Religion
Gitanjali 9: O Fool, try to carry thyself
Translated by Rabindranath Tagore (1912) · From Gitanjali (1912)
O Fool, try to carry thyself upon thy own shoulders! O beggar, to come beg at thy own door!
Leave all thy burdens on his hands who can bear all, and never look behind in regret.
Thy desire at once puts out the light from the lamp it touches with its breath. It is unholy—take not thy gifts through its unclean hands. Accept only what is offered by sacred love.
Cite this poem
MLA
Tagore, Rabindranath. “Gitanjali 9: O Fool, try to carry thyself.” Translated by Rabindranath Tagore. Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/tagore/8/.
Chicago
Tagore, Rabindranath. “Gitanjali 9: O Fool, try to carry thyself.” Translated by Rabindranath Tagore. Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/tagore/8/.
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