Verses by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, translated by Julia Kalman
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A violet on the meadow’s land,
Bowed down, unknown, unseen to thee;
A sweet, dear violet, so grand.
Then came a shepherdess, carefree,
With steps light and spirits free,
There, there, she wandered, and sang.
Ah! thinks the violet, if only I were
Nature’s loveliest, beyond compare,
Ah, just a little while, let me be,
Until plucked by my love, tenderly,
And pressed against her bosom fair!
Ah, just, ah just, a quarter hour free!
Ah! But alas! the maiden came,
Unaware, she trampled its frame,
Crushed the poor violet, oh so rare.
It drooped and died, yet found delight,
For if I die, I die tonight,
By her, by her, at her feet, I fare.
Johann Wolfgang (von) Goethe (1749–1832) was a towering figure in German literature and thought. His diverse talents spanned poetry, plays, novels, scientific inquiry, and philosophical reflection, shaping Western culture from the late 18th century onwards.
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Julia Kalman 