a small green island

There is a small green island

where one white cow lives alone,

a meadow of an island.

 

The cow grazes till nightfall, full and fat,

but during the night she panics

and grows thin as a single hair.  "What shall I eat

tomorrow?  There's nothing left!"

 

By dawn, the grass has grown up again, waist-high.

The cow starts eating and by dark

the meadow is clipped short.

 

She's full of strength and energy, but she panics

in the dark as before, and grows 

abnormally thin overnight.

 

The cow does this over and over,

and this is all she does.

 

She never thinks, "This meadow has never failed

to grow back.  Why should I be afraid

every night that it won't?"

 

The cow is the bodily soul.

The island field is this world where

that grows lean with fear and fat with blessing,

 

lean and fat.  White cow,

don't make yourself miserable

with what's to come, or not to come.

 

 

 

~ Rumi

translation by Coleman Barks