Translations. - Spiritual Songs.(from Novalis.) Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: A BCBCDEDE FGFGHIHJ JFJFJKJK BFBFBGBG LMLMBNBO HPHPHFHF BMBMDQQQ QRQRSTST SUSUVWVW QCQCHXHX A HYHZHH A2B2A2B2QQ ZVZVZZ ZZZZLC2 ZHZHJJ QZQZQQ A QD2QE2 ZQZQ ZF2ZF2 VG2H2G2 SHSH QI2QI2 QJ2QJ2 HHHH QB2QB2 A2 ZZJK2K2J HHQL2L2Q ZZI2HHI2 QQQE2E2Q A2 A2HA2HE2E2 H A2WA2WZZ A2ZA2ZZZ A2M2A2M2ZZ N2O2P2O2Q2Q2 A2 R2A2R2A2A2QA2Q QS2QS2T2HT2H HHHHSA2SA2 A2QA2QHWHW A2 H O2A2A2SQZSQA2A2QA2QU 2HA2VQA2A2A2VA2A2VQ HZG2ZVA2HVA2HQVQQVVZ ZA2VA2ZQA2A2A2V A2 QQA2ZZA2 ZZVQQV ZZVQQV QQHA2A2H A2A2QVVQ QQQQQQ VVA2ZZA2 A2 VVVV A2VA2V A2VA2V A2QA2Q HQHQ QA2QA2 VQVQ A2VA2V A2 VA2VA2 QVQV ZQZQ A2A2A2A2 QQQQ QPQP QQQQ A2 A2A2A2A2 ZA2ZA2 QQQQ QG2QG2 QHQH A2QA2Q QQQQ A2QA2Q A2A2A2A2 ZA2ZA2 A2QA2Q ZQZQ A2 QQA2A2 QQQQ V2W2X2X2 A2A2QQ QQHH A2A2QQ HHJJ QQQQ HHA2A2 QQQQ QQQQ QQA2A2 A2 ZA2ZA2QQQQ A2QA2QA2QA2Q A2 QQQQA2A2 A2A2A2A2A2A2 A2A2ZZY2Q G2G2QQQQ HHQQQQ A2A2A2A2A2A2 A2A2HHQQ A2A2QQZ2Z2 A2 A2QA2QQHQH

