wow, difficult!
| Startled at the stillness broken by reply so aptly spoken, “Doubtless,” said I, “what it utters is its only stock and store, Caught from some unhappy master, whom unmerciful Disaster Followed fast and followed faster till his songs one burden bore— Till the dirges of his Hope the melancholy burden bore Of ‘Never—nevermore.'” | My astonishment rose ever higher at the raven's dark murmur, But I thought: “No doubt he knows this and nothing else; Got it from his poor master, the dark spirits of misfortune threatened boldly and threatened more boldly, until he was gloomy and sad - until the glimmer of hope faded from him, and he henceforth sighed heavily: 'Oh never - nevermore!‘“
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| But the Raven still beguiling all my sad soul into smiling, Straight I wheeled a cushioned seat in front of bird and bust and door; Then, upon the velvet sinking, I betook myself to linking Fancy unto fancy, thinking what this ominous bird of yore— What this grim, ungainly, ghastly, gaunt and ominous bird of yore Meant in croaking “Nevermore.” | Trotz der Trauer wieder brachte er dahin mich, daß ich lachte; Einen Armstuhl endlich rollte ich zu Thür und Vogel her. In den sammt’nen Kissen liegend, in die Hand die Wange schmiegend, Sann ich, hin und her mich wiegend, was des Wortes Deutung wär’ – Was der grimme, finst’re Vogel aus dem nächt’gen Schattenheer Wollt’ mit seinem „Nimmermehr.“ |
| This I sat engaged in guessing, but no syllable expressing To the fowl whose fiery eyes now burned into my bosom’s core; This and more I sat divining, with my head at ease reclining On the cushion’s velvet lining that the lamp-light gloated o’er, But whose velvet violet lining with the lamp-light gloating o’er, She shall press, ah, nevermore! | Dieses saß ich still ermessend, doch des Vogels nicht vergessend, Dessen Feueraugen jetzo mir das Herz beklemmten sehr; Und mit schmerzlichen Gefühlen ließ mein Haupt ich lange wühlen In den veilchenfarb’nen Pfühlen, überstrahlt vom Lichte hehr – Ach, in diesen sammtnen Pfühlen, sublimely outshined by the light – now she never rests! |
| Then, methought, the air grew denser, perfumed from an unseen censer, Swung by Seraphim whose foot-falls tinkled on the tufted floor. “Wretch,” I cried, “thy God hath lent thee—by these angels he hath sent thee Respite—respite and nepenthe from thy memories of Lenore! Quaff, oh quaff this kind nepenthe, and forget this lost Lenore!” Quoth the Raven, “Nevermore.” | And I thought, sweet scents of incense wafted through the air, Scattered around me by invisible seraph hands. „Lethe," I called, “God sends you a sweet donation through angelic hands, That your grief turns away from Lenora deep and heavy! take, o take the sweet donation and forget the sadness hard!' said the raven: "Nevermore!“ |
| “Prophet!” said I, “thing of evil!—prophet still, if bird or devil!— Whether Tempter sent, or whether tempest tossed thee here ashore, Desolate yet all undaunted, on this desert land enchanted— On this home by Horror haunted—tell me truly, I implore— Is there—is there balm in Gilead?—tell me—tell me, I implore!” Quoth the Raven, “Nevermore.” | 'Gramprophet'!' I cried out in doubt, „ob Du Vogel oder Teufel! Ob die Hölle Dich mir sandte, whether the storm blew you here! Of, the one from the orcus beaches – you, the one from the terrified land himself to me, the murky, turned - tell me my hot desire: I find balsam in Gilead! there is still consolation in the sea of grace?' said the raven: "Nevermore!“ |
| “Prophet!” said I, “thing of evil!—prophet still, if bird or devil! By that Heaven that bends above us—by that God we both adore— Tell this soul with sorrow laden if, within the distant Aidenn, It shall clasp a saintly maiden whom the angels name Lenore— Clasp a rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore.” Quoth the Raven, “Nevermore.” | 'Gramprophet'!' I cried out in doubt, „ob Du Vogel oder Teufel! By the eternal sky above, at the god, whom I adore - Announce to me, ob ich Lenoren, die hienieden ich verloren, Wieder find’ an Edens Thoren – sie, die throhnt im Engelsheer – Jene Sel’ge, die Lenoren nennt der Engel heilig Heer!' said the raven: "Nevermore!“ |
| “Be that word our sign of parting, bird or fiend!” I shrieked, upstarting— “Get thee back into the tempest and the Night’s Plutonian shore! Leave no black plume as a token of that lie thy soul hath spoken! Leave my loneliness unbroken!—quit the bust above my door! Take thy beak from out my heart, and take thy form from off my door!” Quoth the Raven, “Nevermore.” | „Sei dies Wort das Trennungszeichen! Vogel, Dämon, Du mußt weichen! Fleuch zurück zum Sturmesgrauen, oder zum pluton’schen Heer! Keine Feder laß zurücke mir als Zeichen Deiner Tücke; Laß allein mich dem Geschicke – wage nie Dich wieder her! Fort und laß mein Herz in Frieden, das gepeinigt Du so sehr!' said the raven: "Nevermore!“ |
| And the Raven, never flitting, still is sitting—still is sitting On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door; And his eyes have all the seeming of a Demon’s that is dreaming, And the lamp-light o’er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor; And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor Shall be lifted—nevermore! | And the raven never gives way - still sits, still sits tall and majestic on the pale bust of Pallas above the door; Sits with ghostly whispers, his eyes of fire sparkle like demons in the dark, dark shadows around him; And my spirit rises from the shadows, which he spreads around me, Rise – nevermore! |