Puisi
Loveby
Kahlil Gibran
Then said Almitra, "Speak to us of Love." And he raised his head and looked upon the people, and there fell a stillness upon them.
And with a great voice he said:
When love beckons to you follow him,
Though his ways are hard and steep.
And when his wings enfold you yield to him,
Though the sword hidden among his pinions may wound you.
And when he speaks to you believe in him,
Though his voice may shatter your dreams as the north wind lays waste the garden.
For even as love crowns you so shall he crucify you. Even as he is for your growth so is he for your pruning.
Even as he ascends to your height and caresses your tenderest branches that quiver in the sun,
So shall he descend to your roots and shake them in their clinging to the earth.
Like sheaves of corn he gathers you unto himself.
He threshes you to make you naked.
He sifts you to free you from your husks.
He grinds you to whiteness.
He kneads you until you are pliant;
And then he assigns you to his sacred fire,
that you may become sacred bread for God's sacred feast.
All these things shall love do unto you that you may know the secrets of your heart, and in that knowledge become a fragment of Life's heart.
But if in your fear you would seek only love's peace and love's pleasure,
Then it is better for you that you cover your nakedness and pass out of love's threshing-floor,
Into the seasonless world where you shall laugh, but not all of your laughter, and weep, but not all of your tears.
Love gives naught but itself and takes naught but from itself.
Love possesses not nor would it be possessed;
For love is sufficient unto love.
When you love you should not say, "God is in my heart,"
but rather, I am in the heart of God."
And think not you can direct the course of love, if it finds you worthy, directs your course.
Love has no other desire but to fulfil itself.
But if you love and must needs have desires, let these be your desires:
To melt and be like a running brook that sings its melody to the night.
To know the pain of too much tenderness.
To be wounded by your own understanding of love;
And to bleed willingly and joyfully.
To wake at dawn with a winged heart and give thanks for another day of loving;
To rest at the noon hour and meditate love's ecstasy;
To return home at eventide with gratitude;
And then to sleep with a prayer for the beloved in your heart and a song of praise upon your lips.
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PUISI KARYA KHALIL GIBRAN MENGENAI BEKERJA
selama ini kau dengar orang berkata bahwa hidup adalah kegelapan
dan dalam keletihanmu kau tirukan kata-kata mereka yang lelah
namun aku berkata bahwa hidup memang kegelapan kecuali: jika ada
dorongan
dan semua dorongan buta belaka, kecuali: jika ada pengetahuan
dan segala pengetahuan adalah hampa, kecuali: jika ada pekerjaan
dan segenap pekerjaan adalah sia-sia, kecuali: jika ada kecintaan
jikalau kau bekerja dengan rasa cinta,
engkau menyatukan dirimu dengan dirimu,
kau satukan dirimu dengan orang lain, dan sebaliknya,
serta kau dekatkan dirimu kepada Tuhan
dan apakah yang dinamakan bekerja dengan rasa cinta?
laksana menenun kain dengan benang yang ditarik dari jantungmu,
seolah-olah kekasihmulah yang akan mengenakan kain itu
bagai membangun rumah dengan penuh kesayangan,
seolah-olah kekasihmulah yang akan mendiaminya dimasa depan.
seperti menyebar benih dengan kemesraan, dan memungut panen dengan
kegirangan,
seolah-olah kekasihmulah yang akan makan buahnya kemudian.
seringkali ku dengar engkau berkata-kata, laksana menggumam dalam
mimpi,
“dia yang bekerja dengan bahan pualam, dan menemukan didalamnya bentuk
jiwanya sendiri, lebih tinggi martabatnya daripada dia, si pembajak sawah.”
“dan dia yang menangkap pelangi dilangit untuk dilukis warnanya,
menyerupai citra manusia, diatas kain, derajatnya lebih mulia dari dia, si
pembuat sandal kita”
namun aku berkata, tidak didalam tidur, melainkan dikala jaga
sepenuhnya, ketika matahari tinggi, bahwa angin berbisik tidak lebih mesra di
pohon jati raksasa, daripada di rerumputan yang paling kecil dan tanpa arti.
dan hanya dialah sungguh besar, yang menggubah suara angin, menjadi
sebuah simponi, yang makin agung karena kasih sayangnya.
kerja adalah kerja yang mengejawantah.
dan jika kau tiada sanggup bekerja dengan cinta, hanya dengan enggan,
maka lebih baiklah jika engkau meninggalkannya, lalu mengambil tempat didepan
gapura candi, meminta sedekah dari mereka yang bekerja dengan suka cita.
sebab bila kau memasak roti dengan rasa tertekan, maka pahitlah jadinya
dan setengah mengenyangkan.
bilamana kau menggerutu ketika memeras anggur, gerutu itu meracuni air
anggur.
dan walupun kau menyanyi dengan suara bidadari, namun hatimu tiada
menyukainya, maka tertutuplah telinga manusia dari segala bunyi-bunyian siang
dan suara malam hari.
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ANAK-ANAKMU
Kahlil Gibran
Anakmu bukanlah milikmu,
mereka adalah putra putri sang Hidup,
yang rindu akan dirinya sendiri.
