Friday, April 18, 2008

Noah's Prayer

Lord,
what a menagerie!
Between Your downpour and these animal cries

one cannot hear oneself think!
The days are long,

Lord.
All this water makes my heart sink.
When will the ground cease to rock under my feet?
The days are long.

Master Raven has not come back.
Here is Your dove.
Will she find us a twig of hope?
The days are long,

Lord.
Guide Your Ark to safety,
some zenith of rest,
where we can escape at last
from this brute slavery.
The days are long,
Lord.
Lead me until I reach the shore of Your covenant.

Amen.
Carmen Bernos de Gasztold
Prayers from the Ark
translated from the French by Rumer Godden

2 comments:

Fran said...

Lovely, simply lovely and I am still enjoying the whole Rumer Godden thing.

As a kid, that name fascinated me.

Algernon said...

"...and please send me some waders!"