CULTIVO UNA ROSA BLANCA... (Verso XXXIX) by Jose Marti
1853-1895, written in 1891Cultivo una rosa blanca,
En julio como en enero,
Para el amigo sincero
Que me da su mano franca.
Y para el cruel que me arranca
El corazón con que vivo,
Cardo ni oruga cultivo:
Cultivo la rosa blanca.
I have a white rose to tend
In July as in January;
I give it to the true friend
Who offers his frank hand to me.
And for the cruel one whose blows
Break the heart by which I live,
Thistle nor thorn do I give:
For him, too, I have a white rose.
In July as in January;
I give it to the true friend
Who offers his frank hand to me.
And for the cruel one whose blows
Break the heart by which I live,
Thistle nor thorn do I give:
For him, too, I have a white rose.
Notes
In the language of flowers the white rose symbolises - eternal love; innocence; heaven; secrecy and silence.Every once in awhile I feel the need to trot this poem out. Particularly when there are those "Whose blows break the heart by which I live." To remind myself not to think negative thoughts towards those who have wounded my heart. I remember the first time I read it and how beautiful the sentiment was to me. It is hard to accomplish what it suggests but I wil try.
It seems I am destined to never have a "true friend" just those who come into my life for a time, take what they want and leave. And for those who are not honest with me I also have a white rose. In the meantime I have found that I can go on. I have lived a long time without them in my life and if they choose not to be my friend I can live without them again. I wish them well.
1 comment:
In my experience, very few people actually have long time friends like what you describe. We go through life with friends who come/go as our destinies transform into something else.
So I am grateful for the ones I met along the way; I lok forward to the new ones Fate will bring my way.
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