This, the Rütli Oath, was the first declaration of independence for Switzerland
No, there's a limit to the tyrant's power,
When the oppressed can find no justice, when
The burden grows unbearable-- he reaches
With hopeful courage up unto the heavens
And seizes hither his eternal rights,
Which hang above, inalienable
And indestructible as stars themselves --
The primal state of nature reappears,
Where man stands opposite his fellow man --
As last resort, when not another means
Is of avail, the sword is given him --
We want to be a single band of brothers,
Never to part in danger nor distress.
We want to be free, as our fathers were,
And rather die than live in slavery.
We want to trust in the one highest God
And never be afraid of human power.
Never be afraid of human power, is what he's saying, in other words the force of tyranny which is a human power and thus is not omnipotent it's not an absolute power and one should not subject oneself to it, because it not reflective of the larger idea of the good.
We should not allow ourselves to disbelieve, or abandon the idea of the good, the beautiful, and the true merely because of tyrannical power that is not a permanent thing.
There are many classics with the same theme.
Reading Schiller now in the German Fraktur.
Thanks for this translation! I have marked several passages to read in translation. But I want the experience of reading the original, even if I don't capture all of it.
THANKS OP!
Lovely!
I'd never heard of the Rütli Oath, but the passage above captures a universal truth. There are so many different ways to say that truth (the map of words is not the territory of experience) but they all come down to the same thing.
If we are ever to become truly united, we MUST spread understanding that there are many names for God in many different languages, and many ways to conceive of the incomprehensible (does anyone believe humans can fully comprehend the Divine or whatever one wishes to call it?).
Any true religion -- that is, any framework that supports both love and freedom (the yin and yang of any healthy society) -- is our ally. We can argue details and even proselytize for our preferred framework without denying the basic, earthly validity of other frameworks that, while filled with alien-to-us features and details, fully support and cultivate Love of others including, as Love inherently does, the right of others to live their own lives as long as they are not harming anyone else.
Unity is the ONLY way we emerge victorious over the Cabal. The more divided we feel ourselves to be, the lower our chances of defeating Evil.
It goes without saying that any framework which preaches hatred of or violence TO innocent others is not a true religion. "Love thy neighbor" never includes "subjugate or kill thy neighbor if he or she isn't a member of this particular religion" any more than it could include human sacrifice.
If the Great Awakening does not include wider understanding of this -- of the UNITY of the GOOD despite differences in detail, including differences in the supernatural elements of any given paradigm or religion -- then it will fail long-term. Any person or group that fosters and supports love and freedom, be it a small local charitable group, a single family, or a major religion, is a member in good standing of Mankind. Any person or group that acts or advocates in ways that violate or suppress love or freedom is an enemy of Mankind.
THAT is the demarkation in the war we are fighting: Good vs Evil. Love and Freedom vs Cruelty and Tyranny. Everything else is detail.
~ M.K. Gandhi