The Poems and Ballads of Schiller/The Sharing of the Earth

by Johann Christoph Friedrich von Schiller

Layout 2

THE SHARING OF THE EARTH.

 

"Here, take the world!" cried Jove from out his heaven
 To mortals—"Be you of this earth the heirs;
Free to your use the heritage is given;
  Brother-like choose the shares."

Then every hand stretch'd eager in its greed,
 And busy was the work with young and old;
The Tiller settled upon glebe and mead,
  The Hunter, wood and wold.

The Merchant grip'd the store, and lock'd the ware—
 The Abbot chose the gardens of the vine—
The King barr'd up the bridge and thoroughfare,
  And cried, "The tolls are mine!"

And when the earth was thus divided, came
 Too late the Poet from afar, to see
That all had proffer'd and had seiz'd their claim—
  "And is there nought for me?

"Shall I, thy truest son, be yet of all
 Thy human children portionless alone?"
Thus went his cry, and Jove beheld him fall
  Before the heavenly throne.

"If in the land of dreams thou wert abiding,"
 Answered the God, "why murmurest thou at ME?
Say, where wert thou when earth they were dividing?"
  The Poet said, "By thee!

"Upon thy glorious aspect dwelt my sight—
 The music of thy heave enthrall'd my ear;
Pardon the soul, if, drunken with thy light,
  It lost its portion here!"

"Yet," answered Jove, "the world no more is mine—
 Field, chace, and mart are given;—no place for hee!
But come at will, since earth thou must resign,
  To Heaven,—and live with me."