There was a Poet Seer and the people gathered
Round
Dusk was deepening and the night's advent was
In the first stars.
And the people said to the Poet Seer: ‘We are
Thirsty'
And the people said to the Poet Seer: 'We hunger'
And then the Poet Seer said to the people:
‘I will give you water that you may not thirst;
But
This is not water as you know
But water of the Soul in verse and song.
And
I will give you food but not material food
Yet
It will fill the Soul, The Inner Soul,
With desperation and the will to think.
And you will think
And the propensity will be
That of great things and thoughts and noble
Thoughts and deeds you think.'
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem
This poem is similar to THE POET SEER IN PARABLE but it is more complex, expanding on his role as Teacher. First, I love this lovely image of place and repose: DUSK WAS DEEPENING AND THE NIGHT'S ADVENT WAS IN THE FIRST STARS. What he gives them is not a passive transference of grace or spiritual power. He is giving them them the greatest challenge to shape their own destiny: the ability to think and the desperation which stems from it. It may seem harsh at first, but he is preparing people to be (as the historical Buddha put it) , LAMPS UNTO THEMSELVES. I suspect this will be a hard road for many but the Poet-Seer is not redeeming them, he is preparing them to create their own destiny. (I think I am reading this correctly, Emmanuel. Let me know if I am misreading you because I want to do justice to your vision.)