Of thy treasure

Now is right!--
Ah, I see it! woe, oh woe!

I forget the word of might.
Ah, the word whose sound can straight

Make him what he was before!
Ah, he runs with nimble gait!

Would thou wert a broom once more!
Streams renew'd for ever

Quickly bringeth he;
River after river

Rusheth on poor me!
Now no longer

Can I bear him;
I will snare him,

Knavish sprite!
Ah, my terror waxes stronger!

What a look! what fearful sight
Oh, thou villain child of hell!

Shall the house through thee be drown'd
Floods I see that wildly swell,

O'er the threshold gaining ground.
Wilt thou not obey,

Oh, thou broom accurs'd?
Be thou still I pray,

As thou wert at first!
Will enough

Never please thee?
I will seize thee,

Hold thee fast,
And thy nimble wood so tough,

With my sharp axe split at last.
See, once more he hastens back!

Now, oh Cobold, thou shalt catch it!
I will rush upon his track;

Crashing on him falls my hatchet.
Bravely done, indeed!

See, he's cleft in twain!
Now from care I'm freed,

And can breathe again.
Woe, oh woe!

Both the parts,
Quick as darts,

Stand on end,
Servants of my dreaded foe!

Oh, ye gods protection send!
And they run! and wetter still

Grow the steps and grows the hail.
Lord and master hear me call!

Ever seems the flood to fill,
Ah, he's coming! see,

Great is my dismay!
Spirits raised by me

Vainly would I lay!
"To the side

Of the room
Hasten, broom,

As of old!
Spirits I have ne'er untied

Save to act as they are told."
1797.

-----
THE BRIDE OF CORINTH.

[First published in Schiller's Horen, in connection with a
friendly contest in the art of ballad-writing between the two

great poets, to which many of their finest works are owing.]
ONCE a stranger youth to Corinth came,

Who in Athens lived, but hoped that he
From a certain townsman there might claim,

As his father's friend, kind courtesy.
Son and daughter, they

Had been wont to say
Should thereafter bride and bridegroom be.

But can he that boon so highly prized,
Save tis dearly bought, now hope to get?

They are Christians and have been baptized,
He and all of his are heathens yet.

For a newborn creed,
Like some loathsome weed,

Love and truth to root out oft will threat.
Father, daughter, all had gone to rest,

And the mother only watches late;
She receives with courtesy the guest,

And conducts him to the room of state.
Wine and food are brought,

Ere by him besought;
Bidding him good night. she leaves him straight.

But he feels no relish now, in truth,
For the dainties so profusely spread;

Meat and drink forgets the wearied youth,
And, still dress'd, he lays him on the bed.

Scarce are closed his eyes,
When a form in-hies

Through the open door with silent tread.
By his glimmering lamp discerns he now

How, in veil and garment white array'd,
With a black and gold band round her brow,

Glides into the room a bashful maid.
But she, at his sight,

Lifts her hand so white,
And appears as though full sore afraid.

"Am I," cries she, "such a stranger here,
That the guest's approach they could not name?

Ah, they keep me in my cloister drear,
Well nigh feel I vanquish'd by my shame.

On thy soft couch now
Slumber calmly thou!

I'll return as swiftly as I came."
"Stay, thou fairest maiden!" cries the boy,

Starting from his couch with eager haste:
"Here are Ceres', Bacchus' gifts of joy;

Amor bringest thou, with beauty grac'd!
Thou art pale with fear!

Loved one let us here
Prove the raptures the Immortals taste."

"Draw not nigh, O Youth! afar remain!
Rapture now can never smile on me;

For the fatal step, alas! is ta'en,
Through my mother's sick-bed phantasy.

Cured, she made this oath:
'Youth and nature both

Shall henceforth to Heav'n devoted be.'
"From the house, so silent now, are driven

All the gods who reign'd supreme of yore;
One Invisible now rules in heaven,

On the cross a Saviour they adore.
Victims slay they here,

Neither lamb nor steer,
But the altars reek with human gore."

And he lists, and ev'ry word he weighs,
While his eager soul drinks in each sound:

"Can it be that now before my gaze
Stands my loved one on this silent ground?

Pledge to me thy troth!
Through our father's oath:

With Heav'ns blessing will our love be crown'd."
"Kindly youth, I never can be thine!

'Tis my sister they intend for thee.
When I in the silent cloister pine,

Ah, within her arms remember me!
Thee alone I love,

While love's pangs I prove;
Soon the earth will veil my misery."

"No! for by this glowing flame I swear,
Hymen hath himself propitious shown:

Let us to my fathers house repair,
And thoult find that joy is not yet flown,

Sweetest, here then stay,
And without delay

Hold we now our wedding feast alone!"
Then exchange they tokens of their truth;

She gives him a golden chain to wear,
And a silver chalice would the youth

Give her in return of beauty rare.
"That is not for me;

Yet I beg of thee,
One lock only give me of thy hair."

