Section 75. The Beauty of the Eye. II

We realise⁠ this fully only when⁠ we gaze into the faces of those we love. It⁠ is their eyes (S. 16, N. 10) we look at⁠ when we are near them, and⁠ recall when we are⁠ far away. The face is a⁠ blank without the eye, and the eye seems to concentrate every⁠ feature in itself. It is the eye that smiles, not the lips; it is the eye that listens⁠, not the ear; it⁠ that frowns, not the brow; it⁠ that mourns, not the voice. Every sense and every faculty⁠ seems to⁠ flow toward it, and find expression through it⁠, nay⁠, to be lost in it; for all must have felt at times as⁠ if a man’s eye was not a part of him, but (S. 6, N. 10) the man himself; as⁠ if it had not merely life, but also a⁠ personality of its own;—as⁠ if it was not only a living, but also a thinking being.—Prof. G. Wilson.

‘to realise’, here = to comprehend, begreifen. The object ‘this’ may be emphasized by being placed at the head of the clause. Fully only, erst ganz.

Say ‘when we look upon (betrachten) the face (Antlitz, n.) of our loved ones (unserer Lieben)’.

Es sind.

anblicken.

and which we recall (sich zurückrufen).

are far away, fern von ihnen weilen.

a blank = expressionless.

Supply here the adj. ‘individual’ (einzeln).

lauschen.

Say ‘the eye frowns (zürnen, i.e. to look angry)’.

Say ‘the eye is sad’.

Gemütsstimmung, f.

to — it, dahin zu strömen.

‘it’, here = the same.

ja, darin aufzugehen.

as if ... was, als wäre; a man’s eye = the eye of a man.

as if it had, als hätte es.

a personality of its own = a self-dependent personality.

as if it was, als wäre es.