About Albert Szent-Györgyi’s Poems
I started to read A lbert Szent-Györgyi’s intellectual as well as em otional poetry w hen I was preparing for a lecture as p a rt of the O pen University program m e series at th e U niversity o f Szeged. Szent-Györgyi, the n a tu ra l scientist, was also w ell-read in p h ilosophy a n d in several fields o f hu m an ities. H e knew the ru lin g ideas o f the age, he read all the outstanding works o f contem porary literature a n d the relevant research papers on them . A fu rth e r research could study th e intellectual relationship betw een Szent-Györgyi a n d M ihály Babits, A ntal Szerb, w ho com pleted his habilitation at the U niversity o f Szeged, and others. F undam entally, his ethical stance h a d very close connections w ith the generation o f the literary-political periodical called N yugat [West]. This connection was so strong that there seem to be some kin d of harm ony between even th e sentences used by th e scientist and th e generation o f Nyugat. This also brings fo rth th e question how Szent-Györgyi was able to be so well-read in the 20th century and w hy philosophical literature, humaniora studia, was so im p o rta n t to him . The com parative form in Latin suggests th a t philosophical literature m akes a h u m an m ore h u m an , brings h im closer to his ow n ideal.
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Philosophical and Ethical Issues
O ne o f th e m ost serious problem s Szent-Gydrgyi’s generation had to face was the crisis o f the W estern culture. O ne aspect o f this crisis was the underdevel
opm ent o f h u m an being as an ethical factor in an age w hen sciences advanced rapidly b u t w ithout any appropriate “m o n ito rin g ” m echanism s. The ethical practices o f m an were at th e level o f prim eval tim es an d a gap was w idening betw een th is ethics and rational knowledge w hich m ay pose a serious th reat to the entire o f hum anity. Szent-G yorgyi’s tru s t in th e h u m a n intellect and his em phasising th e fu n d a m e n ta l im p o rta n c e o f th e a rts are ap p aren t n o t only from his w ritings on these topics, b ut from his correspondence a n d his discussions on the th eo ry o f science. In these discussions, he often conceals im p o rta n t references which are n o t about know ing th e anim ate or inanim ate nature, b u t about unequivocal philosophical questions. These references and rem arks appeared quite frequently in Szent-Gyorgyi’s life although he aired his intellectual tension in different ways in th e 1930s, in th e years a ro u n d W orld W ar II a n d in th e 1960s, in different ways.
In photocopies, the Klebelsberg Library of the University of Szeged collected all of Szent-Györgyi’s research papers not published in a separate volume. Through a chronological reading o f these works, we can see the intellectual development of a m oralist scholar a nd his sensitive response to the changes of the historical situation. A p art from incidental rem arks, introductions an d research pápers collected in festive volume, he discussed philosophical and ethical issues sys
tematically also in his m onographs entitled Lapaix, sa biologie et sa morale and The Crazy Ape. W hile the form er volume was w ritten in French before W orld W ar II, the latter one, which expressed very sim ilar views, was w ritten a lot later, in a consolidated age and environm ent (it was published in 1970).
T he characteristics o f Szent-Györgyi’s intellect, his response to th e intel
lectual crisis was in perfect harm ony w ith an approach that was represented by the generation of Nyugat. This field has n ot been elaborated on in the H ungar
ian science o f literature. Professor an d p oet Sándor Sík becam e a m ediator in this process, naturally. H e was close to him in a geographical sense also. They b o th lived a n d w orked in the sam e block and, presum ably, th ey frequently m et. W h en Szent-Györgyi was Rector o f th e University, th e P iarist professor a n d colleague h a d th e greatest im p a c t on h im . H e unselfishly assisted his
“boss” w ith his expertise in editing an d dram aturgy.1 Szent-Györgyi’s com m itm e n t to humaniora studia can be seen in his consent to becom e ch air
m a n of the H u n g arian -S o v iet C u ltu ral Society (in 1945). T he fam ous writer, Lajos Zilahy, becam e his jo in t c h a irm a n . Together, th ey co -e d ite d a jo u r
nal. (Incidentally, the biographies of the tw o ra n parallel at certain points in th e ir lives.) Such a special venture was a n d has been quite rare n o t only in th e H u n g arian science of literature, b u t also in th e entire H u n g arian history of science. T he title itself indicated th e aim of providing th e fields o f intuitive and of rational cognition a com m on platform . Irodalom és Tudomány [Litera
tu re and Science]: the tw o phenom ena separate a n d u n ited at th e sam e tim e.
