The Donkey Poem by Gilbert Keith Chesterton
The Donkey
When fishes flew and forests walked
And figs grew upon thorn,
Some moment when the moon was blood,
Then surely I was born;
With monstrous head and sickening cry
And ears like errant wings,
The devil's walking parody
On all four-footed things.
The tattered outlaw of the earth,
Of ancient crooked will;
Starve, scourge, deride me: I am dumb,
I keep my secret still.
Fools! For I also had my hour;
One far fierce hour and sweet:
There was a shout about my ears,
And palms before my feet.
I had to recite this poem over sixty years ago for my, what they now call eleven plus exam, I have always loved it and it has stayed in my memory for all time,
I remember this from my jnr school And here I am almost 60 years later and I have got the meaning
This gentle often abused creature played an important part in Christ's Life. It carried Mary to Bethlehem for his birth and was chosen by Jesus to bear him into Jerusalem on his triumphant entry. A glory indeed!
I've always felt a strange sympathy for donkeys....They are abused and despised by all, yet the gentlest of creatures. Sure they're not the most intelegent creatures, but not by any fault of their own. This poem paints a picture of the donkey's moment of glory...And what a glory it was... Go Donkey! !
I remember this poem while in standard 4 back in the years couldn't get the meaning we needed to know it by heart avoiding the sham bock Ahg shame
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem
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10/9/2024 10:22:07 PM # 1.0.0
A short speech by the donkey who carried Jesus into Jerusalem. 'The tattered outlaw of the earth' finally has his day, 'with palms before my feet'. One of the first poems I learned in high school.