Paul van Buuren

  • Home
  • Bon Mot du Jour
  • Over mij
Home > kunst > The blind men and the elephant

The blind men and the elephant

20 juni 2011

by John Godfrey Saxe (1816 -1887)

It was six men of Indostan
To learning much inclined,
Who went to see the Elephant
(Though all of them were blind),
That each by observation
Might satisfy his mind.

The First approach’d the Elephant,
And happening to fall
Against his broad and sturdy side,
At once began to bawl:
“God bless me! but the Elephant
Is very like a wall!”

The Second, feeling of the tusk,
Cried, -”Ho! what have we here
So very round and smooth and sharp?
To me ‘tis mighty clear
This wonder of an Elephant
Is very like a spear!”

The Third approached the animal,
And happening to take
The squirming trunk within his hands,
Thus boldly up and spake:
“I see,” quoth he, “the Elephant
Is very like a snake!”

The Fourth reached out his eager hand,
And felt about the knee.
“What most this wondrous beast is like
Is mighty plain,” quoth he,
“Tis clear enough the Elephant
Is very like a tree!”

The Fifth, who chanced to touch the ear,
Said: “E’en the blindest man
Can tell what this resembles most;
Deny the fact who can,
This marvel of an Elephant
Is very like a fan!”

The Sixth no sooner had begun
About the beast to grope,
Then, seizing on the swinging tail
That fell within his scope,
“I see,” quoth he, “the Elephant
Is very like a rope!”

And so these men of Indostan
Disputed loud and long,
Each in his own opinion
Exceeding stiff and strong,
Though each was partly in the right,
And all were in the wrong!

MORAL.
So oft in theologic wars,
The disputants, I ween,
Rail on in utter ignorance
Of what each other mean,
And prate about an Elephant
Not one of them has seen!

Misschien ook relevant:

  • Gedichtendag 2010

Tags: parabel kunst, poëzie

Geef een reactie Reactie annuleren

Het e-mailadres wordt niet gepubliceerd. Vereiste velden zijn gemarkeerd met *

Zoek:

contact

  • paul@wbvb.nl
  • 06 - 1405 2905
  • LinkedIn

Over mij

Verse berichten

  • Argumentatienazi
  • Recept voor oesterzwam-of champignonsoep
  • Paultjes Puttanesca – scherpe pastasaus met ansjovis
  • Verzet begint niet met grote woorden

Recente reacties

  • Paul van Buuren op Familieuitdrukkingen
  • Nienke Oudbier-Wiarda op Familieuitdrukkingen
  • M van der Vlies op Fenomena 1985
  • Niels Smallenbroek op hersenscheet
  • Calijn op Verzet begint niet met grote woorden

Berichten per mail

Vul je emailadres in en ik stuur je mail als hier weer nieuwe berichten verschijnen.