Max Michelson
O brother tree! O brother tree! Tell to me, thy brother,The secret of thy life,The wonder of thy being.My brother tree, my brother tree,My heart is open to thee—Reveal me all thy secrets.Beloved tree, beloved tree,I have shattered all my pride.I love thee, brother, as myself.Oh, explain to me thy wonders.Beloved one, adored one,I will not babble of it among fools—I will tell it only to the unspoiled:Reveal to me thy being.I have watched thy leaves in sunshine,I have heard them in the storm.My heart drank a droplet of thy holy joy and wonder,One drop from the ocean of thy wonder.I am thy humble brother—I am thine own.Reveal thy life to me,Reveal thy calm joy to me,Reveal to me thy serene knowledge.
O brother tree! O brother tree! Tell to me, thy brother,The secret of thy life,The wonder of thy being.My brother tree, my brother tree,My heart is open to thee—Reveal me all thy secrets.Beloved tree, beloved tree,I have shattered all my pride.I love thee, brother, as myself.Oh, explain to me thy wonders.Beloved one, adored one,I will not babble of it among fools—I will tell it only to the unspoiled:Reveal to me thy being.I have watched thy leaves in sunshine,I have heard them in the storm.My heart drank a droplet of thy holy joy and wonder,One drop from the ocean of thy wonder.I am thy humble brother—I am thine own.Reveal thy life to me,Reveal thy calm joy to me,Reveal to me thy serene knowledge.
O brother tree! O brother tree! Tell to me, thy brother,The secret of thy life,The wonder of thy being.
O brother tree! O brother tree! Tell to me, thy brother,
The secret of thy life,
The wonder of thy being.
My brother tree, my brother tree,My heart is open to thee—Reveal me all thy secrets.
My brother tree, my brother tree,
My heart is open to thee—
Reveal me all thy secrets.
Beloved tree, beloved tree,I have shattered all my pride.I love thee, brother, as myself.Oh, explain to me thy wonders.
Beloved tree, beloved tree,
I have shattered all my pride.
I love thee, brother, as myself.
Oh, explain to me thy wonders.
Beloved one, adored one,I will not babble of it among fools—I will tell it only to the unspoiled:Reveal to me thy being.
Beloved one, adored one,
I will not babble of it among fools—
I will tell it only to the unspoiled:
Reveal to me thy being.
I have watched thy leaves in sunshine,I have heard them in the storm.My heart drank a droplet of thy holy joy and wonder,One drop from the ocean of thy wonder.
I have watched thy leaves in sunshine,
I have heard them in the storm.
My heart drank a droplet of thy holy joy and wonder,
One drop from the ocean of thy wonder.
I am thy humble brother—I am thine own.Reveal thy life to me,Reveal thy calm joy to me,Reveal to me thy serene knowledge.
I am thy humble brother—I am thine own.
Reveal thy life to me,
Reveal thy calm joy to me,
Reveal to me thy serene knowledge.
THE BIRD
From a branchThe bird called:I hold your heartI wash itAnd scour itWith bits of songLike pebbles;And your doubtsAnd your sorrowsFall—drip, drip, drip—Like dirty water.I pipe to itIn little notesOf life clear as a pool,And of deathClearer still;And I swoop with itIn the blueAnd in the nestOf a cloud.
From a branchThe bird called:I hold your heartI wash itAnd scour itWith bits of songLike pebbles;And your doubtsAnd your sorrowsFall—drip, drip, drip—Like dirty water.I pipe to itIn little notesOf life clear as a pool,And of deathClearer still;And I swoop with itIn the blueAnd in the nestOf a cloud.
From a branchThe bird called:
From a branch
The bird called:
I hold your heartI wash itAnd scour itWith bits of songLike pebbles;And your doubtsAnd your sorrowsFall—drip, drip, drip—Like dirty water.I pipe to itIn little notesOf life clear as a pool,And of deathClearer still;And I swoop with itIn the blueAnd in the nestOf a cloud.
I hold your heart
I wash it
And scour it
With bits of song
Like pebbles;
And your doubts
And your sorrows
Fall—drip, drip, drip—
Like dirty water.
I pipe to it
In little notes
Of life clear as a pool,
And of death
Clearer still;
And I swoop with it
In the blue
And in the nest
Of a cloud.
Storm,Wild one,Take me in your whirl,In your giddy reel,In your shot-like leaps and flights.Hear me call—stop and hear.I know you, blusterer; I know you, wild one—I know your mysterious call.
