Abt Vogler

Abt Vogler est un poème de Robert Browning publié en 1864 dans le recueil Dramatis personae.

Le poème est particulièrement notable dans l'œuvre de Browning par l'importance donnée à la musique. On en a dit qu'il était le poème de langue anglaise « le plus riche, le plus profond et le plus complet ». Plus encore que A Toccata of Galuppi's, Abt Vogler révèle le Ciel où la musique est née.

Première strophe

Texte anglais WOULD that the structure brave, the manifold music I build,   Bidding my organ obey, calling its keys to their work, Claiming each slave of the sound, at a touch, as when Solomon willed   Armies of angels that soar, legions of demons that lurk, Man, brute, reptile, fly,—alien of end and of aim,   Adverse, each from the other heaven-high, hell-deep removed,— Should rush into sight at once as he named the ineffable Name,   And pile him a palace straight, to pleasure the princess he loved! Would it might tarry like his, the beautiful building of mine,   This which my keys in a crowd pressed and importuned to raise! Ah, one and all, how they helped, would dispart now and now combine,   Zealous to hasten the work, heighten their master his praise! And one would bury his brow with a blind plunge down to hell,   Burrow awhile and build, broad on the roots of things, Then up again swim into sight, having based me my palace well,   Founded it, fearless of flame, flat on the nether springs. And another would mount and march, like the excellent minion he was,   Ay, another and yet another, one crowd but with many a crest, Raising my rampired walls of gold as transparent as glass,   Eager to do and die, yield each his place to the rest: For higher still and higher (as a runner tips with fire,   When a great illumination surprises a festal night— Outlining round and round Rome’s dome from space to spire)   Up, the pinnacled glory reached, and the pride of my soul was in sight. In sight? Not half! for it seemed, it was certain, to match man’s birth,   Nature in turn conceived, obeying an impulse as I; And the emulous heaven yearned down, made effort to reach the earth,   As the earth had done her best, in my passion, to scale the sky: Novel splendours burst forth, grew familiar and dwelt with mine,   Not a point nor peak but found and fixed its wandering star; Meteor-moons, balls of blaze: and they did not pale nor pine,   For earth had attained to heaven, there was no more near nor far.

Traduction (à faire)

Liens externes

• « Abt Vogler », sur bartleby.com (consulté le 27 avril 2010)
• « Study Questions on Robert Browning's "Abt Vogler" (1864) », sur The Victorian Web (consulté le 27 avril 2010)