Tuesday, October 13, 2015
A Love-Hate Relationship
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832), "Hypochonder" (tr. David Luke):
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Devil take the human race! It's enough to drive one crazy! I keep making such firm resolutions to stop seeing people altogether and consign the whole people to God and itself and the Devil! And then I only have to catch sight of a human face and I love it again.The same (tr. John Frederick Nims):
The devil take the human race!The German:
Enough to drive you crazy!
Time and again I swear to God
I'm finished! through! with people.
They're God's affair. Their own affair.
Especially the devil's.
But then I see a human face
And — back in love with people.
Der Teufel hol das Menschengeschlecht!
Man möchte rasend werden!
Da nehm ich mir so eifrig vor:
Will niemand weiter sehen,
Will all das Volk Gott und sich selbst
Und dem Teufel überlassen!
Und kaum seh ich ein Menschengesicht,
So hab ichs wieder lieb.
