PAST ELEVEN!

All is silent around me, and my soul is calm. I thank thee, O God, that thou bestowest strength and courage upon me in these last moments! I approach the window, my dearest of friends; and through the clouds, which are at this moment driven rapidly along by the impetuous winds, I behold the stars which illumine the eternal heavens. No, you will not fall, celestial bodies: the hand of the Almighty supports both you and me! I have looked for the last time upon the constellation of the Greater Bear: it is my favourite star; for when I bade you farewell at night, Lotte, and turned my steps from your door, it always shone upon me. With what rapture have I at times beheld it! How often have I implored it with uplifted hands to witness my felicity! and even still—But what object is there, Lotte, which fails to summon up your image before me? Do you not surround me on all sides? and have I not, like a child, treasured up every trifle which you have consecrated by your touch?

Your profile, which was so dear to me, I return to you; and I pray you to preserve it. Thousands of kisses have I imprinted upon it, and a thousand times has it gladdened my heart on departing from and returning to my home.

I have implored your father to protect my remains. At the corner of the churchyard, looking toward the fields, there are two lime-trees—there I wish to lie. Your father can, and doubtless will, do this much for his friend. Implore it of him. But perhaps pious Christians will not choose that their bodies should be buried near the corpse of a poor, unhappy wretch like me. Then let me be laid in some remote valley, or near the highway, where the priest and Levite may bless themselves as they pass by my tomb, whilst the Samaritan will shed a tear for my fate.

See, Lotte, I do not shudder to take the cold and fatal cup, from which I shall drink the draught of death. Your hand presents it to me, and I do not tremble. All, all is now concluded: the wishes and the hopes of my existence are fulfilled. With cold, unflinching hand I knock at the brazen portals of Death. Oh, that I had enjoyed the bliss of dying for you! how gladly would I have sacrificed myself for you; Lotte! And could I but restore peace and joy to your bosom, with what resolution, with what joy, would I not meet my fate! But it is the lot of only a chosen few to shed their blood for their friends, and by their death to augment, a thousand times, the happiness of those by whom they are beloved.

I wish, Lotte, to be buried in the dress I wear at present: it has been rendered sacred by your touch. I have begged this favour of your father. My spirit soars above my sepulchre. I do not wish my pockets to be searched. The knot of pink ribbon which you wore on your bosom the first time I saw you, surrounded by the children— Oh, kiss them a thousand times for me, and tell them the fate of their unhappy friend! I think I see them playing around me. The dear children! How warmly have I been attached to you, Lotte! Since the first hour I saw you, how impossible have I found it to leave you. This ribbon must be buried with me: it was a present from you on my birthday. How confused it all appears! Little did I then think that I should journey this road. But peace! I pray you, peace!

They are loaded—the clock strikes twelve. I say amen. Lotte, Lotte! farewell, farewell!

A neighbour saw the flash, and heard the report of the pistol; but, as everything remained quiet, he thought no more of it.

In the morning, at six o’clock, the servant went into Werther’s room with a candle. He found his master stretched upon the floor, weltering in his blood, and the pistols at his side. He called, he took him in his arms, but received no answer. Life was not yet quite extinct. The servant ran for a surgeon, and then went to fetch Albert. Lotte heard the ringing of the bell: a cold shudder seized her. She wakened her husband, and they both rose. The servant, bathed in tears faltered forth the dreadful news. Lotte fell senseless at Albert’s feet.

When the surgeon came to the unfortunate Werther, he was still lying on the floor; and his pulse beat, but his limbs were cold. The bullet, entering the forehead, over the right eye, had penetrated the skull. A vein was opened in his right arm: the blood came, and he still continued to breathe.

From the blood which flowed from the chair, it could be inferred that he had committed the rash act sitting at his bureau, and that he afterward fell upon the floor. He was found lying on his back near the window. He was in full-dress costume.

The house, the neighbourhood, and the whole town were immediately in commotion. Albert arrived. They had laid Werther on the bed: his head was bound up, and the paleness of death was upon his face. His limbs were motionless; but he still breathed, at one time strongly, then weaker— his death was momently expected.

He had drunk only one glass of the wine. Emilia Galotti lay open upon his bureau.

I shall say nothing of Albert’s distress, or of Lotte’s grief.

The old steward hastened to the house immediately upon hearing the news: he embraced his dying friend amid a flood of tears. His eldest boys soon followed him on foot. In speechless sorrow they threw themselves on their knees by the bedside, and kissed his hands and face. The eldest, who was his favourite, hung over him till he expired; and even then he was removed by force. At twelve o’clock Werther breathed his last. The presence of the steward, and the precautions he had adopted, prevented a disturbance; and that night, at the hour of eleven, he caused the body to be interred in the place which Werther had selected for himself.

The steward and his sons followed the corpse to the grave. Albert was unable to accompany them. Lotte’s life was despaired of. The body was carried by labourers. No priest attended.

