La Prière du Para (The Paratrooper's Prayer) is a French poem found in the possession of the presumed author, Aspirant (Brevet-Lieutenant) André Zirnheld, upon his death in Libya on July 27, 1942.
The Prayer appears before A. J. Quinnell's novel Man on Fire, the main protagonist of which is an ex-paratrooper in the Legion.
This prayer also appears in Lt. Col. Dave Grossman's book, On Combat: The Psychology and Physiology of Deadly Conflict in War and in Peace, Rogue Heroes by Ben Macintyre, and Call Sign Chaos: Learning to Lead by Jim Mattis.
The prayer, or some of it, is read in the French film Léon Morin, Priest (1961).
All those things are asked of You so much Lord, that you can't have any left to give.
Que je sois sûr de les avoir toujours Car je n'aurai pas toujours le courage De vous les demander.
Donnez-moi, mon Dieu, ce qui vous reste.
Donnez-moi ce dont les autres ne veulent pas.
Car vous seul donnez, mon Dieu, Ce que l'on ne peut attendre que de soi.
Que eu tenha a certeza de as ter para sempre Porque não terei sempre a coragem De Vos Lhas pedir.
Prayer of the Paratrooper Give me, O Lord, what remains Thine; What no one ever asks of Thee.
So many ask you for these, O Lord, Thou shouldst no longer have anything left to give.