Prayers from the Ark and The Creatures' Choir

by Carmen Bernos de Gasztold

Simple, delicate, intense, these prayers by animals mirror mankind's desires.

Genres: Poetry, Prayer, Fiction, Childrens, Art

127 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1947

Reviews

[booklady · Rating 5 out of 5]

Two books in one, the first, Prayers from the Ark, consisted of short first-person prayers from individual representative animals of each species. The prayers in this collection were generally shorter and the animals slightly more familiar, more every day, than those from the second book, The Creatures’ Choir. My favorites from the first book were the Cat and the Tortoise because they are my favorite animals, but also because Sister Bernos perfectly captures the personality of each. The cat is haughty, spoiled and disdainful of dogs, the Tortoise is accepting and s-l-o-w but also big-hearted to his Maker.

In the second book, The Creatures’ Choir, the prayers were longer and as the selection included a number of less appealing (to my way of thinking anyway) – Gnat, Lizard, Mole, Toad, Spider – critters, the enjoyment here wasn’t so much with coziness as with the cleverness of Sr. Bernos’ imagination. The vain Peacock wanted a voice to match his beauty. The Flea dared not pray that God would let him in paradise less he ruin it. The Camel prayed to find the magi, etc. My favorite though was the prayer of the Beaver who wanted living water to build paradise for God.

I have finished reading it through several times, but shall read it again and again and again... Am already contemplating who I would like to give this book to as a gift... It is so delightful, you just want to share it!

Each prayer poem is accompanied by a delicate sketch of the animal, insect, bird, reptile, etc.

Absolutely charming! Thank you dear Dhanaraj!

[Joselito Honestly and Brilliantly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Carmen Bernos De Gasztold was one of the five children of a poor family in Arachon, a small town somewhere in France. Her father was a good man but didn't know how to earn enough for his family (like the father in Gabrielle Roy's The Tin Flute). He became unhinged and died when Carmen was only sixteen. During the second world war she worked in a laboratory of a silk factory, helping her mother and her young siblings endure the hunger and countless deprivations brought by the German occupation. It was then, during her free moments, that she began to write her poems.

In 1945 Carmen's mother died. They likewise lost their home at Arachon, and she became a governess of a French family in Lisbon where she became engaged to a man. On the eve of their marriage, unsure of her feelings, she backed out and broke the engagement. Later, she seemed to have found her true vocation, teaching little children. For some reasons, however, she suffered serious physical and mental breakdown. Her siblings were in no position to help her, having troubles of their own. Fortunately, a lifelong family friend, a nun in a monastery, heard about her plight and took her in. There, for many years, the nuns took care of her until she got well. They encouraged her to continue writing and printed her work for local use.

Ms. Rumer Godden was once helping the nuns clean out a cupboard in the convent and there she accidentally discovered Carmen's poems. Captivated by their charm she translated them from their original French to English. "Prayers from the Ark" are what Carmen imagined the animals in Noah's Ark (and Noah himself!) were praying for. These poems brought Carmen renown, becoming a bestseller in Europe. "The Creatures' Choir" likewise have poet animals declaiming, but no longer in supplication. Whereas the animals in the Ark plead, those in the Choir seem to complain or just say whatever it is that's in the minds. All the poems in both books, however, are addressed to God and end with an Amen.

Penguin (the book company, not the animal) first published this one-volume edition in 1976 and has since undergone several reprinting. Let me now give you two examples of the Ark poems--


THE PRAYER OF THE LITTLE BIRD

Dear God,
I don't know how to pray by myself
very well,
but will You please
protect my little nest from wind and rain?
Put a great deal of dew on the flowers,
many seeds in my way.
Make Your blue very high,
Your branches lissom;
let Your kind light stay late in the sky
and set my heart brimming with such music
that I must sing, sing, sing...
Please, Lord.
Amen