Now the ghostly hour of midnight knell'd,
And she seem'd right joyous at the sign;

To her pallid lips the cup she held,
But she drank of nought but blood-red wine.

For to taste the bread
There before them spread,

Nought he spoke could make the maid incline.
To the youth the goblet then she brought,--

He too quaff'd with eager joy the bowl.
Love to crown the silent feast he sought,

Ah! full love-sick was the stripling's soul.
From his prayer she shrinks,

Till at length he sinks
On the bed and weeps without control.

And she comes, and lays her near the boy:
"How I grieve to see thee sorrowing so!

If thou think'st to clasp my form with joy,
Thou must learn this secret sad to know;

Yes! the maid, whom thou
Call'st thy loved one now,

Is as cold as ice, though white as snow."
Then he clasps her madly in his arm,

While love's youthful might pervades his frame:
"Thou might'st hope, when with me, to grow warm,

E'en if from the grave thy spirit came!
Breath for breath, and kiss!

Overflow of bliss!
Dost not thou, like me, feel passion's flame?"

Love still closer rivets now their lips,
Tears they mingle with their rapture blest,

From his mouth the flame she wildly sips,
Each is with the other's thought possess'd.

His hot ardour's flood
Warms her chilly blood,

But no heart is beating in her breast.
In her care to see that nought went wrong,

Now the mother happen'd to draw near;
At the door long hearkens she, full long,

Wond'ring at the sounds that greet her ear.
Tones of joy and sadness,

And love's blissful madness,
As of bride and bridegroom they appear,

From the door she will not now remove
'Till she gains full certainty of this;

• terror [´terə] n.恐怖；惊骇 (初中英语单词)
• fearful [´fiəfəl] a.可怕的；担心的 (初中英语单词)
• protection [prə´tekʃən] n.警戒；护照；通行证 (初中英语单词)
• connection [kə´nekʃən] n.联系；关系；联运 (初中英语单词)
• contest [kən´test, ´kɔntest] v.争辩 n.争夺；竞赛 (初中英语单词)
• garment [´gɑ:mənt] n.衣服，外衣 (初中英语单词)
• calmly [´kɑ:mli] ad.平静地；无风浪地 (初中英语单词)
• swiftly [´swiftli] ad.迅速地，敏捷地 (初中英语单词)
• henceforth [´hens´fɔ:θ] ad.今后；从今以后 (初中英语单词)
• supreme [su:´pri:m, sju:-] a.最高的，无上的 (初中英语单词)
• invisible [in´vizəbəl] a.看不见的；无形的 (初中英语单词)
• blessing [´blesiŋ] n.祝福 (初中英语单词)
• wedding [´wediŋ] n.婚礼，结婚 (初中英语单词)
• midnight [´midnait] n.午夜；漆黑 (初中英语单词)
• grieve [gri:v] v.&n.(使)悲痛；哀悼 (初中英语单词)
• youthful [´ju:θfəl] a.年轻的；青年的 (初中英语单词)
• breath [breθ] n.呼吸；气息 (初中英语单词)
• mingle [´miŋgəl] v.(使)混合；交往 (初中英语单词)
• chilly [´tʃili] a.凉飕飕的 (初中英语单词)
• threshold [´θreʃhəuld] n.门槛；入门；开端 (高中英语单词)
• athens [´æθinz] n.雅典 (高中英语单词)
• thereafter [ðeə´rɑ:ftə] adv.此后，其后 (高中英语单词)
• courtesy [´kə:tisi] n.礼貌；殷勤；好意 (高中英语单词)
• relish [´reliʃ] n.滋味；风味 v.品尝 (高中英语单词)
• joyous [´dʒɔiəs] a.充满快乐的 (高中英语单词)
• rapture [´ræptʃə] n.着迷；全神贯注 (高中英语单词)
• certainty [´sə:tənti] n.确实(性)；确信 (高中英语单词)
• nimble [´nimbəl] a.敏捷的；聪明的 (英语四级单词)
• villain [´vilən] n.坏人；恶棍；反面角色 (英语四级单词)
• bridegroom [´braidgru:m] n.新郎 (英语四级单词)
• dearly [´diəli] ad.深深地(爱等)；昂贵 (英语四级单词)
• bashful [´bæʃful] a.害羞的，忸怩的 (英语四级单词)
• cloister [´klɔistə] n.修道院；隐居处 (英语四级单词)
• devoted [di´vəutid] a.献身...的，忠实的 (英语四级单词)
• saviour [´seiviə] n.救星；救助者 (英语四级单词)
• nought [nɔ:t] n.=naught (英语四级单词)
• goblet [´gɔblit] n.高脚玻璃杯 (英语四级单词)
• loathsome [´ləuðsəm] a.讨厌的，令人作呕的 (英语六级单词)
• ghostly [´gəustli] a.鬼的；朦胧的 (英语六级单词)
• beating [´bi:tiŋ] n.敲；搅打；失败 (英语六级单词)