The best place thou shalt give my mother;
Close beside her lay my brother;
Me a little to the side,
But at distance not too wide!
And my child at my right breast.—
These, and none else with us shall rest!
Me on thy loving side to press,
That was a heaven of blessedness!
But now, I cannot do it more;
I feel as I must force my love to thee,
And thou didst coldly fling me back from thee;
And yet ’tis thou!—as good, as loving as before.
Faust.
’Tis I, even I, come, sweet love, come!
Margaret.
Out there?
Faust.
Into the open air.
Margaret.
If the grave be there,
And death there waits, then come!
Hence to my eternal home,
Not a step more.—
Thou leav’st me now?—would I might go with thee?
Faust.
Thou canst, if thou but wilt. I have unbarred the door.
Margaret.
I may not go; no hope for me remains;
They watch me close—my home is with my chains.
It is so sad to beg from door to door;
A guilty thing from human loves outcast,
A homeless earth to wander o’er;
And they are sure to find me out at last.
Faust.
I will protect thee.
Margaret.
Quick! Quick!
Save thy poor child!
Away, away!
Keep the path
Up the stream,
Across the bridge,
To the left hand,
Where the plank stands,
In the pond,
Seize it, quick!
It rises up,
It kicks! it lives!
O save it, save it!
Faust.
