Prometheus

Written by eklastic

Cover your heaven, Zeus,
With cloudy vapours,
And test your strength, like a boy
Beheading thistles,
On oaks and mountain peaks;
Yet you must leave
My earth alone,
And my hut you did not build,
And my hearth,
Whose fire
You envy me.

I know nothing more paltry
Beneath the sun than you, gods!
Meagrely you nourish
Your majesty
On levied offerings
And the breath of prayer,
And would starve, were
Not children and beggars
Optimistic fools.

When I was a child,
Not knowing which way to turn,
I raise my misguided eyes
To the sun, as if above it there were
An ear to hear my lament,
A heart like mine,
To pity me in my anguish.

Who helped me
Withstand the Titans’ insolence?
Who saved me from death
And slavery?
Did you not accomplish all this yourself,
Sacred glowing heart?
And did you not – young, innocent,
Deceived – glow with gratitude for your deliverance
To that slumber in the skies?

I honour you? Why?
Did you ever soothe the anguish
That weighed me down?
Did you ever dry my tears
When I was terrified?
Was I not forged into manhood
By all-powerful Time
And everlasting Fate,
My masters and yours?

Did you suppose
I should hate life,
Flee into the wilderness,
Because not all
My blossoming dreams bore fruit?

Here I sit, making men
In my own image,
A race that shall be like me,
That shall suffer, weep,
Know joy and delight,
And ignore you
As I do!

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe,
translated by Richard Stokes

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge: A Favourite Poem

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18 thoughts on “Prometheus”

  1. Excellent illustration of the poem. Greek mythology makes us think and this was no different. To decide, what to do with the power or gifts we are given can be both good and/or bad. Moral choices…

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    1. It was young Goethe’s rebellion against the powers that be. Of course, before he became a power that was. It’s a poem that I loved as a teenager and young woman – I performed it to get into Drama school (the one piece I was allowed to do in German).

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  2. Brilliant – and I see something about why, when I read your comments. Impressed, really. This is a beautiful poem and as you know it so well, you can illustrate it from your own feelings too.

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  6. I read your earlier comment to Ann-Christine and wasn’t sure what you meant. I see now that you manipulated the WP application to have your images appear perfectly with the words of your chosen verse. Brilliantly done and beautifully chose. I loved your post and very much appreciated your efforts!

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