Today is Day 613 of the daily poems, and it may well be the last in our theme of The Sacred. Translator-poet Timothy Adès delves into the metrical charms of Mediaeval Europe to bring us a Bee Blessing from the central German village of Lorsch. A ritual prayer to a swarm of bees.
The Lorsch Bee-Blessing
early German
translated by Timothy Adès
Christ, the bees are swarming fly, my bees, to me
In the Lord’s peace, in God’s care come home safe
Sit, sit, bee St Mary bade you
You have no furlough do not fly to the wood
Do not flee me do not elude me
Sit quiet and still work God’s will.
Traditional
translated from Early German by Timothy Adès