[lit-ideas] Re: Help with Novalis?
- From: Chris Bruce <bruce@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Wed, 27 Oct 2004 16:19:22 +0200
(First of all, I'd like to thank Mike and Richard for
motivating me to *finally* take my copy of Novalis'
works off the shelf and take a close look at some
of what lies between its covers.)
I have two comments:
1. Translating the German 'man' is problematic - I
prefer 'one' (impersonal third person singular) but
acknowledge that this useful word has (regrettably,
in my opinion) passed out of common usage. In this
case 'we' is acceptable *only* in the sense of 'we as
individuals each at our own time and pace' and not
in the sense of 'we as a collective unit or entity'.
The latter is, I believe, antithetical to the spirit of the
German Romanticism of which Novalis is a key figure.
This view arises in my understanding of the German
Romantic notion of 'Self' and the key role it plays in
German Romantic philosophy and literature. (Perhaps
Erin will come down out of her Fichte and lend support
here.)
2. More importantly; I'm afraid 'kein hoeherer Schuessel'
must remain 'no higher key' and cannot be interpolated
as 'no key to higher things'.
This view arises from my understanding of Novalis'
Romantic Mysticism not as a search for 'higher things'
(especially in a neo-Platonic sense) but as a search for
a 'higher' (or deeper) understanding of 'things as they
are.'
I take support for this view especially in this particular
case from "Materialen zu >>Die Lehrlinge zu Saies<<"
which my edition includes with this work;
in particular the fragment "Entwurf des Maerchens von
Hyacinth and Rosenblueth". The protagonist, seeking
higher (or deeper) understanding of nature, abandons
lover and homeland in the search of "'die geheimnisvolle
Schlafkammer' den geheimnisvollen Aufenthalt der Isis."
['the mysterious sleeping chamber' the mysterious
dwelling of Isis]. After long and arduous journey our
hero arrives at his goal - and enters =85 his own
bedroom; to find the "suessen Aufloesung des
Geheimnisses" [sweet solution to the mystery] in the
"sanftaufloesenden Umarming" and "raetselloesenden
Kuesse" ['sanftaufloesenden' and 'raetselloesenden'
play on 'dis-solving' sense of 'solution'; 'Umarmung'
and 'Kuesse are ' embrace' and 'kisses'] of his lover.
Chris Bruce
Kiel, Germany=
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