June 10, 2009

• poem

  I came across this poem by Amado Nervo (in English translation from Spanish), and it expresses things that I know to be true when things are going well, but have trouble remembering when things aren’t going well. If this is how I feel in the end, then I will be content. (The Latin phrase “artifex vitae, artifex sui” roughly translates into “architect of life, architect of destiny.”)

  
  

  
  

  At Peace

  Artifex vitae, artifex sui

  Close to my sundown, I bless you, life,

  Because you gave me no false hope

  I never suffered impossibly

  Or worked without hope of reward.

  And now that I have beaten my path to its end I see,

  That, truly, I was the architect of my destiny

  And I know that, if indeed, I was able to extract taste, the honey and the bitterness of things,

  Then it was only because I put the honey and bitterness into them in the first place.

  Whenever I planted rose bushes, I always harvested roses.

  And yes, after my flourishing, winter will follow,

  But you didn’t promise me an eternal spring.

  And, yes, it’s true, our troubled nights were long,

  But you never promised us only the good nights

  And some nights were so serene and blessed.

  I loved, I was loved, the sun caressed my face.

  Life, what do you owe me? Nothing! Life, you and I are at peace.

  • 3:10 pm
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