Mereka lahir lewat engkau,
tetapi bukan dari engkau,
mereka ada padamu, tetapi bukanlah milikmu.
Berikanlah mereka kasih sayangmu,
namun jangan sodorkan pemikiranmu,
sebab pada mereka ada alam pikirannya sendiri.
Patut kau berikan rumah bagi raganya,
namun tidak bagi jiwanya,
sebab jiwa mereka adalah penghuni rumah masa depan,
yang tiada dapat kau kunjungi,
sekalipun dalam mimpimu.
Engkau boleh berusaha menyerupai mereka,
namun jangan membuat mereka menyerupaimu,
sebab kehidupan tidak pernah berjalan mundur,
ataupun tenggelam ke masa lampau.
Engkaulah busur asal anakmu,
anak panah hidup, melesat pergi.
Sang Pemanah membidik sasaran keabadian,
Dia merentangkanmu dengan kuasaNya,
hingga anak panah itu melesat jauh dan cepat.
Bersukacitalah dalam rentangan tangan Sang Pemanah,
sebab Dia mengasihi anak-anak panah yang melesat laksana kilat,
sebagaimana dikasihiNya pula busur yang mantap.
WAKTU
Kahlil Gibran
Dan jika engkau bertanya, bagaimanakah tentang Waktu?….
Kau ingin mengukur waktu yang tanpa ukuran dan tak terukur.
Engkau akan menyesuaikan tingkah lakumu dan bahkan
mengarahkan perjalanan jiwamu menurut jam dan musim.
Suatu ketika kau ingin membuat sebatang sungai,
diatas bantarannya kau akan duduk dan menyaksikan alirannya.
Namun keabadian di dalam dirimu adalah kesadaran akan kehidupan nan
abadi,
Dan mengetahui bahwa kemarin hanyalah kenangan hari ini dan esok hari
adalah harapan.
Dan bahwa yang bernyanyi dan merenung dari dalam jiwa,
senantiasa menghuni ruang semesta yang menaburkan bintang di angkasa.
Setiap di antara kalian yang tidak merasa bahwa daya mencintainya tiada
batasnya?
Dan siapa pula yang tidak merasa bahwa cinta sejati, walau tiada batas,
tercakup di dalam inti dirinya, dan tiada bergerak dari pikiran cinta
ke pikiran cinta,
pun bukan dari tindakan kasih ke tindakan kasih yang lain?
Dan bukanlah sang waktu sebagaimana cinta, tiada terbagi dan tiada
kenal ruang?
Tapi jika di dalam pikiranmu haru mengukur waktu ke dalam musim,
biarkanlah tiap musim merangkum semua musim yang lain,
Dan biarkanlah hari ini memeluk masa silam dengan kenangan dan masa
depan
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Bedtime story for children
The Ugly Duckling
By: Tasha Guenther, A fairy
tale based on the original tale by Hans Christian Andersen
There was once a mother duck. This mother duck had
no children yet for none of her eggs had hatched.
She waited patiently day and night for her babies to
hatch. One day, as she was sitting on her nest of eggs the mother duck
felt something move beneath her.
Crack!! Crack!! Crack!! Crack!!
Filled with happiness, the mother duck watched as, one by
one, her eggs hatched. She was so excited to lead her children to the
pond and teach them all the ways of being a duck. Unfortunately for the
mother duck, one egg was left to hatch. This egg was larger than the
rest. This egg was browner than the rest. Her little ducks
impatiently waited for two more days and nights.
“I want to go to the pond, Mother,” one baby duck
quacked.
“Let’s go! Let’s go!” two more quacked excitedly.
But the mother duck made them all wait, for she promised
herself that she would love all her children the same.
At the crack of dawn on the third day of waiting, the
large brown egg began to vibrate. It shook and shook as all of the ducks
watched in awe.
Then suddenly: Craaaaak!!!
Out from the large brown egg popped a large, strange
looking head of a bird that didn’t look much like a duck. This baby’s
beak was a little too long, his feathers were a little too scruffy, and his
face was a little too ugly!
But, nonetheless, the mother duck promised herself that
she would love all her children the same.
She led her children into the nearby pond and began to
teach each duckling how to be a proper duck.
She taught them how to quack. Each duckling
quacked.
Quack!! Quack!! Quack!! Quack!!
The ugly duckling quacked.
Quauuck!!
All of the ducks in the pond stared at the ugly ducking
and began to laugh. The mother duckling sadly took her little ducklings
over to a different part of the pond. The other ducklings were giggling
and making fun of the ugly one. Two nearby ducks swam by and pecked at
the ugly duckling’s feathers.
“This one looks nothing like your others!” one jested.
“This one is ugly!” the other scoffed.
The ugly duckling hung his head in shame. The
mother duckling became very embarrassed of her ugly duckling and made him stay
in the corner of the pond while the others practiced swimming, diving,
quacking, and splashing.
One evening, as all of the ducks in the pond had gone to
sleep, the ugly duckling decided that it was time for him to leave. He
knew he was causing his mother distress and he did not want to live in a place
where he felt unwanted.
