Faust (trans. Bayard Taylor)/Act I/V
V.
A GLOOMY GALLERY.
Faust. Mephistopheles.
Mephistopheles.
WHAT wilt thou with me in this gloomy gallery?
Is there not still enough of sport
There, in the crowded, motley Court,—
Not chance for tricks, and fun, and raillery?
Is there not still enough of sport
There, in the crowded, motley Court,—
Not chance for tricks, and fun, and raillery?
Faust.
Don’t tell me that !— In our old days the fun of it
Didst thou wear out, and I ’ll have none of it.
Thy wandering here and there is planned
Just to evade what I demand.
But I ’m tormented something to obtain;
The Marshal drives me, and the Chamberlain.
The Emperor orders, he will instantly
Helen and Paris here before him see,—
The model forms of Man and Woman, wearing,
Distinctly shown, their ancient shape and bearing.
Now to the work! I dare not break my word.
Didst thou wear out, and I ’ll have none of it.
Thy wandering here and there is planned
Just to evade what I demand.
But I ’m tormented something to obtain;
The Marshal drives me, and the Chamberlain.
The Emperor orders, he will instantly
Helen and Paris here before him see,—
The model forms of Man and Woman, wearing,
Distinctly shown, their ancient shape and bearing.
Now to the work! I dare not break my word.
Mephistopheles.
So thoughtlessly to promise was absurd.
Faust.
Thou hast not, comrade, well reflected
What comes of having used thy powers:
We ’ve made him rich; ’t is now expected
That we amuse his idle hours.
What comes of having used thy powers:
We ’ve made him rich; ’t is now expected
That we amuse his idle hours.
Mephistopheles.
Thou deem’st the thing is quickly fixed:
Here before steeper ways we ’re standing;
With strangest spheres wouldst thou be mixed,
And, sinful, addest new debts to the old,—
Think’st Helen will respond to thy commanding
As freely as the paper-ghosts of gold!
With witches’-riches and with spectre-pictures,
And changeling-dwarfs, I ’Il give no cause for strictures;
But Devil’s-darlings, though you may not scold ’em,
You cannot quite as heroines behold ’em.
Here before steeper ways we ’re standing;
With strangest spheres wouldst thou be mixed,
And, sinful, addest new debts to the old,—
Think’st Helen will respond to thy commanding
As freely as the paper-ghosts of gold!
With witches’-riches and with spectre-pictures,
And changeling-dwarfs, I ’Il give no cause for strictures;
But Devil’s-darlings, though you may not scold ’em,
You cannot quite as heroines behold ’em.
Faust.
The old hand-organ still I hear thee play!
From thee one always gets uncertain sense,
The father, thou, of all impediments:
For every means thou askest added pay.
A little muttering, and the thing takes place;
Ere one can turn, beside us here her shade is.
From thee one always gets uncertain sense,
The father, thou, of all impediments:
For every means thou askest added pay.
A little muttering, and the thing takes place;
Ere one can turn, beside us here her shade is.
Mephistopheles.
I ’ve no concern with the old heathen race;
They house within their special Hades.43
Yet there ’s a way.
They house within their special Hades.43
Yet there ’s a way.
Faust.
Speak, nor delay thy history!
Mephistopheles.
Unwilling, I reveal a loftier mystery.—
In solitude are throned the Goddesses,
No Space around them, Place and Time still less;
Only to speak of them embarrasses.
They are The Mothers!44
In solitude are throned the Goddesses,
No Space around them, Place and Time still less;
Only to speak of them embarrasses.
They are The Mothers!44
Faust (terrified).
Mothers!
Mephistopheles.
Hast thou dread?
Faust.
The Mothers! Mothers ! —a strange word is said.
Mephistopheles.
It is so. Goddesses, unknown to ye,
The Mortals,—named by us unwillingly.
Delve in the deepest depths must thou, to reach them:
’T is thine own fault that we for help beseech them.
The Mortals,—named by us unwillingly.
Delve in the deepest depths must thou, to reach them:
’T is thine own fault that we for help beseech them.
Faust.
Where is the way?
Mephistopheles.
No way!—To the Unreachable,
Ne’er to be trodden! A way to the Unbeseechable,
Never to be besought! Art thou prepared?
There are no locks, no latches to be lifted;
Through endless solitudes shalt thou be drifted.
Hast thou through solitudes and deserts fared?
Ne’er to be trodden! A way to the Unbeseechable,
Never to be besought! Art thou prepared?
There are no locks, no latches to be lifted;
Through endless solitudes shalt thou be drifted.
Hast thou through solitudes and deserts fared?
Faust.
I think ’t were best to spare such speeches;
They smell too strongly of the witches,
Of cheats that long ago insnared.
Have I not known all earthly vanities?
Learned the inane, and taught inanities?
When as I felt I spake, with sense as guide,
The contradiction doubly shrill replied;
Enforced by odious tricks, have I not fled
To solitudes and wildernesses dread,
And that I might not live alone, unheeded,
Myself at last unto the Devil deeded!
They smell too strongly of the witches,
Of cheats that long ago insnared.
Have I not known all earthly vanities?
Learned the inane, and taught inanities?
When as I felt I spake, with sense as guide,
The contradiction doubly shrill replied;
Enforced by odious tricks, have I not fled
To solitudes and wildernesses dread,
And that I might not live alone, unheeded,
Myself at last unto the Devil deeded!
Mephistopheles.
And hadst thou swum to farthest verge of ocean,
And there the boundless space beheld,
Still hadst thou seen wave after wave in motion,
Even though impending doom thy fear compelled.
