English poem
Mio Salvatore
by Roger Casement (1864–1916)
"Were I a king, my crown of gold I should not for a moment hold, Did not thy brow its glory share, Were thou not ever next my chair.
"Were I a God, my heaven would be One long, lone, vast sterility, Eternal only in its woe Did thou not all its purpose know.
"Were I a saint, my midnight cell Would be the portico of hell, Did not my scourging heart attest Thy love dwells in a stricken breast."