I like a bridge
Any kind of bridge at all
A great steelbridge
With towers stiff and tall;
An old covered bridge
That spans a waterfall;
A hewn-stone bridge
With its rugged floor and wall;
A railroad bridge
Where freight trains slowly crawl;
A wooden bridge
A cement bridge
Whether big or small;
Yes, I like a bridge
Just any kind of bridge at all
I shot an arrow into the air
It fell to earth I knew not where;
For, so swiftly it flew, the sight
Could not follow it in its flight
I breathed a song into the air,
It fell to earth, I knew not where;
For who has sight so keen and strong,
That it could follow the flight of song?
Long, long afterward, in an oak
I found the arrow, still unbroken;
And the song, from beginning to end,
I found again in the heart of a friend.
THE QUIET LIFE
Happy the man, whose wish and care
A few paternal acres bound,
Content to breathe his native air
In his own ground,
Whose herds with milk, whose fields with bread, These lines mean that a happy man is one who gets
whose flocks supply him with attire;
Whose trees in summer yield him shade,
In winter, fire.
These lines mean that the poet says that he likes all kinds
of bridges.
These lines mean that the poet likes a huge steel bridge
with high straight towers which are strong because they
are made of steel.
These lines mean that the poet likes an old bridge with a
roof over it which built waterfall.
These lines mean that the poet likes a bridge which is
made of stone cut from the rocks and has rough uneven
floor and wall.
These lines mean that the poet like a railroad bridge over
which trains that carry goods go very slowly.
These lines mean that the poet likes bridges which are
made of wood or brick. It does not matter whether they are
big or small.
These lines mean that the poet says that he really likes all
kinds of bridges.
These lines mean that the poet once shot an arrow into the
sky. It flew through the air and hit the ground. But he did
not know the place where the arrow fell.
These lines mean that the arrow flew through the air so
fast that the poet’s eyes could not follow the path the
arrow took.
These lines meant that the poet sang a song very softly
once and the song disappeared in the air. The poet
believed that the song must have been heard by someone
somewhere but he did not know who heard it and where it
was heard.
These lines mean that the poet did not know who heard the
song because there is no one who has eyesight so sharp
and strong that it could follow where the song went.
These lines mean that after a long time, the poet found the
arrow he had shot, still unbroken, in and oak tree.
These lines meant that the poet also found that a friend of
his was able to sing the song sung by the poet from the
beginning to the end for him.
These lines mean that a happy man is one whose
wants are few and simple. This kind of man is
contented with a few acres of land he has inherited
from his father.
These lines mean that a happy man is one who is
contented to remain all his life in his native land. It
belongs to him and he belongs to this place.
milk to drink from his herds of cattle, the flour to
bake bread from his fields of wheat and the wool to
make clothes from his flocks of sheep.
These lines mean that a happy man is one whose
trees provide him with shade in summer and in
winter they provide him with firewood as fuel to
keep him warm.
Blest, who can unconcern’dly find
Hours, days and years, slide soft away
In health of body, peace of mind,
Quiet by day.
Sound sleep by night; study and ease
Together mix’d; sweet recreation,
And innocence, which most does please
With meditation.
Thus let me live, unseen, unknown;
Thus unlamented let me die;
Steal from the world, and not a stone
Tell where I lie.
Leisure
What is this life if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare?
No time to stand beneath the boughs
And stare as long as sheep or cows:
No time to see when woods we pass,
Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass:
No time to see, in broad daylight,
Streams full of stars, like skies at night:
No time to turn at Beauty’s glance,
And watch her feet, how they can dance:
No time to wait, till her mouth can
Enrich that smile her eyes began?
A poor life if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.
The Heart of the Tree
What does he plant who plants a tree?
He plants the friend of sun and sky;
He plants the flag of breezes free;
The shaft of beauty, towering high;
He plants a home to heaven a-nigh
These lines meant that a happy man who is blessed is
one who does not mind time passing slowly.
These lines mean that a happy man who is blessed is
one who has good health and a sound mind. Such a
man has quiet days.
These lines mean that a man who has good health
can sleep soundly at night. He spends his time
working and resting. He also enjoys his leisure
pleasantly and simply in the way he likes.
These lines mean that a happy man is one who is
innocent by spending his time in quiet reflection on
life.
These lines mean that the poet would like to live a
quiet life, without friends or companions and without
fame. When he dies, he does not want anyone to feel
sad for him.
These lines mean that the poet wants to leave this
life quietly and he does not want any tombstone to
mark the place where he will be buried.
These lines mean that the poet wonders what kind of life it
is, if there is only work and no leisure.
