He Who Shuns the Light Lyrics

(adapted from Faust, Pt. I, by Goethe)

My pathos soon thy laughter would awake
Hadst thou the laughing mood not long forsworn
Of suns and worlds I have nothing to say
I see alone mankind's self-torturing pains
The little world-god the self-same stamp retains
And is as wondrous now as on the primal day
Better he might have fared, poor wight
Hadst thou not given him a gleam of heav'nly light