The Garden
Its beads of dew are frozen
G-d sends his word melt them
They trickle down the grapevine’s stem
And the grape’s wine seeps into my blood.
The flower beds blossom, and open before us
Clasps of their whitening buds
Send a fragrance up to our faces
As we wander out to the myrtles.
As you go, each flower lends you a petal -
A wing, in theory, so you won’t crush it;
And the sun’s face glows like a bride
Whose jewels shine in her glow.
Through the star’s circuit around earth, daily, the sun glides,
Although no one quests for her love -
Thus, we tend to think of the sun as a king’s chariot
Drawn by galloping horses;
As it passes over the garden you notice
The flower beds now coated in silver light,
And then when the day ends, the sun lines
The beds’ borders with a shimmering gold.
Original Text:
Its beads of dew are frozen
Hr sends his word melt them;
They trickle down the grapevine’s stem
and its wine seeps into my blood.
The beds blossom, and open before us
Clasps of their whitening buds
Send a fragrance up to our faces
As we wander out to the myrtles.
As you go, each flower lends you a petal -
A wing so you won’t crush it;
And the sun’s face glows like a bride
Whose jewels shine in her glow.
Through its circuit, daily, the sun glides,
Though no one at all pursues her -
And so we think it a king’s chariot
Drawn by galloping horses.
As it passes over the garden you notice
The beds now coated in silver light,
And then when the day declines, it lines
Their borders with a shimmering gold.
- Jeremy Shapiro
- Jeremy Shapiro
A Curious Inquirer asks: A beautiful poem indeed. I can certainly see your enthusiasm about the natural world. There’s nothing better than waking up in the morning to take a stroll through a peaceful garden, as there are many of them to wander through here in Baghdad. But, I just don’t seem to find the significance of this passage at all. I mean, the garden’s nice, but what how does it relate to today’s culture?
ReplyDeleteGood question - This poem is particularly interesting because it’s message can be taken on a both a Jewish and Arab level. I refer to G-d once in The Garden, letting the reader know my belief that G-d created nature and beauty. By acknowledging that the garden was G-d’s doing, I open the door to both Jews and Muslims alike; both religions believe in the one, almighty G-d (or Allah). Contrary to popular belief, us Jews, Muslims and Christians have more in common than most think. If you look back only a few decades, you will find scholars of all religions working together on new inventions and ideas. Although our religious beliefs are different, everyone has the ability to perceive beauty. Walking through a garden can be beautiful experience no matter what religion.
DeleteThere’s a stark contrast in the life we live in this Islamic society compared to those in Christian Europe. During Islam’s period of discovery, Arab cities blossomed with life as new, public gardens were constructed. We all take for granted the casual stroll through the garden. In reality, people only hundreds of miles away, live in small huts along rivers. I walk through the garden because I can. The garden is a gift.