A Night-Hawk's Lament.. does anyone aknowledge it.. ? ΤΟΝ ΓΝΩΡΙΖΕΙ ΚΑΝΕΙΣ;
ΝΥΚΤΙΕΡΑΞ
A Night-Hawk's Lament
In all the wonders God hath wrought,
One lieth forgot, in shadows caught:
The night-hawk of the vaulted sky,
Abandoned to the dark night's sigh.
In creatures all that God doth frame,
A little hawk, of humble name,
Doth warble through the midnight hour,
Perched upon a twiggy bower.
Its flights be low, yet wings spread wide,
And nourished by heaven's milk untried;
Pure sustenance from realms above,
In innocence, like heavenly love.
With all my soul I loved it dear,
With every beat of heart sincere;
And ne'er it left me in despair,
Alone amid my solitude's snare.
Full many a time its song I heard,
In night's deep hush, its voice unstirred;
And with its beak, my heart's cross pierced,
Awakening pains that long rehearsed.
At other times, with mighty beat,
Its wings did clap in fervent heat;
From slumber deep it roused me swift,
To face the dawn's impending rift.
I knew not it was there concealed,
Nor by what name its form revealed;
But eyes that wept did me inform,
Of sorrows in its feathered form.
Once, in my folly, indiscreet,
I wounded it but slight, replete;
Thus learned I how the hawk doth weep,
In tears that secrets silent keep.
Its drops fall earthward, rivers make,
A stream of grief for pity's sake;
Yet still it flies, close by my side,
The faithful hawk that doth abide.
But unseen it remains, ne'er dawns,
In eastern skies, where light first yawns;
Forever leaves me lone once more,
In solitude upon the shore.
O Christ, make thou this hawk appear
In Thy bright light, dispelling fear;
Let it mid-heaven forever reign,
With olive branch, in peace's train.
Now years have passed, O Christ divine,
Make thou the hawk's pains to decline;
Console its woes, in mercy's grace,
And grant it everlasting place.
...........................--//--...............................
in modern english..
"Night-Hawk"
In all the wonders God has shaped,
One lingers forgotten, set apart:
A night-hawk of the endless sky,
Left to wander in the dark.
Among the creatures God designed,
A little hawk, so small and true,
Sings melodies throughout the night,
Perched lightly on a branch anew.
Its flights stay close to earth below,
Yet wings unfold in grandeur wide;
It feeds on heaven's purest milk,
Untainted, flowing from the tide.
I loved it with my deepest soul,
With every beat within my heart;
It never left me in despair,
Alone when shadows pulled apart.
So many times its voice I caught,
Warbling within the midnight hush;
Its beak would touch my heart's deep cross,
Awakening in a hidden rush.
At other moments, wings would strike
With power in their fervent beat;
From slumber's depths it called me forth,
To rise upon awakened feet.
I knew not of its presence near,
Nor by what name its form was known;
But eyes that wept disclosed the truth,
Of sorrows in the silence sown.
Once, carelessly, I have caused it pain,
A minor wound, yet sharp and real;
And so I learned how hawks can weep,
In tears that raw emotions seal.
Those drops descend upon the ground,
Expanding streams that gently flow;
Still thow it flies, remaining close,
The faithful hawk in afterglow.
Yet it stays hidden, out of sight,
No dawn reveals its form to me;
Forever in the eastern rise,
It leaves me in my aloneness free.
O Christ, reveal this hawk in light,
Within Your brilliance, pure and bright;
Let it soar high in midday reign,
With olive branch, in peace's flight.
Now years have drifted slowly by,
O Christ, in mercy's gentle hold;
Console the pains this hawk has borne,
Let healing come, in manners bold.
🎥 Common Nighthawk Calls at Twilight: A video capturing the bird's distinctive "peent" calls and wing booms during evening flights, mirroring the poem's night-singing hawk. Watch for atmospheric insight: [Voices: Common Nighthawk on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9qpsyjmda5Q).
🎥 Lesser Nighthawk Nocturnal Sounds: Footage of soft trilling calls in the dark, evoking the gentle yet persistent presence in the poem. Ideal for visualizing low flights: [Lesser Nighthawk Bird Call Video on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P0TaMmlzznc).
🎥 Nighthawk Migration and Calls: Group flights with ambient night sounds, symbolizing the hawk's elusive departures at dawn: [NIGHT HAWKING on Facebook](https://facebook.com/happyplaceandfriends/videos/night-hawking-it-is-always-a-spectacular-sight-when-the-common-nighthawks-start-/788370888593366/).
