I wanted to share this poem written by Bethan Laurels – she is a friend and student who sent it to me after practising yoga, movements, and breathing on the theme of sleeping better. She thought her poem was the perfect representation of being present in the present moment, an essential trait for the brain to feel safe and calm.
‘Just be’ simply tell us to be with ourselves, our life, feelings, and emotions and let them be as they are so we can make changes and be happy!
You can read the original here on her beautiful website, with many other of her poems https://www.bethanlaurels.com/just-be.html
Here is the message from Bethan Laurels:
This poem became the first piece I shared publicly, and with it, an installation art project that took place across Cornwall and in the Dunkirk refugee camp, France. Thanks to the help of friends, their friends and people I’ve never met except for the joys of the online world I was able to translate it into over 15 languages from around Europe, the Middle East and Far East.
You will find them below.
Read, connect, ‘just be’.
English:
Please let me be lost in the world of infinity
Where the life of life is in close proximity
Where the words of others are lost inside feathers
Feathers of the flocks of birds in flight
Vanishing into the distant night
Taking with them my fears
Leaving me here
To be alive, to be free, to be
Just be
French:
Laissez-moi me perdre dans le monde de l’infini
Où la vie de la vie est à proximité
Où les mots des autres se perdent dans des plumes
Les plumes d’oiseaux en vol
Disparaissant dans la nuit distante
Emmenant avec eux mes peurs
Me laissant ici
Pour être vivant
Pour être libre
Pour être
Juste être
Italian: Translated by Francesco
Per favore, fammi disperdere nel mondo dell’ infinito
Dove la vita della vita e’ nella vicinanza circostante
Dove le parole altrui sono perse tra le piume
Piume di stormi di uccelli in volo
Che scompaiono nella notte lontana. portandosi via le mie paure
Lasciandomi qui
Ad essere viva, a respirare ad essere
Soltanto essere
Polish: Translated by Marcin
Prosze, pozwol mi utracic siebie w swiecie nieskonczonosci
Gdzie zycie zycia jest w bliskiej bliskosci
Gdzie slowa innych sa utracone wewnatrz pior
Piora ze stada lecacych ptakow
Znikajacych w glad odleglej nocy
Bioracych z nimi moje obawy
Pozostawiajac mnie tutaj
By zyc, by oddychac, by byc
Poprostu byc
Proszę pozwól mi zginąć w świecie nieskończonym
Gdzie życie życiu jest tak bliskie
Gdzie innych słowa gubią się w piórach
Piórach ptaków, co stadem lecą
Znikając w odległą noc
Biorąc z sobą moje lęki
Zostawiając mnie
Bym żył, oddychał, był
Po prostu był
Dutch: Translated by Zoe, checked by Marjan
Graag raak ik me kwijt in een wereld van oneinding,
Waar de leven van leven wordt dichterbij
Waar de worden van anderen zijn verloren binnen veren.
Veren van de koppels van vogelen in vlugt
Verdwenen in de verre nacht
Die nemen mijn angsten mee
En laten mij hier
Om te leven, ademen, en zijn
Gewoon- zijn
Dutch; Translated by Michael’s friend
Laat me alsjeblieft verdwaald zijn in de wereld van oneindigheid
Waar het leven van het leven dichtbij is
Waar de woorden van anderen verdwaald zijn in veren
Veren van de zwermen van vogels op hun vlucht
Verdwijnend in de verre nacht
Mijn angsten met zich meenemend
Mij hier achterlatend
Om te leven, te ademen, te zijn
Alleen maar zijn.
