Written prior to April 12, 1837 

ausgabe, Abt. 1, Bd. 1, Hb. 2, 1929 

script 
time 

VERSE 
of the year 1837 
dedicated to my dear father 
on the occasion of his birthday 
as a feeble token of everlasting love 

K. H. Marx, Berlin 

Contents 
Verse 

To My Father 

The Magic Harp. A Ballad 

Yearning. A Romance 

Nocturnal Love. A Romance? 

Siren Song. A Ballad 

The Little Old Man of the 
Water. A Ballad 

The First Elegy of Ovid’s 
Tristia Freely Rendered 

The Madwoman. A Ballad 

Flower King. A Fantastic Ballad 

The Awakening 

Invocation of 
One in Despair 

Lucinda. A Ballad 

The Last Judgment. A Jest 

Two Singers Accompanying 
Themselves on the Harp. 
A Ballad 

Epigram on Hegel 

Epigrams on the Germans and 
on Pustkuchen 

On a Certain Bald-head 

Harmony 

Distraught. A Ballad 
Human Pride 

Oulanem. A Tragedy. Act I 
Song to the Stars 

The Song of a Sailor at Sea 
The Pale Maiden. A Ballad 
The Forest Spring 

The Fiddler. A Ballad? 
Three Little Lights 

The Abduction. A Ballad 
Epigrams and Xenia 

Sought 

Found 

Sonnet 

Dialogue. A Ballad 

Sea Rock 

Man and Drum. A Fable 
Evening Stroll 

The Magic Ship. A Romance 
The Man in the Moon 
Night Thoughts. A Dithyramb 
Dream Vision. A Dithyramb 

Supplement 
Some chapters from Scorpion and Felix. A Humoristic Novel. 

? Published by Marx under the title of Wild Songs. See this volume, pp. 

22-24.— Ed. 

TO MY FATHER 

I 
CREATION 

Creator Spirit uncreated 
Sails on fleet waves far away, 
Worlds heave, Lives are generated, 
His Eye spans Eternity. 
All inspiriting reigns his Countenance, 
In its burning magic, Forms condense. 

Voids pulsate and Ages roll, 
Deep in prayer before his Face; 
Spheres resound and Sea-Floods swell, 
Golden Stars ride on apace. 
Fatherhead in blessing gives the sign, 
And the All is bathed in Light divine. 

In bounds self-perceived, the Eternal 
Silent moves, reflectively, 
Until holy Thought primordial 
Dons Forms, Words of Poetry. 
Then, like Thunder-lyres from far away 
Like prescient Creation’s Jubilee: 

“Gentler shine the floating stars, 
Worlds in primal Rock now rest; 
O my Spirit’s images, 
Be by Spirit new embraced; 
When to you the heaving bosoms move, 
Be revealed in piety and love. 

“Be unlocked only to Love; 
Eternity’s eternal seat, 
As to you I gently gave, 
Hurl you my Soul's lightning out. 
‘Harmony alone its like may find, 
Only Soul another Soul may bind.’ 

Early Literary Experiments 535 

Out of me your Spirits burn 
Into Forms of lofty meaning; 
To the Maker you return, 
Images no more remaining, 
By Man’s look of Love ringed burningly, 
You in him dissolved, and he in me.” 

II 
POETRY 

Flames Creator-like once poured 
Streaming to me from your breast, 
Clashing up on high they soared, 
And I nursed them in my breast. 
Shone your form like Aeolus-strains above, 
Shielded soft the fire with wings of Love. 

I saw glow and I heard sound, 
Heavens onward sweeping far, 
Rising up and sinking down, 
Sinking but to soar the higher. 
Then, when inner strife at last was quelled, 
Grief and Joy made music I beheld. 

Nestling close to forms so soft 
Stands the Soul, by spells enchained, 
From me images sailed aloft. 
By your very Love inflamed. 
Limbs of Love, by Spirit once released, 
Shine again within their Maker’s breast.