MS 5572

IBSEN: MAANESKINSVANDRING EFTER ET BAL (POEM)

MS 5572
MS Short Title HENRIK IBSEN: MAANESKINSVANDRING EFTER ET BAL (POEM)
Text
1. Henrik Ibsen: Maaneskinsvandring efter et Bal. Tilegnet Jomfru Cathrine Martini (poem):
 Tys, hvor stille! - hist fra Salen lyder Glæden ikke længer; Ingen Stemme, ingen tone gjennom Nattens Stille trænger. Langt i Vester kaster Maanen snart det sidste Blik henover Jorden, som i Glæmselsdrømme under sneens Lilier sover. Endt er Ballet, - men i Tanken seer jeg end iblandt de hvide Skikkelser, som svæve gjennom Rækkerne, en let Sylphide! Snart er Maanen dalet; da skal Søvnens arme meg omfatte Da kan Sjælen glide frit paa Drømmens Hav med Mindets Skatte!

2. Henrik Ibsen: Accompanying letter to Jomfru Cathrine Martini
Description MS in Danish-Norwegian on light blue paper, Grimstad, 12 April 1850, 2 pp 22x14 and 13x11 cm, 12 + 7 lines in cursive script, autograph, signed twice.
Context

The same day, 12 April 1850 Ibsen also sent the poem to the lady who accompanied him at the ball, Sophie Holst. This autograph is now in the National library in Oslo, NBO Ms. fol.3215. In NBO Ms 8vo 191 there is a 3rd autograph with the following line crossed out: "Written upon the requests of Sophie Holst and Cathrine Martini". The accompanying letter to Sophie Holst is lost. The 3 autographs vary mainly in orthography, punctuation and line divisions.

The same day, 12 April 1850, Ibsen also left Grimstad for good and went to Christiania, and the same day again his first play Catilina was published.

See also MS 2114, autograph draft for part of the first act of Ibsen's play Lille Eyolf. There are over 75 further autograph Ibsen letters, documents, drawings and inscribed editions and photographs in the Schøyen Collection, which also holds the world's largest collection of text and binding variants of the Norwegian and Danish first and later editions until 1906, over 1200 volumes, all different.

Provenance 1. Cathrine Martini, Grimstad (1850-); 2. Olav Myre, Oslo (1878-1954) and heirs; 3. Cappenen bokauksjon with parts of Olav Myres' library 6 May 1974 lot 882; 4. Per Meyer, Oslo (1974-2000); 5. Ellen Meyer, Oslo (2000-2016); 6. Cappelen bokauksjon 64 (15 June 2016) lot 129.
Commentary Ibsen wrote about 200 poems. All surviving autographs are in public libraries, except the present poem, which is among the very first he wrote.
Published First published in Henrik Jæger, Henrik Ibsen 1828-1888: Et literært livsbillede, Gyldendal, København 1888, pp. 52-53. Current publication is Henrik Ibsens Skrifter volume 11, Aschehoug, Oslo 2009, pp 72-73, 121-122, 124. Both publications are based on NBO Ms 8vo 191 and not on the present autograph, which remains unpublished.
Place of origin Grimstad
Dates 1850 AD