
By Mechthild of Magdeburg
(1207 - 1297)
English version by Jane Hirshfield
A fish cannot drown in water,
A bird does not fall in air.
In the fire of creation,
God doesn't vanish:
The fire brightens.
Each creature God made
must live in its own true nature;
How could I resist my nature,
That lives for oneness with God?
From ivan@poetry-chaikhana.com