LXXXVIII. In R. Götterdammerung. In G.G. (May 27, 1822), Westteutscher Musenalmanach, 1824, and R. (1826). Byron's influence on the general conception and the form of this poem is ably discussed by Ochsenbein (l.c. pp. 182-198). Heine has, however, borrowed from other sources than Byron's "Darkness" and "Dream." The storming of Heaven by the powers of darkness is from the Edda, while some of the details are reminiscent of Tieck and Amadeus Hoffmann. It was apparently Heine's intention to use this poem, along with Almansor and probably lx. of the Intermezzo, as the nucleus of a new cycle of Traumbilder. The last two poems resemble each other in their opening lines. Ratcliff. In G. G. (July 5, 1822) and R. (1826), but not later in R. The germ of this poem is, according to Ochsenbein (1.c. pp. 170 f.), contained in Byron's "Dream," particularly in Parts III. and IV. The style and detail, however, are largely Heine's own. Donna Clara. In R. (1826), but not later in R. In a letter to Moser (November 5, 1823), Heine says of this poem : "Das Ganze ist eine Scene aus meinem eigenen Leben, bloß der Tiergarten wurde in den Garten des Alkaden verwandelt, Baronesse in Señora, und ich selbst in einen heiligen Georgen oder gar Apoll! Es ist bloß das erste Stück einer Trilogie, wovon das zweite den Helden von seinem eigenen Kinde, das ihn nicht kennt, verspottet zeigt, und das dritte zeigt dieses Kind als erwachenen Dominikaner, der seine jüdischen Brüder zu Tode foltern läßt" (Briefe, p. 403). In a later letter, to Ludwig Robert, on November 27, 1823, Heine says: "Etwas, das ein individuell Geschehenes und zugleich ein Allgemeines, ein Weltgeschichtliches ist, und das sich klar in mir abspiegelte, wollte ich einfach, absichtlos und episch - parteilos zurückgeben im Gedichte; und das Ganze hatte ich ernst wehmüthig, und nicht lachend, aufgefaßt" (Briefe, p. 405). Ernst Elster points out (1.c. i. p. 491) that the title of the poem and some of the details are borrowed from Fouqué's Der Zauberring. Almansor. In R. (1826), but not later in R. Die Wallfahrt nach Kevlaar. In G.G. (June 10, 1822) and R. (1826-30). In the Gesellschafter, No. 92, in which this poem was first published, Heine explained its origin as follows: "Der Stoff dieses Gedichtes ist nicht ganz mein Eigenthum. Es entstand durch Erinnerung an die rheinische Heimath. - Als ich ein kleiner Knabe war, und im Franziskaner-Kloster zu Düsseldorf die erste Dressur erhielt und dort zuerst buchstabiren und stillsitzen lernte, saß ich oft neben einem andern Knaben, der mir immer erzählte: wie seine Mutter ihn nach Kevlaar im Geldernschen mitgenommen, wie sie dort einen wächsernen Fuß für ihn geopfert, und wie sein eigener schlimmer Fuß dadurch geheilt sey. Mit diesem Knaben traf ich wieder zusammen in der obersten Klasse des Gymnasiums, und als wir, im Philosophen-Collegium bei Rektor Schallmeyer, neben einander saßen, erinnerte er mich lachend an jene MirakelErzählung, setzte aber doch etwas ernsthaft hinzu: jetzt würde er der Mutter Gottes ein wächsernes Herz opfern. Ich hörte später, er habe damals an einer unglücklichen Liebschaft laboriert, und lange vernahm ich dann nichts mehr von ihm. Vor einigen Jahren, als ich zwischen Bonn und Godesberg am Rhein spazieren ging, hörte ich in der Ferne die wohlbekannten Kevlaar - Lieder, wovon das vorzüglichste den gedehnten Refrain hat: Gelobt sey'st du, Maria! und als die Prozession näher kam, bemerkte ich unter den Wallfahrtern meinen Schulkameraden mit seiner alten Mutter. Diese führte ihn. Er aber sah sehr blaß und krank aus. This note, with slight alterations, was also inserted in the first edition of the Reisebilder. Heine added a further remark to the effect that, as he had not intended to express any hatred of Catholicism in "Almansor," so here he did not mean to imply any love for it. AUS DER HARZREISE The Harzreise, containing these poems, was finished in November 1824. It had been inspired by the poet's tour through the mountains in the autumn of the same year. After much annoying delay it was published "in schändlich mißhandelter Form" in the Gesellschafter in the spring of 1826. In May of the same year it was republished in a more satisfactory manner in the first volume of the Reisebilder. Prolog In G.G. (January 20, 1826) and R. This poem served as introduction to the first part of the Reisebilder, i.e. Die Harzreise. Bergidylle. In G.G. (January 30, 1826) and R. In the Harzreise this poem is introduced by the words: "Nach einem langen Hin- und Herwandern gelangte ich zu der Wohnung des Bruders meines Klausthaler Freundes, übernachtete alldort und erlebte folgendes schöne Gedicht.” The situation in Part II., with the conversation between the poet and the maid on religion, is a conscious imitation of the first part of the scene, "Marthens Garten," in Goethe's Faust. This poem Der Hirtenknabe. In G.G. (February 1, 1826) and R. was