Verses translated by Julia Kalman
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And Now… The Story Behind the Poems:
“You Long To Love” by Thekla Lingen was later set to music by Carl Friedrich Zelter. When Goethe listened to the composition, he transformed it into “Nearness of the Beloved.” Was Goethe in love with Thekla or solely enchanted by her verses?
Read the following poems… to find out…
You Long To Love by Thekla Lingen
I.
You long to love, you say to me,
Oh, just once would you desire
To feel the bliss, the ecstasy,
Mixed with torment’s burning fire!
You ask for the potion of love divine,
Thinking it’s an easy win –
Well, my friend, I won’t decline,
But do you know the soul within?
When bold and brave, the flames I stoke,
Engulfed in passions fierce and grand,
Then — I warm myself, evoke
Heat with my cold hand.
For they say I’m cruel and unkind,
That’s what I’m oft portrayed;
Yet to love me, they opine,
Is a life’s worth displayed!
So they say. — Now you know me well,
I didn’t speak in vain.
Do you dare to cast your spell?
Boldness tempts me, I must confess.
Perhaps I’ll thank you in the end,
Undeterred, give it a whirl!
Even stones yield sparks when, attend,
Touched by the steel’s unfurl.
II.
Don’t lament, I can’t heed your plea,
The fire I’ve ignited I dread;
I didn’t mean to entice thee,
With my flirting and jests misled.
Indeed, of all the men around,
You touched my icy heart so sweet,
Your wooing caught me spellbound,
Your youth’s allure was quite a feat.
You caught me at a moment tender,
When yearning weighed heavy on my breast,
Your love’s whispers, oh, so slender,
Seemed full of promise, and blessed.
Now, where I’ve tamed my passions wild,
Grown still and wise in solitude’s cove,
Hard-won peace, my heart beguiled,
Now you stand demanding my love.
Cease! Other realms now fill my mind,
To loftier heights my soul aspires –
Call me cold and cruel, unkind,
Where honestly and courage transpires.
III.
With daring words and bold gazes,
You stirred my senses, made them soar,
And I, beguiled, fell in your embraces,
Swept away, my will no more.
We kissed, oh, for so long a time,
Sweet and exquisite was the spell!
Then I recoiled from passion’s climb,
How wild, how frenzied we did dwell!
Yet, my will grew weary and spent,
In the cruel game with desire,
Beneath tears, I found my lament,
Yielding, I sought your comfort dire.
I lay and wept, in anguish bound,
Longing for a word, a sign to appear –
But desires and kisses were all you found,
And me, cold as ice, you did fear!
IV.
You don’t love, you seek to ensnare,
You want to see me weak and trembling there –
Then you’ll turn your back, uncaring,
And walk away, a victor, glaring.
But never will you succeed –
For if only the senses you incite,
And cannot conquer the soul’s true need,
Then I, in the end, shall be the light.
Thekla Lingen, originally Tekla Johanna Müller, married Lewy and Flemming (born on March 6, Julian / March 18, 1866 Gregorian in Goldingen, Kurland; died on November 7, 1931 in Berlin-Wittenau) was a German writer.
[The info provided about Thekla Lingen was sourced from Wikipedia.]
Nearness of the Beloved by Johann Wolfgang Goethe
I think of you when the sun’s shimmer
Gleams from the sea;
I think of you when the moon’s glimmer
Paints in springs its spree.
I see you when on distant pathways
Dust lifts its dance;
In deep night, when on the narrow causeway
The traveler takes his chance.
I hear you when there with muffled roaring
Waves surge and swell.
In silent groves, I often go exploring,
When all around is still.
I’m with you, though you may be far away,
You’re close to me!
The sun sets, soon the stars will have their say.
Oh, if you could be!
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (28 August 1749–22 March 1832) was a German polymath and writer, widely regarded as the greatest and most influential writer in the German language. His work has profoundly influenced Western literary, political, and philosophical thought from the late 18th century to the present day. Goethe was a German poet, playwright, novelist, scientist, statesman, theatre director, and critic. His works encompass plays, poetry, literature, and aesthetic criticism, as well as treatises on botany, anatomy, and color.
[The info provided about Johann Wolfgang von Goethe was sourced from Wikipedia.]
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Julia Kalman 