Art Gallery | Spiritual Corner
On the eve of the fest, far from the fire
I cross through gates of time gone by,
Draped in a peplos,
Remembering those days on faraway shores,
Frolicking branches in whispering glades,
The silver of the olive trees, the green of the laurel
For a wreath of honor to the victorious soul.
The choir of muses
Will carry him afar,
Consecrated on high;
Words arranged
Like the stringing of pearls:
O son of Atlas,
Daring the future,
Bridging Peloponnesus.
I sing and tell tales; I dance and bear
The Olympic flame from lands across the seas.
I pass the lyre to the generations to come,
Draped in a peplos,
In the midst of the fest, near the fire,
To the honor of Apollo.
Safeguarding the vessel for the time of peace
In the ancient way.
To the muses, O L Y M P I A !
To the vessel, F I R E !
This poem was composed by the German poet Christa Wehner-Radeburg honoring the spirit of the Olympic Games, inspired by the bronze sculpture GRACE by Arno Breker.
Copyright 1988 by Museum of European Art, 10545 Main Street, Clarence, New York 14031, USA. Translated from the German by Dr. Benjiman D. Webb.
Copyright 2001 West-Art
PROMETHEUS, Internet Bulletin for Art, Politics and Science.