Thursday, 13 February 2025

Hans Christian Andersen: 'Tunge Timer' (1875)



Udgivet i Illustreret Tidende 13 juni 1875.

 

Tunge Timer

 

Vor Tid skriver nu paa sin Viisdoms Bog

Er det Godt eller til det Værre?

Det er forfærdeligt at blive så klog

At man ikke troer paa Vorherre!

 

O det var bedre for Hver og Een,

Der foragter hver fattig Begavet,

At om hans Hals hang en Møllesten,

Og han laa dybest i Havet.

 

Nu alle Overmaals Kloge veed,

Gud skabtes ved Menneskets Snille

Og Mennesket er “Ufeilbarlighed”,

Et Grundstof er Livets Kilde.

 

Alt hvad vi stræbte og leved’ og led

Udslukkes med Livets Flamme.

I et Bundløst Intet synke vi ned,

Ondt og Godt er Et og det Samme.

 

O evige Gud, bliv hos os! Bliv!

I Dig og ved dig Alt er givet

Forund os i Naade ” det evige Liv”

Og Erindring om Jordelivet!

 

 

Hard Times

 

On its Wisdom Book our age writes away –

Is that good or a sore affliction?

It’s terrible to be so wise one day

The Lord God is held to be fiction!

 

It would be better for old and young

Who despise all without such a notion

If round their necks a millstone was hung,

And they lay deep in the ocean.

 

Now all those wise to excess believe

That God’s just a human invention

Mankind is ‘infallible’ they conceive,

Life’s source just as ‘element’ mention.

 

All that we strove for, lived and endured

Is gutted along with life’s flame.

In endless nothingness down we are lured,

Good and evil are one and the same.

 

Oh, God Eternal, stay with us! Stay!

Both in and by Thee all is given.

For ‘eternal life’ by Thy grace we pray,

And that life here’s remembered in heaven.

 

 

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