“Iata ceea ce trebuie sa facem: Sa iubim pamantul si soarele si animalele, sa dispretuim bogatiile, sa ne plecam urechea la cel ce cere, sa luam apararea celor nebuni si fara de minte, sa-i dispretuim pe tirani, sa ne certam fara sa-l implicam pe Dumnezeu, sa avem rabdare si indulgenta fata de oameni, sa nu ne scoatem palaria inaintea oricui si nici inaintea a nimic cunoscut si necunoscut, sa fim mereu in preajma oamenilor simpli si tari, a tinerilor, a mamelor, sa citim limbajul firelor de iarba in aer liber, in fiecare anotimp al fiecarui an din viata noastra, sa reexaminam tot ceea ce ni s-a spus la scoala, la biserica sau in orice alta carte, sa indepartam orice ne insulta propriul suflet… si chiar carnea noastra ar trebui sa fie un mare poem si sa aiba cea mai bogata fluenta nu doar in cuvintele sale, ci in liniile tacute ale buzelor si fetei sale si intre genele ochilor nostri si in fiecare miscare si articulatie a corpului nostru.”  (Walt Whitman)

* Din prefata cartii “Leaves of grass” (Fire de iarba), editia din 1855

Foto: Fire de iarba, Apus via Shutterstock

 

 

Varianta originala in limba engleza

"This is what you shall do; Love the earth and sun and the animals, despise riches, give alms to every one that asks, stand up for the stupid and crazy, devote your income and labor to others, hate tyrants, argue not concerning God, have patience and indulgence toward the people, take off your hat to nothing known or unknown or to any man or number of men, go freely with powerful uneducated persons and with the young and with the mothers of families, read these leaves in the open air every season of every year of your life, re-examine all you have been told at school or church or in any book, dismiss whatever insults your own soul, and your very flesh shall be a great poem and have the richest fluency not only in its words but in the silent lines of its lips and face and between the lashes of your eyes and in every motion and joint of your body."  Walt Whitman