THE PRAYER OF THE LARK

I am here! O my God.
I am here, I am here!
You draw me away from earth,
and I climb to You
in a passion of shrilling,
to the dot in heaven
where, for an instant, You crucify me.
When will You keep me forever?
Must You always let me fall
back to the furrow's dip,
a poor bird of clay?
Oh, at least
let my exultant nothingness
soar to the glory of Your mercy,
in the same hope,
until death.
Amen

The cock, dog, goldfish, little pig, little ducks, foal, donkey, bee, monkey, butterfly, giraffe, owl, cricket, cat, glow-worm, mouse, goat, elephant, ox, ant, tortoise, old horse, raven, dove and Noah himself also have their own prayer-poems. Let me now end this review with two samples of the Choir poems--

THE SEAGULL

A hole in the cliffs
is my nest but the sea calls me,
and I cradle my dreams
in the hollows of the waves.
The roll of Your ocean
is with me in the sky,
where I swing
on one wing, then the other,
and plummet
like a stone
on the living flash
of a fish.
Lord,
does my poignant cry
echo the endless travail
that beats on Your shore?
I am the bird
like salt,
grey and white,
a bitter tang
that does not fade;
and the ships
outward bound
watch me out of sight,
a little handkerchief
waving goodbye.
In the restlessness of my kingdom,
Lord,
let the storm spare me.
Amen.

THE OYSTER

Moist, glaucous,
in my mother-of-pearl house,
its door tightly shut
against intruders,
I drink in a dream from the sea:
Oh, let an iridescent pearl--
a milky dawn,
a faerie sheen--
find its tints in the heart of my life.
Then if, slowly,
day by day,
this mysterious seed
grows more perfect,
for my joy
and Your glory,
Lord,
nothing else will matter.
If it must be, I shall die
to let it reach its fullest splendour,
shining--only for You,
Lord--
at the bottom of the sea.
Amen.

[Celebrilomiel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was given this book the Christmas I was eleven by an older couple, former neighbors, who were like grandparents to me throughout my childhood. They were always giving me and my siblings books — and novelty soaps, the most memorable of which was a very pungent one sculpted into a very detailed albeit monochrome chicken — and visiting them was like walking into a book or a fairytale: an English garden full of rosemary and lavender and bees with a pebble path overhung by trees, a window seat between bookcases, a grandfather clock that chimed deliciously every hour, delicate porcelain bric-a-brac and elegant or exotic things in glass cases, the gleaming polished wood of antique four-posters, toile de Jouy and cozy blankets, a crackling fire and a good book devoured on the rug in front of it, vases with branches of persimmon or rushes or clusters of roses… Characters like Mrs. Oliphant and Mrs. Cheever and Professor Kirk and even the house of Mrs. Brace-Gideon always seemed very tangible to me because I had my own sort of benevolent godmother character who gave enchanting presents and kept a marvelous bookish house.

When I was younger, the books tended along the lines of Tasha Tudor and Beatrix Potter, and as I got older I was given ones like Walden and this collection of poetry. Although I read this at the time, I didn't particularly appreciate it (it felt a little too simple and I was ravenous for novels), but I always felt vaguely guilty about that, since I trusted the taste of this literary godmother of mine. In recent years, I've been trying to read at least one book of poetry each year to expand my horizons, and I've discovered that I have a penchant for poems that focus on the natural world, such as historical haiku and Mary Oliver's work. That led me back to this collection, since perhaps I would enjoy it more now than I had as a child — and I did, very much so.

The poems are simple — spare, even — and each is written from the perspective of a creature addressing God. The English version is a work of translation, since the poems were originally written in French, and from the forward I understand that there is even more wordplay in the originals; but I deeply appreciate the phrasing, the precise selection of words to reflect the spirit of the original, since in such simplicity each word carries so much weight. The words here are well chosen, evocative and striking, and each poem paints a vivid image in the mind.


