THE BOOKWORM AND THE MOTH

I hear that in my library one night
A bookworm spoke thus to a moth:
"I have long lodged in Sina’s¹⁴ tomes
And have consumed much of Farabi’s¹⁵ manuscript.
But I have not learned anything
About life’s mystery,
And am just as much in the dark
About it as before."

The half-burnt moth gave it a fine reply
"You will not find life’s mystery
Explained in books.
However, here it is:
What gives to life intensity
Is ardency.
It lends life wings
With which to fly."