Feed the animals


To the squirrels give nuts and wasps.
To the ships give masts and salt.
To the orang-utangs the colour brown,
to the gorillas black.
To the soldiers give bread
and a necklace of pearls
so that they know how to return.
To the virgins give thirst and water,
to women sons and light,
horror to the one you love.
To men give an island,
a coffin to the wise man,
he doesn´t need more.
To the thief give a gallows
so that he may learn
how to escape from death.
To the king give another crown
so that he may know that his kingdom
is not this world´s nor the other´s.
To those who feed on roots and fruit
give roots and fruit
but warn them against
gettting involved in love
because it celebrates the flesh.
To your first son give a brother
so that he doesn´t announce to you
that you are ashes and dust.
To the cats give a room
so it will carve there, in each step,
the temple it will dwell in
after dying.
To the mountains give their true names
so that they won´t come down
to tear you to pieces.
To the poor give blood and meat
and water and silk
so that they may know
that everything is nothing.
To the rich give rags and tatters
so that they know
that nothing is everything.
With the streams and rivers
keep company so that their song of water
becomes song of flesh.
If the gods you have carved
are against you,
be generous and destroy them.
Feed the animals.
If the gods that precede you and rule you
are against you
they stand for you.
Feed the animals.
If the gods you have created
are adverse to you, finally you
needn´t go against them,
why worry? The harm
a son can inflict on his father
is no great harm: this is known
to the father.
Feed the animals.
Beware the crossroads,
before leaving them,
feed there all the animals.