You, Lady, are the Tree

Today, serendipity led me a to a poem by Rainer Maria Rilke, first published in Das Buch der Bilder (1902), which echoes a theme from Nephi's vision. Here it is in case you want to slip it into your next sacrament meeting talk.

First, Nephi, as translated by Joseph Smith:

And it came to pass that the Spirit said unto me, "Look!"

And I looked and beheld a tree; and it was like unto the tree which my father had seen; and the beauty thereof was far beyond, yea, exceeding of all beauty; and the whiteness thereof did exceed the whiteness of the driven snow.

And it came to pass after I had seen the tree, I said unto the Spirit, "I behold thou hast shown unto me the tree which is precious above all."

And he said unto me, "What desirest thou?"

And I said unto him, "To know the interpretation thereof" -- for I spake unto him as a man speaketh; for I beheld that he was in the form of a man; yet nevertheless, I knew that it was the Spirit of the Lord; and he spake unto me as a man speaketh with another.

And it came to pass that he said unto me, "Look!"

And I looked as if to look upon him, and I saw him not; for he had gone from before my presence. And it came to pass that I looked and beheld the great city of Jerusalem, and also other cities. And I beheld the city of Nazareth; and in the city of Nazareth I beheld a virgin, and she was exceedingly fair and white.

And it came to pass that I saw the heavens open; and an angel came down and stood before me; and he said unto me, "Nephi, what beholdest thou?"

And I said unto him, "A virgin, most beautiful and fair above all other virgins."

And he said unto me, "Knowest thou the condescension of God?"

And I said unto him, "I know that he loveth his children; nevertheless, I do not know the meaning of all things."

And he said unto me, "Behold, the virgin whom thou seest is the mother of God, after the manner of the flesh."

And it came to pass that I beheld that she was carried away in the Spirit; and after she had been carried away in the Spirit for the space of a time the angel spake unto me, saying, "Look!"

And I looked and beheld the virgin again, bearing a child in her arms.

And the angel said unto me: "Behold the Lamb of God, yea, even the Eternal Father! Knowest thou the meaning of the tree which thy father saw?" (1 Ne. 8:11-21)

And now, Rilke, as translated by J. B. Leishman:

Annunciation

(Words of the Angel)

You are not nearer God than we;

he's far from everyone.

And yet your hands most wonderfully

reveal his benison.

From woman's sleeves none ever grew

so ripe, so shimmeringly:

I am the day, I am the dew,

you, Lady, are the Tree.

Pardon, now my long journey's done,

I had forgot to say

what he who sat as in the sun,

grand in his gold array,

told me to tell you, pensive one

(space has bewildered me).

I am the start of what's begun,

you, Lady, are the Tree.

I spread my wings out wide and rose,

the space around grew less;

your little house quite overflows

with my abundant dress.

But still you keep your solitude

and hardly notice me:

I'm but a breeze within the wood,

you, Lady, are the Tree.

The angels tremble in their choir,

grow pale, and separate:

never were longing and desire

so vague and yet so great.

Something perhaps is going to be

that you perceived in dream.

Hail to you! for my soul can see

that you are ripe and teem.

You lofty gate, that any day

may open for our good:

you ear my longing songs assay,

my word -- I know now -- lost its way

in you as in a wood.

And thus your last dream was designed

to be fulfilled by me.

God looked at me: he made me blind . . .

You, Lady, are the Tree.