Citation: George MacDonald, Exotics: A Translation of the Spiritual Songs of Novalis, the Hymn Book of Luther, and other Poems from the German and Italian (London: Strahan & Co., 1876).

Bulloch (1925):

Exotics: a translation of the spiritual songs of Novalis, the hymn book of Luther, and other poems from the German and Italian. By George MacDonald, LL.D. London : Strahan & Co., 1876.

12mo, pp. xvi + 192; printed by Muir and Patterson, Edinburgh.

This volume had its origin in a pamphlet entitled: “ Twelve of the spiritual songs of Novalis, done into English by George MacDonald,” 1851 (qv,).

In the preface “ to my friends ” (pp. ix-xv) MacDonald says— “ I think every man who can should help his people to inherit the earth by bringing out his own of the wealth of other tongues.” “ Exotics ” contains forty-six poems by twelve authors —

  1. Novalis,
  2. Luther,
  3. Schiller,
  4. Goethe,
  5. Uhland,
  6. Heine,
  7. von Salis-Seewis,
  8. Claudius,
  9. Milton,
  10. Petrarch,
  11. an anonymous poem, and
  12. ” a trans-translation from the German poet Ruckert, through the Dutch poet Genestet.

The volume was reviewed in The Athenaeum (May 10, 1876), p. 695. Of the fifteen Novalis translations, six appeared in the “ Twelve songs ” (1851), twelve had been serialised, and three were new :

  • (1) “ Without thee, what were I worth being ? ”. Good Words (1871), xii., 840: Scribner’s Monthly (Dec., 1873), vii., 185.
  • (2) “ Down far eastward on the mountain ”. Scribner’s (Nov., 1873), vii., 55.
  • (3) ” Who in his chamber sitteth lonely ? ”. In “ Twelve songs,” pp. 10-11; Good Words (1872), xiii., 234-235. Scribner’s (Oct., 1873), vi., 745-746.
  • (4) “ Of a thousand hours me meeting.” Scribner’s (Sept., 1873), vi., 460.
  • (5) “ If I him but have.” In translating this hymn MacDonald says, “ I could not part with (its) exquisite simplicity … for the sake of having the rhymes correspondent to the German, or even of having correct English rhymes In “ Twelve songs,” pp. 13-14: Scribner’s (Jan., 1873), v., 315.
  • (6) “ My faith to thee I break not.” In “Twelve songs,” pp. 15-16: Scribner’s (Aug., 1873), vi., 432.
  • (7) “ Few understand.” In “ Exotics,” pp. 17-18
  • (8) “ Weep I must.” Scribner’s (June, 1873), vi., 157-158.
  • (9) “ He lives.” Scribner’s (July, 1873), vi., 319-320.
  • (10) “The times are all so fearful.” Scribner’s (May, 1873), vi., 21.
  • (11) • I know not one hope left to me.” Scribner’s (April, 1873), v., 759.
  • (12) “ Earth’s consolation.” Scribner’s (March, 1873), v., 610.
  • (13) “When in hours of fear.” In “Twelve Songs,” p. 27: Scribner’s (Sept., 1873), vi., 560.
  • (14) “ Who once hath seen thee.” In “ Exotics,” pp. 33-35.
  • (15) “ In countless pictures.” In “ Exotics,” p. 36.

In regard to the Luther translation MacDonald says— ” Some idea of my mode may be gathered from the following reprint of a preface to the translation of Luther’s Hymn Book, when that was first uttered some years ago in a periodical.” I do not know what this refers to.

The “Christ Songs” in “Exotics” (pp. 39-49) first appeared in the Day of Rest (1876), v., 413 and 415.

Schiller’s “Sayings of Confucius” in “ Exotics” (pp. IS1-187) appeared in the Day of Rest (Dec. 25, 1875), iv., 827.

The “ Song of the lonely,” in “ Exotics” (p. 191) first appeared in the Day of Rest (March, 1874), ii.. 137.

  • 1897. The poems in “ Exotics ” were reprinted on an enlarged scale (pp. 1-178) in “ Rampolli ” (q.v.).
  • 1905. The “ Exotics ” series was reprinted in Fifield’s (June, 1905) edition of “ The Diary of an old soul,” but was omitted from the Dec., 1905, reissue of the same.

Hymns to the Night (text).

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