I	A
	-
Without thee what were life or being	B
Without thee what had I not grown	C
From fear and anguish vainly fleeing	B
I in the world had stood alone	C
For all I loved could trust no shelter	D
The future a dim gulf had lain	E
And when my heart in tears did welter	D
To whom had I poured out my pain	E
	-
Consumed in love and longing lonely	F
Each day had worn the night's dull face	G
With hot tears I had followed only	F
Afar life's wildly rushing race	G
No rest for me tumultuous driven	H
A hopeless sorrow by the hearth	I
Who that had not a friend in heaven	H
Could to the end hold out on earth	J
	-
But if his heart once Jesus bareth	J
And I of him right sure can be	F
How soon a living glory scareth	J
The bottomless obscurity	F
Manhood in him first man attaineth	J
His fate in Him transfigured glows	K
On freezing Iceland India gaineth	J
And round the loved one blooms and blows	K
	-
Life grows a twilight softly stealing	B
The world speaks all of love and glee	F
For every wound grows herb of healing	B
And every heart beats full and free	F
I his ten thousand gifts receiving	B
Humble like him his knees embrace	G
Sure that we share his presence living	B
When two are gathered in one place	G
	-
Forth forth to all highways and hedges	L
Compel the wanderers to come in	M
Stretch out the hand that good will pledges	L
And gladly call them to their kin	M
See heaven high over earth up dawning	B
In faith we see it rise and spread	N
To all with us one spirit owning	B
To them with us 'tis opened	O
	-
An ancient heavy guilt illusion	H
Haunted our hearts a changeless doom	P
Blindly we strayed in night's confusion	H
Gladness and grief alike consume	P
Whate'er we did some law was broken	H
Mankind appeared God's enemy	F
And if we thought the heavens had spoken	H
They spoke but death and misery	F
	-
The heart of life the fountain swelling	B
An evil creature lay therein	M
If more light shone into our dwelling	B
More unrest only did we win	M
Down to the earth an iron fetter	D
Fast held us trembling captive crew	Q
Fear of Law's sword grim Death the whetter	Q
Did swallow up hope's residue	Q
	-
Then came a saviour to deliver	Q
A Son of Man in love and might	R
A holy fire of life all giver	Q
He in our hearts has fanned alight	R
Then first heaven opened and no fable	S
Our own old fatherland we trod	T
To hope and trust we straight were able	S
And knew ourselves akin to God	T
	-
Then vanished Sin's old spectre dismal	S
Our every step grew glad and brave	U
Best natal gift in rite baptismal	S
Their own faith men their children gave	U
Holy in him Life since hath floated	V
A happy dream through every heart	W
We to his love and joy devoted	V
Scarce know the moment we depart	W
	-
Still standeth in his wondrous glory	Q
The holy loved one with his own	C
His crown of thorns his faithful story	Q
Still move our hearts still make us groan	C
Whoso from deadly sleep will waken	H
And grasp his hand of sacrifice	X
Into his heart with us is taken	H
To ripen a fruit of Paradise	X
	-
	-
II	A
	-
Dawn far eastward on the mountain	H
Gray old times are growing young	Y
From the flashing colour fountain	H
I will quaff it deep and long	Z
Granted boon to Longing's long privation	H
Sweet love in divine transfiguration	H
	-
Comes at last our old Earth's native	A2
All Heaven's one child simple kind	B2
Blows again in song creative	A2
Round the earth a living wind	B2
Blows to clear new flames that rush together	Q
Sparks extinguished long by earthly weather	Q
	-
Everywhere from graves upspringing	Z
Rises new born life new blood	V
Endless peace up to us bringing	Z
Dives he underneath life's flood	V
Stands in midst with full hands eyes caressing	Z
Hardly waits the prayer to grant the blessing	Z
	-
Let his mild looks of invading	Z
Deep into thy spirit go	Z
By his blessedness unfading	Z
Thou thy heart possessed shalt know	Z
Hearts of all men spirits all and senses	L
Mingle and a new glad dance commences	C2
	-
Grasp his hands with boldness yearning	Z
Stamp his face thy heart upon	H
Turning toward him ever turning	Z
Thou the flower must face thy sun	H
Who to him his heart's last fold unfoldeth	J
True as wife's his heart for ever holdeth	J
	-
Ours is now that Godhead's splendour	Q
At whose name we used to quake	Z
South and north its breathings tender	Q
Heavenly germs at once awake	Z
Let us then in God's full garden labour	Q
And to every bud and bloom be neighbour	Q
	-
	-
III	A
	-
Who in his chamber sitteth lonely	Q
And weepeth heavy bitter tears	D2
To whom in doleful colours only	Q
Of want and woe the world appears	E2
	-
Who of the Past gulf like receding	Z
Would search with questing eyes the core	Q
Down into which a sweet woe pleading	Z
Wiles him from all sides evermore	Q
	-
As if a treasure past believing	Z
Lay there below for him high piled	F2
After whose lock with bosom heaving	Z
He breathless grasps in longing wild	F2
	-
He sees the Future waste and arid	V
In hideous length before him stretch	G2
About he roams alone and harried	H2
