Faust: Part One
The He-ape
The world’s the ball:
Doth rise and fall,
And roll incessant:
Like glass doth ring,
A hollow thing,—
How soon will’t spring,
And drop, quiescent?
Here bright it gleams,
Here brighter seems:
I live at present!
Dear son, I say,
Keep thou away!
Thy doom is spoken!
’Tis made of clay,
And will be broken.
What means the sieve?
THE HE-APE (taking it down)
Wert thou the thief,
I’d know him and shame him.
(He runs to the SHE-APE, and lets her look through it.)
Look through the sieve!
Know’st thou the thief,
And darest not name him?
MEPHISTOPHELES (approaching the fire)
And what’s this pot?