is used in common life. Ich rufe dich, I call thee; but ich rufe dir, I call to thee, is more poetical. 569. Herab zu mir! down to me! is used here as an interjection, instead of come down to me! Herab is the English "down," and denotes motion downwards towards the speaker or agent; but it is confined to poetry and the higher styles of writing, and rarely used in familiar conversation. 570. Mein Klepper, my pony. The German language abounds in particular denominations of horses. We have Pferd, Ross, Gaul, Renner, Traber, Springer, Klepper, Zelter, Mähre, Schindmähre, Gurre, Krakke, Stute, Hengst, Füllen, Wallach, Klopfhengst, Beschäler, Schelhengst, Zuchthengst, Springhenst, Spurhengst, Mutterpferd, Schwanenhals, Speckhals, Ramskopf, Ramsnase, Stutzschwanz, Passgänger, Karrengaul, Leitpferd, Handpferd, Reitpferd, Zugpferd, Kutschenpferd, Jagdpferd, &c. : horse, courser, jade, race-horse, trotter, vaulter, pony, ambler, mare, an old jade, a bad jade, a tit, a stallion, a foal, a gelding, a twisted gelding, a stonehorse, a breed mare, a horse with a vaulted neck, a horse with a thick neck and shoulders, a horse with a head like a ram's head, a horse with a nose like that of a ram, a cropped horse, an ambling nag, a cart-horse, a led horse, a draught-horse, a coach-horse, a hunter, &c. We also distinguish horses by their colours, but we shall take another opportunity to mention their different names. 571. Herzens Karl, Charles of my heart, dear Charles. Cordiality is the principal feature in the national character of the Germans. It is imprinted in their language. Children call their parents Herzensvater, Herzensmutter, vulgarly Herzevater, Herzemutter. Bürger has endeavoured here, and in several other places, to ennoble those affectionate expressions by introducing them in his poems. He says, elsewhere: Dabei ist's eine himmlisch schöne Sache And Voss translates Horace's " dulces liberos," by Herzenskinderchen. 572. Entränn'ich, instead of wenn ich entränne, if I eloped. 573. Dein und mein Genuss, thy and my enjoyment; in English and French, thy enjoyment and mine. 574. Du bist geborgen! thou art safe, sec. 41. 575. Sattelfest, adj. saddle-firm, firm in the saddle. 576. Um Gottes willen, for God's sake. Um, construed with the genitive of the object invoked, followed by the word willen. Um des Himmels willen, for heaven's sake; um meiner Mutter willen, for my mother's sake. But with the pronouns personal we say, um meinetwillen, for my sake; um ihrentwillen, for her sake, &c. The um is sometimes left out in familiar conversation. 577. Die Schwanenhand, again an ellipsis for die Schwanenweissehand, the swan-white hand, the hand white as a swan, the lily-white hand. Was ein Herzen, a poetical license for was für ein Herzen, what caresses! Hui! in the twinkling of an eye. Bürger uses this interjection more frequently than any other German poet; it is expressive of a very great rapidity. Aufsitzen, to mount upon a horse; absitzen, to dismount. Blieb im Nacken, instead of in ihrem Nacken, or blieb ihnen im Nacken, remained at their neck, was left behind them. We hope we are gratifying our readers by continuing Bürger's interesting ballad. It will be concluded in the next lesson. Ach! leise hört die Mitternacht, Des Fräuleins Sittenmeisterinn, Voll Gier nach schnödem Goldgewinn, "Halloh! Halloh! Herr Reichsbaron! Hui! auf der Freiherr, hui! heraus, Und donnerte durch Hof und Haus Und weckte seine Leute. "Heraus, mein Sohn von Pommerland! Sitz' auf! Nimm Lanz' und Schwert zur Hand! Die Braut ist dir gestohlen; Fort, fort! sie einzuhohlen!" Rasch ritt das Paar im Zwielicht schon Da horch!-ein dumpfes Rufen, Und horch!-erscholl ein Donnerton Von Hochburg's Pferdehufen ; Und Wild kam Plump, den Zaum verhängt, Und liess, zu Trudchen's Grausen, Vorbei die Lanze sausen.— "Halt' an! halt' an! du Ehrendieb ! Mit deiner losen Beute. Herbei vor meinen Klingenhieb ! Dann raube wieder Bräute! Halt'an, verlaufne Buhlerin, Dass neben deinen Schurken hin Dich meine Rache strecke Und Schimpf und Schand euch decke!" "Das leugst du, Plump von Pommerland, Bei Gott und Ritter ehre ! Herab! herab! dass Schwert und Hand Halt', Trudchen, halt' den Dänen an! Herunter, Junker Grobian, Herunter von der Mähre Dass ich dich Sitte lehre !" Ach! Trudchen, wie voll Angst und Noth! Sah hoch die Säbel schwingen. Hell funkelten im Morgenroth Die Damascener Klingen. Von Kling und Klang, von Ach und Krach Ward rund umher das Echo wach; Von ihrer Fersen Stampfen Begann der Grund zu dampfen. Wie Wetter schlug des Liehsten Schwert Gertruden's Held blieb unversehrt Trarah! trarah! durch Flur und Wald "Nun halt', Baron, und hör' ein