Every thing frightened me while I was a child; every thing I pity since I grew up.
Every thing seemed stronger than I while I was a child. Now I feel stronger than all things, and I pity them all.
For I have learned to stand beside Thee, O my Lord, who art surrounded by immortal hosts as by a mountain of pines. And I grow out of Thee as a tree out of the mountain.
I took every thing for a teacher, while I was a child, and went a certain way with each. And I learned helplessness, and death, and crying out to Thee.
I sought the strongest thing, to take hold of it, that I might be saved from change and wavering. And my eyes saw it not, nor did my ears hear it, nor did my feet tread upon it. Time raises up all its children to wrestle with them, and in sport it bends them, breaks them, and tears them up by the root, laughing at the fear and horror of the dying.
I took hold of the flowers and said: they are mightier than I in beauty. But when autumn came, the flowers were dying before my eyes, and I could not help them, but turned away with tears, and took hold of the tall trees.
But when the appointed time came, the trees were wrenched out by the root, and lay down upon the earth like a defeated army, and I turned away with tears, and took hold of the stone. It is stronger than I, I said; beside it I am safe.
But when the appointed time came, the stone wore away to ashes before my eyes, and the wind carried it off, and I turned away with tears, and took hold of the stars. The stars are stronger than all, I said; to them I will hold fast; I shall not fall.
But when I embraced the stars and entered into secret whispering with them, I heard the sobbing of the dying, and I turned away with tears, and took hold of men. Men walk upright and free, I said; in them is strength; to them I will hold fast, that I may not fall.
But when the appointed time came, I saw even the strongest among men sliding helplessly down the ice of time into the voiceless abyss, and leaving me alone.
In a sweat I looked round about the whole universe and said: you are stronger than all; to you I will hold fast; keep me from sliding into the voiceless abyss. And I received the answer: this very evening I too sink into the voiceless abyss, and tomorrow another universe will stand in my place. In vain do you bind yourself to me, your helpless fellow-traveler.
Again I turned to men, the wisest among the sons of men, and asked for counsel. But they fell to quarreling as they gave me their answers, until death waved its hand and brought silence among the disputers.
Again I turned to men, the merriest among the sons of men, and asked for an opinion. As if they could give me any opinion, who think with their flesh! They took me for a jest and for their merriment, until death raised its staff and drew mold across their tongues.
Again I turned to men, to those who bore me and brought me among things, and asked them. Their wrinkled faces turned green; their eyes filled with water; and they stammered: in ignorance we too were born; in ignorance we bore you; and our ignorance we shared with you.
Again I turned to men, to my friends, and said: my friends, what do you think? But they kept silence a long while, until shyly they lifted their eyes and said: we have long been preparing to ask you: what do you think?
Oh, when I knocked at the last door also, to ask, the door opened and I saw a dead man being carried out.
When there were no more doors for me to knock upon, my tears too vanished, and dry fear drove its claws into my bones.
One tear more was found, and it rolled down to the bottom of my soul. And behold, an unknown door, against which that last tear struck, opened, and Thou didst appear, O my King and my Father, all surrounded by immortal hosts as by a mountain of pines in unconsuming flame.
And the light began to dance like a many-voiced harp, and I heard it say: I am He whom you seek. Hold fast to Me. My name is: I Am.