One Offends Only God..., Poem by Paul Verlaine

Poem by Paul Verlaine Collection WisdomThemes ReligionPeriod 19th century

One offends only God, who alone forgives. But
one grieves one’s brother, afflicts him, wounds him,
makes his hatred rumble or his weakness weep,
and it is a dreadful crime that will disturb the peace
of the simple, and give the world its fodder,
scandal, lost hearts, coarse words and gross laughter.

Most often, by an effect of the nature
of things, this sin finds its punishment
even here below, ferocious and long, commonly.
But almighty Love gives to the creature
the sense of its misfortune that leads to repentance
by a slow and high road, but very sure.

Then a great desire, a single one, comes to invest
the penitent, after the first alarms,
and it is to humble his brow before the tears
of recently, with nothing that could soften
the direct blow to pride, and to lay down his arms
like a defeated soldier—sad, in good faith.

O my sister, who have punished me, forgive me!

Paul Verlaine

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