歌德、席勒:兩位世界大文豪的生死情緣

中國有句名言：“文人相輕。”但歌德(1749-1832)和席勒(1759-1805)這兩位出生地不同、生卒時間相差頗遠、地位懸殊的文學家，竟然走到一起，結為生死之交，合葬同穴，成為人間友情的楷模。

歌德生于法蘭克福。當時德國早已分裂為360個小邦國，其中魏瑪公國比較開明，到處搜羅文人賢士。發表《少年維特之煩惱》而載譽歐洲的歌德，26歲被魏瑪公爵邀入宮廷，任樞密顧問，權傾一時，過著優裕的貴族生活。比歌德小10歲的席勒生于馬爾巴赫，23歲以后就發表了《海盜》、《陰謀與愛情》等作品；1787年來到魏瑪謀職，沒有得到公爵賞識，到處漂泊，窮困潦倒。在社交場合，席勒雖多次見到歌德，但一為權臣一為布衣，擦肩而過未曾交談。

1788年底，歌德舉薦席勒為耶拿大學歷史學副教授，使席勒有了穩定的生活來源。1793年席勒創辦《季節女神》雜志，邀請歌德等文化名人撰稿。歌德厭膩近20年的仕宦生活，重燃文學創作之火。翌年7月，在耶拿舉行自然科學報告會，兩文豪不期而遇；會后，兩人邊走邊討論植物變形問題，信步走到席勒陋室，進了門繼續交談，十分投緣而忘了吃飯時間，竟有相交恨晚之慨。這是兩位巨人的首次正式交談。幾天后，繼續暢談文藝問題，發現彼此“出乎意料的一致”，從此“在一條友誼的林蔭道上并肩前進”。這就是說，兩位比鄰而居的文人，經歷7年之后才有了真正的交往。

在耶拿余興未盡，歌德邀席勒來魏瑪宅邸小住兩周。在歌德盛情邀請下，席勒1799年舉家遷入魏瑪，先借住在歌德家中，爾后由歌德資助買了一所房子。席勒的妻子和親屬也由歌德安排了相宜的工作。席勒從此在幽靜的環境中，創作了愛國主義劇作《奧里昂姑娘》、《威廉·退爾》和《華倫斯坦》三部曲。為使劇本搬上舞臺，歌德親自領銜榮譽導演和顧問，用自己的光輝照耀了席勒這個晚輩后生。

席勒動員歌德翻出長期壓在箱筐中的《浮士德》第一部、《威廉·邁斯特》等草稿，悉心修改，發表在《季節女神》上。歌德對席勒說：“您給了我第二次青春。在我差不多已經完全停止創作的時候，您又使我成為詩人。”

兩巨匠知文愈篤，共同語言愈多，于是合作了《警句詩》500余首，抨擊社會上的庸俗、卑劣現象。他倆才氣勃發，在《文藝年鑒》上競相發表敘事詩曲，震撼德國文壇。

1805年初，兩人都病倒了。4月末歌德抱病來探望席勒，席勒掙扎著起床，帶歌德去劇院看戲，不料竟成永訣。5月9日，受盡肺結核折磨的席勒，跌倒在寫字臺下，結束了46年短暫的生命，桌上還放著寫了一半的悲劇《邀默特紐斯》。歌德在病榻上聽到摯友離世噩耗，老淚縱橫，泣不成聲，竟然3個月不能正常寫作。他說：“我失去了一位朋友，也失去了我的生命的一半。”8月10日，他忍痛主持了席勒的追悼會，在會上演出席勒的絕唱《大鐘歌》。他為該劇寫了收場詩，喊出“他屬于我們”的最強音。后來他將兩人通信書簡1000多件，編纂成四卷本《書簡集》出版；書中表達了兩位文豪對文學、美學和其他問題的看法，被稱為贈給德國人民的“偉大禮物”。

席勒身后留下一堆債務，家屬不能體面安葬席勒遺骸，草草擱在圣耶各教堂的地下室。1826年，歌德將席勒遺骨捧回自己家中，次年12月移葬到魏瑪最顯貴的“歷史公墓”中。

1832年3月，83歲高齡的歌德臥床不起，彌留中念叨著席勒，模糊中看到地上一頁廢紙，誤認為席勒筆跡，呵斥身邊的兒媳說：“怎么把席勒的信丟在地上?”

歌德去世后，人們按歌德7年前的安排，將他的靈柩放在席勒旁邊。從此，兩位巨人永遠廝守在一起。

現在的魏瑪，居于德國東部伊爾姆河畔，是一座人口不上7萬的小城。然而正是由于歌德和席勒在這里創造了德國古典文學最輝煌的時期，因而成了世界文化名城。如今，魏瑪保留著歌德和席勒的許多紀念性建筑物。1999年歌德誕生250周年之際，歐洲共同體曾將魏瑪定為1999年的“歐洲文化城”。

在市中心的德國魏瑪民族劇院門前，有一座青銅雕像。兩個中年學者挺立在水泥臺座上，身披氅衣，手攜手，肩并肩，目光炯炯注視遠方。臺座下刻著“歌德和席勒”幾個大字。200多年來，這個劇院無數次演出兩文豪的劇本。

