The poetical works of George MacDonald in two volumes — Volume 1

Автор

George MacDonald

Жанр

Зарубежная классика

Год написания книги

2018

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SCENE XII.—A by-street. JULIAN walking home very weary. The child in his arms, her head lying on his shoulder. An Organ-boy with a monkey, sitting on a door-step. He sings in a low voice

Julian.
Look at the monkey, Lily.

Lily.
No, dear father;
I do not like monkeys.

Julian.
Hear the poor boy sing.

[They listen. He sings.]

SONG

Wenn ich höre dich mir nah',
Stimmen in den Blättern da;
Wenn ich fühl' dich weit und breit,
Vater, das ist Seligkeit.

Nun die Sonne liebend scheint,
Mich mit dir und All vereint;
Biene zu den Blumen fliegt,
Seel' an Lieb' sich liebend schmiegt.

So mich völlig lieb du hast,
Daseyn ist nicht eine Last;
Wenn ich seh' und höre dich,
Das genügt mir inniglich.

Lily.
It sounds so curious. What is he saying, father?

Julian.
My boy, you are not German?

Boy.
No; my mother
Came from those parts. She used to sing the song.
I do not understand it well myself,
For I was born in Genoa.—Ah! my mother!

[Weeps.]

Julian.
My mother was a German, my poor boy;
My father was Italian: I am like you.

[Giving him money.]

You sing of leaves and sunshine, flowers and bees,
Poor child, upon a stone in the dark street!

Boy.
My mother sings it in her grave; and I
Will sing it everywhere, until I die.

SCENE XIII.—LILIA'S room. JULIAN enters with the child; undresses her, and puts her to bed

Lily.
Father does all things for his little Lily.

Julian.
My own dear Lily! Go to sleep, my pet.

[Sitting by her.]

"Wenn ich seh' und höre dich,
Das genügt mir inniglich."

[Falling on his knees.]

I come to thee, and, lying on thy breast,
Father of me, I tell thee in thine ear,
Half-shrinking from the sound, yet speaking free,
That thou art not enough for me, my God.
Oh, dearly do I love thee! Look: no fear
Lest thou shouldst be offended, touches me.
Herein I know thy love: mine casts out fear.
O give me back my wife; thou without her
Canst never make me blessed to the full.

[Silence.]

O yes; thou art enough for me, my God;
Part of thyself she is, else never mine.
My need of her is but thy thought of me;
She is the offspring of thy beauty, God;
Yea of the womanhood that dwells in thee:
Thou wilt restore her to my very soul.

[Rising.]

It may be all a lie. Some needful cause
Keeps her away. Wretch that I am, to think
One moment that my wife could sin against me!
She will come back to-night. I know she will.
I never can forgive my jealousy!