>You and Nietzsche will have to go outside over that one. I don't think he
>is: in fact, I think he's the one German writer who stands with Homer,
>Dante, and Shakespeare. My personal favorite is Elective Affinities,
>although I know a lot of Faust, Part I by heart, and love his lyric
>poetry. --jks
Well, you picked a good one with Elective Affinities. Call me a Philistine, but it's the only thing The Big G wrote that I can stand.
Another German to read is Kleist. And Hõlderlin of course. I'll remind you with Lebensauf, my favourite. (Btw, strikes me there's something of a tip of the hat to Herakleitos in the second stanza). I've mostly kept H's syntax in my xlation, since he was doing Greek syntax, anyway.
cheers, Joanna
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Lebenslauf
Größers wolltest auch du, aber die Liebe zwingt All uns nieder, das Laid beuget gewaltiger, Doch es kehret umsonst nicht Unser Bogen, woher er kommt.
Aufwärts oder hinab! herrschet in heil'ger Nacht, Wo die stumme Natur werdende Tage sinnt, Herrscht im schiefesten Orkus Nicht ein Grades, ein Recht noch auch?
Diß erfuhr ich. Denn nie, sterblichen Meistern gleich, Habt ihr Himmlischen, ihr Alleserhaltenden, Daß ich wüßte, mit Vorsicht Mich des ebenen Pfads geführt.
Alles prüfe der Mensch, sagen die Himmlischen, Daß er, kräftig genährt, danken für Alles lern', Und verstehe die Freiheit, Aufzubrechen, wohin er will.
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Life course
You wanted greater things, too, but love forces all of us down. Suffering bends us more violently, but it's not for nothing that our bow returns to where it started from.
Up or down! Doesn't there reign in holy Night, where dumb Nature dreams the coming days, in most distorted Orcus a straightness, a right?
This I learned. For never did you, like mortal masters, you deities, you all-preserving ones, as far as I know, with foresight lead me along the level path.
Let everything test man, say the heavenly, so that he, strongly nourished, might learn thanks for everything, and understand the freedom to set out in whatever direction he wills.
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