Part 6 (1/2)

PLATEN.

His Oriental Studies--Ghaselen--Their Persian Character--Imitation of Persian Form--Translations.

The first to introduce the _?azal_ in its strict form into German literature[132] was Ruckert, who in 1821 published a version of a number of _?azals_ from the _divan_ of Rumi.[133] Chronologically, therefore, he ought to have the precedence in this investigation. If we, nevertheless, take up Platen first, we do so because the _?azals_ of this poet were really the first professedly original poems of this form to appear in Germany (Ruckert's claiming to be versions only), and also because they const.i.tute almost the only portion of his poetic work that comes within the sphere of this discussion. Moreover, the remarks which we shall make concerning their content, imagery, and poetic structure, apply largely to the _?azals_ of Ruckert and also to his _ostliche Rosen_, if we except the structure of the latter.

Platen became interested in the East through the work of Hammer, and still more through the influence of Goethe's _Divan_. He at once set to work studying Persian, and his zeal was increased when, on meeting Ruckert in 1820 at Ebern, and again at Nurnberg, he received encouragement and instruction from that scholarly poet. Above all, the appearance of the latter's versions from Rumi gave him a powerful stimulus, and in 1821 the first series of his _Ghaselen_ appeared at Erlangen. Others followed in rapid succession. The same year a second series appeared at Leipzig;[134] a third series, united under the t.i.tle _Spiegel des Hafis_, appeared at Erlangen the next year;[135] and, lastly, a series called _Neue Ghaselen_ appeared in the same place in 1823. A few _?azals_ arose later, some being published as late as 1836 and 1839.[136]

We shall confine our discussion to those _?azals_ that date from the years 1821 and 1822, the last series being Persian in nothing but form.

The _Ghaselen_ are not at all translations. Like the _Divan_-poems they are original creations, inspired by the reading of H_afi?, and, to use the poet's own words ”dem Hafis nachgefuhlt und nachgedichtet.”[137]

They follow as closely as possible the Persian metrical rules, and make use throughout of Persian images and metaphors, so much so that we can adduce direct parallels from the poems of H_afi?. Thus in 13[138] we read: ”Schenke! Tulpen sind wie Kelche Weines,” evidently a parallel to some such line as H_. 541. 1:

”_saqi_, come! for the tulip-like goblet is filled with wine.” In 75 the words ”Weil ihren goldnen Busen doch vor euch verschliesst die Rose” are an echo of H_. 300. 2:

”like the rose-bud, how can its inward secret remain concealed?” (cf.

also H_. 23. 3). And again in 85 ”Und nun ... entrinnet dem Herzen das Blut leicht, das sonst mir den Odem benahm” is to be compared with H_.

11. 9:

”the sorrowful heart of H_afi?, which through separation from thee is full of blood.” Furthermore in 81 we read:

Du fingst im lieblichen Trugnetz der Haare die ganze Welt,-- Als spiegelhaltende Sklavin gewahre die ganze Welt!

For the first line compare H_. 102. 1:

”there is no one who has not been snared by that doubled tress,” and for the second line compare H_. 470. 1:

”O, thou of whose beauty the sun is the mirror-holder!” In 86 the idea of the young men slain like game by the beauty of the beloved is evidently inspired by H_. 358. 6:

”in every nook thine eye has a hundred slain ones fallen like me,” and the following lines in the same poem 86:

O welche Pfeile strahlt zu mir dein Antlitz, Und es befreit kein Schild von deiner Schonheit,

remind us of H_. 561. 7:

”thine eye causes the arrow (lit. poplar) to pa.s.s through the s.h.i.+eld of life.”

Again and again we meet with allusions to the famous image of the love of the nightingale for the rose (35, 75, etc.) so common in Persian poetry, especially in H_afi?. We cite only 318. 1: