Section 23. SPRING-BLOSSOMS[1].
Reading edition
Section 23. SPRING-BLOSSOMS[1].
The blossoms of Spring are as brief[2] as they are beautiful. For[3] a short time they embellish the country, spreading[4], as it were, a bridal veil over every[5] tree and hedge. It seems, indeed[6], as if Nature had given them existence only to (S. 19, N. 7) show their worth, and then to destroy them. Yet[7] they are “fair pledges of a fruitful tree,” and teach us the solemn[8] lesson—that[9] everything lovely on earth is destined soon to perish, and[10] like them to glide into the grave.—Rev. E. M. Davies.
Notes in this chapter
Note 7 · The Supine is used to express purpose, and must be employed whenever the English ‘to’ is used in the meaning of ‘in order to’, or ‘for the pNote 1 · Frühlingsblüten.Note 2 · vergänglich.Note 3 · Auf; to embellish, schmücken.Note 4 · spreading = and spread; as it were, gleichsam.Note 5 · ‘every — hedge’, say ‘hedges and trees’.Note 6 · wirklich; as — only, als hätte die Natur ihnen nur das Dasein verliehen.Note 7 · ‘Yet — tree’, say ‘They are however the lovely messengers (Vorboten) of a fruitful (fruchtreich) tree’.Note 8 · solemn lesson, ernste Wahrheit.Note 9 · that — perish, daß alles Schöne auf Erden der Vergänglichkeit geweiht ist.Note 10 · ‘and — grave’, say ‘and like the blossoms must (App. § 18) glide (sinken) into an early grave’.