 10 the south wind was bending,
over Roiand's hill a falcon Shrill
With his cry the air was rending.
4 In mine there rung the old sweet song:
y \ -tOh, were wild young facon,i'
iOh, thou melody. as a falcon shy,
And as bold TOO. q falcon
VINO will sing and try! To the sun on high
shall the song on its wings upwave me,
'Galnst window small, against bars withal,
With my pinions III Iutter brayely.
-FREuIGRATH.
Muller's THE Will-o'the- Wisp'' is well
known to all students of literature, but
this scrap furnishes a good idea of Mrs.
Rockers SKILL taste ana exactitude in
translation. 1t may be compared with
other TRANSACTIONS:
To the wilderness you have lured me,
Will-o'-the-Wisp, full fair to see;
How egress TO discover
Does not greatly trouble me.
Used am 10 stray and wander,
To one goal leads every way;
All our Joys and all our SORROWS
Are but Jack-O lanterns play.
Down the mountain streams dry channel
Calm wend, through rocks and gloom;
Every stream must gain the ocean,
Every SORROW finds its tomb.
There are fewer shorter poems or fugitive
simple in beauty and pure of sentiment as
the one 10 be quoted, II Asked the Sum-"
by Ritterhaus. Mrs. kroeker has pene-
trated to the core OF the poets thought:
asked the sun: 'Say what is love? All, tellme ~
He gave no answer, only rays of gold.
! asked the flowers: "What is love? All, tell me |"
They shed sweet perfume, but no answer told.
I asked the Almighty: ''Nhat is love? or holy?
or frivolous? To know L would be fame"
Then God gave me a loved and faithful woman,
And never asked what was love again.
Published by the Frederick Stokes
Company. New York and London. For
sale by A. NJ. Robertson, San Francisco.