夜里十一点过

周围万籁无声，我心里也同样宁静。我感谢你，上帝，感谢你赐给我最后的时刻以如此多的温暖和力量。

我走到窗前，仰望夜空。我亲爱的人呵，透过汹涌的、急飞过我头顶的乌云，我仍看见在茫茫的空际有一颗颗明星！不，你们不会陨落！永恒的主宰在他的心中托负着你们，托负着我。我看见了群星中最美丽的北斗星。每当我晚上离开了你，每当我跨出你家大门，它就总挂在我的头上。望着它，我常常真是如醉如痴啊！我常常向它举起双手，把它看成是我眼前幸福的神圣象征和吉兆！还有那……哦，绿蒂，什么东西不会叫我想起你呢？在我周围无处没有你！不是么，我不是像个小孩子似的，把你神圣的手指碰过的一切小玩意儿，都贪得无厌地强占为己有么？

这张可爱的剪影画，我把它遗赠给你，绿蒂！请你珍惜它吧，我在它上面何止吻过千次。每逢出门或回家来。我都要向它挥手告别或者致意。

我给你父亲留了一张字条，请他保护我的遗体。在公墓后面朝向田野的一角，长着两株菩提树，我希望安息在那里。你父亲能够，也必定会为他的朋友帮这个忙的。希望你也替我求他一下。我不想勉强虔诚的基督徒把自己的躯体安放在一个可怜的不幸者旁边。唉，我希望你们把我葬在路旁，或者幽寂的山谷中，好让过往的祭师和辅祭能在我的墓碑前祝福，撒马利亚人能洒下泪水几滴。

时候到了，绿蒂！我捏住这冰冷的、可怕的枪柄，心中毫无畏惧，恰似端起一个酒杯，从这杯中，我将把死亡的香醪痛饮！是你把它递给了我，我还有什么可犹豫。一切一切，我生活中的一切希望和梦想，都由此得到了满足！此刻，我就可以冷静地，无动于衷地，去敲死亡的铁门了。

绿蒂啊，只要能为你死，为你献身，我就是幸福的！我愿勇敢地死，高高兴兴地死，只要我的死能给你的生活重新带来宁静，带来快乐。可是，唉，人世间只有很少高尚的人肯为自己的亲眷抛洒热血，以自己的死在他们的友朋中鼓动起新的、百倍的生之勇气。

我希望就穿着身上这些衣服下葬，因为绿蒂你曾经接触过它们，使它们变得神圣了。就这一点，我也在信上请求了你父亲。我的灵魂将飘浮在灵柩上。别让人翻我的衣袋。这个淡红色的蝴蝶结儿，是我第一次在你弟妹中间见到你时，你戴在胸前的……哦，为我多多地吻孩子们，给他们讲他们不幸的朋友的故事。可爱的孩子们啊！他们眼下好像还围在我身边哩！唉，我是多么依恋你呀！自从与你相见，我就再离不开你！……这个蝴蝶结儿，我希望把它和我葬在一起。还是在我过生日那天，你把它送给了我的哟！我真是如饥似渴地接受了你的一切！没想到，唉，我的结局竟是这样！……镇静一点！我求你，镇静点吧！……

子弹已经装好……钟正敲十二点！就这样吧！……绿蒂，绿蒂！别了啊，别了！

有位邻居看见火光闪了一下，接着听见一声枪响，但是随后一切复归于寂静，便没有再留意。

第二天早上六点，佣人端着灯走进房来，发现维特躺在地上，身旁是手枪和血。他唤他，扶他坐起来；维特一声不答，只是还在喘气。仆人跑去请大夫，通知阿尔伯特。绿蒂听见门铃响，浑身顿时战栗开了。她叫醒丈夫，两人一同起来；维特的年轻仆人哭喊着，结巴着，报告了凶信。绿蒂一听便昏倒在阿尔伯特跟前。

等大夫赶到出事地点，发现躺在地上的维特已经没救，脉搏倒还在跳，可四肢已经僵硬。维特对准右眼上方的额头开了一枪，脑浆都迸出来了。大夫不必要地割开他胳膊上的一条动脉，血流出来，可他仍有喘息。

从靠椅扶手上的血迹断定，他是坐在书桌前完成此举的，随后却摔到地上，痛得围着椅子打滚。最后，他仰卧着，面对窗户，再也没有动弹的力气。此刻，他仍穿的是那套他心爱的服装：长筒皮靴，青色燕尾服，再配上黄色的背心。

房东一家、左邻右舍以及全城居民都惊动了。阿尔伯特走进房来，维特已被众人放到床上，额头扎着绷带，脸色已成死灰，四肢一动不动。只有肺部还在可怕地喘哮着，一会儿轻，一会儿重，大伙儿都盼着他快点断气。

昨夜要的酒他只喝了一杯。书桌上摊开着一本《艾米莉亚·迦洛蒂》。

关于阿尔伯特的震惊和绿蒂的悲恸，我就不用讲了。

老总管闻讯匆匆赶来，泪流满面地亲吻垂死的维特。他的几个大一点的儿子也接踵而至，一齐跪倒床前，放声大哭，吻了他的手，吻了他的嘴。尤其是平日最得维特喜欢的老大，更是一直吻着他，直至他断气，人家才把这孩子给强行拖开。维特断气的时间是正午十二点。由于总管亲临现场并作过布置，才防止了市民蜂拥而至。当晚十一点不到，他便吩咐大伙儿把维特葬在他自行选定的墓地里。老人领着儿子们走在维特的遗体后面；阿尔伯特没能来，绿蒂的生命叫他担忧。几名手工匠人抬着维特，没有任何教士来给他送葬。