CHAPTER VII.
PLATEN.
His Oriental Studies—Ghaselen—Their Persian Character—Imitation of Persian Form—Translations.
The first to introduce the γazal in its strict form into German literature[132] was Rückert, who in 1821 published a version of a number of γazals from the dīvān of Rūmī.[133] Chronologically, therefore, he ought to have the precedence in this investigation. If we, nevertheless, take up Platen first, we do so because the γazals of this poet were really the first professedly original poems of this form to appear in Germany (Rückert's claiming to be versions only), and also because they constitute almost the only portion of his poetic work that comes within the sphere of this discussion. Moreover, the remarks which we shall make concerning their content, imagery, and poetic structure, apply largely to the γazals of Rückert and also to his Östliche Rosen, if we except the structure of the latter.
Platen became interested in the East through the work of Hammer, and still more through the influence of Goethe's Divan. He at once set to work studying Persian, and his zeal was increased when, on meeting Rückert in 1820 at Ebern, and again at Nürnberg, he received encouragement and instruction from that scholarly poet. Above all, the appearance of the latter's versions from Rūmī gave him a powerful stimulus, and in 1821 the first series of his Ghaselen appeared at Erlangen. Others followed in rapid succession. The same year a second series appeared at Leipzig;[134] a third series, united under the title Spiegel des Hafis, appeared at Erlangen the next year;[135] and, lastly, a series called Neue Ghaselen appeared in the same place in 1823. A few γazals arose later, some being published as late as 1836 and 1839.[136]
We shall confine our discussion to those γazals that date from the years 1821 and 1822, the last series being Persian in nothing but form.
The Ghaselen are not at all translations. Like the Divan-poems they are original creations, inspired by the reading of Hāfiḍ, and, to use the poet's own words "dem Hafis nachgefühlt und nachgedichtet."[137] They follow as closely as possible the Persian metrical rules, and make use throughout of Persian images and metaphors, so much so that we can adduce direct parallels from the poems of Hāfiḍ. Thus in 13[138] we read: "Schenke! Tulpen sind wie Kelche Weines," evidently a parallel to some such line as H. 541. 1:
ساقی بيا که شد قدح لاله پر ز می
"sāqī, come! for the tulip-like goblet is filled with wine." In 75 the words "Weil ihren goldnen Busen doch vor euch verschliesst die Rose" are an echo of H. 300. 2:
چوغنچه سرٌ درونش کجا نهان ماند