The first p a rt, com prising approxim ately tw o -thirds of th e journal, on nearly one hundred pages, was discussing literature, on works of art, translations and research papers. The rem aining o n e -th ird of th e jo u rn a l was about science.
The p a rt on literature was edited by Lajos Zilahy. (Ildikó Tasi Csúcs, w orking in Klebelsberg Library, is conducting a com prehensive study of th e published issues and the history o f the journal. For fu rth e r inform ation, see her research paper published in the p resent volume.)
1 This assistance was also expressed in the professional support o f the university’s acting company. As a result, a dramatic historical performance o f Hamlet, the “Hamlet o f Szeged” could appear on stage directed by István Horváth, ír.
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Szent-Gyorgyi saw ethics, science a n d culture as interdependent p henom ena. He saw th em as separate realisations, separate aspects o f a deeper, com m o n u n ity o r o f essence. H e w ro te ab o u t th is in th e p ro g ra m m e pap er o f the p a rt o f th e jo u rn a l he edited. H e published it in A ugust 1945, in the first issue of the jo urnal. In his words: “All three areas are seeking the truth in dif
ferent forms. Each o f them teaches us that we should seek the truth, and not to try to justify our truth; all three areas are communications o f divine wisdom.”
Intellectual completeness can be desired for only by someone who is highly intellectual, w ho has tried multiple ways o f thinking, who analyses the ethical relevance of actions from several aspects a n d w ho is full of em otions. Being a narro w specialist is a very sad phenom enon. Som eone w ho is tra in e d only in one area is an intellectual proletarian, as Szent-Gyorgyi quotes, homo unius libri (timeo). One, whose one-sided, polarised views shall be feared. The three areas of ethics, science and culture collectively form divine w isdom th ro u g h w hich one c a n gain firm knowledge. “T he only aim of n a tu ra l sciences is to know the deepest tru th s, the deepest w isdom , to experience G od.” A n d G od is Being itself. Szent-Gyorgyi w rote about this as follows: “Therefore, n ature can n o t give an answ er to the questions o f ‘W h at is life?’ or ‘Does life exist?’
W hat n atural sciences can do is to m erely exam ine the individual phenom ena o f life.”2 Thus, research is focused on th e laws o f nature, for example, oxida
tion, a m ost relevant example in this respect.
Researcher o f God’s “creative power”
O ne is try in g to und erstan d the invisible (divine) “creative pow er” even if, on the surface, one seems to be analysing exclusively the substance. It was highly characteristic o f Szent-Györgyi that, as father o f em pirical sciences, he often referred to th e Italian writer, literary h isto rian a n d physicist Galilei, w ho was considered by some as a pre-m aterialist, and who often said (in works cited by Szent-Györgyi as well) th at we can and shall learn the world only as a creation of God. (It is a different issue th a t th e Italian scholar, w ho - although only to h im self - shared D ante’s am bitions, tu rn e d to oppose th e church th e sam e way as did his outstan d in g h u m an istic predecessors w ishing to deepen and clarify knowledge.)
2 See “From the U nity o f Life to the Coequality o f the Forms o f Consciousness.” Worries o f Albert Szent-Gyorgyi in Times o f War.
A fu n d am en tal principle o f C h ristian theology is th a t m an is an analogue o f God, w ho is continuously fighting for physical a n d intellectual being to find and understand G od in nature, history and h u m an soul. In a radio inter
view Szent-Györgyi was asked to ta lk about his belief in G od and he replied the following: “I am not a religious [man], but I am a pious m a n .... A religious m an says ‘G od is this,’ ‘G od is there,’ ‘G od is that. Your G od is n o t m y God.’
