I don't chant cheap hymns of praise to the
One who - created monkeys.
Earthly or otherworldly power,
Neither of them can entice me:
I want by siege to conquer heaven,
Never by pitiful begging.
I do not go to your churches
That were built by adulation,
My soul has never genuflected
In the dust before your idol.
You are servants of a lord on earth,
And you worship one in heaven;
The heart drove you into slavery,
That only believes in tyrants.
I truly love, and you just flatter,
All you do is crawl while I fly!
Deep in dust do tremble your prayers,
Mine at the same time glides up high.
The grace of mercy rests on your face;
Your main wish is tranquility:
I was not born for veneration;
My heart is endless revolution.
I am a pagan. Spite’s in my eyes,
Scorn and anger quiver on my tongue;
Withering fire tightens my chest,
I wish the delight of combats.
The waves of the ocean of hatred
Occasionally sweep across my heart;
The violent storms’ organ plays then
A terrible music inside.
Because I detest your empty world,
That has only one name: boredom;
For me its yawning pleasure is curse,
That rotten peace away I throw.
And I detest the torpid monster,
I hate you, ugly Apathy!
Your corpse flattens the earth forever,
In the dust dies felicity.
And I hate you freak Humility,
Wicked virtue, the mask of dwarfs!
Because you gave Cowardliness feet,
I see, to be able to crawl.
And I hate all forms of Servitude,
The sin of all sins above all:
I tremble from anger when I see
An oppressor or a servant. -
I am a pagan. In my bold eyes
Burns the thirst of beautiful Truth.
A goddess; and when her veil flutters
Earth, heaven burst into pleasure.
At times like this the ocean of love
Causes a flood in my spirit;
The organ of creation resounds
Now with majestic energy.
The music of spheres reverberates;
Celestial manifesto,
Weeping and bellowing tumbles deep
Below the everlasting sorrow.
The world now opens up around me,
The heavenly curtain is torn,
I notice magical, large objects
Floating around in strict circles.
Not objects, honorable persons;
They are perhaps the ancient gods:
Soul is their body, body is their soul,
To my touch they’re still an illusion.
The earth also opens below me,
The dust is happy, the stone speaks,
Silence gives a sign of its presence,
And the mysterious sky brightens.
The abyss uncovers his deep soul,
His cover the Heaven takes off...
I feel like being king of a world,
I feel as if I was a god.
Nature! In your animated church
I can ignite the soul of objects:
Within your sacred walls will burst
The oppressed power all over.
The presence of god I can feel
In your sacred immense church;
My bedazzled eyes look into his,
My heart beats with his in concert.
I became part of the universe,
Anything I see is all mine;
The flames rise and dance above me:
I am on fire yet don’t burn up!
This soul here became the soul of souls,
This heart became the heart of hearts,
The human in me turned into god,
The legate of Olympus calls!
Translated by: Maria Bencsath
