You came from the whole world to Oberwesel

Version en anglais du poème géographique en hommage aux participants à la rencontre internationale de l’ICUU d’Oberwesel, en Allemagne, du 1er au 6 novembre 2007, par Jean-Claude Barbier (chrétien unitarien de France), lu en séance de clôture le 5 novembre 2007, 

traduit par Jeanne Traas-Hageman (pasteur protestante libérale des Pays-Bas). 

Photo de Jeanne Traas-Hageman 
sur le site de l'Eglise qu'elle dessert en qualité de pasteur 
http://www.jeannetraashageman.eu

Dear friends, My very dear friends of the International Council of Unitarians and Universalists

Our roots, as you know very well, can be found in the forests of Transsylvania, 
which were urbanised, by opening spaces and cities, by the German 
from the Saxon area we call Germany today, till the area of Lorraine which became part of France. Poets of hungarian origin sang about these forests. 
They gave birth, by the voice of Ferenc David, to the cry for truth, 
which became the last Protestant reformation, the latest, our own tradition.

You came from the north, 
with the joyful laughter of skaters on endless Canadian lakes, 
mirrors which reflect the calls and the answers.

You came from black Africa, bringing the sound of tam-tam, 
inspiring priests and believers to dance, 
to express in splendourous liturgy their universal office. 
You came from islands, near or far away. 
From England, origin of culture and language become widespread: 
here we are. take care! 
From Cuba Si ! where assertive convictions are strongly fixed. 
From Indonesia, at the doors of emerging Asia. 
And furthermore, like always, 
with fidelity of allies and great generosity, 
you came from the United States of America.

My dear friends, My very dear friends

You came here, this month of november, 
on the moment where the Great Alchimist of the Universe 
turns into gold plants and trees, 
this moment where the odour of the soil goes together with the rising sun, 
this moment where vermillion grapes give the young wine, 
fruit of the earth and labour of men.

Here we are, united by a common agreement, 
halfway the valley of the Rhine river, 
coming down from Switzerland and flowing to the North Sea, passing the flat countries. 
Here we are, united by a common agreement, in Oberwesel, 
not so long ago a sovereign city. 


And there, on the banks of this inspiring river, 
we blessed the newcomers, from France and Navarra, 
from Italy and Asia, from Latin America and from Africa, 
following the beautiful ritual from the Khasi country, in India. 
You laid lotusflowers on their foreheads to give them harmony 
of forms, volumes, colours and sounds, 
so they may hand on, by writing on white paper or on altar-cloth, 
the tradition by which we all are united.

Version française mise en ligne le vendredi 9 novembre 2007