WITH A GOOD TASTE IN MY MOUTH (LONGER VERSION)

 

I am between two compelling forces

One in whom I must take refuse

And the other against whom I must contend

The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear, ps 26;1,3

‘The passionate man turns even good to evil’

You may tie my hands with chains and my feet with shackles

But you cannot enslave my spirit and my thoughts

I didn’t swear to God or curse any saint

So the words of your vain lips should not bother me

What can the scorn of the crowd do to a soul whose confidence is in the almighty?

God may not be in my heart, but I’m certainly in the heart of God

Where will I be if I am not present to myself?

The glory of a good man is in his conscience

And not in the mouth of other men

Woe to you who prostrate before the idle of your own mind

Woe to you that move your lips in prayer while your heart is hard as rock

Woe to you who bend low in humility before the altar and rebel against goodness

You know how to excuse and gloss over your own deeds

But will not accept the excuses of others

You condemn them at the slightest mistake of ignorance

You are many and I am one; do to me what you wish

You may prey on me in the darkness of the night

But my bleeding will stain the floor until the coming of sunrise

I am a victor whom fortune has given to the foe as captive

But persecution harms not the just man

Nor does oppression destroy the one who is on the side of goodness

Don’t assume my virtue and attribute to my your vice

Please don’t kindle my fire and extinguish my virtues

I bless you not, yet I would not curse you

For even as you burden me with pain, less cruel have I been

Does it matter if I have a reputation better or worse than others?

I don’t have a high opinion of my own excellence and ignorance

I have particular guard against touchiness on points of honour and failure

But I still have a good taste in my mouth

I live free just as I have always desired

My mind, heart and conscience is free of any grudge

A bad conscience is not healed by flattery

Neither is a good one wounded by gossip

He that praises me cannot take away the punishment I deserve for my evil deeds

Nor can he that reviles me deprive me of the rewards of my good works

Why then will I seek to please people?

It is rubbish if I stand high on the opinion of people and be unacceptable to God

It don’t care if I’m ignored and detested by people

I’m just fine if I’m dear and pleasing to God

But woe to me, if I can neither swim nor catch a straw

It will be a nightmare if I am detested by both God and men

I know I can’t really make it up to God

But his graces will not abandon me if I give a try

If God send me into the combat

He certainly will not leave me defeated

If you seek to help, it is not necessary that you pry

If your first step is to probe and condemn, then your help is vain

A weak spirituality necessarily must not be a result of an evil life

There are laws to hold me back, and punishments to chastise me

Look on good shepherd

For the weak lamb you carry on your shoulder

Is being torn into pieces by the wild beast

Watch out faithful gardener

For thorns are strangling the flowers

Quickened by the sweat of your brows

O Lord show me the way

And give me the strength to walk