Veni creator spiritus

Come, Holy Spirit, Thou creating!

Break the marble of our shape!

That no more of such hard walls’

Staring on this world’s well falls,

That we together and on high

Into each other like flames ply!

Arise from out our flatland bleeding,

Dolphin essence of all being,

Fish universal, holy, ancient!

Come, pure spirit, Thou creating!

Towards whom we evermore unfold,

Crystal law that forms the world!

How all of us are strangers here!

How beneath their last shirts sere

Shadow-men in hospice fast

Hate each other to the last,

And each, ere eastward he departs,

Alone his evening candle starts.

Thus are we idly overspread,

And squat ill upon our edge,

And kill ourselves at every table.

Come, Holy Spirit, Thou creating,

Fly up from us a thousand ways!

Break the ice grown on our faces!

That tearfully for all and good

Upwelleth the enraptured flood,

That no longer far and weak

One being round the other slink,

That joyfully in look, hand, mouth and hair

And in ourselves thy features we declare!

That, whosoever should his ilk embrace,

Thy deep-beating heart should sweetly taste,

That, whosoever spies a poor dog’s glance,

Thy sage look should be his happenstance,

That all of us in overflow of kisses

None but thy pure holy lips may kiss!

Franz Werfel