Four Mystery Plays

The Portal of Initiation

Scene 9

Same region as in Scene 2.

From rocks and springs resounds:
‘O man, feel thou thyself.’

Johannes:
O man, feel thou thyself! For three long years
I have sought strength of soul, with courage winged,
Which cloth give truth unto these words, whereby
A man may free himself to conquer first;
Then conquering himself may freedom find
Through these same words: ‘O man, feel thou thyself.’

From rocks and springs resounds:
‘O man, feel thou thyself.’

I note their presence in mine inmost soul,
Their whispered breathing thrills my spirit-ear;
And hid within themselves they bear the hope,
That they will grow and lead man's spirit up,
Out of his narrow self to world-wide space,
E'en as a giant oak mysteriously
Builds his proud body from an acorn small.
Spirit can cause to live in its own self
All weaving forms of water and of air,
And all that doth make hard the solid earth.
Man too can grasp whate'er hath ta'en firm hold
Of being, in the elements, in souls,
In time, in spirits and eternity.
The whole world's essence lies in one soul's core,
When such power in the spirit roots itself,
Which can give truth unto these selfsame words:
O man, experience and feel thyself —

From rocks and springs resounds:
‘O man, feel thou thyself.’

I feel them sounding in my very soul,
Rousing themselves to grant me strength and power.
The light doth live in me; the brightness speaks
Around me; soul light germinates in me;
The brightness of all worlds creates in me:
O man, experience and feel thyself;

From rocks and springs resounds:
‘O man, feel thou thyself.’

I find myself secure on every side,
Where'er these words of power do follow me.
They will give light in sense-life's darkened ways:
They will sustain me on the spirit-heights:
Soul-substance will they pour into my heart
Through all the eons of eternity.
I feel the essence of the worlds in me,
And I must find myself in all the worlds.
I gaze upon the nature of my soul,
Which mine own power hath vivified;
I rest Within myself; I look on rocks and springs;
They speak the native language of my soul.
I find myself again within that soul,
Into whose life I brought such bitter grief;
And out of her I call unto myself:
‘Thou must find me again and ease my pain.’
The spirit-light will give to me the strength
To live this other self in mine own self.
Oh hopeful words, ye stream forth strength to me
From all the worlds: O man, feel thou thyself.

From rocks and springs resounds:
‘O man, feel thou thyself.’

Ye make me feel my feebleness, and yet
Ye place me near the highest aims of gods;
And blissfully I feel creative power
From these high aims in my weak, earthly form.
And out of mine own Self shall stand revealed
Those powers, whereof the germ lies hid in me.
And I will give myself unto the world
By living out mine own essential life;
Yea, all the might of these words will I feel,
Which sound within me softly at the first.
They shall become for me a quickening fire
In my soul-powers and on my spirit-paths.
I feel how now my very thought doth pierce
To deep-concealed foundations of the world;
And how it streams through them with radiant light.
E'en thus cloth work the fructifying power
Of these same words: O man, feel thou thyself.

From rocks and springs resounds:
‘O man, feel thou thyself.’

From heights of light a being shines on me,
And I feel wings to lift myself to him:
I too will free myself, like all those souls,
Who conquered self.

From springs and rocks resounds:
‘O man, feel thou thyself.’

That being do I see
Whom I would fain be like in future times.
The spirit in me shall grow free, through thee
Sublime example, I will follow thee.
(Enter Maria.)

The spirit-beings, who did take me up,
Have woken now the vision of my soul.
And as I gaze into the spirit worlds,
I feel in mine own self the quickening power
Of these same words: O man, feel thou thyself.

From springs and rocks resounds:
‘O man, feel thou thyself.’

Thou here, my friend?

Maria:
My soul did urge me here.
I saw thy star shining in fullest strength.

Johannes:
This strength can I experience in myself.

Maria:
So closely are we one, that thy soul's life
Allows its light to shine forth in my soul.

Johannes:
Maria, then thou also art aware
Of what has just revealed itself to me.
Man's first conviction has just come to me,
And I have gained the certainty of self.
I feel that power to guide me everywhere
Lies in these words: O man, feel thou thyself.

From rocks and springs resounds:
‘O man, feel thou thyself.’

Curtain