My delight and thy delight (Charles Hubert Hastings Parry)

English text

My delight and thy delight.

Walking, like two angels white.

In the gardens of night.

My desire, and thy desire.

Twining to a tongue of fire,

Leaping live, and laughing higher:

Thro' the everlasting strife,

In the mystery of life.

Love, from whom the world began,

Hath the secret of the sun.

Love can tell, and love alone,

Whence the million stars were strewn.

Why each atom knows its own,

How, in spite of woe and death,

Gay is life, and sweet its breath.

This he taught us, this we knew,

Happy in his science true,

Hand to hand as we stood,

Neath the shadows of the wood.

Heart to heart as we lay

in the dawning of the day,

Lyrics: Robert Seymour Bridges (1844-1930)

Published in 1919

German translation

Mein’ und deiner Wonne Schein

geh'n wie Engel, weiß und rein,

in der Nächte Gärten ein.

Mein und dein Verlangen schlingen

sich zu züngelnd Feuerringen,

wenn sie fröhlich jauchzend springen:

Ewig forschend, welche Macht

einst des Lebens Glut entfacht.

Liebe, Quell des Weltenalls,

kennt die Kraft des Sonnenballs.

Wer denn, wenn nicht Liebe, nennt,

warum Sternenfeuer brennt,

ein Atom sein eigen kennt,

warum uns trotz Tod und Leid

Lebensatem süß erfreut?

Ihr Wort war uns frohe Kraft,

einzig wahre Wissenschaft,

als wir standen, Hand in Hand,

an des Waldes Schattenrand,

und wir, wenn der Tag erschien,

lagen Herz an Herzesglüh’n.

Poetic translation released under the CPDL license by Jan-Frerk Burmester. The translator would appreciate feedback if you use his translations. Please email him at: jf.burmester(a)web.de