Classic and Contemporary Poetry
FREDERICA, by HEINRICH HEINE Poet's Biography First Line: O leave berlin, with its thick-lying sand Last Line: Sing in the golden sunny halls above. Subject(s): India; Love; Singing & Singers; Songs | ||||||||
1. OLEAVE Berlin, with its thick-lying sand, Weak tea, and men who seem so much to know That they both God, themselves, and all below With Hegel's reason only understand. O come to India, to the sunny land Where flowers ambrosial their sweet fragrance throw Where pilgrim troops on tow'rd the Ganges go With reverence, in white robes, a festal band. There, where the palm-trees wave, the billows smile, And on the sacred bank the lotos-tree Soars up to Indra's castle blue, -- yes there, There will I kneel to thee in trusting style, And press against thy foot, and say to thee: "Madam, thou art the fairest of the fair!" 2. THE Ganges roars; amid the foliage see The sharp eyes of the antelope, who springs Disdainfully along; their colour'd wings The peacocks as they move, show haughtily. Deep from the bosom of the sunny lea Rises a newborn race of flowers, sweet things; With yearning-madden'd voice Cocila sings -- Yes, thou art fair, no woman's like to thee! God Cama lurks in all thy features fair, He dwells within thy bosom's tents so white, And breathes to thee the sweetest songs he knows. Upon thy lips Vassant has made his lair, I find within thine eyes new worlds of light, In my own world no more I find repose. 3. THE Ganges roars: the mighty Ganges swells, The Himalaya glows in evening's light, And from the banyan-forest's gloomy night The elephantine herd breaks forth and yells. O for a type to show how she excels! A type of thee, so lovely to the sight, Thee the incomparable, good and bright, So that sweet rapture in my bosom dwells. In vain thou see'st me seek for types, and prate, -- See'st me with feelings struggle, and with rhyme, And, ah, thou smilest at my pangs of love! But smile! For when thou smil'st, Gandarvas straight Seize on the sweet guitar, and all the time Sing in the golden sunny halls above. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...THE APOLLO TRIO by CONRAD AIKEN BAD GIRL SINGING by MARK JARMAN CHAMBER MUSIC: 4 by JAMES JOYCE CHAMBER MUSIC: 5 by JAMES JOYCE CHAMBER MUSIC: 28 by JAMES JOYCE THE SONG OF THE NIGHTINGALE IS LIKE THE SCENT OF SYRINGA by MINA LOY |
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