The morning sea of silence broke into ripples of bird songs; <br />and the flowers were all merry by the roadside; <br />and the wealth of gold was scattered through the rift of the clouds <br />while we busily went on our way and paid no heed. <br /> <br />We sang no glad songs nor played; <br />we went not to the village for barter; <br />we spoke not a word nor smiled; <br />we lingered not on the way. <br />We quickened our pace more and more as the time sped by. <br /> <br />The sun rose to the mid sky and doves cooed in the shade. <br />Withered leaves danced and whirled in the hot air of noon. <br />The shepherd boy drowsed and dreamed in the shadow of the banyan tree, <br />and I laid myself down by the water <br />and stretched my tired limbs on the grass. <br /> <br />My companions laughed at me in scorn; <br />they held their heads high and hurried on; <br />they never looked back nor rested; <br />they vanished in the distant blue haze. <br /> <br />They crossed many meadows and hills, <br />and passed through strange, far-away countries. <br />All honor to you, heroic host of the interminable path! <br />Mockery and reproach pricked me to rise, <br />but found no response in me. <br /> <br />I gave myself up for lost <br />in the depth of a glad humiliation <br />---in the shadow of a dim delight. <br /> <br />The repose of the sun-embroidered green gloom <br />slowly spread over my heart. <br />I forgot for what I had traveled, <br />and I surrendered my mind without struggle <br />to the maze of shadows and songs. <br /> <br />At last, when I woke from my slumber and opened my eyes, <br />I saw thee standing by me, flooding my sleep with thy smile. <br />How I had feared that the path was long and wearisome, <br />and the struggle to reach thee was hard! <br /><br /><br />Rabindranath Tagore<br /><br />http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/the-journey-3/
