The Vagabond - Reflections

 Give to me the life I love,
   Let the lave go by me,
 Give the jolly heaven above
   And the byway nigh me.
 Bed in the bush with stars to see,
   Bread I dip in the river -
 There's the life for a man like me,
   There's the life for ever.

 Let the blow fall soon or late,
   Let what will be o'er me;
 Give the face of earth around
   And the road before me.
 Wealth I seek not, hope nor love,
   Nor a friend to know me;
 All I seek, the heaven above
   And the road below me.

 Or let autumn fall on me
   Where afield I linger,
 Silencing the bird on tree,
   Biting the blue finger.
 White as meal the frosty field -
   Warm the fireside haven -
 Not to autumn will I yield,
   Not to winter even!

 Let the blow fall soon or late,
   Let what will be o'er me;
 Give the face of earth around,
   And the road before me.
 Wealth I ask not, hope nor love,
   Nor a friend to know me;
 All I ask, the heaven above
   And the road below me.

-- Robert Louis Stevenson    

Reflections

Another remarkable poem!!!! In this poem, all the poet wants is to travel to different lands. He does want to be in the midst of men or to be surrounded with friends. All he wants is to lead a simple life, to walk the bare earth and to sleep below the starry night. He does not care what will happen to him, he is willing to face the cold winter or the hot winds. It seems he wants to live a life of a wanderer, a carefree life, an free and aimless life. To care for no one, just to be happy with what he has (he is not wealthy, but just needs to take care of the simplest needs of life).

This poem makes me think about another Gujarati poem, where the poet wants to roam the hills and the forests without a guide. He wants to see the natural beauty with his own eyes and not what others want to show. The poem goes on like this....

ભોમિયા વિના મારે ભમવા’તા ડુંગરા,

જંગલની કુંજકુંજ જોવી હતી;જોવી’તી કોતરો ને જોવી’તી કંદરા,

રોતા ઝરણાંની આંખ લ્હોવી હતી.

 મારે ગણવી હતી;

ડાળે ઝૂલંત કોક કોકિલાને માળેઅંતરની વેદના વણવી હતી.

એકલા આકાશ તળે ઊભીને એકલો,

પડઘા ઉરબોલના ઝીલવા ગયો;વેરાયા બોલ મારા, ફેલાયા આભમાં,

અકલો અટૂલો ઝાંખો પડ્યો.

આખો અવતાર મારે ભમવા ડુંગરિયા,

જંગલની કુંજકુંજ જોવી ફરી;ભોમિયા ભૂલે એવી ભમવી રે કંદરા,

અંતરની આંખડી લ્હોવી જરી.

How similar these two poems are, in their thought, expression, content and the essence. They talk about being alone in their wanderings, to see and feel the world through their own eyes, to live a simple life, devoid of materialistic cravings. They want to be at peace with nature. To be with nature.