I don’t remember where I found this poem. It was years ago. If anyone knows anything about it or its author, please send me a message. It reminds me that we can’t live on this planet without affecting other creatures.
Silk Worm Poem
Even before the little ones make their sacrifices,
Let us praise the heroic gift of these silent worms.
Think back to that golden afternoon,
As they wake from the depths of their nap musing, “Shall we go or not?”
Their lazy motion back and forth echoes in my young ears,
Like the light pattern of a sudden rain,
The sound of these little ones chewing the leaves all together
Is not the sound of gluttony, but the sound of diligence.
They are not eating for the sake of self-interest.
The worms eat, sleep, molt, eat, sleep, molt, eat, sleep.
Then suddenly one morning they spew forth a wondrous substance.
That substance is a spindle-shaped fairy cloak in which they wrap themselves,
Weaving it thicker and thicker.
In several days, they will disappear, never to be seen again,
Because before the last transformation,
They will be placed in hot water, fairy cloak and all.
Their cries and sighs will not reach our ears.
We see them on our fingers, beauty transformed.
The silkworms weave and dye with the same diligence.
They must learn how to sew and embroider,
Spewing forth the silken words of praise.
by MASTER SAITO
Update:
It turns out this poem was not written by Master Saito but by Mutsuo Takahashi who wrote a series of three poems called The Art of Embroidery I, II, and III. This is number II. (Information provided by Jane Smith of Japanese Embroidery UK)
