Religion

My faith to thee I break not

by Novalis (Friedrich von Hardenberg) 1772–1801

Translated by George MacDonald (Rampolli, 1897) · From Spiritual Songs (Rampolli, 1897)

Religion

My faith to thee I break not,
If all should faithless be,
That gratitude forsake not
The world eternally.
For my sake Death did sting thee
With anguish keen and sore;
Therefore with joy I bring thee
This heart for evermore.

Oft weep I like a river
That thou art dead, and yet
So many of thine thee, Giver
Of life, life-long forget!
By love alone possessed,
Such great things thou hast done!
But thou art dead, O Blessed,
And no one thinks thereon!

Thou stand’st with love unshaken
Ever by every man;
And if by all forsaken,
Art still the faithful one.
Such love must win the wrestle;
At last thy love they’ll see,
Weep bitterly, and nestle
Like children to thy knee.

Thou with thy love hast found me!
O do not let me go!
Keep me where thou hast bound me
Till one with thee I grow.
My brothers yet will waken,
One look to heaven will dart--
Then sink down, love-o’ertaken,
And fall upon thy heart.

MLA

Novalis (Friedrich von Hardenberg). “My faith to thee I break not.” Translated by George MacDonald. Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/novalis/5/.

Chicago

Novalis (Friedrich von Hardenberg). “My faith to thee I break not.” Translated by George MacDonald. Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/novalis/5/.

Read this poem with the Codex →

More by Novalis (Friedrich von Hardenberg)