Wort! Und meines Winks gewärtig. Halt' an! halt' an! und hör' ein Wort Damit dich's nicht gereue! Dein Kind gab längst mir Treu' und Wort, Willst du zerreissen Herz und Herz? Soll dich ihr Blut, soll dich ihr Schmerz Wohlan! so lass uns schlagen! Alas! midnight is quick of hearing; not a single little word was lost; a pair of treacherous ears awoke in the adjoining bed. The young lady's governess, greedy of a vile grain of gold, jumped hastily up to betray the deed to the old Baron. "Holla! holla! my Lord Baron! Come out of bed and chamber; your Lady Gertrude is run away, a prey to disgrace and infamy; Charles of Eichenhorst is riding with her, gallopping through fields and woods. Quick! quick! you must not tarry if you wish to overtake them. Up was the Baron in the twinkling of an eye; he armed himself for the contest, and thundering through the court-yard and the house, he awakened his people. "Come, come, my Son of Pomerania! mount your steed! Take your lance and your sword: your bride has been stolen from you away! away! to overtake her!"-Our couple were already riding in the morning twilight, when, hark! a hollow calling-and, hark! a thundering noise of the feet of Hochburg's horses resounded to their ears. Plump came wildly gallopping, tantivy, a long, long way before the rest, and to Gertrude's horror, sent his lance hissing by her. Stop! stop! you scandalous robber, with your loose booty; come, stand the edge of my sword, and then try to carry off brides again. Stop, stop, you vile coquet, that my vengeance may stretch you dead by the side of your rascal, and disgrace and shame cover you both! "You lie, Plump of Pomerania, by the heavens, and the honour of a knight! Dismount! dismount! that my sword and my hand may teach you better manners. Dear Gertrude! hold my Dane a moment! Come down, you clownish youngster, come down from your mare, that I may teach you manners.-Ah! what anxiety and misery did poor Gertrude feel! She saw the sabres swinging high; the Damascene blades sparkled in the dawn of the morn. The clashing of the swords, and the lamentations of the lady, awakened the echo around, and the ground began to smoke under the stamping of their heels. The lover's sword, like a thunder-storm, stretched down the uncivilized Pomeranian. Gertrude's hero remained unhurt, and Plump rose no more. But now, O woe! woe! help us, Heaven! when Charles had scarcely ended his combat, came in a furious mood the van of Hochburg's vassals, full trot and gallop. Tantara! tantara! Charles let his horn resound through the plains and woods. Behold! from behind an ambuscade, advanced his own troop of vassals. Stop now, Baron, and hear one word; look up, do yon see those men yonder? they are prepared for battle, and ready at my nod. Stop, stop, and hear one word, that you may not have cause to repent. Your daughter has long since engaged her faith to me, and I pledged her mine. Will you tear our hearts asunder? Is her blood, are her sufferings, to accuse you before the Almighty and the world?—Well, then! let us fight!" 579. Kein Wörtchen ging verloren, not a little word went lost, instead of was lost. We often use the verb gehen, to go, merely to give greater intensity to the expression. ears. 580. Ein Paar Verrätherohren, a couple or pair of traitor's This is a strong elliptical expression, bordering on the ludicrous, which disparages in some degree this beautiful ballad. Verrathen, to betray, is irr.; ich verrathe, ich verrieth, ich habe verrahten. Ein Verräther, a traitor. 581. Sprang hurtig auf, jumped hastily up. Aufspringen, irr. comp. v. to jump up, to leap up; ich springe auf, ich sprang auf, ich bin aufgesprungen. The active of springen is sprengen. 582. Die Thaten, the deeds, poetically for what has happened; die That, subs. fem. the deed, the thing done, from thun, to do, which has that in the impf. Handlung, fem. is action. That, fem. is deed. 583. Dem Alten, to the old, meaning, to the old man, to the old baron. We are at liberty to convert any adjective into a substantive masc. or fem., or even neuter, in which case it denotes the quality inherent in the adj. Thus, der Gute, the good man; die Gute, the good female; das Gute, the good, what is good. Alt, old, gives der Alte, the old man; die Alte, the old woman; das Alte, the old, what is old. To denote "age," we have a particular substantive, das Alter, age; hence, das Zeitalter, the age of the time; in unserm Zeitalter, in our age, the age in which we live. 584. Hervor aus Bett und Kammer, out of bed and chamber! for "leave your bed and your chamber, come out." 585. Eur Fräulein, a poetical contraction for euer Fräulein, your young lady. |