Tag: Faust

Spring Is Acoming

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I like this shot of our local park. All that is missing are people, then it would be very close to Cee’s photo.

And although it is not yet Easter, it’s been such a mild winter that Cee’s strollers in the park reminded me of the famous “Easter Walk” from Goethe’s Faust (the translation is by Edgar Alfred Bowring):

From the ice they are freed, the stream and brook,
By the Spring’s enlivening, lovely look;  [....]
Growth and formation stir everywhere,
‘Twould fain with colours make all things bright,
Though in the landscape are no blossoms fair.
Instead it takes gay-decked humanity.

Faust observes people leaving the city for their first spring walk-about on Easter Sunday. There are not enough flowers yet, so the people in their Sunday finery supply the colours.

Cee’s Midweek Madness Challenge: Pick a Topic from my Photo in February

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I can be human here

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In the first scenes of what is arguably the most well-known German play, Faust has contemplated suicide because he has realised his limitations in the light of his ambitions. The ringing of the church bells at the break of dawn and the Christian message of the risen Christ hold him back.

Next morning he leaves the city to join the masses of people on a stroll outside the city gates. The following is an ode to spring and humanity, a piece of poetry colloquially known as the “Easter Walk” and lines from it are known by almost every German. He starts with describing the surroundings, seeing nature freed from the white ice just as the people are freed from the grey city. Nature is still lacking colour this early in spring, so people have to supply it with their finery. The soliloquy ends with Faust’s awareness that he can join the rest of humanity.

Hence, the photo of an Easter Sunday morning stroll.

The Ragtag Daily Prompt: Human

I’ll say fist for the moment

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These six words need an explanation.  I had a quote from Goethe’s Faust in mind (one great poet versus another one, answering Debbie’s Shakespeare) when I compiled these photos and was looking for the standard translation into English.  I entered a few keywords in the search mask including the name Faust and English and was rewarded with the above gem of the google translator.

203 faust 1

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Goethe: Faust I

If ever I to the moment shall say:
Beautiful moment, do not pass away!

Werd ich zum Augenblicke sagen:
Verweile doch! du bist so schön!

The rest of the quotation is actually a denial of the perfect moment, or rather the striving for an ever more perfect one – so I’ll just ignore it for the purpose of this post.

Linked to Six Word Saturday.