Stone

with a humble stone
we can grind grains to make bread
or finish a wall
leaving clouds to do their job:
gather rain, then let it fall

Kim M. Russell, 2017

Stone

Image of woman grinding grain found on Pinterest

My response to Carpe Diem #1169 humble

In this episode Chèvrefeuille has shared another poem by the Persian poet Hafiz, entitled: ‘from the large jug, drink’:

From the large jug, drink the wine of Unity, 
So that from your heart you can wash away the futility of life’s grief.

But like this large jug, still keep the heart expansive.
Why would you want to keep the heart captive, like an unopened bottle 
of wine?

With your mouth full of wine, you are selfless
And will never boast of your own abilities again.

Be like the humble stone at your feet rather than striving to be like a
Sublime cloud: the more you mix colors of deceit, the more colorless 
your ragged wet coat will get.

Connect the heart to the wine, so that it has body,
Then cut off the neck of hypocrisy and piety of this new man.

Be like Hafiz: Get up and make an effort. Don’t lie around like a bum.
He who throws himself at the Beloved’s feet is like a workhorse and will 
be rewarded with boundless pastures and eternal rest.

© Hafiz – From: Drunk on the Wine of the Beloved (Tr. Thomas Rain Crowe)

16 thoughts on “Stone”

Leave a reply to Virginia Popescu Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.