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| Contribute a translation | Source (English) |
|---|---|
Wormicide | |
I see the worm beneath my feet, Eating the dust, his morsel sweet, And muse and say: “God’s mercies, prove In all, His sorrow and His love. | |
What fates and fortunes must he know, What gloom and glory weal and woe, While grubbing in the dust to find A crumb of food, a shelter kind. | |
And love, love builds and breaks his heart; Of me and God, he is a part. Where dream our dear and loved ones, he Oft keeps their angel company. | |
He also has life’s push and strain, But oh, no conscience gives him pain, The way it harrows us, his kin. What knows a worm of wrong and sin?” | |
Although God said that man may tread The worm and serpent on the head, I draw my heels away with shame, I would not murder in Heaven’s name! |
The poem “Wormicide” can be found in Alter Abelson’s collection of poetry, Sambatyon and other Poems, vol. 1 (New York: Ariel Publications, 1931), p. 258.
Source(s)
Wormicide by Rabbi Alter Abelson (1931)
“Wormicide, a poem by Rabbi Alter Abelson (1931)” is shared through the Open Siddur Project with a Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication 1.0 Universal license.
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