Mephistopheles informs Faust, that the following
day he can meet Margaret in the house of the
neighbour Martha. The only thing that he has to
do is to confirm the death of the husband of Martha.
Faust denies, because he is not willing to give
witness for something that he does not know. Mephistopheles
answers that all his life Faust has taught things
that he actually does not know anything about.
Since the scene of Auerbach's
cellar in Leipsic Mephistopheles has turnt
into a quite sympathetic person for his wit, his
irony, for his willingness to play tricks on anybody.
He understands, what actually happened and his
psychological descriptions of the "jolly
companions", of Faust and of the church are
quite precise. Intellectually he has the same
level as Faust. By not only trying to bring Faust
to fall, but also by his open way of making fun
of Faust he turns into a person, a human being.
One cannot deny that Faust feels the same for
Margaret like Dante Alighieri felt for Beatrice.
Dante Alighieri, La
vida nueva
Sonetto
XI
The eleventh sonett
Elftes Sonett
Ne li occhi porta la mia donna
Amore,
per che si fa gentil ciò ch' ella
mira;
ov' ella passa, ogni uom vêr lei si
gira,
e cui saluta fa tremar lo core,
sí che, bassando il viso, tutto ismore,
e d'ogni suo difetto allor sospira:
fugge dinanzi a lei superbia ed
ira.
Aiutatemi, donne, farle onore.
Ogne dolcezza, ogne pensero umile
nasce nel core a chi parlar la sente;
ond' è laudato chi prima la vide.
Quel ch' ella par quand' un poco sorride,
non si può dire
né tenere a mente,
sí è novo miracolo e gentile.
My lady carries love within her
eyes;
All that she looks on is made
pleasanter;
Upon her path men turn to gaze
at her; He whom she greeteth feels
his heart to rise;
And droops his troubled visage
full of sighs; And of his evil
heart is then aware: Hate loves,
and pride becomes a worshipper.
O women, help to praise her in
somewise. Humbleness, and the
hope that hopeth well; By speech
of hers into the mind are brought;
And who beholds is blessèd
oftenwhiles.
The look she hath when she a little
smiles; Cannot be said, nor holden
in the thought; ’Tis such
a new and gracious miracle.
Die Liebe wohnt in meiner Herrin
Blicken; Die, was sie anschaun,
wunderbar verklären; wem
einen Gruß sie gnadenvoll
gewähren, Dem bebt durchs
Herz unsagbar ein Entzücken.
Der muß die Stirn betroffen
abwärts kehren; Ob seiner
Mängel seufzend, die ihn
drücken; Selbst Haß
und Hochmut muß vor ihr
sich bücken -
Drum helft, ihr Frauen, mir, sie
hoch zu ehren! Wer hören
darf des Mundes süßen
Laut; Dem schwillt das Herz in
ehrfurchtsfollen Wonnen; Drum
selig, wer das erstemal sie schaut.
Doch wenn sie kaum zu lächeln
hat begonnen: Kein Wort kanns
schildern, kein Vergleich erreichen
- Ein Wunder ist es, neu und ohnegleichen!
But one cannot deny that he sees the woman in
Margaret, a totally different love. Mephistopheles
tries to reduce this love to just this, but this
is not 100 percent right, it's not 100 percent
wrong either. Even though Faust does not want
to accept this fact, in the bottom of his heart
he knows that he is a man.
In this dialogue Mephistopheles makes fun of Faust
for two reasons. For one, that Faust denies to
give false witness about the death of Mr. Schwerdtlein
and for the other, that he knows that he knows
about the oaths that Faust is going to swear to
Margaret about eternal love in the most beautiful
words, still knowing that this love is not that
divine. In fewer words, he makes fun of the hypocrisy
of Faust.
MEPHISTOPHELES:
MEPHISTOPHELES
O heil'ger Mann! Da
wärt Ihr's nun!
Ist es das erstemal in eurem Leben,
Daß Ihr falsch Zeugnis abgelegt?
Habt Ihr von Gott, der Welt und was
sich drin bewegt,
Vom Menschen, was sich ihm in den
Kopf und Herzen regt,
Definitionen nicht mit großer Kraft
gegeben?
Mit frecher Stirne, kühner Brust?
Und wollt Ihr recht ins Innre gehen,
Habt Ihr davon, Ihr müßt es grad gestehen,
So viel als von Herrn Schwerdtleins
Tod gewußt!
O saintly man! Then
you would be a saint indeed!
Is it the first time in your life
You've borne false witness? Well,
I wonder!
Of God, the world, and what therein
is rife,
Of man, what stirs within his
heart and brain,
Have you no definition given with
might and main?
With brazen brow and dauntless
breast?
And if you'll only probe things
truly,
You knew of them - you must confess
it duly-
No more than of this Schwerdtlein's
death and place of rest!
FAUST:
FAUST.
Du bist und bleibst
ein Lügner, ein Sophiste.
You are and you remain
a liar, sophist too.
MEPHISTOPHELES:
MEPHISTOPHELES
Ja, wenn man's nicht
ein bißchen tiefer wüßte.
Denn morgen wirst, in allen Ehren,
Das arme Gretchen nicht betören
Und alle Seelenlieb ihr schwören?
Yes, if one did not
have a little deeper view.Will
you not presently cajole
Poor Gretchen - in all honour
too - and swear
To her the love of all your soul?
FAUST:
FAUST.
Und zwar von Herzen.
Aye, swear it from
my heart.
MEPHISTOPHELES:
MEPHISTOPHELES
Gut und schön!
Dann
wird von ewiger Treu und Liebe,
von einzig überallmächt'gem Triebe-
Wird das auch so von Herzen gehn?
Fine, I declare!
Then there'll be talk of love,
fidelity eternal,
Of one almighty force supernal-
Will that too issue from your
heart alone?
FAUST:
FAUST.
Laß das! Es wird!-
Wenn ich empfinde,
Für das Gefühl, für das Gewühl
Nach Namen suche, keinen finde,
Dann durch die Welt mit allen Sinnen
schweife,
Nach allen höchsten Worten greife,
Und diese Glut, von der ich brenne,
Unendlich, ewig, ewig nenne,
Ist das ein teuflisch Lügenspiel?
Have done! It will!
- And when I'm feeling,
When for the feeling, for my senses'
reeling,
I seek for names and yet find
none,
Then through the world with every
sense sweep on,
Toward all the loftiest phrases,
grasping, turn,
And this the glow from which I
burn,
Endless, eternal, aye, eternal
name,
Is that a devilish, lying game?
MEPHISTOPHELES:
MEPHISTOPHELES
Ich hab doch recht!
And yet I'm right!
FAUST:
FAUST.
Hör! merk dir dies-
Ich bitte dich, und schone meine Lunge-:
Wer recht behalten will und hat nur
eine Zunge,
Behält's gewiß.
Und komm, ich hab des Schwätzens Überdruß,
Denn du hast recht, vorzüglich weil
ich muß.
Take heed! Mark this
from me,
I beg of you, and spare my lungs:
He who maintains he's right -
if his the gift of tongues-
Will have the last word certainly.
So come, this prating rouses my
disgust;
I'll say you're right, especially
since I must.
"I'll say you're right, especially since I must.",
he says at the end. In other words, he exactly
knows that Mephistopheles is right, but he doesn't
want to accept the fact.
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