And seeks himself poor restless wretch	G2
	-
I fall upon his bosom tearful	S
I once like thee with woe was wan	H
But I grew well am strong and cheerful	S
And know the eternal rest of man	H
	-
Thou too must find the one consoler	Q
Who inly loved endured and died	I2
Even for them that wrought his dolour	Q
With thousand fold rejoicing died	I2
	-
He died and yet fresh each to morrow	Q
His love and him thy heart doth hold	J2
Thou mayst consoled for every sorrow	Q
Him in thy arms with ardour fold	J2
	-
New blood shall from his heart be driven	H
Through thy dead bones like living wine	H
And once thy heart to him is given	H
Then is his heart for ever thine	H
	-
What thou didst lose he keeps it for thee	Q
With him thy lost love thou shalt find	B2
And what his hand doth once restore thee	Q
That hand to thee will changeless bind	B2
	-
	-
IV	A2
	-
Of the thousand hours me meeting	Z
And with gladsome promise greeting	Z
One alone hath kept its faith	J
One wherein ah sorely grieved	K2
In my heart I first perceived	K2
Who for us did die the death	J
	-
All to dust my world was beaten	H
As a worm had through them eaten	H
Withered in me bud and flower	Q
All my life had sought or cherished	L2
In the grave had sunk and perished	L2
Pain sat in my ruined bower	Q
	-
While I thus in silence sighing	Z
Ever wept on Death still crying	Z
Still to sad delusions tied	I2
All at once the night was cloven	H
From my grave the stone was hoven	H
And my inner doors thrown wide	I2
	-
Whom I saw and who the other	Q
Ask me not or friend or brother	Q
Sight seen once and evermore	Q
Lone in all life's eves and morrows	E2
This hour only like my sorrows	E2
Ever shines my eyes before	Q
	-
	-
V	A2
	-
If I him but have	A2
If he be but mine	H
If my heart hence to the grave	A2
Ne'er forgets his love divine	H
Know I nought of sadness	E2
Feel I nought but worship love and gladness	E2
	-
note Here I found the double or feminine rhyme impossible without the loss of the far more precious simplicity of the original which could be retained only by a literal translation	H
	-
If I him but have	A2
Pleased from all I part	W
Follow on my pilgrim staff	A2
None but him with honest heart	W
Leave the rest nought saying	Z
On broad bright and crowded highways straying	Z
	-
If I him but have	A2
Glad to sleep I sink	Z
From his heart the flood he gave	A2
Shall to mine be food and drink	Z
And with sweet compelling	Z
Mine shall soften deep throughout it welling	Z
	-
If I him but have	A2
Mine the world I hail	M2
Happy like a cherub grave	A2
Holding back the Virgin's veil	M2
I deep sunk in gazing	Z
Hear no more the Earth or its poor praising	Z
	-
Where I have but him	N2
Is my fatherland	O2
Every gift a precious gem	P2
Come to me from his own hand	O2
Brothers long deplored	Q2
Lo in his disciples all restored	Q2
	-
	-
VI	A2
	-
My faith to thee I break not	R2
If all should faithless be	A2
That gratitude forsake not	R2
The world eternally	A2
For my sake Death did sting thee	A2
With anguish keen and sore	Q
Therefore with joy I bring thee	A2
This heart for evermore	Q
	-
Oft weep I like a river	Q
That thou art dead and yet	S2
So many of thine thee Giver	Q
Of life life long forget	S2
By love alone possessed	T2
Such great things thou hast done	H
But thou art dead O Blessed	T2
And no one thinks thereon	H
	-
Thou stand'st with love unshaken	H
Ever by every man	H
And if by all forsaken	H
Art still the faithful one	H
Such love must win the wrestle	S
At last thy love they'll see	A2
Weep bitterly and nestle	S
Like children to thy knee	A2
	-
Thou with thy love hast found me	A2
O do not let me go	Q
Keep me where thou hast bound me	A2
Till one with thee I grow	Q
My brothers yet will waken	H
One look to heaven will dart	W
Then sink down love o'ertaken	H
And fall upon thy heart	W
	-
	-
VII	A2
	-
HYMN	H
	-
Few understand	O2
The mystery of Love	A2
Know insatiableness	A2
And thirst eternal	S
Of the Last Supper	Q
The divine meaning	Z
Is to the earthly senses a riddle	S
But he that ever	Q
From warm beloved lips	A2
Drew breath of life	A2
In whom the holy glow	Q
Ever melted the heart in trembling waves	A2
Whose eye ever opened so	Q
As to fathom	U2
The bottomless deeps of heaven	H
Will eat of his body	A2
And drink of his blood	V
Everlastingly	Q
Who of the earthly body	A2
Has divined the lofty sense	A2
Who can say	A2
That he understands the blood	V
One day all is body	A2
One body	A2
In heavenly blood	V
Swims the blissful two	Q
	-
Oh that the ocean	H
Were even now flushing	Z
And in odorous flesh	G2
The rock were upswelling	Z
Never endeth the sweet repast	V
Never doth Love satisfy itself	A2
Never close enough never enough its own	H
Can it have the beloved	V
By ever tenderer lips	A2
Transformed the Partaken	H
Goes deeper grows nearer	Q
Pleasure more ardent	V
Thrills through the soul	Q
Thirstier and hungrier	Q
Becomes the heart	V
And so endureth Love's delight	V
From everlasting to everlasting	Z
Had the refraining	Z
Tasted but once	A2
All had they left	V