So the little ugly duckling ran away.
He waddled far away from the pond where he was
born. He waddled through small marsh plants and large river reeds.
He waddled over bundles of sticks and piles of dung. All this waddling
made him dirtier than ever.
He approached a new pond that was filled with a family of
different ducks. These ducks were happily swimming and quacking. He
advanced one of the ducklings who looked to be just a bit larger and older than
the ugly duckling.
“Hello there!” beamed the ugly duckling to the other
duckling. With this, the new family of ducks turned and stared at the
ugly duckling.
“And who are you?” asked the mother duck.
“What are you?” asked the father duck.
“You sure are ugly!” all the ducklings chimed in.
As this family of ducks began to quack and laugh at the
ugly ducking, he waddled off again in search of a nicer family to call his own.
He waddled far away from the pond with the family of
ducks. He waddled through small marsh plants and large river reeds.
He waddled over bundles of sticks and piles of dung. All this waddling
made him even dirtier than before!
Next the ugly duckling came to an even larger pond filled
with a family of geese. The goslings were a brown-gray like he was!
Happily, the ugly duckling waddled to the water’s edge, plopped his little body
in the water, and swam towards the family of geese. He advanced one of
the goslings who looked even larger and greyer than him.
“Hello there!” the ugly ducking happily exclaimed,
greeting the gosling. With this, the family of geese turned and stared at
the ugly duckling.
“And who are you?” asked the mother goose.
“What are you?” asked the father goose.
“You sure are ugly!” all the goslings chimed in.
As this family of ducks began to honk and laugh at the
ugly ducking. Before the duckling could waddle off the geese surrounded
him and the father goose said, “Though you are quite strange looking you may
stay with us! You are more than welcome to join our family.”
The ugly duckling couldn’t be happier. The geese
were very kind to him though their honks hurt his ears.
Many days and nights passed and the ugly duckling was
living happily with the geese. He loved to play with the goslings and the
mother and father treated him like their own. Everything was
perfect. Until…
A hunter and his basset hound approached the pond.
The hunter began firing off shots at the geese and the hound chased the birds
around the pond trying to catch one. The ugly duckling could do nothing
but sit still. As the hound approached him, sniffed for awhile and cocked
its head, “What are you? You sure are ugly!” it said before it ran off in
search of a real goose.
In the midst of the hunter’s ambush, the ugly duckling
sadly waddled off once more.
He was growing larger; his feathers were coming in and
the ugly duckling was able to fly off the ground. However, the ugly
duckling had become very weak and hungry; he did not have enough strength to
fly.
Instead he waddled his way to a small house where he took
shelter during the night.
In the morning, the ugly duckling awoke to the sounds of
human chatter.
“What is it?” an old woman asked.
“A duck, perhaps?” her husband replied.
“Just what we’ve needed!” the woman exclaimed.
With that, the farmer and his wife allowed the ugly
duckling to live with them in the hopes that the duck would lay eggs for them
to eat.
They waited and waited… and waited. But nothing
happened. The ugly duckling never laid eggs; he did, however, grow larger
and harder to take care of.
Though the farmer and his wife had grown fond of the ugly
duckling, they had no more room him in their house.
And so, they shooed him out.
“Go find yourself a family that will love you!” shouted
the farmer, sadly, as he shut the door.
The ugly duckling hung his dead and waddled far away from
the farmer’s house. He waddled through now frozen marsh plants and large
frozen river reeds. He waddled over frozen bundles of sticks and frozen
piles of dung. All this waddling made him colder than ever.
Miraculously, the ugly duckling had survived the cold
winter. With spring, all of the frozen ponds melted and the frost
evaporated from the marsh plants and river reeds. The ugly duckling was
still sad, however.
He approached a crystal clear pond and saw a family of
the most beautiful birds he had ever seen - swans.
As he sat by the water’s edge, he didn’t even dare to ask
these birds if he could join, for he knew if he was too ugly to live with
ducks, geese, and humans, he was surely too ugly to live with a gorgeous bevy
of swans.
Suddenly, a swan gracefully glided through the water over
to where the ugly duckling was sitting.
“My, my! Your feathers are the whitest I have ever
seen. How they gleam in the sun!” the swan exclaimed to the ugly
duckling.
Confused, the ugly duckling wandered to the water and
peered at his reflection. Much to his surprise, he was not an ugly
ducking, for he was not a duck at all! He was a beautiful white swan
with a long and elegant neck.
He entered the water and joined his new family.
One day, as the swans were swimming, a man and his wife
came strolling by with their child. The swan recognized this couple as
the farmer and his wife.
They approached the edge of the pond and began to feed
the swans breadcrumbs.
The farmer looked at the once ugly ‘duckling’ and said,
“It looks like you found yourself a niche – a family. You are the most
beautiful swan I have ever seen.”
For the rest of his days, the swan lived happily with his
new swan family and was greeted often by the farmer and his family.
About the writer:
Tasha Guenther. currently lives
in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada; PhD in Cultural Studies and Critical Theory with
concentrations in digital cultures and Afrofuturism from McMaster University
