Monday, December 20, 2010

I Grow a White Rose



CULTIVO UNA ROSA BLANCA... (Verso XXXIX)    by Jose Marti
1853-1895, written in 1891

Cultivo 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.

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:

Ur-spo said...

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.