Ancient Aztec Flower Song (anonymous)
Be indomitable, Oh my heart!
Love only the sunflower;
It is the flower of the Giver-of-Life!
What can my heart do?
Have we come, have we sojourned here on earth in vain?
As the flowers wither, I shall go.
Will there be nothing of my glory ever?
Will there be nothing of my fame on earth?
At most songs, at most flowers,
What can my heart do?
Have we come, have we sojourned on earth in vain?
Photos © Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.
Gorgeous photo. And the song is a good find!
Yes, the Aztec poem is a good find. Whoever wrote it was thinking about individuals, but we can also read it as a commentary on Aztec civilization, which is gone (there are still speakers of Aztec, but they live an essentially Mexican life).
As for sunflowers, here in Texas, despite the drought, the wild sunflowers have had a good year and are still flowering in plenty of places even though August is about to begin. Though my blog isn’t yet two months old, I’ve posted sunflower pictures ten times already and plan (at first I typed plant) to do more.
Steve Schwartzman
http://portraitsofwildflowers.wordpress.com