Storm,Wild one,Take me in your whirl,In your giddy reel,In your shot-like leaps and flights.Hear me call—stop and hear.I know you, blusterer; I know you, wild one—I know your mysterious call.
Storm,Wild one,Take me in your whirl,In your giddy reel,In your shot-like leaps and flights.Hear me call—stop and hear.I know you, blusterer; I know you, wild one—I know your mysterious call.
Storm,
Wild one,
Take me in your whirl,
In your giddy reel,
In your shot-like leaps and flights.
Hear me call—stop and hear.
I know you, blusterer; I know you, wild one—
I know your mysterious call.
A HYMN TO NIGHT
Come, mysterious night;Descend and nestle to us.Descend softly on the housesWe built with pride,Without worship.Fold them in your veil,Spill your shadows.Come over our stores and factories,Hide our pride—our shame—With your nebulous wings.Come down on our cobbled streets:Unleash your airy hounds.Come to the sleepers, night;Light in them your fires.
Come, mysterious night;Descend and nestle to us.Descend softly on the housesWe built with pride,Without worship.Fold them in your veil,Spill your shadows.Come over our stores and factories,Hide our pride—our shame—With your nebulous wings.Come down on our cobbled streets:Unleash your airy hounds.Come to the sleepers, night;Light in them your fires.
Come, mysterious night;Descend and nestle to us.
Come, mysterious night;
Descend and nestle to us.
Descend softly on the housesWe built with pride,Without worship.Fold them in your veil,Spill your shadows.
Descend softly on the houses
We built with pride,
Without worship.
Fold them in your veil,
Spill your shadows.
Come over our stores and factories,Hide our pride—our shame—With your nebulous wings.
Come over our stores and factories,
Hide our pride—our shame—
With your nebulous wings.
Come down on our cobbled streets:Unleash your airy hounds.Come to the sleepers, night;Light in them your fires.
Come down on our cobbled streets:
Unleash your airy hounds.
Come to the sleepers, night;
Light in them your fires.
Stir—Shake off sleep.Your eyes are the soul of clear waters—PigeonsIn a city street.Suns now deadHave tucked away of their gold for your hair:My buried mouth still tastes their fires.A tender god built your breasts—Apples of desire;Their whiteness slakes the throat;Their form soothes like honey.Wake up!Or the song-bird in my heartWill peck open the shell of your dreams.· · · · ·Sleep, my own,Soaring over rivers of fire.Sleep, my own,Wading waters of gold.Joy is in my heart—It flutters around in my soul.... Softly—I hear the rosy dreams ...
Stir—Shake off sleep.Your eyes are the soul of clear waters—PigeonsIn a city street.Suns now deadHave tucked away of their gold for your hair:My buried mouth still tastes their fires.A tender god built your breasts—Apples of desire;Their whiteness slakes the throat;Their form soothes like honey.Wake up!Or the song-bird in my heartWill peck open the shell of your dreams.· · · · ·Sleep, my own,Soaring over rivers of fire.Sleep, my own,Wading waters of gold.Joy is in my heart—It flutters around in my soul.... Softly—I hear the rosy dreams ...
Stir—Shake off sleep.Your eyes are the soul of clear waters—PigeonsIn a city street.
Stir—
Shake off sleep.
Your eyes are the soul of clear waters—
Pigeons
In a city street.
Suns now deadHave tucked away of their gold for your hair:My buried mouth still tastes their fires.
Suns now dead
Have tucked away of their gold for your hair:
My buried mouth still tastes their fires.
A tender god built your breasts—Apples of desire;Their whiteness slakes the throat;Their form soothes like honey.
A tender god built your breasts—
Apples of desire;
Their whiteness slakes the throat;
Their form soothes like honey.
Wake up!Or the song-bird in my heartWill peck open the shell of your dreams.
Wake up!
Or the song-bird in my heart
Will peck open the shell of your dreams.
· · · · ·
· · · · ·
Sleep, my own,Soaring over rivers of fire.Sleep, my own,Wading waters of gold.
Sleep, my own,
Soaring over rivers of fire.
Sleep, my own,
Wading waters of gold.
Joy is in my heart—It flutters around in my soul.... Softly—I hear the rosy dreams ...
Joy is in my heart—
It flutters around in my soul.
... Softly—
I hear the rosy dreams ...