To set themselves down with us	A2
To the table of longing	Z
Which will never be bare	Q
Then had they known Love's	A2
Infinite fullness	A2
And commended the sustenance	A2
Of body and blood	V
	-
	-
VIII	A2
	-
Weep I must my heart runs over	Q
Would he once himself discover	Q
If but once from far away	A2
Holy sorrow still prevailing	Z
Is my weeping is my wailing	Z
Would that I were turned to clay	A2
	-
Evermore I hear him crying	Z
To his Father see him dying	Z
Will this heart for ever beat	V
Will my eyes in death close never	Q
Weeping all into a river	Q
Were a bliss for me too sweet	V
	-
Hear I none but me bewailing	Z
Dies his name an echo failing	Z
Is the world at once struck dead	V
Shall I from his eyes ah never	Q
More drink love and life for ever	Q
Is he now for always dead	V
	-
Dead What means that sound of dolour	Q
Tell me tell me thou a scholar	Q
What it means that word so grim	H
He is silent all turn from me	A2
No one on the earth will show me	A2
Where my heart may look for him	H
	-
Earth no more whate'er befall me	A2
Can to any gladness call me	A2
She is but one dream of woe	Q
I too am with him departed	V
Would I lay with him still hearted	V
In the region down below	Q
	-
Hear me hear his and my father	Q
My dead bones I pray thee gather	Q
Unto his and soon I pray	Q
Grass his hillock soon will cover	Q
Soon the wind will wander over	Q
Soon his form will fade away	Q
	-
If his love they once perceived	V
Soon soon all men had believed	V
Letting all things else go by	A2
Lord of love him only owning	Z
All would weep with me bemoaning	Z
And in bitter woe would die	A2
	-
	-
IX	A2
	-
He lives he's risen from the dead	V
To every man I shout	V
His presence over us is spread	V
Goes with us in and out	V
	-
To each I say it each apace	A2
His comrades telleth too	V
That straight will dawn in every place	A2
The heavenly kingdom new	V
	-
Now to the new mind first appears	A2
The world a fatherland	V
A new life men receive with tears	A2
Of rapture from his hand	V
	-
Down into deepest gulfs of sea	A2
Grim Death hath sunk away	Q
And now each man with holy glee	A2
Can face his coming day	Q
	-
The darksome road that he hath gone	H
Leads out on heaven's floor	Q
Who heeds the counsel of the Son	H
Enters the Father's door	Q
	-
Down here weeps no one any more	Q
For friend that shuts his eyes	A2
For soon or late the parting sore	Q
Will change to glad surprise	A2
	-
And now to every friendly deed	V
Each heart will warmer glow	Q
For many a fold the fresh sown seed	V
In lovelier fields will blow	Q
	-
He lives will sit beside our hearths	A2
The greatest with the least	V
Therefore this day shall be our Earth's	A2
Glad Renovation feast	V
	-
	-
X	A2
	-
The times are all so wretched	V
The heart so full of cares	A2
The future far outstretched	V
A spectral horror wears	A2
	-
Wild terrors creep and hover	Q
With foot so ghastly soft	V
Our souls black midnights cover	Q
With mountains piled aloft	V
	-
Firm props like reeds are waving	Z
For trust is left no stay	Q
Our thoughts like whirlpool raving	Z
No more the will obey	Q
	-
Frenzy with eye resistless	A2
Decoys from Truth's defence	A2
Life's pulse is flagging listless	A2
And dull is every sense	A2
	-
Who hath the cross upheaved	Q
To shelter every soul	Q
Who lives on high received	Q
To make the wounded whole	Q
	-
Go to the tree of wonder	Q
Give silent longing room	P
Issuing flames asunder	Q
Thy bad dream will consume	P
	-
Draws thee an angel tender	Q
In saftey to the strand	Q
Lo at thy feet in splendour	Q
Lies spread the Promised Land	Q
	-
	-
XI	A2
	-
I know not what were left to draw me	A2
Had I but him who is my bliss	A2
If still his eye with pleasure saw me	A2
And dwelling with me me would miss	A2
	-
So many search round all ways going	Z
With face distorted anxious eye	A2
Who call themselves the wise and knowing	Z
Yet ever pass this treasure by	A2
	-
One man believes that he has found it	Q
And what he has is nought but gold	Q
One takes the world by sailing round it	Q
The deed recorded all is told	Q
	-
One man runs well to gain the laurel	Q
Another in Victory's fane a niche	G2
By different Shows in bright apparel	Q
All are befooled not one made rich	G2
	-
Hath He not then to you appeared	Q
Have ye forgot Him turning wan	H
Whose side for love of us was speared	Q
The scorned rejected Son of Man	H
	-
Of Him have you not read the story	A2
Heard one poor word upon the wind	Q
What heavenly goodness was his glory	A2
Or what a gift he left behind	Q
	-
How he descended from the Father	Q
Of loveliest mother infant grand	Q
What Word the nations from him gather	Q
How many bless his healing hand	Q
	-
How thereto urged by mere love wholly	A2
He gave himself to us away	Q
And down in earth foundation lowly	A2
First stone of God's new city lay	Q
	-
Can such news fail to touch us mortals	A2
Is not to know the man pure bliss	A2
Will you not open all your portals	A2
To him who closed for you the abyss	A2
	-
Will you not let the world go faring	Z
For Him your dearest wish deny	A2
