Four Mystery Plays. Rudolf Steiner

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СКАЧАТЬ our friend here exhausted life’s best powers

      In never-ending toil beyond her strength;

      And all her will to live lay crushed and dead

      Beneath the cruel weight of destiny,

      Which fell upon her. All her strength she gave

      To careful guidance of her children’s weal:

      And low already had her courage ebbed

      When early death took her loved husband home.

      In such a state as this, days dull and drear

      Seemed all fate had in store whilst life remained.

      But then the powers of destiny prevailed

      To bring her ’neath the spell of spirit-lore;

      And soon with us she felt the vital force

      Of life break forth in her a second time.

      Fresh aims in life she found, and with them came

      Fresh courage once again to fight and strive.

      And thus in her the spirit hath achieved

      In very truth to fashion from decay

      A new and living personality.

      And when the spirit in such fruit as this

      Shows its creative potency, we learn

      Its nature, and the way it speaks to us.

      And, if no pride lies hidden in our speech,

      And highest moral aims live in our hearts;

      If we believe that in no way at all

      Our teaching is our own;—but that alone

      The spirit shows itself within our souls—

      Then may we surely venture to assert

      That in thy mode of thinking may be found

      But feeble shadows waving to and fro

      Athwart the real true source of human life:

      And that the spirit, which ensouls our work

      Is linked in inward harmony with all

      That weaves the web of destiny for man

      Deep in the very fundaments of life.

      I have been privileged for many years

      To give myself to vital work in life:

      And during all this time more bleeding hearts

      And yearning souls have come before mine eyes,

      Than many would conceive were possible.

      I do esteem thy high ideal flight,

      The proud assurance of thy sciences:

      I like to see the student-audience,

      Respectful, sit and listen at thy feet:

      And that to many souls thy work doth bring

      Ennobling clarity of thought, I know.

      But yet regarding thought like this, it seems,

      Trustworthiness can only dwell therein

      So long as thought lives in itself alone.

      Whereas the realm of which I am a part

      Sends into deep realities of life

      The fruitage of its words, since it desires

      To plant in deep realities its roots.

      Far, far away from all thy thought doth lie

      The written word upon the spirit-heaven

      Which with momentous tokens doth announce

      New growth upon the tree of humankind.

      And though indeed such thought seems clear and sure

      As follows faithfully the ancient path,

      Yet can it only touch the tree’s coarse bark,

      And never reach the marrow’s living power.

      Romanus:

      For my part I do seek in vain the bridge

      That truly leadeth from ideas to deeds.

      Capesius:

      On one side thou dost over-estimate

      The power which can be wielded by ideas,

      And on the other thou dost fail to grasp

      The actual course of true reality:

      For it is certain that ideas must form

      The germ of all the actual deeds of men.

      Romanus:

      If this friend doth so many deeds of good,

      The impulse thereunto lies in herself

      And her warm-hearted nature, not in thought.

      Most certainly ’tis necessary for man,

      Whene’er he hath accomplished any work,

      To find foundation for it in ideas.

      But yet ’tis only schooling of man’s will

      In harmony with all his skill and power

      To undertake some real work in life

      Which will help forward all the human race.

      When whirr of busy wheels sounds in mine ears,

      Or when I see some creaking windlass drawn

      By strong stout hands of men content to work,

      Then do I sense indeed the powers of Life.

      Germanus:

      Often in careless speech have I maintained

      That СКАЧАТЬ