This is rather cute.

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Language modernized, I fear. If those who can't read it want it and nobody else volunteers I will take a stab at translating - but I am not the best interpreter, can't talk my own language, that's why I am a linguist.

Meister Eckehart begegnete ein schöner, nackter Bube.
Da fragte er ihn, von wannen er käme?
Er sprach: "Ich komme von Gott."
"Wo ließest du ihn?" -
"In tugendhaften Herzen."
"Wo willst du hin?" -
"Zu Gott!"
"Wo findest du ihn?" -
"Wo ich von allen Kreaturen ließ."
"Wer bist du?" -
"Ein König."
"Wo ist dein Königreich?" -
"In meinem Herzen."
"Gib acht, daß es niemand mit dir besitze!"
"Ich tu's." -
Da führte er ihn in seine Zelle und sprach: "Nimm, welchen Rock du willst!" -
"So wäre ich kein König!"
Und verschwand.
Da war es Gott selbst gewesen und hatte Kurzweil mit ihm gehabt.

what is this, the opening scene to the Nutcracker

Meister Eckhart [a German theologian of the 13th and 14th century] met a beautiful, naked boy. Then he asked him whence he came?
He said: "I come from God."
"Where have you left him?"
"In a virtuous hearts."
"Where are you going?"
"To God!"
"Where will you find Him?"
"Where I am far from all creatures."
"Who are you?"
"A King."
"Where is your kingdom?"
"In my heart."
"Be careful that no one shares it with you."
"I do."
Then he took him to his cell and said, "Take any coat you want"
"Then I would not be a king!", [he said], and disappeared.
It was God himself, that he had had with him a little while.

German to English: always a nightmarish proposition.

Visagrunt, danke schön. I was really too tired to do it last night, figured someone might help me out.

i wonder if "nature boy" [eden ahbez] was derived from this.

Did not get the reference, looked it up.

I'm not sure when Eckhart started to get big in this country, and the texts are inconclusive - but I would not rule it out. Ahbez seems to have been a bit on the esoteric side.

German to english isn't that bad, as far as european languages go... <.<

Again it is mind structure. For me German is relatively simple minded, morre predictable than Dutch, and French does not flow easily. But a lot of people see it as the opposite.

The differences in the way the two have tended to be taught come into it as well.