But a pious m a n looks up w ith awe a n d says, ‘W h a t is G od?’ A n d I’d like to know w hat th is ‘creation’ really m eans! A pious m a n is really touched by th e greatness o f n atu re and d f th e creation.” 3 T he scholar in co n stan t battle w ith him self an d the lim its o f know ledge can n o t really avoid n o t connecting in a way or another w ith som ething or someone th at is beyond the ‘knowable.’
H e sings psalm s as K ing David did once.
Especially, in the m ost critical m om ents in his life. The poem s were b o rn in the sum m er o f 1964 in response to the serious m ental crisis the scholar was going th ro u g h as it was only a few m o n th s after h er second wife, M árta, had died. Psalmus H umánus is a pious m a n ’s psalm . Its n u m b er of rows rem inds us o f a sonnet. It is a lonely dialogue w ithout responses w ith a “h id in g ” God.
A fter the initial addressing o f ‘M y Lord!’ the first p a rt is try in g to fin d a nam e for God. The question, ‘ Who are You?’4 is followed by a series o f nouns to find a nam e for ‘You’ and ends the list w ith question marks: ‘m y loving Mother,’ ‘my stern Father,’ ‘the Universe,’ ‘the Law w hich rules it [the Universe]?’ We cannot get answers to th e ‘W hy’s’ either. A re we b o rn to destruction? D id we create G od or did G o d create us? T h e n th e scholar-poet is seeking G o d ’s help to save h im from his grave doubts. A m ong these, som e o f th em are m entioned.
O ne o f th em is rooted in his private life - his w ish to be freed fro m loneli
ness. The o th er is about his social responsibility as a scholar. T he lonely m an is speaking w ith an assuring tone o f his dilem m a th a t was developing in h im as a result o f incom prehension.
If we consider the typology of genesis in Goethe’s Faust, Szent-Györgyi pre
ferred the evolutionist approach5and not the ‘volcanoist’ th at linked the begin
ning o f life to a m om ent, to an eruption. Moreover, continuous advancem ent bo th by the laws o f nature and by the knowledge gained about these laws is in
3 Ralph W. Moss, Free radical: Albert Szent-Gyorgyi and the battle over vitamin C. New York: Paragon House,1988. 213.
4 In St. Thomas’s views, the best term to refer to God is Qui est.
5 In the above-mentioned interview, he also said that, as opposed to the Bible, God did not create life from nothing with his word but life was continuously developing from the physical world itself.
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contrast w ith the approach th a t b o th m a n an d th e w orld are G o d ’s finished products (even th ough at tim es, G od was forced to re-co n stru ct these p ro d ucts). T he approach o r idea o f developm ent allows m ore ro o m for h u m a n activity an d creativity (this was G oethe’s opinion too); th is approach is obvi
ously holding favourable o p portunities for a creative m an. To becom e G o d ’s colleague’ is a highly attractive role to take especially if we im agine a superior being free from the errors th a t characterise us a n d w hich feature we foolishly confer to H im . H u m a n knowledge recognising G o d ’s autonomy, i.e. aligning o u r activities to the absolute, m ay prove the m ost useful for a com m unity.
The Prayers
First Prayer: God
M y Lord!
You are greater than the world You created, A n d Your house is the Universe.
I shaped You to m y own image
Thinking You vicious, greedy and vain, Desirous o f my praise and sacrifices, Revengeful o f m y petty trespasses, Needful o f the houses I build you
While m y fellow men I let go without food and shelter.
God! Let me praise You by improving my corner o f Your Creation By filling this little world o f mine
With light, warmth, good will and happiness.
A fter Psalmus Humanus this was the first of six prayers. T he way Szent-Gyor- gyi com posed these poem s is deeply interesting. Literary tra d itio n originates in the psalm s o f the Bible, to w hich the biologist rem ained faithful. These are questions o f a m a n seeking a connection w ith G od, questions about the rela
tionship betw een God, m an and the world, about divine expectations, a m an ’s duties an d gnaw ing doubts.
