Faust: Part One by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe & David Luke

Author:Johann Wolfgang von Goethe & David Luke [Goethe, Johann Wolfgang von & Luke, David]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780199536214
Amazon: 019953621X
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Published: 2008-07-15T07:00:00+00:00

8. AUERBACH’S TAVERN IN LEIPZIG* [UR/FRA

[A group of merry-makers.]

FROSCH. Why don’t you laugh? Where are your glasses?

Just staring, just sitting on your arses!

A set of bright sparks, I must say!

By God, you’re all damp squibs today.

BRANDER. That’s your fault; why not show your famous wit?

Some damn fool trick, some silly piece of shit.

FROSCH [pouring a glass of wine over his head]. Here’s both at once!

BRANDER. Twice filthy swine!

FROSCH. Well, it was your idea, not mine. 2080

SIEBEL. No quarrelling, or we’ll chuck you out.

Let’s have a song, my hearties! Swig and shout!

Come! Holla! Ho!

ALTMAYER. Give me ear-plugs! This fellow,

He’s busting me for good with his great bellow!

SIEBEL. It’s got to make the vault resound

If it’s to be the true basso profondo sound.

FROSCH. Right; out goes anyone who takes offence.

Tra la la la la la!

ALTMAYER. Tra la la la la la!

FROSCH. We’re in good voice; commence!

[Sings.] The Holy Roman Empire, we all love

it so;* 2090

But how it holds together, that’s what we don’t know.

BRANDER. A filthy song! Shame! A political song!

A tedious song! My lads, thank God in daily prayer

That running the Empire isn’t your affair!

I reckon it a blessing anyway

That I’m not Emperor or Chancellor today.

But someone here must be the boss:

Let’s choose a Pope, to lord it over us!*

Come, you all know the rules as well as I,

And what a chap must do to qualify! 2100

FROSCH [sings]. Fly away, nightingale, my pretty

sweeting!

Sing to my darling and bring her my greeting!

SIEBEL. No greeting! Damn all sweethearts!

FROSCH. Let me be!

Greetings and kisses she shall have from me.

[Sings.] Oh let me in, the moon is high!

Oh let me in, my love, ‘tis I!

By break of day I’ll be away—

SIEBEL. All right then, sing, and sing her praises! One fine day

I’ll have the laugh on you, my friend.

She double-crossed me, as she will you in the end. 2110

May some randy hobgoblin be her Romeo,

Canoodling with her at the crossroads! May

Some old goat bleat goodnight to her on his way

Home from the witches’ sabbath! Go

And serenade her, then! Real flesh and blood,

Real decent chaps like us are much too good

For such a slut! You make me sick.

I’d serenade her windows with a brick!

BRANDER [banging on the table]. Gentlemen, pay attention, if you please!

I’m a man of the world, as you’ll allow. 2120

We have love-sick folk among us, and for these

Civility dictates that I must now

Sing them a good-night song, as I know how.

So listen to my fashionable strain,

And all join heartily in the refrain!

[He sings.]

Down in the cellar there lived a rat,

Where it was dark and smelly;

It lived on butter and it got as fat

As Doctor Luther’s belly.

The cook put down some poisoned cheese, 2130

The rat began to choke and wheeze.

You’d have thought it was in love, in love, in love!

CHORUS [gleefully]. You’d have thought it was in love,

in love!

BRANDER. It raced around, it rushed outdoors,

And drank from every drain, oh!

It scratched the walls and gnawed the floors,

But all its rage was vain, oh!

It leapt and hopped in mortal fear,

The poor beast knew its end was near;

You’d have thought it was in love, in love, in 2140

love!

CHORUS.

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