Horner's Corner

The Warm South

by on Jul.17, 2009, under history, painting, places, poetry

goethe_outside

Goethe in the Campania (Tischbein)

“To have seen Italy without having seen Sicily is not to have seen Italy at all, for Sicily is the clue to everything” – Goethe.

I’m off to Sicily soon. In common with thousands of other pink north Europeans I want sunshine and a sense of …what? a life lived for pleasure? A greater sense of physical and psychological well being that comes from sun sea and ..er..wine. Oh yeah – it’s called going on holiday. Here’s Goethe, poet, playwrite, statesman to the Weimar court who one day just chucked it in for a very long holiday in Italy – three years (see his Italian Journey – it’s a good read, or at least for dipping into when you want a taste of the warm south as experienced by a premier league culture hero ). I get just two weeks there.

Mignon

Do you know the land where the lemon-trees grow,
in darkened leaves the gold-oranges glow,
a soft wind blows from the pure blue sky,
the myrtle stands mute, and the bay-tree high?
Do you know it well?
It’s there I’d be gone,
to be there with you, O, my beloved one!

Do you know the house? It has columns and beams,
there are glittering rooms, the hallway gleams,
and figures of marble looking at me?
‘What have they done, child of misery?
Do you know it well?
It’s there I’d be gone,
to be there with you, O my true guardian!


Do you know the clouded mountain mass?
The mule picks its way through the misted pass,
and dragons in caves raise their ancient brood,
and the cliffs are polished smooth by the flood;
Do you know it well?
It’s there I would be gone!
It’s there our way leads! Father, we must go on!

Kennst du das Land wo die Zitronen Blühn,
Im dunklen Laub die Gold-Orangen glühn,
Ein sanfter Wind vom blauen Himmel weht,
Die Myrte still und hoch der Lorbeer steht,
Kennst du es wohl?
Dahin! Dahin,
Möcht ich mit dir, o mein Geliebter, ziehn.

Kennst du das Haus? Auf Säulen ruht sein Dach,
Es glänzt der Saal, es schimmert das Gemach,
Und Marmorbilder stehn und sehn mich an:
Was hat man dir, du armes Kind getan?
Kennst du es wohl?
Dahin! Dahin
Möcht ich mit dir, o mein Beschützer, ziehn!

Kennst du den Berg und seinen Wolkensteg?
Das Maultier sucht im Nebel seinen weg:
In Höhlen wohnt der Drachen alte Brut;
Es stürzt der Fels und über ihn die Flut,
Kennst du ihn wohl?
Dahin! Dahin
Geht unser weg! o Vater, laß uns ziehn!

Goethelimoni-grO for a beaker full of the warm south..       (Keats)



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