The Poems of Schiller — Third period - Friedrich von Schiller

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But beneath the sun there's naught that's new;

         Yet we see the great of every age

         Pass before us on the world's wide stage

          Thoughtfully and calmly in review

         All. in life repeats itself forever,

          Young for ay is phantasy alone;

         What has happened nowhere, — happened never, —

          That has never older grown!

      PUNCH SONG

            Four elements, joined in

             Harmonious strife,

            Shadow the world forth,

             And typify life.

            Into the goblet

             The lemon's juice pour;

            Acid is ever

             Life's innermost core.

            Now, with the sugar's

             All-softening juice,

            The strength of the acid

             So burning reduce.

            The bright sparkling water

             Now pour in the bowl;

            Water all-gently

             Encircles the whole.

            Let drops of the spirit

             To join them now flow;

            Life to the living

             Naught else can bestow.

            Drain it off quickly

             Before it exhales;

            Save when 'tis glowing,

             The draught naught avails.

      NADOWESSIAN DEATH-LAMENT

         See, he sitteth on his mat

          Sitteth there upright,

         With the grace with which he sat

          While he saw the light.

         Where is now the sturdy gripe, —

          Where the breath sedate,

         That so lately whiffed the pipe

          Toward the Spirit great?

         Where the bright and falcon eye,

          That the reindeer's tread

         On the waving grass could spy,

          Thick with dewdrops spread?

         Where the limbs that used to dart

          Swifter through the snow

         Than the twenty-membered hart,

          Than the mountain roe?

         Where the arm that sturdily

          Bent the deadly bow?

         See, its life hath fleeted by, —

          See, it hangeth low!

         Happy he! — He now has gone

          Where no snow is found:

         Where with maize the fields are sown,

          Self-sprung from the ground;

         Where with birds each bush is filled,

         Where with game the wood;

         Where the fish, with joy unstilled,

         Wanton in the flood.

         With the spirits blest he feeds, —

          Leaves us here in gloom;

         We can only praise his deeds,

          And his corpse entomb.

         Farewell-gifts, then, hither bring,

          Sound the death-note sad!

         Bury with him everything

          That can make him glad!

         'Neath his head the hatchet hide

          That he boldly swung;

         And the bear's fat haunch beside,

          For the road is long;

         And the knife, well sharpened,

          That, with slashes three,

         Scalp and skin from foeman's head

          Tore off skilfully.

         And to paint his body, place

          Dyes within his hand;

         Let him shine with ruddy grace

          In the Spirit-land!

      THE FEAST OF VICTORY

         Priam's castle-walls had sunk,

          Troy in dust and ashes lay,

         And each Greek, with triumph drunk,

          Richly laden with his prey,

         Sat upon his ship's high prow,

          On the Hellespontic strand,

         Starting on his journey now,

          Bound for Greece, his own fair land.

         Raise the glad exulting shout!

          Toward the land that gave them birth

         Turn they now the ships about,

          As they seek their native earth.

         And in rows, all mournfully,

         

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