Faust

Faust

an epic poem by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

• "Let's plunge ourselves into the roar of time, the whirl of accident; may pain and pleasure, success and failure, shift as they will - it's only action that can make a man."

• "A part of the power that always wills what's evil, that always does what's good." (Mephistopheles)

• "There's nothing sillier in the world, I say, than being a devil in despair." (Mephistopheles)

• "All that comes into being is worthy of destruction." (Mephistopheles)

• "I've studied now Philosophy And Jurisprudence, Medicine And even, alas! Theology, From end to end, with labor keen; And here, poor fool! with all my lore I stand, no wiser than before;" (Faust Monologue, Trans. Bayard Taylor)

• "Have, alas! Philosophy, Medicine, Jurisprudence too, And to my cost Theology, With ardent labour, studied through. And here I stand, with all my lore, Poor fool, no wiser than before." (Faust Monologue, Proj. Gutenberg version)

• "That I may detect the inmost force Which binds the world, and guides its course;"

• "Werd' ich zum Augenblicke sagen: Verweile doch! Du bist so schön! Dann magst du mich in Fesseln schlagen, Dann will ich gern zugrunde geh'n!"

• "If to the moment I shall ever say: Ah, linger on, thou art so fair! Then may you fetters on me lay, Then will I perish, then and there!"