An Anthology of Czechoslovak Literature/From the Depths

For works with similar titles, see From the Depths.

OTAKAR FISCHER

(b. 1883)

From the Depths

I CANNOT acclaim you,Ye hostile stars,Under the tent of the sorrowing heavensWhich blaze in silvery array;Unto you, that amid the abyss of my Have hurled the torch of dreams,Invisible I call,I, whirling atom of dust.

Wherefore,O wherefore after a day stifling and ladenWith fugitive ponderingDid ye kindle in my sensesOutcry of yearning for the endlessAnd terror of my very self?

I was as a thirsty acreWhich awaits in placid meeknessMoisture of coming days:I lived, a man amid mortals,Unaware that he moves in the universeTowards unending change.Now across the furrows of my acreA fire is wafted, and my heart,My mortal heart is enkindled,Death am I now, and life and belief and rapture—

Now from unfathomable distancesGod’s shadow has fallen on me.(1914)

This work is a translation and has a separate copyright status to the applicable copyright protections of the original content.

Original:

This work is in the public domain in the United States because it was published before January 1, 1930.

The longest-living author of this work died in 1938, so this work is in the public domain in countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 86 years or less. This work may be in the public domain in countries and areas with longer native copyright terms that apply the rule of the shorter term to foreign works.

Public domainPublic domainfalsefalse

Translation:

This work is in the public domain in the United States because it was published before January 1, 1930.

The longest-living author of this work died in 1970, so this work is in the public domain in countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 54 years or less. This work may be in the public domain in countries and areas with longer native copyright terms that apply the rule of the shorter term to foreign works.

Public domainPublic domainfalsefalse