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My Pelican
Could I but find the words to verbalize
How I am drawn to you my Pelican,
But heavy mortal clay can not apprise,
And speak,- it's dull and stifles the élan.
My Pelican divine, my swan that sung,
And suffered on the sacrificial tree,
To feed and sate with His own blood His young,
You charm and draw me irresistibly.
O cygnet bard, with your melodious strain,
You cast a spell on me sweet peerless bard,
My Pelican you draw and I would fain,
To lose myself within your loving heart.
Oh Pelican that strikes its loving breast,
So that its young upon its blood may suck and feed,
And find on it the lasting warmest nest
That will suppy the without, want, or need.
You give, you are yourself the wondrous food
That feeds the young with passionate constancy
You nourish them until beatitude
And bliss is theirs for all eternity.
Your plumage snow white, soft and velvety,
A haven offers in my dusky night,
Beneath your wide and sheltering wings I flee,
Your stretched out wings of plumage soft and white.
If needed restful slumber does not come,
And heavy weary eye lids cannot close,
I flee to you my Savior Pelican,
And find beneath your pinions repose.
And then I dream, and longingly pursue,
Dreams of high heaven's bliss,- Oh dream I can.
Of heaven's raptures, all contained in you-
Celestial Phoenix, Jesus Pelican.
Please find below the original version in German by my mother, Maria Magdalena Doppelmayr
Mein Pelikan
Oh dass ich Worte faende
Wie es mich zieht nach Dir.
Doch klebt die draengend Seele
So fest im Leibe mir.
Es kllopft und pocht das Herze,
Hinauf, hinauf zu Dir,
Doch guertet alles Sehnen
Die Erdenlast in mir.
Und kann der Schlaf nicht kommen,
So bringt mein Schwan mir Ruh,
Sein Hauch und sein Gefieder
Schliesst mir die Augen zu.
Mein lieber Schwan, Dein weisses
Gefieder, lind nd weich
Laesst kosten Dein Erbarmen,
Das keiner Wonne gleich.
Oh! Auf Dein lind Gefieder
Leg� ich das muede Haupt,
Dann schlaf ich ein in Gottes,
Dem meine Seele glaubt.
Und sieh ich traeum hieniden
Vom Himmelreich in Dir,
Mein Phoenix Schwan, mein Heiland
Wie gut Du bist zu mir.