Favorite poems from the collection:
• The Prayer of the Foal
• The Prayer of the Bee
• The Prayer of the Glow-Worm
• The Mole
• The Lizard
• The Oyster
• The Seagull


Some favorite lines:

The Prayer of the Goldfish
Let me no longer be a little goldfish
in its prison of glass,
but a living spark
in the gentleness of Your reeds.


The Prayer of the Foal
O God! the grass is so young!
My hooves are full of capers.
…
I race,
falling over my own feet in my joy,
because my eyes are too big
and I am their prisoner:
eyes too quick to seize
on the uneasiness that runs through the whole world.
Dear God,
when the strange night
prowls round the edge of day,
let Yourself be moved by my plaintive whinny;
set a star to watch over me
and hush my fear.


The Prayer of the Bee
Let my small span of ardent life
melt into our great communal task;
to lift up to Your glory
this temple of sweetness,
a citadel of incense,
a holy candle, myriad-celled,
moulded of Your graces
and of my hidden work.


The Prayer of the Glow-Worm
I am like a morsel
of cinder
and need Your night
for my heart to dare
to flicker out its feeble star


The Prayer of the Elephant
Let me be careful and behave wisely,
always keeping my dignity and poise.
Give me such philosophic thoughts
that I can rejoice everywhere I go
in the lovable oddity of things.


The Prayer of the Tortoise
I do not mean to criticize
this house on my back—
it has its points—
but You must admit, Lord,
it is heavy to carry!


The Lamb
A spindle on four legs
leaving tufts of white in the thickets


The Gazelle
and if I fly,
an arrow,
on my slender legs,
my little hooves
barely skimming the ground,
it is not that I scorn
the peace of Your pools,
but so, Lord,
that my life
might be a race
run straight
to the haven of Your love.


The Swallow
Small black arrow
of Your blue sky.
…
I dart
from the top to the bottom
of heaven
with a whistle of joy;


The Ladybird
Thank You for having made me
so that no one is afraid of me:
a little toy,
a penny toy,
a mite of comfort and laughter.


The Mole
I dig and dig,
looking
for life itself.
You have chosen darkness
for me, Lord,
and my tunnel
lengthens
in cavernous night.
…
and guide the strivings
of my little paws
so that they reach
some secret Paradise.


The Lizard
Lord,
who has inlaid
the triangular throb
of my head
with these thirsting eyes,
and inlaid me
with a flicker quick heart,
please put me
a swift arrow
on a sun-baked wall:
a wall full of cracks,
of mossy havens,
quiet caves of shadow
and hiding places:
a wall alight with joy
and life.…
Let me drink at the fire of Your sky,
until a slit
in the walls of Your paradise
drinks me in, as a trickle of water
dries and is gone.


The Spider
Between branches in the garden
I fish for frost and dew.
…
In the nimble silence
of my life,
on the thread of my airy dreams,
in the geometric tracery of my thoughts,
I thank You,
forever, dear God.


The Oyster
Moist, glaucous,
in my mother-of-pearl house,
its door tightly shut
against intruders,
I drink in a dream from the sea:
Oh, let an iridescent pearl—
a milky dawn,
a faerie sheen—
find its tints in the heart of my life.


The Seagull
…I cradle my dreams
in the hollows of the waves.
The roll of Your ocean
is with me in the sky,
where I swing
on one wing, then the other,
and plummet
like a stone
on the living flash
of a fish.


The Beaver
My element
is to struggle—
it is water that allures—
and tell me
to build a safe and steady house
on the moving stream
of a river—
moving as life does, swiftly—
what an adventure!
With patience and ingenuity
one can do anything.
But I am one
who loves to swim against the current,
to build
something lasting—
and all my own work—
at the very core of life.

[Jenni Simmons · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've always liked to imagine that animals might pray and love their Maker. These sweet poems delight my imagination. Even prayers from insects! I liked the Prayer of the Bee so much that I typed it on my blog, and if you will, I'll share it here, too:

"Lord,
I am not one to despise Your gifts.
May You be blessed
Who spread the riches of Your sweetness
for my zeal....
Let my small span of ardent life
melt into our great communal task;
to lift up to Your glory
this temple of sweetness,
a citadel of incense,
a holy candle, myriad-celled,
moulded of Your graces
and of my hidden work.
Amen."

