第2章

TOJENNY

I

Jenny！TeasinglyyoumayinquireWhymysongs"ToJenny"Iaddress，Whenforyoualonemypulsebeatshigher，Whenmysongsforyoualonedespair，Whenyouonlycantheirheartinspire，Whenyournameeachsyllablemustconfess，Whenyoulendeachnotemelodiousness，WhennobreathwouldstrayfromtheGoddess？

’Tisbecausesosweetthedearnamesounds，Anditscadencesayssomuchtome，Andsofull，sosonorousitresounds，LiketovibrantSpiritsinthedistance，Likethegold—stringedCithern’sharmony，Likesomewondrous，magicalexistence。

II

See！Icouldathousandvolumesfill，Writingonly"Jenny"ineachline，Stilltheywouldaworldofthoughtconceal，DeedeternalandunchangingWill，Versessweetthatyearninggentlystill，AlltheglowandalltheAether’sshine，Anguishedsorrow’spainandjoydivine，AllofLifeandKnowledgethatismine。

Icanreaditinthestarsupyounder，FromtheZephyritcomesbacktome，Fromthebeingofthewildwaves’thunder。

Truly，Iwouldwriteitdownasarefrain，Forthecomingcenturiestosee——

LOVEISJENNY，JENNYISLOVE’SNAME。

（writteninNovember1836）

NOTES

[1]ThissectioncontainsseveralpoemsfromMarx’sthreealbumnofpoemswritteninthelateautumnof1836andinthewinterof1836—37。

AccordingtohisdaughterLauraLafargueandhisbiographerFranzMehring，whohadaccesstohismanuscriptsafterhisdeath，twoofthesealbumnborethetitleBookofLove，PartIandPartII，andthethird，BookofSongs。Eachhadthefollowingdedication："Tomydear，everbelovedJennyvonWestphalen。"ThecoversofthealbumswerelaterincludedbyMarxinhisbookofversededicatedtohisfather。

RecentlyacopybookandanotebookbelongingtoKarlMarx’seldestsisterSophiewerediscoveredamongthedocumentsofHeinrichMarx’sheirsinTrier。AlongsideversesbydifferentpeopletheycontainsomebytheyoungMarx。Mostofthemweretakenfromothercopybooks，butsomewerenew。

Marxwasverycriticaloftheliteraryqualitiesofhisearlypoemsbuthebelievedthattheyconveyedhiswarmandsincerefeelings。

Lateron，hisviewofthemgrewevenmorecritical。LauraLafargue，forexample，wrote，"Myfathertreatedhisversesverydisrepectfully；

whenevermyparentsmentionedthem，theywouldlaughtotheirheart’

content。"

[2]Thisalbumcontains12poemsofwhichtheballads"Lucinda，"

"Distraught"and"ThePaleMaiden，"andthepoem"HumanPride"werelaterincludedbyMarxinthebookofversededicatedtohisfather。

[3]ThisalbumisthebulkiestofthethreededicatedtoJennyvonWestphalen。Itcontains53poemsofwhich"Yearning，""SirenSong，"

"TwoSingersAccompanyingThemselvesontheHarp"and"Harmony"wereincludedbyMarxinthebookofversededicatedtohisfather。