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Skomatth
01-21-2005, 06:22
I'm trying to find a poem by Hegel written to Holderlin. The problem is everyone online only quotes part of it and I can't find a title. Here's the excerpt:"

"For thought cannot grasp the soul which forgetting itself plunges, out of space and time into a presentiment of infinity, and now re-awakens. Whoever wanted to speak of this to others, though he spoke with the tongues of angels, would feel the poverty of words."

No line divisions either. If you have a lead let me know.

JAG
01-21-2005, 07:07
It could possibly be called "Eleusis", he seems to have written a poem to Holderlin called this, though I have not found an English translation of it, only another language I had no idea of. - http://www.netn.fi/195/netn_195_hegel.html

A couple of sites which may help you - http://www.hegel.net/hegel/persons.htm
http://www.wbenjamin.org/hoelderlin_chron.html
Both have references to the poem and some dates / context.

I may have a bit more of a look, but for the moment I can't uncover much else. Hegel was a great man who inspired many, many of the philosophers I admire - Marx and Sartre anyone?! ~D

JAG
01-21-2005, 07:12
Hmmmm - maybe this - http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=es&u=http://roabastos.monsite.wanadoo.fr/page6.html&prev=/search%3Fq%3DG.W.F.%2BHegel,%2BEleusis%2B-retreat%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26sa%3DG

pft, I am done searching, it is exhausting.

Adrian II
01-21-2005, 10:58
"For thought cannot grasp the soul which forgetting itself plunges, out of space and time into a presentiment of infinity, and now re-awakens. Whoever wanted to speak of this to others, though he spoke with the tongues of angels, would feel the poverty of words."
Schon der Gedanke fasst die Seele nicht,
Die ausser Zeit und Raum in Ahndung der Unendlichkeit
Versunken, sich vergisst, und wieder zum Bewusstseyn nun
Erwacht. Wer gar davon zu andern sprechen wollte,
Sprächer mit Engelzungen, fühlt' der Worte Armuth.
This is the original German Eleusis (http://www.stuttgart.de/stadtbuecherei/poetscorner/hegel1.htm) (1796), but be careful, the page I linked to contains many typo's. It has 'fast' instead of 'fasst', 'gat' instead of 'gar', &cetera.

Couldn't find it in English, sorry. I think you'd better find a good dictionary. ~:cool: