Content we're just with barks of tree,
You, whilst with wealth and money,
Our contentment nevertheless
Nor is more nor yet any less.
Pitiful, he's in poverty cast,
Whose wants and wishes are vast.
Haply if the mind is contented,
Who's rich? Who wonder I poorly fated?
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This is translation of a verse from vairāgya śhataka of Bhartŗhari, who was a king of Mālawā (part of today's Madhya Pradesh) . He renounced everything to become a monk. Here is transliteration of the original verse in Sanskrit:
Meter: mālinī
vayam iha parituśhţā valkalaih tvam cha lakśhmyā
sama iha paritośhah nirvisheśhah visheśhah |
sah hi bhavati daridrah yasya tŗśhņā vishālā
manasi cha parituśhţe kah arthavān kah daridrah ||
- from vairāgya-shataka
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Translations|01.06.2019 |
The poor and the rich! ! Living on earth, Together. Thanks for sharing this poem with us.
You have a beautiful take here. Yes, I think there are many a poor people that are not upset about poverty far too much. For, content is the key, or else the balance would be disturbed. Whenever this has happened, there is revolution.
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem
What is life when you always struggle to have everything. How can you feel and enjoy success if you are not contented. How can life be.beautiful when there is no contentment. A beautiful poem imbued with wisdom and.insight.
Thank you Rose Marie for the nice words. I'll take my meagre share as a translator though.