Poetry Chaikhana Sacred Poetry from Around the World

Christian : Protestant 17th Century	About Anne Bradstreet Timeline (1612 - 1672)
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Original Language English	There is a path no vulture's eye hath seen, (from The Vanity of All Worldly Things)
Commentary by Ivan M. Granger Themes   Bower   Crown   Death   Eternal Life   King   Recommended Books American Triptych: Anne Bradstreet, Emily Dickinson, and Adrienne Rich, by Wendy Martin Poetry for the Spirit: Poems of Universal Wisdom and Beauty, Edited by Alan Jacobs To My Husband and Other Poems: (Dover Thrift Editions) , by Anne Bradstreet / Edited by Robert Hutchinson Women in Praise of the Sacred: 43 Centuries of Spiritual Poetry by Women, Edited by Jane Hirshfield The Works of Anne Bradstreet, by Anne Bradstreet / Edited by Jeannie Hensley	There is a path no vulture's eye hath seen, Where lion fierce, nor lion's whelps have been, Which leads unto that living crystal fount, Who drinks thereof, the world doth nought account. The depth and sea have said "'tis not in me," With pearl and gold it shall not valued be. For sapphire, onyx, topaz who would change; It's hid from eyes of men, they count it strange. Death and destruction the fame hath heard, But where and what it is, from heaven's declared; It brings to honour which shall ne'er decay, It stores with wealth which time can't wear away. It yieldeth pleasures far beyond conceit, And truly beautifies without deceit. Nor strength, nor wisdom, nor fresh youth shall fade, Nor death shall see, but are immortal made. This pearl of price, this tree of life, this spring, Who is possessed of shall reign a king. Nor change of state nor cares shall ever see, But wear his crown unto eternity. This satiates the soul, this stays the mind, And all the rest, but vanity we find.     -- from Women in Praise of the Sacred: 43 Centuries of Spiritual Poetry by Women, Edited by Jane Hirshfield Amazon.com
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Commentary by Ivan M. Granger

What is the "path no vulture's eye hath seen," where lions haven't been? What is the "crystal fount," where, when you drink of it, you consider the world meaningless or empty? "It's hid from eyes of men." In fact, it grants the experience of immortality. Whatever this mysterious "it" is, it is not some religious or philosophical concept of the mind; according to Bradstreet, it is pleasureable, and it "satiates the soul." The final couple of lines, when reworked into modern language, almost read like a Buddhist assertion: It brings complete stillness to the mind, and you see emptiness in everything.

Ivan M. Granger's original poetry, stories and commentaries are Copyright © 2002 - 2008 by Ivan M. Granger.
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