1914 German Flugpost Postcard

I picked this up recently (online auction) not knowing what it was.

The cancellation says "Flugpost Dresden-Leipzig" on May 10, 1914 - more than 5 years prior to the start of official airmail service in Germany and two years after the "Flugpost am rhein und main" fundraiser (the only "airmail" event I am familiar with).

The postcard contains a quote from Goethe's book "Faust, a tragedy" - which I have copied here, but am having a heck of a time translating.







Does anyone have a clue what the occasion was and possibly put a $$ value on it?

Thanks!

Brian

Euphorion.
But! - And a pair of wings
Folds himself away!
Thither! I must! I must!
Grant me the flight!

You arrived at a similar translation as I did, but not being familiar with conversational German, I'm certain we need help to get the vernacular correct.

For instance - the word "doch" can be used in more ways than I can count!

http://german.about.com/library/wee...a010806b.htm

Brian

"Lo!" is probably more fitting now that I think about it.

On 10-11 May 1914, the DFW aircraft company in Leipzig-Lindenthal flew several promotional airmail flights between Leipzig and Dresden to promote their DFW Taube aircraft. For the event, commemorative postcards were available, and a special postmark was used.

Due to bad weather, the 10 May flight didn't occur, and both legs were flown on 11 May. Flight Lieutenants Meyer and Römpler carried 130 kilograms of mail (32,605 postcards) from Dresden to Leipzig in the morning, and that afternoon, Flight Lieutenant Meyer returned alone with three mailbags carrying 11,314 postcards.

These typically sell for about $30-$50, though I've seen pristine copies with perfect stamps, cancels, etc., go for around $100.

Doch! – und ein Flügelpaar
Faltet sich los!
Dorthin! Ich muß! ich muß!
Gönnt mir den Flug!

Yet - and a pair of wings
unfolds open!
Thither! I must! I must!
Don't begrudge me the flight!

Thank you all for the input. I'm quite fond of this cover and now have the desire to read Goethe because of it!

Brian

Just be sure to get a decent translation... and not from a website that put this up!

But! - And a pair of wings
Folds himself away!
Thither! I must! I must!
Grant me the flight!

Only one line correct and they changed the meaning of the last line as well... "Gönnt" comes from "gönnen" but I suppose "grant" looked similar and sounded more poetic but as a translation it fails.