The prayers can be broken dow n to th ree parts: all six begin w ith an asser
tion that are generally positive in attitude. Therefore, these initial assertions are all positive statem ents at the b eginning of each prayer. Consequently, a reader m ay th in k th a t these in tro d u c to ry lines show G o d ’s real intent, th e possibil
ity o f the realisation o f th e good in a context w hich cultures problem s. These
are the following: The H eart a n d th e M ind, T he Leaders (our politicians and priests), Energy an d Speed, C hildren etc. The Parent, the Universe, Love in the h e a rt and T hought in the m in d (T hird Prayer), Service (of th e Lord and o f th e m an, F o u rth Prayer), Science, Beauty a n d C hildren are addressed in the overture’ o f th e prayers.
However, after the introduction, there is a break in each prayer; the original good intent can n o t be preserved. It is as if in the creation process the light had broken up, or at least, h a d been unable to position well. A n d so, it becom es im possible to create a perfect w orld th a t aligns to th e absolute. T he second p a rt of each prayer lists the negative features; this p a rt is the place and tim e for evil to succeed. H um an pride is b ehind this crisis (the greatest sin in the M id
dle Ages): m a n believes him self to be G od. “I shaped You to m y ow n im age / T hinking You vicious, greedy and v a in ,...” A fter pride the w ork o f evil m an i
fests in Lust for Power (Second Prayer), H atred, D estruction (T hird Prayer), Devastation, M isery (Fourth and Fifth Prayers), bad Education (ethical, m oral stagnation: Sixth Prayer). To G o d ’s claim, destructive denial is th e response.
This second, ‘interm ediate p a rt’ raises th e im m ediate possibility o f com plete destruction. However, th e poem s m ediate gravity a n d responsibility, a n d not desperation or lethargy.
T he good a n d th e bad, th e creato r a n d th e d estru ctiv e pow ers are n o t equally po w erfu l a n d th e outcom e o f th e fight depen d s o n th e m an : it is the task of the I to em phasise (to him self, in particular, th en to his environ
m ent) the success of the good, a n d this is the only way he can becom e sim ilar to his creator. T he th ird p a rt, in H egel’s term s, is som e k in d o f a synthesis.
A lthough th ro u g h creation, good o p portunities arise; nevertheless, it is not consensus and goodness, b u t it is d isharm ony th a t rules. W h a t shall be done now, w hat is to be desired and w hat is to be rejected? W h en shall we tu rn to G od for help to be able to form ou r world actively? The th ird p a rt in the poems are prayers for (G od’s) u n d erstan d in g , for m ak in g th e w orld nicer a n d better (First Prayer), for peace (Second Prayer), for the cleaning o f the h e a rt (T hird Prayer), for th e elevating o f life (F o u rth Prayer), for co-operation w ith G od (Fifth Prayer) a n d for th e saving o f th e children (Sixth Prayer). In th is for
m ation process, acting in h a rm o n y w ith the absolute is the m ost im p o rta n t motive.
T he topic o f th e T h ird Prayer o r p salm 6 is th e conflict o f th e h e a rt and th e m ind. T his is a very ancient question in the histo ry of th in k in g a n d it is
6 W ith reference to the Book o f Psalms in the Bible, the author kept the name in the title:
‘psalmus.’ However, in the title o f the other six poems, he uses the expression ‘prayer.’
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a very ancient idea to confront them . Earlier, in try in g to define th e relation
ship betw een th e h e a rt a n d th e m in d , th e o p in io n was th a t th e h e a rt a n d the good originated from G od, a n d th e m in d was their dow nright opposite.
However, this view was m ore complicated in the scientist’s m ind. Lucifer h im self was called the ‘Light-bearer;’ he was directly linked to th e m in d , to cold rationalism w hich was in contrast w ith naïve belief, the ‘religion o f th e h e a rt’
(Rousseau, Kazinczy). The antagonist of the Three Angels is the ‘ancient spirit o f denial.’