南郊栗樹林中的“歷史公墓”，是魏瑪最顯赫的貴族墓地。歌德和席勒的合葬陵園占地400平方米，常春藤環抱四周；地下靈寢并排放著兩口棟木紅漆棺材，棺上分別寫著兩文豪的名字。地面陵廳有兩文豪的玉白色半身塑像，比肩而坐，就像生前那樣在娓娓交談。

席勒故居是座米黃色的三層小樓，所在街道也叫“席勒街”。席勒1802年在歌德幫助下購置了這幢房子，一直住到1805年去世。后人曾將它出售，當地社團贖回后辟為“席勒紀念館”。

歌德故居和他的消夏別墅也完整地保存著。1896年，德國政府在魏瑪建立了“歌德-席勒檔案館”。

魏瑪民族劇院前歌德與席勒塑像

The statue of Goethe and Schiller in front of the Deutches National Theater at Weimar

席勒的工作室及臥室，席勒在此去世。

Schiller worked， slept and died in this room.

安葬歌德與席勒的皇家陵墓 The Goethe-Schiller mausoleum in Weimar

法蘭克福的歌德塑像

A statue of Goethe in Frankfurt

德累斯頓的席勒紀念碑

A Schiller Monument in Dresden

Great Friendship between Goethe and Schiller

By Yu Wen

It is a very ancient idea， probably for thousands of years， in China that some men of letters tend to despise each other for no apparent reasons. For these Chinese who believe that some men of letters are bound to despise each other， they would be greatly surprised to learn that Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749–1832) and Johann Christoph Friedrich von Schiller (1759-1805)， two great German men of letters， had an admirable friendship.

Goethe was born in Frankfort. His time saw Germany break into 360 small states. After his “The Sorrows of Young Werther” gained European fame， Goethe at the age of 26 came to Weimar in 1775 and held a succession of offices. Schiller， ten years younger than Goethe， also made his reputation when he published The Robbers and Intrigue and Love. In 1787 he came to Weimar in the hope of finding employment. But he failed to be appreciated by the Duke. Though Goethe and Schiller saw each other on some social occasions， they did not talk due to the difference of their social statuses.

Schiller’s life took an upward turn toward the end of 1788. Through Goethe’s recommendation， Schiller was appointed Professor of History and Philosophy at Jena University. This employment gave Schiller a stable life. In 1793， Schiller started a literary periodical and invited Goethe to contribute. Somewhat tired of the life and work at the court， Goethe saw the invitation as a way to write creatively again. In July 1794， Goethe and Schiller met at a seminar on natural sciences held in Jena. Unexpectedly they hit it off immediately. They talked and talked forgetting lunch. And they continued to talk enthusiastically in the following days. Seven years after Schiller came to Weimar， the two great men of letters found each other and founded a lifelong friendship.

Goethe later invited Schiller to stay with him in Weimar for two weeks. In 1799， Schiller moved to Weimar. The family first stayed at Goethe’s house and then moved into a house purchased with financial help from Goethe. Schiller’s wife and some relatives found employment with the help of Goethe. It was in Weimar that Schiller wrote The Maid of Orleans， William Tell and the Wallenstein trilogy. Goethe served as honorary director and advisor to these plays.

Schiller encouraged Goethe to finished works he had left as sketches， among which was Faust Part One. Goethe confided in Schiller that the playwright had given him second youth， saying he became a poet again at the time when he had almost stopped writing.

The friendship between the two giant men of letters enabled them to work together on Xenien， a collection of more than 500 short satirical poems in which both Goethe and Schiller challenge opponents to their philosophic vision.

In early 1805， both Goethe and Schiller fell ill. Goethe came to visit Schiller toward the end of April. The two went to see an opera together. It was their last meeting. On May 9， Schiller died from tuberculosis at the age of 46.

On August 10， Goethe attended Schiller’s funeral. During their relationship， the two men of letters altogether wrote more than 1，000 letters to each other. Goethe edited the letters and published the letters in four volumes. The book is regarded as a great gift to the German people.

In 1926， Goethe moved the remains of Schiller to his home and in December 1826， Goethe made arrangements to bury Schiller at the best cemetery at Weimar.

Goethe passed away in March 1832. His coffin was placed side by side with that of Schiller in the same mausoleum. The giants stay together forever.

Today， Weimar is a quiet town with a population of 65，000. Thanks to Goethe and Schiller， Weimar is widely recognized as a city of world renown. In front of the Deutches National Theater stands the Goethe-Schiller Monument. The two bronze figures depict the great friendship between the two great men of letters. Over the past 200 years， the theater has staged numerous performances of the two men’s plays.

Schiller’s former residence is a three-storied house in light beige. The street where the house is located is Schiller Street. Schiller bought the house with the help of Goethe in 1802. The house was sold after the death of Schiller in 1805. It was bought back by the local community and turned into Schiller Museum. Goethe’s former residence and summer villa are kept intact. In 1896， the Goethe-Schiller archives were set up in Weimar. In 1953， a memorial center for German literary classics was founded and the headquarters of the institution was set in Weimar.