HYACINTHS TO FEED THY SOUL

 

 

 

HYACINTHS TO FEED THY SOUL

“Hyacinths ” is a beautiful plant. In the Christian faith it is regarded as a symbol of wisdom and tranquility. It also stands for  jealousy, desire for forgiveness, joy and sincerity.

The four line poem given below is written by the Persian poet and prose writer Sheikh Saadi Shirazi (born 1210 in Shiraz, Iran}. His full name was Abu-Muhammad Muslih al-Din ibn Abdallah Shirazi.

He is most famous for his two books Gulistan and Bustan. His culture is Islamic in nature.

The poem titled “Hyacinths to Feed Thy Soul” means “If you have two loaves of bread, sell one and buy a hyacinth to feed thy soul.”

 Here is the full text:

“If of thy mortal goods though are bereft,

And from thy slender store two leaves alone to thee are left,

Sell one, and with the dole

Buy hyacinths to feed thy soul.”

                                                           

The moral of the poem is that the soul is as important as the body for a spiritual l human being.

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G.R.Kanwal

23 January 2024