To him alone your heart keep baring	Z
Who you has shown such favour high	A2
	-
Hero of love oh take me take me	A2
Thou art my life my world my gold	Q
Should every earthly thing forsake me	A2
I know who will me scatheless hold	Q
	-
I see Thee my lost loves restoring	Z
True evermore to me thou art	Q
Low at thy feet heaven sinks adoring	Z
And yet thou dwellest in my heart	Q
	-
	-
XII	A2
	-
Earth's Consolation why so slow	Q
Thy inn is ready long ago	Q
Each lifts to thee his hungering eyes	A2
And open to thy blessing lies	A2
	-
O Father pour him forth with might	Q
Out of thine arms oh yield him quite	Q
Shyness alone sweet shame I know	Q
Kept him from coming long ago	Q
	-
Haste him from thine into our arm	V2
To take him with thy breath yet warm	W2
Thick clouds around the baby wrap	X2
And let him down into our lap	X2
	-
In the cool streams send him to us	A2
In flames let him glow tremulous	A2
In air and oil in sound and dew	Q
Let him pierce all Earth's structure through	Q
	-
So shall the holy fight be fought	Q
So come the rage of hell to nought	Q
And ever blooming dawn again	H
The ancient Paradise of men	H
	-
Earth stirs once more grows green and live	A2
Full of the Spirit all things strive	A2
To clasp with love the Saviour guest	Q
And offer him the mother breast	Q
	-
Winter gives way a year new born	H
Stands at the manger's alter horn	H
'Tis the first year of that new Earth	J
Claimed by the child in right of birth	J
	-
Our eyes they see the Saviour well	Q
Yet in them doth the Saviour dwell	Q
With flowers his head is wreathed about	Q
From every flower himself smiles out	Q
	-
He is the star he is the sun	H
Life's well that evermore will run	H
From herb stone sea and light's expanse	A2
Glimmers his childish countenance	A2
	-
His childlike labour things to mend	Q
His ardent love will never end	Q
He nestles with unconscious art	Q
Divinely fast to every heart	Q
	-
To us a God to himself a child	Q
He loves us all self un defiled	Q
Becomes our drink becomes our food	Q
His dearest thanks a heart that's good	Q
	-
The misery grows yet more and more	Q
A gloomy grief afflicts us sore	Q
Keep him no longer Father thus	A2
He will come home again with us	A2
	-
	-
XIII	A2
	-
When in hours of fear and failing	Z
All but quite our heart despairs	A2
When with sickness driven to wailing	Z
Anguish at our bosom tears	A2
Then our loved ones we remember	Q
All their grief and trouble rue	Q
Clouds close in on our December	Q
And no beam of hope shines through	Q
	-
Oh but then God bends him o'er us	A2
Then his love comes very near	Q
Long we heavenward then before us	A2
Lo his angel standing clear	Q
Life's cup fresh to us he reaches	A2
Whispers comfort courage new	Q
Nor in vain our prayer beseeches	A2
Rest for our beloved ones too	Q
	-
	-
XIV	A2
	-
Who once hath seen thee Mother fair	Q
Destruction him shall never snare	Q
His fear is from thee to be parted	Q
He loves thee evermore true hearted	Q
Thy grace remembered is the source	A2
Whereout springs hence his spirit's highest force	A2
	-
My heart is very true to thee	A2
My ever failing thou dost see	A2
Let me sweet mother yet essay thee	A2
Give me one happy sign I pray thee	A2
My whole existence rests in thee	A2
One moment only one be thou with me	A2
	-
I used to see thee in my dreams	A2
So fair so full of tenderest beams	A2
The little God in thine arms lying	Z
Took pity on his playmate crying	Z
But thou with high look me didst awe	Y2
And into clouds of glory didst withdraw	Q
	-
What have I done to thee poor wretch	G2
To thee my longing arms I stretch	G2
Are not thy holy chapels ever	Q
My resting spots in life's endeavour	Q
O Queen of saints and angels blest	Q
This heart and life take up into thy rest	Q
	-
Thou know'st that I beloved Queen	H
All thine and only thine have been	H
Have I not now years of long measure	Q
In silence learned thy grace to treasure	Q
While to myself yet scarce confest	Q
Even then I drew milk from thy holy breast	Q
	-
Oh countless times thou stood'st by me	A2
I merry child looked up to thee	A2
His hands thy little infant gave me	A2
In sign that one day he would save me	A2
Thou smiledst full of tenderness	A2
And then didst kiss me oh the heavenly bliss	A2
	-
Afar stands now that gladness brief	A2
Long have I companied with grief	A2
Restless I stray outside the garden	H
Have I then sinned beyond thy pardon	H
Childlike thy garment's hem I pull	Q
Oh wake me from this dream so weariful	Q
	-
If only children see thy face	A2
And confident may trust thy grace	A2
From age's bonds oh me deliver	Q
And make me thine own child for ever	Q
The love and truth of childhood's prime	Z2
Dwell in me yet from that same golden time	Z2
	-
	-
XV	A2
	-
In countless pictures I behold thee	A2
O Mary lovelily expressed	Q
But of them all none can unfold thee	A2
As I have seen thee in my breast	Q
I only know the world's loud splendour	Q
Since then is like a dream o'erblown	H
And that a heaven for words too tender	Q
My quieted spirit fills alone	H

