Smile Breathe Walk

Make it, carry it, keep

A thousand waters of smile in your hand!

Smiling, blessed moisture is outspread

Upon the face.

Smile means not wrinkle

Smile is essence of light.

Light bedights each room, but isn’t yet.

The sun is no light,

In the face of man bright

Does light as smile see day.

From the ringing, easy, deathless gates,

From the eyes’ gateways Spring

Waved its very first, Heaven’s scud,

Smiles unglowing brand.

In the rain-brand of smile cleanse thine old hand,

Make it, carry it, keep!

Listen, harken, hear!

In night is breath’s unity loosed,

The breath great, the concord of the breast.

Breath hovers

Above enmity’s darkling choirs.

Breath is essence of high respiring.

The wind isn’t, that goes diving

In field, forest and scrubling,

The blow isn’t, that makes the leaves to turn...

God’s respiring does in breath of man see day.

From the lips, the grave,

Fatidic, gloomy, deathless gates,

Comes God’s respiring, the world to save.

Upon the wind-sea of breath hoists

The sail of the breast in bliss,

The endless word’s nightly beladen skiff.

Harken, hear ye, list!

Sink down, kneel down, weep!

See the lover’s earthless dwindling stride!

Swing it now, dwindle in step beside!

Walk abducts

All into pureness, all into universality.

Walk is more than come and go,

The spangled spheres’ great to and fro,

More than space has of danceful overflow..

In man’s walk does freedom’s road see day,

With man’s walk stride

God’s charm and variety from all hearts and gates.

Smile, breath and striding

Are more than light, wind, the roadway starry,

The world with man begins to be.

In smile, in breath, in stride of the lover deep drink!

Weep now, kneel down, sink!

Franz Werfel