🎥 Learning Nocturnal Bird Songs: A compilation including nighthawk vocals, useful for auditory immersion into the poem's themes: [Learn 25 Nocturnal Bird Songs and Calls on YouTube](https://youtube.com/watch?v=oqUqcxqo15Q).
🎥 Nighthawk in Flight with Sound: Real-time capture of a calling nighthawk over an urban alley, blending natural wonder with everyday solitude: [A common nighthawk flying on Facebook](https://facebook.com/groups/chicagobirder/posts/10161031155222077/).
in todays english..
Night Hawk ("Νυκτιεραξ")
Among God's wonders, vast and true, There lies forgotten, out of view: A night hawk from the heaven blue, In darkness left, alone anew.
Among His creatures, great and small, A tiny hawk sings through it all, All night it chirps, a gentle call, Upon a twig, so frail and tall.
Its flights dip low, yet wings expand, So vast they touch the starry land; It feeds on milk from heaven's hand, Pure and neat, as God Lord planned.
I loved it with my soul's full fire, With every beat of heart's desire; It never left me in the mire Of loneliness, in soul's empire.
A lot of times its song I'd hear, Night-chirping soft, drawing by near; And with its beak, so sharp and clear, It stitched the cross my heart holds, dear.
At times its wings would beat with might, A forceful thrum in dead of night; From deepest sleep, it brought me light, Awakening as swift and bright.
I knew not it was there concealed, Nor what its name might be revealed; But eyes that wept, with sorrow sealed, Informed me what the shadows yield.
Once, thoughtless, I inflicted pain, A slight wound, like a passing rain; And thus I learned, through tears' refrain, How hawks can cry, once grief sustain .
Its tears cascade upon the earth, Becoming streams of quiet worth; Yet on it flies, with endless mirth, Beside me still, in joy and dearth.
But hidden it remains from sight, No dawn it greets, no morning light; Always eastward in a swift flight, It leaves me alone, in endless night.
O Christ, let this hawk now appear In Your divine uncreated Light May it forever soar sincere, With olive branch, in daylight's bright
Now, years have passed, O Christ so kind, So many seasons left behind; Console the pains that once confined The hawk's loveheart, in mercy's bind.
FOLLOWING THE ORIGINAL.. IN ELLENIC LANGUAGE..
εορτιο..
''νυκτιεραξ''
Στα θαυματα ολα του Θεου
ειναι ενα.. ξεχασμενο..
νυκτογερακι τ' ουρανου
στη νυκτα.. αφημενο..
Στα πλασματα ολα του Θεου
ενα μικρο γερακι
ολη τη νυκτα κελαιδει
πανω σ' ενα κλαδακι
Πεταγματα εχει χαμηλα
μα τα φτερα μεγαλα..
και τρεφεται με τ' ουρανου
το αδολο το γαλα
Τ' αγαπησα ολοψυχα
με ολη την καρδια μου
κι αυτο ποτε δεν μ' αφηνε
μονο.. στην μοναξια μου..
Πολλες φορες το ακουγα
που νυχτοκελαιδουσε
και της καρδιας μου τον σταυρο
το ραμφος του.. κεντουσε..
Αλλοτε παλι.. τα φτερα
με δυναμη.. κτυπουσε..
και απο τον υπνο το βαθυ
αμεσως.. με ξυπνουσε..
Δεν γνωριζα οτι ειναι εκει
ουτε και πως το λενε
αλλα με πληροφορησαν
τα ματια του που κλαινε
Καποτε.. αδιακριτα
το πληγωσα.. ''λιγακι''
κι ετσι πληροφορηθηκα
πως κλαιει το γερακι..
Τα δακρυα πεφτουνε στη γη
γινονται ποταμακι
και συνεχιζει να πετα..
κοντα μου το γερακι..
Μονο που μενει αφαντο
ποτε δεν ξημερωνει
παντοτε στην Ανατολη
με αφηνει παλι.. μονη..
Κανε Χριστε μου να φανει
στο Φως Σου.. το γερακι
παντοτε να μεσουρανει
με της εληας κλαδακι
Τωρα.. αφου περασανε
Χριστε μου.. τοσοι χρονοι..
κανε.. να παρηγορηθουν
του γερακιου.. οι πονοι..
