TRANSLATIONS. FROM THE GERMAN. THERE is an angel that abides That is his home, and there he hides The rose-bud is his humble bower, And yet he often loves to roam; If e'er he sees a maiden meek, Oh, lovely maiden, dost thou know "Tis the Angel of the Rose, That salutes thee as he goes. FROM CATULLUS. PASSER, DELICIE MEÆ PUELLA. LITTLE sparrow, pretty sparrow, Darling of my "winsome marrow," Plaything, playmate, what you will, Tempted, teased, to peck and hop On her slender finger top, Free to nuzzle and to rest In the sweet valley of her breast; Her wee, wee comfort in her sorrow's wane, When sinks to sleep the fever of her pain. Little sparrow, come to me, I can play as well as she, And like her I would be fain Thou could'st sport away my pain, Dear to me as fruit of gold, Which by crafty lover roll'd, In that fleet maiden's path, untwisted all FROM CATULLUS. LUGETE, O VENERES CUPIDINESQUE. WEEP and wail, ye Cupids all, Weep, ye pretty winged brothers, Ill luck be with thee, gloomy hollow, SCHILLER'S TRANSLATION OF MACBETH. IN Schiller's translation of Macbeth, in the 3rd Scene of the 1st Act, lines, of which the following are a free version, are substituted for the original Conference of the Weird Women, previous to the entrance of Macbeth and Banquo. It was manifestly the purpose of Schiller to discard the witch element altogether out of his "Weird Sisters," and to raise them to a level with the Eumenides and Parcæ. As a modern poet, writing for time present, and probably for the time to come, he might be right in omitting the killing swine, the sailor's thumb, the chestnut munching; but his idea is not in the spirit of ancient or modern demonology. If Schiller showed a more refined taste, Shakspeare exhibits a wider knowledge and a deeper philosophy. First Witch. Sister, let's hear: what hast thou been doing? Second. On the sea I've been busy at wrecking and ruin. First. I saw a fisherman all in rags— A very heap of rags was he,— Yet he mended his nets and sang merrily, And cared no more how the old world wags, Than if he 'd the wealth of the sea in his bags. The light-hearted churl, he VOL. II. T |