You think a man can see his own decline?

But no. The king appeared exalted still,

so he hunted his strong harp-boy, to kill

him, ten sons on — to wipe away his line.

Not till the Spirit had assaulted him

by paths like that, and torn his soul apart,

was he aware how desolate and grim

that soul was — darkness flooding through his heart.

To meet his doom: blood superstitious; dim.

And if his mouth now oozed with prophecy,

it did so so that boy, who had been freed

a second time, would have the time to flee.

But once, as if a child's, his mouth would bleed

with prophecy — as though his every vein

were spilling through his mouth a golden stream.

All others walked; he strode as straight as rain.

All others shrieked; his heart produced a scream.

Now he was nothing but this pile, this heap,

of toppled dignities, load upon load.

His mouth was like a gutter's, through which sweep

the cast-off pourings that it cannot keep

from having fallen as they flowed.

Samuels Erscheinung vor Saul

Da schrie die Frau zu Endor auf: Ich sehe —

Der König packte sie am Arme: Wen?

Und da die Starrende beschrieb, noch ehe,

da war ihm schon, er hätte selbst gesehn:

den, dessen Stimme ihn noch einmal traf:

Was störst du mich? Ich habe Schlaf.

Willst du, weil dir die Himmel fluchen,

und weil der Herr sich vor dir schloß und schwieg,

in meinem Mund nach einem Siege suchen?

Soll ich dir meine Zähne einzeln sagen?

Ich habe nichts als sie … Es schwand. Da schrie

das Weib, die Hände vors Gesicht geschlagen,

als ob sie's sehen müßte: Unterlieg —

Und er, der in der Zeit, die ihm gelang,

das Volk wie ein Feldzeichen überragte,

fiel hin, bevor er noch zu klagen wagte:

so sicher war sein Untergang.