help！ the opening quotes of The Claw of the Concilator

[Lynn]

I know it sounds absurd but would you copy the opening poem of The Claw of the Concilator here?

I am a sf & fantasy book editor in China, and we are translating The Book of the New Sun into Chinese.For some (bureaucratic) reason, we don’t have the print book, and we are using e-book lacking of the opening poem.
I have got the poems for Shadow, Sword and Citidal from internet, however I can’t find the opening poem for book II. I know I should ask the copyright agency, Asking a Gene Wolfe fan, I think, is more convenient.
I’m really looking forward to your reply.

[Marc]

But strength still goes out from your thorns,
and from your abysses the sound of music.
Your shadows lie on my heart like roses
and your nights are like strong wine.


That is the opening quote of claw, no attribution.

[Lynn]

thank you so much, Marc.

[Stephen]

Xanthoderms! :)

[William]

Its from Gertrud von Le Fort.

"thorns", which is mysterious in Wolff, then becomes an obvious Christian reference, which I think is a shame.

http://mustelid.blogspot.co.uk/2005/0...

[Tortuga1499]

The book is full of Christian references, but this is not meant to imply an endorsement of Christianity.

Rather, it's just part of the genius of Wolfe demonstrating examples of how Severian's actions essentially reverberate backwards in time (or are reflective in some way of the past), ultimately laying the foundation for a religion far far back in the past.

[Palmyrah]

Sexual frustration curdled into religious masochism.