Your way of knowing is a private herb garden
by Lalla
English version by Coleman Barks
Original Language Kashmiri
Your way of knowing is a private herb garden.
Enclose it with a hedge of meditation,
and self-discipline, and helpfulness to others.
Then everything you've done before
will be brought as a sacrifice
to the mother goddess.
And each day, as you eat the herbs,
your garden grows more bare and empty.
-- from Naked Song, by Lalla / Translated by Coleman Barks
Poetry Chaikhana | Lalla - Your way of knowing is a private herb garden
by Lalla
English version by Coleman Barks
Original Language Kashmiri
Your way of knowing is a private herb garden.
Enclose it with a hedge of meditation,
and self-discipline, and helpfulness to others.
Then everything you've done before
will be brought as a sacrifice
to the mother goddess.
And each day, as you eat the herbs,
your garden grows more bare and empty.
-- from Naked Song, by Lalla / Translated by Coleman Barks
Poetry Chaikhana | Lalla - Your way of knowing is a private herb garden
Comments
grows on idiosyncratic soil
of crags and rots
and growing mellowness.
Having it grow barren
will not connect me more
with the sky and trees.
I will not fence it to keep
the breezes out, nor visitors.
I typed a rather lengthy response then lost it.
Maybe later. It had to do with "barren" and "empty."