George Macdonald

Poem topics: , Print This Poem , Rhyme Scheme

Submit Spanish Translation
Submit German Translation
Submit French Translation

<< The Yerl O' Waterydeck Poem 0 Lord, How Happy! Poem>>

Write your comment about Translations. - Spiritual Songs.(from Novalis.) poem by George Macdonald

Best Poems of George Macdonald

Recent Interactions*

This poem was read 31 times,

This poem was added to the favorite list by 0 members,

This poem was voted by 0 members.

(* Interactions only in the last 7 days)

New Poems

Wonderful Women
by Umaru Kanneh Boima
Freedom To Scratch In Peace
by Olute Aete
Happy New Year
by Felix Menda
Human Beings
by Dana Graslie
Lust
by Wisdom Greatness
An Isolated Tree's Song
by Sayeed Abubakar
A Strange Boy
by Sayeed Abubakar
O Soil
by Sayeed Abubakar
No War, No War-monger
by Sayeed Abubakar
Night's Town
by Sayeed Abubakar

Popular Poets

1. Emily Dickinson(2414 poems)
2. Madison Julius Cawein(1231 poems)
3. Ella Wheeler Wilcox(1136 poems)
4. William Wordsworth(1016 poems)
5. Robert Burns(986 poems)
6. Edgar Albert Guest(945 poems)
7. Thomas Moore(849 poems)
8. Robert Service(831 poems)