Along the meadows and valleys
one who appears as a queen regularly passes
drawn by the dark woods
her quickness measured like that of an eagle
with the icy frost of a thundering waterfall
her soul is cleansed
like a god
She thinks alone
Beloved by a god
immortal
under his protection
she exists
with infinite pleasure
she glimpses a different world
to her, the endlessly beautiful
yet indomitable one
the god Wotan himself
prepares to come forth
with a roaring of thunder
and the torrent of a cyclone
in human form
he reveals himself before her
in a sudden peace
with the dancing of forest souls
the pleasure of the gods
is made known to her
with infinite pleasure
she glimpses a different world
with the look of a demon
as seen from the outside
within one damned by the people
sprouts a godlike fruit
on human flesh
according to Wotan's wish
she fed uninhibited
so that his son would be strong
in this area thus damned
a mere man sometimes gets lost
so that the nourishment
of the god's princess should occur
on a sunny day
after the blissful pain
a great spirit
the light of the world came forth
at the celebration where
each one drunk of the nectar of the gods
with a majestic name
the heavenly son is christened
his name
awakens a sacred fear
Azothien
shall be his name
fed on heavenly nectar
the princess' son grows
a robust man
is already perceived
with the passing of baths in forest springs
a year of life has already passed
all the cowardly base people
who worship a dead god
slowly get the idea
that the radiant girl
seen at times among them
is according, to their stupid brains
in league with the devil
the infinite happiness
which remains within an indomitable spirit
is excessively godlike
and as such, it cannot last forever
this is why they convened
in a mindless herd of sheep
so that justice would be base
and the effort worthwhile
and the rifle hunt for the princess
undertaken in the nearby forest
where she was last seen
after the all-day chase
when each corner was searched
many men found death
their eyes poked out
from their heads
which were then sliced
clean from their bodies
from the cliff where the mob is in pursuit
a wind, suddenly lifts
the one in danger jumps into the abyss
with heavenly laughter upon her lips
(funeral song)
With a terror-filled night
when a man can hardly sleep
there resounds in the deep dark forest
the joy-filled laughter of a child
by the help of forest demons
the princess' son flourishes
fed on the fresh meat of venison
and the wine of the forest fairies
in the rocky cavern he dwells
and on boar's skin he sleeps
undisturbed by the people
because in these parts
specters are said to haunt
bad spirits search for him
because under the protection of Wotan
he can take pride in his son
around his fifth year he insulted
the treacherous queen of the fairies
and she retaliated
at noon with a damp kiss
in the lighted clearing along the path
she brought upon him a weary sleep
as uncertain fate would have it, nevertheless
exactly here a plentiful
and very honorable family comes along
and this lost child
the parents of the Crucifix
try to give root among them
and confused after his strange sleep
they drag him to the town without resistance
After a long year
Azothien forgets his origin
the people now call him John
in recognition of the Gospel
He began to think
in the miserable ways of common people
at Mass he hurries enthusiastically
to the Crucifix so that
he could eagerly pray
with his brothers and sister
they race for knowledge of the Holy Scripture
so that good believers
in life they would become
Uncontrolled by him, however
no one, not even the Pope himself
can erase his noble dynasty
his pattern of behavior
the evening was sinister
when the storm bent the trees
his pious father urged John
to kneel under the cross and pray
there flashed however in Azothien's eyes
when in his thoughts he caught
sight of his subservience
and ecstatically he slashed
both of his parents' throats like pigs
the next day over the corpses
he grieved with his siblings
from last night
he suffers a peculiar amnesia
Uncontrolled by him, however
no one, not even the Pope himself
can erase his noble dynasty
his pattern of behavior
Azothien in love with
his voluptuous sister
holds in his hand the Holy Scripture
he is worn down by suffering
by doubts all is worn away
he can't sleep well
because after all in the next room
lives the object of his desire
truly however he has a feeling
being a very sensitive young man
that his chaste sister
waits for him every evening
into the virgin's chamber he quietly enters
she stops weeping
there together, a chalice full of pleasure
they drink the whole night long
The next day however with doubts
he is totally overtaken
for the great sin he committed
he will suffer
but he starts to doubt
the teachings of Christ
what right does this dead rogue have
to order him around
his tremendous doubts
he takes to weigh upon the priest, however
this man for his reprehensible sin
has little understanding
in a pool of blood lies the man of God
a cross sticks from his stomach
Azothien, himself confused
runs to hide in forest where he was born
Azothien loses himself for a long time in the forest
he enters a cave which is strangely familiar
for hours in his black thoughts he is lost
the wind outside suddenly dies down
and at midnight under the light of the full moon
the body of his soul rises
waist deep in mud he wades for days
a swamp pours forth from his thoughts
a crystal waterfall however appears before him
from this vision a will flows into his veins
with pure courage he enters the wall of water
clean like a child in an enormous hall he found himself
around him stood a thousand statues
suddenly a booming voice resounds from all sides
"if you doubt your will for one second
this column will pound you into the ground"
from the ceiling, where the eye could not reach
an enormous ancient column comes crashing down
and with a swift blow crushes one statue
and another column and another and another
already Azothien is alone
from his throat a tremendous ecstatic laughter
comes forth
On the eastern horizon the red clouds are fading
the joyous singing of birds could be heard
in the first rays of the sun
Azothien stands transformed before the cave
With thoughts that are clear yet overflowing
he devotes himself to divine daydreams
god is dead, this "only one"
who hardly deserves a funeral
in his ears a roar of deathly guitars resounds
the sun nears its zenith
however enough already of these fruitless dreams
now with an act he must
celebrate his victorious will
with the will to live
to look into the abyss of death
At home where he spent so many springs
five gendarmes wait for him
before they can level their pistols
their brains are swimming on the ground
the sister, whose blood is not his own
enthusiastically views the act
she packs what is necessary into a pouch
and with Azothien flees from the law
in the spirit of a great man
who himself is half god
abysses and even great cliffs are reborn
on which in dark nights he exists
with the will to live
to look into the abyss of death