written, as Heine tells us, in honour of the herd-boy, "ein freundlich blonder junger Mensch," who invited him to share his lunch of bread and cheese at the foot of the Brocken. Auf dem Brocken. In G.G. (February 10, 1826) and R. This poem was jotted down while waiting for the sunrise on the tower of the Brocken. Die Ilse. In G. G. (February 10, 1826) and R. beautiful description of the valley of the Ilse. Henry the Fowler (919-936). DIE NORDSEE The poem closes the 15. Kaiser Heinrich. In the Reisebilder these poems bear the following motto, taken from Goethe's Dichtung und Wahrheit, Bk. XIV.: "Uneigennützig zu seyn in Allem, am uneigennützigsten in Liebe und Freundschaft, war meine höchste Lust, meine Maxime, meine Ausübung, so daß jenes freche, spätere Wort, Wenn ich dich liebe, was geht's dich an ? mir recht aus der Seele gesprochen ist." In the Buch der Lieder the only dedication ran: "Friedrich Merckel sind die Bilder der Nordsee freundschaftlichst zugeeignet vom Verfasser." Erster Cyclus. All the poems of this cycle appeared in R. No. x. was shortened for the Buch der Lieder. (See Appendix I.) II. 10. wiegenliedheimlich, sweet as a lullaby." 19. neugierklug, "with shrewd inquiring eyes." III. 2. weitaufschauernde. Voss's phrase in the Ilias is "das weit aufrauschende Meer." For the general picture one may compare Byron's lines in "The Curse of Minerva : Slow sinks . . . the setting sun, Not, as in northern climes, obscurely bright, But one unclouded blaze of living light; O'er the hushed way her yellow beam she throws, In his Harzreise Heine mentions the sunset scenes of Byron as something familiar and well known. IV. 16. Übermuthberauscht, "intoxicated with the joy of life." V. 8. das Lied vom Odysseus. During his next visit to Norderney Heine asked Moser to send him a Homer, as he writes (August 16, 1826): "Für den überschickten Homer danke ich Dir. Ich lese ihn, einsam am Strande wandelnd, und da kommen mir allerlei Gedanken (Briefe, p. 496). X. The legend of the city sunk in the sea is also treated in Wilhelm Müller's "Vineta" (first published in 1827). The epigrammatic ending has a parallel in Hoffmann's Der goldene Topf: "Ist der Herr des Teufels?" Zweiter Cyclus. All the poems of this cycle appeared in R. There No. viii. forms two pieces. In addition, Nos. iv., v., vi. appeared in the Berliner Conversationsblatt (February 8, March 29, and March 30, 1827). I. I. Thalatta! Thalatta! The cry of the ten thousand Greeks under Xenophon on once more beholding the sea after their famous retreat. 51. Keilschriftbillets, "cuneiform angular missives" (Kroeker). 19. II. 10. Erichthon, legendary king of Attica. 21. Bussole, "compass." III. 6. Wasserwüste. Cp. Byron's phrase, "watery waste." qualvoll süße, "painfully sweet.' Cp. Goethe's "den schmerzlichsten Genuß." V. 56. Peleus-Gattin. Thetis, wife of Peleus, king of Thessaly, and mother of Achilles. 69. Titane, Prometheus. VI. 60. fällt er Hebe'n in's Amt, "will he take the place of Hebe." The reference is to the story of Hephaestos acting as cup-bearer to the gods to rouse their laughter and restore concord among them. VII. 8. Hieroglyphenmützen. the caps of the Egyptian priests. VIII. 21. Schwänenzüge. This refers to the hieroglyphics on دو Melchior (.c. p. 113) compares Byron's Childe Harold, ii. 17: The convoy spread like wild swans in their flight.' IX. II. Gans. Eduard Gans, Professor of Law in Berlin. 19. Hafis. The Divan of the Persian poet Hafis was translated by Joseph von HammerPurgstall in 1813-14, and inspired Goethe's West-östlicher Divan. 22. Ros' im Rathskeller. The reference is to a tun of famous Rhine wine. 40. Stückfässer, twelve wine-vats, called the Apostles, ranged round the Rose. The Ratskeller has been rendered famous 'in literature by Hauff's Phantasien im Bremer Ratskeller. In a well-known Folksong there is a similar humorous comparison of love and wine (Des Knaben Wunderhorn, iii. 280): Die liebste Buhle, die ich han, APPENDIX I THE TEXT OF THE BUCh der LiedER THE poems contained in the Buch der Lieder were written between 1816 and 1827. Many of them were published in magazines and shorter collections during that period, and the form finally adopted in 1827 differs in many cases very considerably from the original texts. In addition, Heine added numerous corrections in the four new editions of the Buch der Lieder published between 1837 and 1844. It follows that the 1844 text must form the basis of all critical editions of Heine's masterpiece, and further, that a study of the changes will reveal the development of the poet's technique and lyrical aims during a large part of his literary life. To make the results as clear as possible the changes are divided into groups, and the date at which they were made is added.1 In the first place, the Buch der Lieder of 1827 was a selection. The poems which were written before that date but were discarded, as