**Margaret:** _(Hiding herself in the be...

Margaret: (Hiding herself in the bed of straw.)

Woe! Woe! It comes. Bitterest Death!

Faust: (Whispering.)

Hush! Hush! It’s I who come, to free you.

Margaret: (Throwing herself down in front of him.)

Are you a man? Then pity my distress.

Faust: Your cries will wake the jailors, too!

(He grasps the chains, to loose them.)

Margaret: (On her knees.)

Who gives the executioner

Such power over me!

At midnight you’re already here.

Let me live, have mercy on me!

Won’t it be soon enough when dawn should come?

(She stands up.)

I’m still so young, so young!

And yet I’ll die!

I was lovely too, that was my

Ruin. My love was near, now he’s gone:

The garland’s torn: the flowers are done.

Don’t grip me, now, so violently!

What harm have I done you? Spare me!

Don’t let me beg for mercy, in vain,

I’ve never seen you before today!

Faust: How shall I endure this misery, say!

Margaret: I’m wholly in your power. Oh,

Let me feed my baby first.

I caressed it all night, though,

They told me I caused it hurt,

And now they say I killed it, so,

And now I’ll never be happy again.

They sing songs of me! It’s wicked of folk!

There’s an old story ends this way,

Who told them to tell it so?

Faust: (Falling on his knees.)

A lover lies at your feet,

Who’ll end your painful slavery.

Margaret: (Throwing herself down next to him.)

O let’s kneel, the saints will bless!

See here! Under these steps,

Under this sill,

Seethes Hell!

The Evil One

With fierce anger,

Makes his groan!

Faust: (Aloud)

Gretchen! Gretchen!

Margaret: (Listening closely.)

The voice of my lover!

(She leaps to her feet: the chains fall away.)

Where? I heard him call me.

I’m free! No one holds me.

To his neck, I shall fly,

On his breast, I shall lie!

He called Gretchen! Stood at the sill.

Among the howls and cries of Hell,

Among the devil’s, scornful groans,

I knew his sweet, dear tones.

Faust: I’m here!

Margaret: Here! O, say it once again!

(She embraces him.)

It’s he! It’s he! Where now is all the pain?

Where now the chains, the dungeon’s misery?

You’re here! You come to save me.

I am saved!

Already the street is there again,

Where I first saw you plain,

And the joyful garden,

Where Martha and I waited, then.

Faust: (Struggling to move.)

Come with me! Come!

Margaret: (Caressing him.)

O stay,

I’ll gladly stay, if you are with me.

Faust: Away!

If you don’t hurry,

We’ll pay for this.

Margaret: What? You can no longer kiss?

My dear, so short a time to miss me,

And you’ve forgotten how to kiss me?

Why am I so anxious on your breast?

When, once, at your words, your gaze,

With a whole heaven I was blessed,

And you kissed me, enough to suffocate.

Kiss me!

I kiss you: see!

(She embraces him.)

Oh! How cold and silent,

Your lips.

Where has your passion

Gone?

Who brought me this?

(She turns away from him.)

Faust: Come! Follow me! Darling, be bold!

I’ll clasp you with a thousand-fold

Warmth: now follow me! I beg you!

Margaret: (Turning to him.)

And is it you? Is it really you?

Faust: It is! Come, with me!

Margaret: You’ll loose the chains,

And take me to your breast, again.

How is it you don’t shrink from me?

Do you know, friend, whom you free?

Faust: Come! Come! The night will soon be over.

Margaret: I’ve killed my mother,

I’ve drowned my child.

Was it not given to you and I?

You too. - You here! I scarce believe.

Give me your hand! This is no dream.

Your dear hand! – Ah, but it’s damp!

Wipe it clean! Why do I think,

It has blood on.

Ah God! What have you done?

Put your sword away,

I beg you, please!

Faust: Let past be past I say!

You’re destroying me!

Margaret: No you must live on: must do.

I’ll describe our graves to you.

You must begin them

This very dawn:

The best one is for my mother,

Then, by her, my brother,

Myself, a little further, lay,

But not too far away!

And the little one, at my right breast.

No one else by me will lie! –

Ah, to nestle at your side,

That was a sweet, a darling bliss!

But no more will I achieve it:

It’s as if I must force you to it,

As if you turn aside my kiss:

And yet it’s you, so good, so sweet to see!

Faust: You know it is, so come with me!

Margaret: Out there?

Faust: To Freedom.

Margaret: If the grave is there,

Death waiting, then I come!

From here to everlasting rest,

And not a step further would

You go now? O Heinrich, if I could!

Faust: You can! Just will it! The door is open!

Margaret: I dare not: there’s no hope for me then. What use is flight? They lie in wait for me.

To be forced to beg is a bitter existence,

And cursed too with an evil conscience!

To wander among strangers, bitter,

And even then I’d still be captured!

Faust: I’ll stay beside you.

Margaret: Quickly! Quickly!

Save my poor baby!

Away! Down the ridge,

Now, by the brook,

Over the bridge

Into the wood,

Left, where the plank is,

There, in the pool.

Seize it now: you!

It’s trying to rise,

It’s moving still!

Save it! Save it!

Faust: Be sensible!

Only one step, and then you’re free!

Margaret: If we were on the mountain, only!

There my mother sits, on a stone,

And oh, the cold, it grips me!

There my mother sits on a stone,

And wags her head, so heavy.

No sign, no nod, for me, I’m sure

Her sleep’s so long: she’ll wake no more.

She slept, while we took our pleasure.

That was such a time to treasure!

Faust: Here all’s useless, speech or prayer:

I’ll take you from this place: I’ll dare.

Margaret: Let me alone! No, no force!

Don’t grip me so murderously, oh,

I’ve done all else to please you so.

Faust: The day breaks! Dearest! Dearest!

Margaret: Day! Yes, it’s dawn! The last I’ll see:

My wedding day, that was to be!

Tell no one you’ve been with Gretchen. Ah, bright glance!

It’s done with: all in vain!

We two will meet again:

But not in the dance.

The crowd gather, without speech.

The streets, the square,

Can’t hold them, there.

The bell tolls, the wand breaks.

Now, they seize and tie me!

I’m dragged already to the block.

The blade that quivers over me,

Has quivered before over every neck.

Silent the world, now, as the grave!

Faust: Oh, would that I’d never seen the light!

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Faust, Part One. Trans. A. S. Kline. https://www.poetryintranslation.com/PITBR/German/FaustIScenesXVItoXXV.php#Scene_XXV

A full-text translation of Faust, with notes: https://www.poetryintranslation.com/PITBR/German/Fausthome.php