Translations from the German (Vol 3 of 3): Tales by Musæus, Tieck, RichterCarlyle, Thomas
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Translations from the German (Vol 3 of 3): Tales by Musæus, Tieck, Richter
Carlyle, Thomas
German fiction -- Translations into English
On her early awakening, at the hour when the fair prophetess was wont to
separate and interpret the visions of the night, she felt inclined to
cast away these phantasms from her mind, as errors which had sprung from
a disturbance in the operation of her prophetic faculty, and were
entitled to no heed from her. Yet a dim feeling signified that this
creation of her fancy was not idle dreaming; but had a significant
allusion to certain events which the future would unravel; and that last
night this presaging Fantasy had spied out the decrees of Fate, and
blabbed them to her, more successfully than ever. By help of it, she
found that her guest was inflamed with warm love to her; and with equal
honesty her heart confessed the same thing in regard to him. But she
instantly impressed the seal of silence on the news; as the modest youth
had, on his side, set a guard upon his lips and his eyes, that he might
not expose himself to a contemptuous refusal; for the chasm which
Fortune had interposed between him and the daughter of the wise Krokus
seemed impassable.
Although the fair Libussa well knew what she had to say in answer to the
young man's question, yet it went against her heart to let him go from
her so soon. At sunrise she called him to her in her garden, and said:
"The curtain of darkness yet hangs before my eyes; abide with me till
sunset;" and at night she said: "Stay till sunrise;" and next morning:
"Wait another day;" and the third day: "Have patience till tomorrow." On
the fourth day she at last dismissed him; finding no more pretexts for
detaining him, with safety to her secret. At parting, she gave him his
response in friendly words: "The gods will not that thou shouldst
contend with a man of violence in the land; to bear and suffer is the
lot of the weaker. Return to thy father; be the comfort of his old age;
and support him by the labour of thy diligent hand. Take two white
Steers as a present from my herd; and this Staff to drive them; and when
it blossoms and bears fruit, the spirit of prophecy will descend on
thee."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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