| Comment | Night, Faust in his Study
I've studies now Philosophy
And Jurisprudence, Medicine,
And even, alas! Theology
All through and through with ardour keen!
Here now I stand, poor fool, and see
I'm just as wise as formerly.
Am called a Master, even Doctor too,
And now I've nearly ten years trough
Pulled my students by their noses to and fro
And up and down, across, about,
And see, there's nothing we can know!
That all but burns my heart right out.
True, I am more clever than all the vain creatures,
The Doctors and asters, Writers and Preachers;
No doubts plague me, nor scruples as well.
I'm not afraid of Devil or Hell.
To offset that, all joy is rent from me.
I do not imagine I know aught that's right;
I do not image I could teach what's might
Convert and improve humanity.
Nor have I gold and things of worth,
Or honors, splendours of the earth.
No dog could live thus any more!
So I have returned to magic lore,
To see if through the spirit's power and speech
Perchance full many a secret I may reach,
So that no more with bitter sweat
I need to talk of what I don't know yet,
so that I may perceive whatever holds
The world together in its inmost folds,
Sere all its seeds, its working power,
And cease word-threshing from this hour.
I hope that I could be of help... |
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