To the Way farer
Ye who pass by and would raise your hand against me.
Harken ere you harm me !
I am the heat of your hearth on the cold winter nights,
The friendly shade screening you from the summer sun
My fruits are refreshing draughts,
Quenching your thirst as you journey on,
I am the beam 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.
Source : A notice found nailed to a tree in one of the parks of Seville, Spain, copied from the book Spanish Sunshine by Eleanor Elsner. The poem was copied in Garden Magic published in 1935. The book was bought by André Clément who gave it to his sister Danielle Clément, who now wants to share it with the Armandois.