Then appears 'timidly stealing forth' the glorified form of her who on earth was called Gretchen. In words that remind one of her former prayer of remorse and despair in the Cathedral she offers her petition to the Virgin: O Mary, hear me! From realms supernal Of light eternal Incline thy countenance upon my bliss! My loved, my lover, His trials over In yonder world, returns to me in this. The Virgin in her glory appears. She addresses Gretchen: Come, raise thyself to higher spheres! For he will follow when he feels thee near. Gretchen soars up to the higher heaven, and the soul of Faust, now awakening to consciousness, rises also heavenward following her, while the chorus of angels sings, in words the beauty and power of which I dare not mar by translation, telling how all things earthly are but a vision, and how in heaven the imperfect is made perfect and the inconceivable wins attainment, and how that which leads us upward and heavenward is immortal love. Alles Vergängliche Ist nur ein Gleichnis; Das Unzulängliche, Hier wird's Ereignis; Das Unbeschreibliche, Hier ist's getan; Das Ewig-weibliche Zieht uns hinan. +--------------------------------------------------------------+ | Transcriber's Notes: | | | | Page 15: Full stop added after "dishes" | | Page 117: "happended" amended to "happened" | | Page 128: closing quote mark added after 'double' | | | | Hyphenation has generally been standardized. However, when | | hyphenated and unhyphenated versions of a word each occur | | an equal number of times, both versions have been retained | | (out-rivalling/outrivalling; up to date/up-to-date). | +--------------------------------------------------------------+