[Rhonda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my favorite books of all time. I re-read it often and love the illustrations and quotes in French. The prayers are told from the perspective of the animals, and they are enchanting.

[Amy C. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I keep returning to these poems. Both the French originals and the English translations are among the most well-crafted poems I've ever had the pleasure to stumble on.

[Jeanne Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful treasure I found for 10 cents!

[MisterFweem · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a student of the twee, I have to say this is about as good as it gets. Anthropomorphism abounds as de Gasztold offers up prayers and pleas from a variety of animals; words that could accompany Saint-Saens' Carnival of the Animals. But not vain animals, as even the peacock exudes humility in understanding how it's voice contrasts with its appearance.

As poetry, top notch as well, with Goddens' translations bearing the lyricism of the originals. My one complaint: Only snippets of the poems in the original French. I'd love to have them in both languages in one volume.

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

In 1963, a dear friend gave me Prayers from the Ark. A wonderfully translated set of poems from the French and marvelous portraits of the animals who are us. The Prayer of the Donkey capture my mother. I hesitate to put myself into any of them.

But the prayer of the Lark, Me voici, me voici, fits any lark as our English does not. I am here, I am here. But Rumer Godden's English poetry is till insistent and charming and loving and hopeful and ironic...

[Katy]

These are sweet prayers from animals that say a lot about humans. A favorite from the ducklings prayer: "please make it rain always and give us lots of luscious slugs to eat."

[Rachel Vroom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful and funny

[Ellie Kirk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Prayers from the Ark & The Creature’s Choir is actually two books combined into a single volume of verse, and it never fails to move and delight me. The poems are prayers as offered up by animals, but the verses aren’t saccharin or sentimental. The poet builds a simple, accurate portrait of each animal by teasing out its fundamental characteristic—loyalty, patience, pride, humility.

The prayers were originally written in French by Carmen Bernos de Gasztold (11/9/1919-9/23/1975). Carmen Bernos started writing poetry during the German occupation of France in World War II. After the war, she drifted from place to place and post to post, eventually making her home at an abbey where she continued to write from her tower room. Rumer Godden, an author herself, translated the prayers and supplemented the book with a brief (but fascinating) biography of the poet.

From the lion to the glow worm, the seagull to the lizard, the verses are filled with pathos, humor, and an abiding respect for the animals themselves. Oh, and a little cheekiness, as well. For example, here are lines from the Prayer of the Snail:
“Lord,
You try for a little while
to walk on one foot
carrying Your whole heaven on Your back.”

And these yearning lines from the Prayer of the Toad are infused with compassion:
“Lonely and ugly—
who hasn't a horror of me, Lord?
Yet my song trills
of an unmalicious heart.”

The ability to offer so much clarity and understanding in so few words—to me, that’s the gift, the power, and the magic of poetry. I've given this book to so many friends and to a person, they have loved it as much as I do.

[Belle Meade School]

841.914

[brooklenn leanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s fine that I sobbed throughout both books.
These prayers, these laments, some so bleak but all so full of gratitude. I think we can learn a lot about how to live from these poems!

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read for the Book Riot Read Harder 2017 Challenge: Read a Collection of Poetry in translation on a theme other than love.

Boom. Cheap and from a used bookstore. I thought I'd have more trouble with this challenge. Cute.

[Ellen Ferber · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a slim volume or poems. Each is written as a fable. The creatures of the earth each send up their unique prayer to God in the form of a poem. The result is a poignant, funny and uplifting appreciation for the intimate connection between the created and the Creator. I often go back to this book - as each of the prayers resonate with me at various times in my life.

[Nyree · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beyond beautiful.

[Bonnie Wilcox · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whimsical and deep.