Cried Noah: “Ye stiff-necked race! I am not I, indeed. My self I’ve sacrificed; of God’s love have I need. From every fleshly sense and wish I’m severed, quite. God is my light, my mind, my visual organ’s site. 115 I am not I. The breath I breathe is God’s own breath. Whoe’er gainsays this word, blasphemes, courts his own death. Within my form of fox there lurks the lion’s power; Against this feeble fox ’tis useless now to lower. Unless you lay aside scorn for my fox’s form, You’ll hear the lion growl more fierce than raging storm.” If Noah had not possessed the mighty aid of God, Could he a world have upside down turned with a nod? Within his form whole herds of lions, as one paw, Lay hid. A fire was he; the world a stack of straw. 120 That misled straw refused to pay its tithe to him. Fire flashed. Forthwith the straw in smoke and flames sank grim. Whoe’er ’gainst the hidden lion in saint’s form Upraise the voice of pride, like to our wolf, base worm, Shall, like that wolf, be torn by lion piecemeal quite; The text: “On them we vengeance took” he shall recite.[338] A stroke shall lay him low, as wolf by lion’s paw. A madman must he be who’d rush in lion’s maw. O that the stroke had fallen upon the body frail; And that the heart and faith had ’scaped! ’Twere vast avail! 125 Upon this point I feel my strength must all give way. How shall I tell the secrets of this mystic play? Just like the fox, do you yourselves deny in all. In lion’s presence raise no cavil, or you’ll fall. Relinquish thoughts of “I” and “We” when “He” ’s afield. The kingdom is the Lord’s; to God the kingdom yield. The straight way enter all, like paupers as you are. The lion and the prey will both fall to your share.