Goethe's Poem: Answers In A Game Of Ques ...

Goethe's Poem: Answers In A Game Of Questions (1808)

Jun 16, 2024

A Serious Question - Sergey Solomko

ANSWERS IN A GAME OF QUESTIONS

THE LADY

IN the small and great world too,

What most charms a woman's heart?
It is doubtless what is new,

For its blossoms joy impart;
Nobler far is what is true,

For fresh blossoms it can shoot

Even in the time of fruit.

THE YOUNG GENTLEMAN

With the Nymphs in wood and cave

Paris was acquainted well,
Till Zeus sent, to make him rave,

Three of those in Heav'n who dwell;
And the choice more trouble gave

Than e'er fell to mortal lot,

Whether in old times or not.

THE EXPERIENCED

Tenderly a woman view,

And thoult win her, take my word;
He who's quick and saucy too,

Will of all men be preferr'd;
Who ne'er seems as if he knew

If he pleases, if he charms,—

He 'tis injures, he 'tis harms.

THE CONTENTED

Manifold is human strife,

Human passion, human pain;
Many a blessing yet is rife,

Many pleasures still remain.
Yet the greatest bliss in life,

And the richest prize we find,

Is a good, contented mind.

THE MERRY COUNSEL

He by whom man's foolish will

Is each day review'd and blamed,
Who, when others fools are still,

Is himself a fool proclaim'd,—
Ne'er at mill was beast's back press'd

With a heavier load than he.
What I feel within my breast

That in truth's the thing for me!

A Testing Question - Frederick Morgan

Thank you for your support of Lichtblick and for being a patron of humorists, writers and the arts.

Best wishes!

“One ought, every day at least, to hear a little song, read a good poem, see a fine picture, and, if it were possible, to speak a few reasonable words.”

~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Enjoy this post?

Buy Lichtblick a coffee

More from Lichtblick