Living

To the Eyes

by Max Elskamp 1862–1931

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

Living

Now, sky of azure
On houses rosy,
Like a child of Flanders preach
The simple religion I teach,
Like a sky of azure
On houses rosy;

Lo, to the vexed
I bring these roses,
When their memory to the islands reaches,
The voices that my gospel preaches,
Like the gladsome text
A child's talk glozes.

You people happy
With very little:
You women and men of my city,
And of all my moments of pity,
Be happy
With very little;

For letters blue
On pages rosy,
This is all the book that I read you,
Unto your pleasaunce to lead you,
In a country blue
Houses rosy.

MLA

Elskamp, Max. “To the Eyes.” Translated by Jethro Bithell. Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/max-elskamp/7/.

Chicago

Elskamp, Max. “To the Eyes.” Translated by Jethro Bithell. Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/max-elskamp/7/.

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