Return to the Islands, by Arthur Grimble

This was found at NZETC, the New Zealand Electronic Text Collection:
http://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/

 

 

From the Epigraph to Return to the Islands, by Arthur Grimble.

First Published 1957

Printed in Great Britain by Lewis Reprints Limited, Port Talbot, Glamorgan
and Published by John Murray (Publishers) Ltd.

 

Even in a little thing
(A leaf, a child's hand, a star's flicker)
I shall find a song worth singing
If my eyes are wide, and sleep not.

 

Even in a laughable thing
(Oh, hark! The children are laughing!)
There is that which fills the heart to overflowing,
And makes dreams wistful.

  

Small is the life of a man
(Not too sad, not too happy):
I shall find my songs in a man's small life.
     Behold them soaring!
Very low on earth are the frigate-birds hatched,
Yet they soar as high as the sun.

Gilbertese Song Translated by the Author

 

Illustrations and Sketch Map by Rosemary Grimble.

Link here:

http://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-GriRetu-t1-front-tp1.html