MARTHA’S
GARDEN
II
This
scene is crucial to the tragedy as things really start to unravel here.
Margaret has good intuition- she feels repelled by Mephistopheles and
is not entirely convinced by Faust's poetic and philosophical view
of the Divine. Unfortunately, in the light of what will follow, she
feels compelled to follow Faust and do as he wishes.
MARTHA’S
GARDEN
MARGARET,
FAUST
MARGARET
Now
promise, Heinrich!
FAUST
All
I can!
MARGARET
Tell
me, how do you rate religion's role?
Though
truly you're a true, good man,
I
feel it's not held highly in your soul.
FAUST
You
feel I'm good to you.. Leave it, my dove.
I'd
lay down flesh and blood for those I love.
Nor
would I steal faith, church and feeling's weave.
MARGARET
That
isn’t right. You must believe!
FAUST
Must
you?
MARGARET
I
wish my words could sway events.
You
do not honour holy sacraments.
FAUST
I
honour them.
MARGARET
Without
the wish.
It’s
long since you’ve attended confession or a mass.
Do
you believe in God?
FAUST
My
dear one, who may say:
I
believe in God?
The
wise or those of priestly way
Reply
but seem to wield scorn’s rod
On
those who ask them.
MARGARET
So
you’re not believing?
FAUST
Fairest
one, do not mistake my meaning!
For
who may name
Him?
Who proclaim-
I
believe in Him?
Who
feels they’d dare,
Without
a care,
Say-
I do not believe?
The
All-Encompasser,
The
All-Sustainer,
Does
he not sustain, encompass,
You,
me. Himself?
Does
not the sky arch overhead?
Is
not the earth so firm beneath?
Do
not the friendly-gazing,
Eternal
stars still glide above us?
Do
I not gaze into your eyes?
And
does not all arise
Towards
head and heart and weave
In
everlasting mysteries,
Invisible
visible, by your side?
Then
fill your heart till it is full of this,
And
when the feeling fills you fully with its bliss,
Then
call it what you wish-
Heart’s
happiness, or love, or God!
I
haven’t any names
For
it! The feeling is all;
Names
are sound and smoke,
A
mist on heaven’s glow.
MARGARET
That’s
well and good; the preacher spoke
In
somewhat likewise ways, although
His
words just had a slightly different air.
FAUST
It’s
spoken everywhere-
By
all the hearts beneath fair heaven’s day,
Each
in its own good way;
So
why not I in mine?
MARGARET
When
I hear you say it, all seems fine,
And
yet it will not stand up for I see
That
you’ve no Christianity.
FAUST
Dear
one!
MARGARET
It’s
long made my heart ache
To
see the sort of friends you make.
FAUST
How’s
that?
MARGARET
The
man you always have with you.
I
hate within my inmost soul. It’s true
That
nothing, not in all my days,
Has
stabbed my heart so as the gaze
As
the most unpleasant features of that man.
FAUST
Oh
do not fear him, dearest one.
MARGARET
His
presence stirs my heart’s distaste.
Towards
others I have all good will;
However
much I long to see you, still
I
sense a secret horror when I’m faced
With
him; I see him as a villain too!
God
pardon me, if it’s untrue!
FAUST
The
world must have its odd ones too.
MARGARET
I
cannot live with those like him.
You
know, whenever he comes in,
He
looks round with a mocking grin,
Half-threatening.
He
shows no sympathy towards anything;
It’s
written on his brow- in whole
That
he can’t love another soul.
Within
your arms all’s well with me,
So
very, very warm, so free,
But
he just makes me freeze inside right through.
FAUST
You
dear, foreboding angel, you!
MARGARET
It
overwhelms me so
That
if he merely comes our way
I
even think I don't love you. I know
That
when he’s near I can no longer pray-
That
eats into my heart. But you.
You,
Heinrich, you must feel it too.
FAUST
You
just feel some antipathy!
MARGARET
I
must go now.
FAUST
Oh,
can I never be
For
one short hour at peace upon your breast,
With
heart to heart and soul to soul close-pressed?
MARGARET
Oh!
if I only slept alone!
I’d
gladly leave the bolt unlocked tonight;
My
mother stirs at any tone,
If
she surprised our soul’s delight,
I’d
probably die on the spot!
FAUST
You
angel, you; no need- fear not.
Here
is a little flask! Just drip
Three
droplets in her drink to make
A
deep and nature-pleasing sleep.
MARGARET
What
would I not do for your sake?
She
won’t be harmed in any sense?
FAUST
Would
I advise, dear, were it thus?
MARGARET
I
don't know why...if I just look on you,
My
best of men, I'm drawn to want your will.
I've
done so much already that I feel
There's
little that remains for me to do.
(SHE
EXITS)
(MEPHISTOPHELES
ENTERS)
MEPHISTOPHELES
The
little monkey! Has she gone?
FAUST
So
then, again, you spied?
MEPHISTOPHELES
I
overheard it all, right through.
Just
then, my Doctor, you were catechised.
I
hope it will do good to you.
It
interests the women to surmise
If
one is pious, plain in faith’s old way.
They
think, “He bows down there, so he’ll do what we say.”
FAUST
You
do not see, you monstrous cur,
How
this most true and loving soul,
Filled
with her faith that’s just
Alone
for her
The
true salvation, trembles so to hold
The
man that she most loves to be completely lost.
MEPHISTOPHELES
You
supersensual sensual suitor,
A
young girl leads you by the nose.
FAUST
You
filth- and flame-born freak of nature!
MEPHISTOPHELES
A
masterly grasp of physiognomy she shows.
My
presence worries her, she knows not why it’s thus,
This
mask of mine hints at a hidden evil;
She
feels that I’m some wicked genius,
Perhaps,
indeed, the very devil.
Well,
now- tonight-?
FAUST
What’s
it to you?
MEPHISTOPHELES
I
get my pleasure from it too.
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