Along a trail where we were hiking recently was a sign with this Portuguese prayer. Apparently this translated prayer has been used in Portuguese forest reservations for many years, although its origins are not fully known. I have never seen this prayer before but like it.
“The Forest”
I am the heat of your hearth on the cold winter nights,
the friendly shade screening you from the summer sun,
and my fruits are refreshing draughts quenching your thirst as your journey on.
I am the bean that holds your house,
the board of your table,
the bed on which you lie,
and the timber that builds your boat.
I am the handle of your hoe,
the door of your homestead,
the wood of your cradle,
and the shell of your coffin.
I am the bread of kindness and the flower of beauty.
“Ye, who pass by, listen to my prayer: Harm me not.”
A Portuguese Prayer of the Woods
This prayer holds much to contemplate in words to which we can all relate. Thank you for sharing this “find,” Valerie.
You’re welcome. I’m glad it spoke to you too.
“the wood of your cradle, and the shell of your coffin…”
particularly evocative.
Trees are companions on the journey