Wednesday, December 27, 2006
12:06 AM
The Tame Bird Was In A Cage
--Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941)
The tame bird was in a cage,
the free bird was in the forest.
They met when the time came,
it was a decree of fate.
The free bird cries,
"O my love, let us fly to the wood."
The cage bird whispers,
"Come hither, let us both live in the cage."
Says the free bird,
"Among bars, where is there room to spread one's wings?"
"Alas," cries the caged bird,
"I should not know where to sit perched in the sky."
The free bird cries,
"My darling, sing the songs of the woodlands."
The cage bird sings,
"Sit by my side, I'll teach you the speech of the learned."
The forest bird cries,
"No, ah no! songs can never be taught."
The cage bird says,
"Alas for me, I know not the songs of the woodlands."
There love is intense with longing,
but they never can fly wing to wing.
Through the bars of the cage they look,
and vain is their wish to know each other.
They flutter their wings in yearning,
and sing, "Come closer, my love!"
The free bird cries,
"It cannot be, I fear the closed doors of the cage."
The cage bird whispers,
"Alas, my wings are powerless and dead."
**how very apt. how very melancholic.
is the tame bird locked in
or the forest bird locked out?
can the tame bird find another tame bird
and the forest bird another of its kind?
why do the birds of such different worlds like each other?
do they fall in love because they are merely different?
are the birds truly happy?
in their current situation such as that of sweet sorrow?
happy to know each other, to even meet?
are they the best for each other?
will they be able to find better?
do they want to seek for better happiness?
are the birds contented?
is that enough for them?
do the birds truly love each other?
if they do, what is deterring them from change?
do they love each other enough?
constancy under their feet?
fear of the unknown?
if they dont, is it the same fate that does not allow them to adapt to each other's lifestyle disallowing them to take charge of their own lives? are they masters of free will who chose to remain in this stagnant position or are they slaves of their lives and fate?
how long do you think the birds will last?
do you think its a waste of time for the birds to keep trying in futile or is better to try even if its pointless in the long run or better to salvage the damage when they can and just move on?
did the poet just sealed their fate with
'they can never fly wing to wing'?
is the love between them worth such torture?
how about personal happiness?
why dont the barred cage offer some sort of compromise?
why cant the birds compromise?
one thing i know for sure,
such are inexplicable ways of the world
Bid me crew avast! Keep yer banner high
Classed, forever a class :)
Class of our own
Wind be at yer backs, sails never slackin'
