Gifts of Heaven · Volume 2 · Chapter 300

The spirit and it’s body

24th June 1843

[1] The corpse rests in the poor little room. Friends stand around it and look once more at the pale face and cry, silently mourning.

[2] Well their passionate energy wanes, but the sadness does not dry; because soon they will have to do without the one who was so good and pious!

[3] When she then left the mourning chamber retreat into the bedroom and there her deep lamentation keeps her from sleep and awake in mourning,

[4] a bright shadow twitches down there towards the stretcher in the moonbeam. For before they bury the body, he wants to see him for the last time.

[5] "So I have you," he says, "abandoned, like a dress, I've put you down. I can hardly believe the joy I feel, in which my being now moves.

[6] I, now a free, pure being, am slightly winged, bright and clear. A new garment is exquisite to me, was much more noble than this old one.

[7] Oh death! – how yet so gently mild you have raptured me in my slumber! Oh how I now find myself blessed and delighted beyond all measure!

[8] How the thought makes me anxious now, that only for a small rest the body can embrace me again with it's dead, heavy load!

[9] How you drew me to dead pleasures, Oh body, often against my will! How I had to suffer with you for poor wages, for death's profit!

[10] But now I feel a pity tremor and here I must give thanks to you; was naked also our one life, I could not be without you!

[11] I guess you gave me some delights too, so they, who are now enveloped in sleep, of the head soulful suns, delighted the beauty picture.

[12] When sweet tones flowed around the ear, the hand of the friend's hand pressed, when my arms' enclosed happiness and even the lip felt love.

[13] But now you have remained alone. So sink then alone to the tomb! I have everything more beautiful over there, there in the sky of purest air!

[14] Only one thing disturbs my rare peace and gives me a melancholic heart: Those I left here below, surrender too much to the pain!

[15] I hear them mightily weeping for me, the sweet sleep does not refresh them! How I would like to appear to you, surrounded by the brightest, clearest light!

[16] How I would like to reveal to you, what a delight to be surrounded by! But you would be very frightened. For you shun the transfigured spirit!

[17] So I will wait at the threshold and only secretly look for you. And flows around you in the wave of sleep, come to you with quiet steps.

[18] There I will step to your head, waft around it with a gentle breeze, bless you, pray lovingly for you – for such is the blessed custom."

[19] This little song is good and true, so it should be well payed heed to! There are indeed already similar songs in good rhymes, but many earthly things still stick to them, therefore they are to be paid less attention to.

[20] But this is spiritually true and pure! Therefore it is to be observed by everyone! For it really represents a parting scene of a good spirit from it's earthly body!

[21] But let this song be especially dedicated to the little daughter Julie of A.H.-W. on the occasion of her physical birthdays, so that she may see in this same devotion how much better the spirit is than the body that falls victim to death!

[22] But it is not that she would die or should fear death, but is only to see from this the high value of the spirit above the body. Amen.