In Szent-Gyorgyi’s views, th e m in d loses its negative connotations (natu
rally), but he also recognises the lim ited nature o f the m ih d ’s use and relevance (this is th e reaso n for his w orries about th e im m ensely destructive n a tu re of th e latest scientific inventions). However, in his opinion, this is m ore o f an ethical issue th a n a metaphysical or an epistemological one. In other words, it is ethics th a t m u st control the destructive consequences w hich m ight easily stem from the inventions o f science. It is not the rebellious m in d but th e hate
ful h e a rt th a t poisons the intellect.
Third Prayer: THE HEART A N D THE M IND
M y Lord!
You have given me a heart capable o f love and thirsty fo r love, You have given me a m ind capable o f clear thought and creativeness, A nd I have filled m y heart with fea r and hatred,
A n d my heart corrupts my mind and makes it build monstrous instruments o f murder
To destroy Your world, myself and my fellow men, A nd damage the sacred stu ff life is made o f God! Clean m y heart, lift m y mind,
A n d make me m y brother’s brother.
In 1964, an e te rn al a n d agonizing p roblem Szent-G yörgyi was stru g g lin g w ith em erged to th e surface th ro u g h his poem s. T he im provem ent of public
W hile the former is about the direct relationship between God and the poetic I, the lat
ter one has a determinant element, the world which has been misdirected. To be able to make order once more, Szent-Gyorgyi turns to God for help. David’s psalmic attitude was replaced by that o f a priest’s. It is notable how the Lord and God alternate.
ethics c a n n o t keep abreast w ith th e science he w as fighting so fiercely for.
A dangerous consequence o f this situation m ay be the destruction of th e m ost im p o rta n t value, o f life (“damage the sacred stu ff life is made o f”). T he d if
ferent pace o f developm ent of the different form s o f consciousness threatens w ith the d estruction o f the whole. L earning som ething new does n o t always entail only the good an d th e useful b u t also the dangerous: w hile m a n was busy building his ‘societies,’ he lost his genuine, ‘divine’ goodness. Moreover, ethics has rem ain ed unch an g ed for th e m illen n ia o f m a n ’s existence. Even civilised societies have rem ained unchanged from this aspect: barbaric killing, the right of th e strongest i.e. unlaw fulness have prevailed.
To these dangers, Szent-G yorgyi reacted in, essentially, tw o ways. O ne w ay is th e ch a n g in g o f th e society’s stru c tu re , th e b rin g in g o f th e idea of a cosm opolite into existence; a n d the o th er way, from the in d ividual’s point o f view, is elevation to a higher ethical level. For th e m om ent, either way is a pium desiderium.
C onsequently, th e co n ten t o f th e Second Prayer is quite obvious from the above. T he first p a rt (the thesis) narrates the present situation: th e order o f the w orld an d the system o f electing politicians to deal w ith public duties and spiritual leaders to serve G od. However, in th e second p a rt o f th e prayer, he w rites th a t all, even those w ho should act in th e nam e of God, are driven by one desire: lust for pow er instead o f w orking for peace. The representatives of th e church provoke killing instead o f practising th eir original duties. He is asking for G o d ’s help to send leaders, b o th physically an d spiritually, who can lead h u m a n ity to achieve the m ost im p o rta n t value: peace.
T he fo u rth a n d fifth prayers are focussing, c o n tin u in g w ith th e th ree- p a rt arrangem ent, on scientific research, on the scholar struggling w ith con
ducting these researches. The thesis an d antithesis o f either poem is sim ilar:
we were given a beautiful, rich lan d and a h u m a n sense able to u n d erstan d and influence th is land; however, w ith o u r guns, we have brought m isery and destruction to o u r fellow creatures (“build them into formidable machines o f destruction”) - th e antithesis. T he We is unable to reconcile this conflict, to perform the task. O n the one hand, he tu rn s to G od for help to forbid destruc
tion for h u m an s (“Let me not destroy the temple o f life,” F o u rth Prayer), and on the other h and, he needs G od to allow us to becom e com panions to h im in the building o f life (“Let us be Your partners in creation,” Fifth Prayer). A m an can becom e G o d ’s analogue by activity an d n o t by rem ain in g in o u r given situation. The o p p o rtu n ity given by this resemblance can be fulfilled only if m an becom es a companion together w ith all th e dangers th is distinguished status poses.
