The age-herald., 1900-07-13

riel Romanovitch Derzhavin, who died in 1S16 It has been translated into all lan- guages, is even said to be inscribed in golden letters on white satin in the lm- perial Palace of China and the great Tenn pie of Jeddo. The translation is as follows
 GOD. o thou Eternal One! whose presence bright All space doth occupy-all motion guide; Unchanged through times all devastating
 flight,
 Thou only God! there is no God beside, Being above all beings mighty one! Whom none can comprehend and none explore! Who fill'st existence with Thyself alone, Embracing all, supporting, ruling OCT! Being whom we call God, and know no
 more! In it's sublime research, philosophy May measure out the ocean deep-may
 count The sands, or the suns rays-but God! for
 Thee
 There is no weight nor measure. None
 can mount Up to Thy mysteries. Reasons brightest
 spark,
 Though kindled by. Thy light vain would
 try To trace Thy counsels, infinite and dark; And thought is lost e'er thought can soar
 so high,
 Even like past moments in eternity. Thou from primeval nothingness didst call First chaos, then eXistence-Lord on Thee Eternity had it's foundation all Sprung from Thee-of joy, harmony, Sole origin-all life, all beauty there; Thy word created all and doth create; Thy splendor fills all space with day divine; Thou art, and vast, and shall be glorious,
 great,
 Life-giving, life-sustaining potentate. Thy chains the unmeasured universe sur
 round,
 Upheld by Thee, by Thee inspired with
 breath, Thou the beginning with the end was
 bound, And beautifully mingled life with death As sparks mount upward with the fiery
 blaze,
 So suns are born and worlds spring forth
 from Thee; And as the spangles in the sunny rays Shine around the silver snow, the page Of heavens bright army glitters in Thy
 praise A million torches lighted by Thy hand, Wander unwearied through the blue They own Thy power, accomplish Thy command.
 All gay with life, all eloquent with bliss, What shall we call them? Piles of crystal
 light?
 glorious company of golden streams? Lamps of celestial ether burning bright? Suns lighting systems with their joyous
 beams?
 But Thou to them art as the moon to
 night. Yes, as the drops of water in the sea, All this magnifcence in Thee is lost; What are ten thousand worlds compared
 with Thee?
 And what am I, then? Heavens unnum-
 bered host, Though multiplied by myriads and array'd In all the glory of sublimest thought, Is but the atom in the balance weighed Against Thy greatness-is a cipher
 brought
 Against infnity. What am I? Naught Nothing!-but tn efiuence of Thy light
 divine,
 Pervading worlds, hath reached my
 bosom, too, Yes; in my spirit doth Thy spirit shine, As shines the sunbeam in drop of dew Naught! but live, and on hopes pinion fly, Eager toward Thy precence! for in Thee l live, and breathe, and dwell, aspiring
 high;
 Fen to the throne of Thy divinity. I am, O God, and surely Thou must be! Thou art! directing, guiding all Thou art!. Direct my understanding, Thou, to Thee; Control my spirit, guide my wandering
 heart.
 Though but atom midst immensity Still I am something, fashioned by Thy
 hand!
 I hold middle rank 'twixt heaven and
 earth On the last verge of mortal being stand, Close to the realms where angels have
 their birth,
 Just off the boundaries of the spirit land.