far as this anthology was concerned, will be found in Elster's edition, vol. ii. From a literary point of view they possess little value. Fifteen of them are taken from letters, manuscripts, and other sources, eighteen had appeared in the Gedichte, five in the Tragödien, seven in the first volume of the Reisebilder, and eighteen in various literary journals. In addition, there are four poems, "Gekommen ist der Maie," "Draußen ziehen weiße Flocken," "Du bist gestorben und weißt es nicht," "Er steht so starr wie ein Baumstamm," which were published in magazines in 1822 and 1824, but only appeared in book-form in later collections of the poet's work.2 In the second and subsequent editions of the Buch der Lieder only one poem, "Ich kann es nicht vergessen,' was omitted.3 In con 1 The following list of variants is based upon a collation of the texts of the Gedichte (1822), the Tragödien nebst einem lyrischen Intermezzo (1823), the Reisebilder erster Theil (1826), the Reisebilder, zweiter Theil (1827), the Buch der Lieder (1st ed., kindly lent by Professor R. Priebsch, London), and the Buch der Lieder (5th ed. 1844). For the later texts and the magazines, which were inaccessible, the author is indebted to the editions of E. Elster and O. Walzel. 2 These appeared respectively in the Neue Gedichte (1844); Neuer Frühling, No. V.; Zur Ollea, No. VI. ; in the Romansero (1851), and in the Neue Gedichte, Verschiedene ("Emma, " I.). 3 In Elster's ed., ii. p. 9. temporary letters Heine says nothing about this; on the contrary, he expressed the intention not to omit and not to add any poems. The omission was apparently an afterthought. In regard to it and practically all the other discarded poems there can be no doubt that Heine's judgement of what was best and what was weakest in his youthful poetry was extremely sound. Proceeding on the same lines as in his selection of 1827, he altered in the remaining pieces lines which were objectionable (Traumbilder viii. 104), and in one case (Nordsee I. xii.) he omitted the half of a poem which had given considerable offence. The shortening of poems is on a different footing. The reason here was to make the context clearer, to improve the unity of the piece or to add to its epigrammatic effect. Examples in which the shortening makes for improvement are Rom. ix. (1822); Rom. xiii. and xiv. (1827); Lyr. Inter. xxiv. and xxix. (1827), xliii. and xliv. (1844); Heimk. xxxviii. (1826). The last poem, the well-known "Mein Kind, wir waren Kinder," one of the daintiest and wittiest in the Buch der Lieder, is a remarkable example of the effect gained by omitting weak stanzas. In no case has a poem been made longer than it was in its original form. Many diminutives in the early poems were altered, especially where there was no reason for a diminutive. They were retained where necessary to express endearment, satire, or irony. Examples are: Tr. ii. Liedchen > Lied (1827); Blümlein > Blumen (1827); Tr. v. Wörtlein > Wort (1827); Liebchen > Lieb (1837); Tr. vi. Rehlein > Reh (1837); Rom. xiv. Schiffchen > Schiff (1827); Heimk. vi. Liebchen > Liebste (1844). In this Heine was freeing himself from the mannerisms of the Volkslied and its imitators. For a similar reason he changed traditional forms, many of which had become archaic: Tr. i. Minneglühen > Liebesglühen (1827); Tr. ii. Wem höret > Für wen ist (1822); schwunden war > zerfloß (1822); Bronnen > Brunnen (1827); Rom. xv. Mägdlein > Mädchen (1827); Lyr. Inter. xxxix. Mägdlein > Mädchen (1823); Heimk. lxxix. erhuben > erhoben (1826); Almansor ii. Drommeten > Trommeten (1827). He reduced the number of redundant particles and articles which imitation of the Volkslied had led him at first to employ: Lyr. Inter. Prolog 35 (1823); xiv. (1823); xxxi. (1823). These corrections, curiously, are all confined to one year. This characteristic of the Folksong he used very frequently and retained where it seemed appropriate. Die Wallfahrt nach Kevlaar offers noteworthy examples. A very considerable number of contracted forms of a harsh type, for many of which parallels could be found in the Volkslied, were changed: Son. vi. kein'n > keinen (1827); vor'm > vor einem (1844); Lyr. Inter. xxi. 's kann > Es kann (1844); Die's Herz > Die das Herz (1844); Lyr. Inter. lvi. Und's Wort > Und das Wort (1844); Lyr. Inter. xxviii. Will's > Will das (1823); Heimk. lxxvii. mir's Leben > das Leben mir (1844); Lieder ix. wie'nen > wie einen (1844); Nordsee II. ii. wie'n > wie ein (1844). Most of these changes were apparently made in the final revision. Past tenses were sometimes changed to presents for the sake of vividness of narrative: Tr. vii. (four times, 1827; once, 1837); 7r. viii. (twice, 1827); Rom. xv. (twice, 1827); Heimk. lxiv. (1827). A change of a word sometimes has made a great difference to a line : Rom. xv. eigne > seltsame (1827); Rom. vi. das tapfere Heer > das große |