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T he final prayer is for th e children. Some positive characteristic features already cited (pleasure, w ealth a n d harm o n y ) a re em phasised once m ore;
m oreover, tw o fu n d am en tal C h ristian values are placed above them : peace an d love. T his new salvation m u st be based on these values. These thoughts rem ind us to M ihály Babits’ W orld W ar I poems entitled ‘God, Our Father’ and
‘Before Easter.’ Babits w rote the gospel paraphrase for & print on w a r orphans.
T he poem ’s in ten tio n is to m ake us believe th a t suffering a n d th e death o f th e relatives w ere n o t in vain, because, as th e p o e m says, “so o n er o r later d o m inion an d glory w ill be his (G od’s).” In Szent-Györgyi’s poem , th is sam e w ish is form ed.
Babits’ H u ngarian words, “.. .gyermekeinket / növeld békére: ha bűn, hogy lábunk / ma vérbe csúszik: értük az!” can be translated as “... our children / enhance peace in them; i f our fe et / shall imbue with blood, it is fo r them.” In Szent-Györgyi’s poem in English, the same wish is expressed in the following way:
“Save their lives
That the weapons I forge against others may not destroy them,”
Albert Szent-Györgyi: Psalmus Humánus
M y Lord, W h o are You?
Are You m y stern Father, O r are You m y loving M other
In whose w om b th e Universe was born?
A re You th e Universe itself?
O r the Law w hich rules it?
Have You created life only to w ipe it out again?
A re You m y m aker, or did I shape You,
T hat I m ay share m y loneliness an d shun m y responsibility?
God! I d on’t know w ho You are
But I am calling to You, for I am ih trouble, Frightened o f m yself and m y fellow men!
You m ay n o t u n d erstan d m y words, But com prehend m y wordless sounds.
First Prayer: God
M y Lord! You are greater th a n th e w orld You created, A n d Your house is th e Universe.
I shaped You to m y ow n im age
T h in k in g You vicious, greedy a n d vain,
D esirous o f m y praise a n d sacrifices, Revengeful o f m y p e tty trespasses, N eedful o f the houses I b uild you
W hile m y fellow m en I let go w ithout food a n d shelter.
God! Let m e praise You by im proving m y corner of Your C reation By filling th is little w orld o f m ine
W ith light, w arm th, good w ill an d happiness.
Fourth Prayer: Energy and Speed M y Lord!
You have revealed to us the secret energies o f m atter To ease o u r toil a n d elevate life,
You have taught us to travel faster th a n the so und we m ake T hat distance should no m ore separate m an from m an.
We toil to press these energies into shells
In w hich to send th em to th e d ista n t corners o f the earth, To b ring m isery an d d estruction to ou r fellow m en, Leaving th e e a rth scorched a n d b a rre n of life.
God! Let m e n ot destroy th e tem ple of life,
Let m e use m y knowledge to m y advantage, to elevate life, Lend dig n ity to the short span o f m y existence.
Lend dig n ity to the short span of m y existence.
Fifth Prayer: The Earth
M y Lord! You have given us th is lovely globe to live on, H idden u n told treasures in its bowels,
Enabled us to com prehend Your work, Ease o u r toil, b a n hunger an d disease.
We are digging up those treasures to squander them , To build th em into form idable m achines o f destruction, W ith w hich to destroy w hat other m en have built
W hich w ill tu rn against m e, destroy m e a n d m y children.
God! Let us be Your p a rtn e rs in creation By un d erstan d in g a n d im proving Your work, M aking th is globe o f ours a safe hom e For wealth, happiness an d harm ony.