Thou hadst seen something,—in the beryl dim
Of peace-lulled seas the sportive dolphins swim;
Hadst seen the flying clouds, sun, moon, and star:
Naught shalt thou see in endless Void afar,—
Not hear thy footstep fall, nor meet
A stable spot to rest thy feet.
And there the boundless space beheld,
Still hadst thou seen wave after wave in motion,
Even though impending doom thy fear compelled.
Thou hadst seen something,—in the beryl dim
Of peace-lulled seas the sportive dolphins swim;
Hadst seen the flying clouds, sun, moon, and star:
Naught shalt thou see in endless Void afar,—
Not hear thy footstep fall, nor meet
A stable spot to rest thy feet.
Faust.
Thou speak’st, as of all mystagogues the chief,
Who e’er brought faithful neophytes to grief;
Only reversed:—I to the Void am sent,
That Art and Power therein I may augment:
To use me like the cat is thy desire,
To scratch for thee the chestnuts from the fire.
Come on, then! we ’ll explore, whate’er befall;
In this, thy Nothing, may I find my All!
Who e’er brought faithful neophytes to grief;
Only reversed:—I to the Void am sent,
That Art and Power therein I may augment:
To use me like the cat is thy desire,
To scratch for thee the chestnuts from the fire.
Come on, then! we ’ll explore, whate’er befall;
In this, thy Nothing, may I find my All!
Mephistopheles.
Faust.
That little thing?
Mephistopheles.
Take hold of it, not undervaluing!
Faust.
It glows, it shines,—increases in my hand!
Mephistopheles
How much ’t is worth, thou soon shalt understand,
The Key will scent the true place from all others:
Follow it down!—’t will lead thee to the Mothers,
The Key will scent the true place from all others:
Follow it down!—’t will lead thee to the Mothers,
Faust (shuddering).
The Mothers! Like a blow it strikes me still!
What is the word, to hear which makes me chill?
What is the word, to hear which makes me chill?
Mephistopheles
Art thou so weak, disturbed by each new word?
Wilt only hear what thou ’st already heard?
To wondrous things art thou so used already,
Let naught, howe’er it sound, make thee unsteady!
Wilt only hear what thou ’st already heard?
To wondrous things art thou so used already,
Let naught, howe’er it sound, make thee unsteady!
Faust.
Nathless in torpor lies no good for me;
The chill of dread is Man’s best quality.
Though from the feeling oft the world may fend us,
Deeply we feel, once smitten, the Tremendous.
The chill of dread is Man’s best quality.
Though from the feeling oft the world may fend us,
Deeply we feel, once smitten, the Tremendous.
Mephistopheles
Descend, then! I could also say: Ascend!
’T were all the same. Escape from the Created
To shapeless forms in liberated spaces!
Enjoy what long ere this was dissipated!
There whirls the press, like clouds on clouds unfolding;
Then with stretched arm swing high the key thou ’rt holding!
’T were all the same. Escape from the Created
To shapeless forms in liberated spaces!
Enjoy what long ere this was dissipated!
There whirls the press, like clouds on clouds unfolding;
Then with stretched arm swing high the key thou ’rt holding!
Faust (inspired).
Good! grasping firmly, fresher strength I win:
My breast expands, let the great work begin!
My breast expands, let the great work begin!
Mephistopheles.
At last a blazing tripod tells thee this,
That there the utterly deepest bottom is.
Its light to thee will then the Mothers show,
Some in their seats, the others stand or go,
At their own will: Formation, Transformation,
The Eternal Mind’s eternal recreation,
Forms of all creatures, — there are floating free.
They ’ll see thee not; for only wraiths they see.
So pluck up heart, — the danger then is great,—
Go to the tripod ere thou hesitate,
And touch it with the key !
That there the utterly deepest bottom is.
Its light to thee will then the Mothers show,
Some in their seats, the others stand or go,
At their own will: Formation, Transformation,
The Eternal Mind’s eternal recreation,
Forms of all creatures, — there are floating free.
They ’ll see thee not; for only wraiths they see.
So pluck up heart, — the danger then is great,—
Go to the tripod ere thou hesitate,
And touch it with the key !
(Faust, with the key, assumes a decidedly commanding attitude.
Mephistopheles, observing him.)
Mephistopheles, observing him.)
So, that is right!
It will adhere, and follow thee to light.
Composedly mounting, by thy luck upborne,
Before they notice it, shalt thou return.
When thou the tripod hither hast conveyed,
Then call the hero, heroine, from the shade,—
The first that ever such a deed perfected:
’T is done, and thou thereto hast been selected.
For instantly, by magic process warmed,
To gods the incense-mist shall be transformed.
It will adhere, and follow thee to light.
Composedly mounting, by thy luck upborne,
Before they notice it, shalt thou return.
When thou the tripod hither hast conveyed,
Then call the hero, heroine, from the shade,—
The first that ever such a deed perfected:
’T is done, and thou thereto hast been selected.
For instantly, by magic process warmed,
To gods the incense-mist shall be transformed.
Faust.
What further now?
Mephistopheles.
Downward thy being strain!
Stamp and descend, stamping thou ‘It rise again.
(Faust stamps, and sinks out of sight.)
If only, by the key, he something learn!
I’m curious to see if he return.
Stamp and descend, stamping thou ‘It rise again.
(Faust stamps, and sinks out of sight.)
If only, by the key, he something learn!
I’m curious to see if he return.