These lines mean that life will be meaningless if there is
under the branches of trees and look at things in a leisurely
way as sheep or cows do.
These lines mean that when we pass the forest, life will be
meaningless if there is no time to stand and watch where
squirrels hide their nuts in the grass.
These lines mean that life will be meaningless if there is
how, in daylight, the surface of the stream reflects the
sunshine and it sparkles like the stars that shine in the sky
at night.
These lines mean that life will be meaningless if there is no
time to return the look that a beautiful girl gives us and
watch her feet as she dances.
These lines mean that life will be meaningless if there is no
time to watch the way a beautiful girl’s mouth will curl up
in a smile which begins in her eyes.
These lines mean that it is a worthless life if our lives are
full of worries and anxiety and if we have no time to enjoy
the beauty of nature.
These lines mean that the poet asks whether a person
knows what he is doing when he plants a tree.
These lines mean that when a person plants a tree, he is
making a friend for the sun and the sky. He is also making
a for the flag which flutters freely as the wind blows.
These lines mean that the tree a person plants makes a tall
beautiful column which rises high above other things. It is
so tall that it seems to touch the sky. This tree is also a
home for the birds.
For song and mother-croon of bird
In hushed and happy twilight heard
In hushed and happy twilight heard
The treble of heaven’s harmony
These things he plants who plants a tree.
Cloud Zoo
I thought I saw a cloud whale
Sail through a sea of blue;
It changed into an elephant
Of most unusual hue,
And even as I marveled,
It split itself in two,
I watched a long white serpent
Winding its cloudy way,
To pounce upon a cloud frog
That unsuspecting lay,
The little frog became a bird
And slowly flew away.
All afternoon I watched them,
Such magic as they knew;
I saw a white rhinoceros,
And white flamingos, too,
Till evening shut her deep blue tent
Over my private zoo
The Months
January cold desolate
February dripping wet;
March wind ranges;
These lines mean that late evening is the time when no
sound can be heard. Everything is quiet. It is a happy time
because it is bed time for the birds. The only sound that can
be heard is the mother-bird singing softly to its young ones.
These lines mean that in the happy and silent time of late
evening, the sound of the crooning mother-bird seems to be
the music coming from the heaven..
These lines mean that the poet ways that any person who
plants a tree is planting all these good things.
These lines mean that the poetess thought she saw a cloud
shaped like a whale sailing through the sky which looked
like a blue sea to her.
These lines mean that as the poetess watched the cloud
shaped like a whale, it changed into a cloud that looed like
an elephant with a strange colour.
These lines mean that while the poetess was watching the
cloud shaped like a strange-coloured elephant in surprise, it
broke into two parts.
These lines mean that the poetess watched a cloud shaped
like a long white snake, moving in and out.
These lines mean that as the poetess watched, the cloud
shaped like a long white snake was going to jump upon a
cloud which looked like a frog that lay without suspecting
any danger.
These lines mean that as the poetess watched, the little cloud
shaped like a frog changed into the shape of a bird and
slowly flew away.
These lines mean that the poetess watched the clouds with
different shapes all afternoon as they changed their shapes as
if by magic.
These lines mean that the poetess saw a cloud shaped like a
white rhinoceros as well as white flamingos.
These lines mean that the poetess watched the animal-
shaped clouds till it turned evening and it became too dark
for her to see anything in her private zoo, the sky where she
alone saw these animal-shaped clouds.
These lines mean that in January, it is cold and bare. There is nothing on
the ground and the trees have no leaves. In February, it rains and
everything is wet.
These lines mean that the wind blows at different rates from all
April changes; directions in March. In April, the weather is different and it gets better.
Birds sing in tune These lines mean that in May, birds sing sweet and pleasant songs when
To flowers of May the flowers bloom.
And sunny June These lines mean that the sun shines very brightly and the day becomes
Brings longest day; long in June.
In scorched July These lines mean that July is a very hot month. The clouds are blown
The storm-clouds fly; about by the storm and lightning can be seen in the sky.
Lightning-torn;
August bears corn, These lines mean that in August, corn plants bear corn. In September,
September fruit; the fruits are plentiful and ready to be picked.
In rough October These lines mean that in October, the weather changes and gets worse.
Earth must disrobe her; The trees shed their leaves at this time of year and the earth becomes
bare.
Stars fall and shoot These lines mean that in November, it is very cold. We can see stars
In keen November; falling and shooting in the clear sky.
And night is long These lines mean that in December, the nights are long and it is very
And cold is strong cold and unpleasant. Nothing grows and everything is bare.
In bleak December