Monday Poetry (on Tuesday): God Alone is Enough

photo by rvin88

Sorry for the delay.

But with the annoucement of Pope Benedict XVI's retirement, I thought it appropriate to share one of his poems that is not only beautiful, but insightful.  Below is the text in German and in English.

Hat tip to Alex Vitus at Vitus Speaks

Gott allein genügt:
Was das Herz auch sonst noch liebt,
Was es sehnend will umfangen,
Was es dränget zu erlangen,
Ist von ihm ein Schimmer nur,
Der uns weist auf seine Spur-
Er ist´s, der Dies alles gibt:
Gott allein genügt.

Es führet uns auf allen Wege
Auf mühsalreichen und auf frohen
Geheimnisvoll doch einen Weg nur unser Leben:
Es führt uns aufwärts zu der hohen
verborgenen Welt des ewigen Gottes hin
Und dies ist alles unseres Wanderns Sinn



God alone is enough:
What the heart would otherwise love,
What it would otherwise embrace,
What it is driven to long for –
Are all but a glimmer of Him.
They are but His traces –
It is Him who gives everything:
God alone is enough.

He leads us along all ways
Through troubles and through joys
Mysteriously – for life is but a way:
He leads us upwards to the heights,
The hidden world of eternal God -
The sense behind all our wanderings.