Ginko biloba from Goethe's West-Eastern Divan

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From Johann Wolfgang von Goethe: "West-Eastern Divan", translation by Paul Carus, 1915

Ginko Biloba

Leaf of Eastern tree transplanted
Here into my garden's field
Hast me secret meaning granted
Which adepts delight will yield

Art thou one - one living being
Now divided into two?
Art thou two, who jointed agreeing
and in one united grew?

To the question, pondered duly,
Have I found the right reply:
In my poems you see truly
Twofold and yet one am I.

The above poem and a ginko tree leaf were sent by Goethe to Marianne von Willemer. Both met in Frankfurt.

In China and Japan the ginko is a holy tree, its two-fold leaves are a symbol for the unity of opposites, for love.

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe fell in love throughout his life, and, especially in his youth, women found him immensely attractive. Marianne von Willemer was 31 when she began to love 66 year old Johann Wolfgang. Goethe by then believed that there would be only world literature in the future, not national literature. He was reading oriental poets when he transformed his love for Marianne into the 'West Eastern Divan' and included - anonymously - Marianne von Willemer's inspired poems.

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You can buy copies of Goethe's West-Eastern Divan: via Abebooks US/Canada or via Abebooks UK

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