Poetry

May 20 – An excerpt from Creation, Man and the Messiah by Henrik Wergeland

Heaven shall no more be split
after the quadrants of altars,
the earth no more be sundered and plundered
by tyrant’s sceptres.
Bloodstained crowns, executioner’s steel
torches of thralldom and pyres of sacrifice
no more shall gleam over earth.
Through the gloom of priests, through the thunder of kings,
the dawn of freedom,
bright day of truth
shines over the sky, now the roof of a temple,
and descends on earth,
who now turns into an altar
for brotherly love.
The spirits of the earth now glow
in freshened hearts.
Freedom is the heart of the spirit, Truth the spirit’s desire.
earthly spirits all
to the soil will fall
to the eternal call:
Each in own brow wears his heavenly throne.
Each in own heart wears his altar and sacrificial vessel.
Lords are all on earth, priests are all for God.

Translation from Wikipedia and unattributed.

Udvandrer over Jorden, at dyrke i Muld
     en Himmels fulde Grí¸de.
   Naar Jorden fí¸rst er í¸de, da Himmelen er fuld!
   Udvandrer over Jorden, thi Friheds Morgenrí¸de
     og Sandheds lyse Dag,
     et evigt Gjenskin af
     vor Frelsers sidste Vingeslag,
     udstrí¸mmer fra hans Grav,
   og straaler under Himlen, nu eet Tempeltag,
     neddaler over Jorden,
     nu eet, eet Altar vorden
     for Brí¸drekjærlighed.
     Aljordens Aander glí¸de
     i friske Hjerter nu:
   Frihed er Aandens Hjerte, Sandhed Aandens Hu.
     Jordens Aander alle
     ned i Stí¸vet falde,
     den Evige paakalde:
   “Hver sin Thronehimmel i egen Pande har;
   “Hver i eget Hjerte har Altar og Offerkar:
   “Drot er hver for Jorden, Præst er hver for Gud!”