Religion

Full of Grace (I)

by Max Elskamp 1862–1931

Translated by Jethro Bithell (1911) · From Contemporary Belgian Poetry (1911)

Religion

And Jesus all rosy,
And the earth all blue,
Mary of grace, in your round hands upcurled,
As might two fruits be: Jesus and the world,
And Jesus all rosy,
And the earth all blue.

And Jesus, and Mary,
And Joseph the spouse,
For all my life I place my trust in you,
As they in Brittany and childhood do,
And Joseph the spouse,
And Jesus and Mary.

Then Egypt too,
The flight and Herod,
My old soul and my feet that tremble, seeing
Towards the distant places ambling, fleeing,
And the ass and Herod,
And Egypt too.

Now, Jesus all golden,
Like statues of Christ,
O Mary, in your hands that hold the sword,
Over my town whereon your tears are poured,
Jesus more golden
In your arms and Christ.

MLA

Elskamp, Max. “Full of Grace (I).” Translated by Jethro Bithell. Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/max-elskamp/1/.

Chicago

Elskamp, Max. “Full of Grace (I).” Translated by Jethro Bithell. Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/max-elskamp/1/.

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