# Goethe, Faust dotting the i quote

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goethe-faust-dotting-the-i-quote/529190>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [February 16, 2010, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goethe-faust-dotting-the-i-quote/529190 "2010-02-16T13:14:40Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Flipshod](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f19dbf/32.png) [@Flipshod](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flipshod)\
**Post date:** [February 16, 2010, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goethe-faust-dotting-the-i-quote/529190/1 "2010-02-16T13:14:40Z")

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A friend is looking for a quote from Goethe’s Faust about dotting i’s. Anyone know what she 's talking about?–I’ve been reading his famous quotes and have found nothing–(and I’m not about to read the whole piece just to find it).

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**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\
**Post date:** [February 16, 2010, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goethe-faust-dotting-the-i-quote/529190/2 "2010-02-16T14:01:28Z")

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Oh no, it’s back. The deja vu.

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**Author:** ![wintertime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c68b51/32.png) [@wintertime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wintertime)\
**Post date:** [February 16, 2010, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goethe-faust-dotting-the-i-quote/529190/3 "2010-02-16T14:14:30Z")

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Faust II, Act 2, Laboratory

Here is a rather crude translation by George Madison Priest

Homunculus:Well, you  
Will stay at home, most weighty work to do.  
Open the parchment-sheets, collect  
Life-elements as the recipes direct,  
With caution fitting each to other. Ponder  
The What - to solve the How still harder try,  
While through a little piece of world I wander  
To find the dot to put upon the i.  
Accomplished then will the great purpose be.  
Striving earns high requital: wealth,  
Honour and fame, long life and perfect health,  
Knowledge and virtue too - well, possibly.  
Farewell!

Forgot to add the original:

HOMUNCULUS. Eh nun,  
Du bleibst zu Hause, Wichtigstes zu tun.  
Entfalte du die alten Pergamente,  
Nach Vorschrift sammle Lebenselemente  
Und füge sie mit Vorsicht eins ans andre.  
Das Was bedenke, mehr bedenke Wie.  
Indessen ich ein Stückchen Welt durchwandre,  
Entdeck’ ich wohl das Tüpfchen auf das i.  
Dann ist der große Zweck erreicht;  
Solch einen Lohn verdient ein solches Streben:  
Gold, Ehre, Ruhm, gesundes langes Leben,  
Und Wissenschaft und Tugend - auch vielleicht.  
Leb wohl!

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**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\
**Post date:** [February 16, 2010, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goethe-faust-dotting-the-i-quote/529190/4 "2010-02-16T18:54:34Z")

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> [@Flipshod](#):
>
> A friend is looking for a quote from Goethe’s Faust about dotting i’s. Anyone know what she 's talking about?–I’ve been reading his famous quotes and have found nothing–(and I’m not about to read the whole piece just to find it).

[moderating]  
Please don’t crosspost your questions in multiple forums. Just pick the best one and put it there. Since your [General Questions](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=552385) thread has gotten more replies, I’m closing this one and leaving that one open.  
[/moderating]