Czech: Translated by Sarka
Prosím nech mě ztratit se v nekonečném světě
Kde je život v těsné blízkosti
Kde je svět druhých ztracen uvnitř peří
Peří v hejnech letících ptáků mizejících do vzdálené noci
Beroucí sebou mé obavy
Zanechávající mě zde
Být naživu, dýchat, být
Jenom být
German: Translated by Michael
Lass mich verloren sein, bitte, in der Welt der Unendlichkeit
Wo das Leben des Lebens nahe ist
Wo die Worte der Anderen verloren sind in Federn
Federn der Vogelschwaerme im Flug
Entschwindend in die ferne Nacht
Meine Angst mitnehmend Mich hier lassend
Zu leben, zu atmen, zu sein
Nur sein
Healthemindhealtheworld / Wenn die Seele heilt, heilt die Welt
Turkish: Translated by Michael’s friend
Bırakın beni kaybolayım, sonsuzluğun dünyasında
Yaşamın yaşamının yakınında
Diğer sözlerin, tüylerin arasında görünmez olduğu noktada
Hep birlikte uçuşan kuşların tüylerinin arasında
Karanlık geceye karıştıklarında
Korkularımı da alarak yanlarında
Bırakarak beni burada
Yaşamaya, nefes almaya, olmaya
Sadece olmaya
Healthemindhealtheworld / ruhu iyileştir dünyayı iyileştir
Greek: Translated by Michaels friend
Παρακαλώ επέτρεψε μου να χαθώ στον κόσμο του απείρου
Όπου η ζωή της ζωής βρίσκεται πολύ κοντά
Όπου οι λέξεις των άλλων χάνονται μες στα φτερά
Φτερά από τα σμήνη των πουλιών που πετούν
Που χάνονται στην μακρινή νύχτα
Παίρνοντας μαζί τους φόβους μου
Αφήνωντάς με εδώ
Να είμαι ζωντανός, να αναπνέω, να υπάρχω
Απλα να υπάρχω
Portuguese: Frederico: Michaels friend
Permita que me perca no mundo da infinidade
Onde a vida da vida está em estreita proximidade
Onde as palavras dos outros estão perdidas dentre plumas
Plumas das revoadas de pássaros na noite
Sumindo na noite distante
Levando com elas meus medos
Deixando-me aqui
Para viver, para respirar, para ser
Apenas ser
Deixa-me perder no mundo da infinidade
Onde a vida da vida está em grande proximidade
Onde as palavras d’outros se perdem em penas
Penas dos bandos de pássaros voando
Desaparecendo na noite distante
Levando com eles os meus medos
Deixando-me aqui
Para estar viva, para respirar, para ser
Apenas ser
Croatian: Translated by Michaels friend
Daj mi da budem izgubljena u svijetu beskonačnosti
Gdje je život životu blizak
Gdje su riječi drugih izgubljene među perjem
Perjem jata letećih ptica
Nestajući u daleku noć
Uzimajući moje strahove
Ostavljajući me ovdje
Da živim, da dišem, da budem
Samo da budem
Romanian: Translated by Michael’s friend
Te rog lasă-mă să fiu pierdut în lumea infinită
Unde durata vieţii este scurtă
Unde cuvintele celorlalţi sunt pierdute în fulgi
Fulgi alte cârdurilor de păsări in zbor
Pierdându-se în noaptea îndepărtată
Luând fricile mele cu ele
Lăsându-mă aici
Să fiu viu, să trăiesc, sa fiu
Doar să fiu
Danish:
Lad mig være fortabt i uendelighedens verden. Hvor livets liv er tæt på. Hvor andres ord er fortabt i fjer. Fjer fra flyvende fugleflokke. Som forsvinder ind i den fjerne nat. Som tager min frygt med sig. Som efterlader mig her. At være i live, at ånde, at være. Bare være.
Persian: Translated by Mona Nasser
بگذار دردنیای بی پایان رها شوم . جایی که زندگی به زندگی نزدیک می باشد و کلمات در پرها گم می شوند. پرهای پرندگانی در حال پرواز که در تاریکی شب ناپدید می شوند و ترس و تردید مرا با خود ببرند. مرا اینجا می گذارند که زنده باشم، نفس بکشم، باشم، فقط باشم.
Hindu/urdu:
मुझे अनंत की दुनिया में खो जाने दो। जहाँ ज़िंदगी की ज़िंदगी बहुत क़रीब है। जहाँ दूसरों के शब्द खोए हैं पंखों में। झुंडो में उड़ती चिड़ियों के पंखों में। गुम होती दूर रात में। अपने साथ मेरे डर ले जातीं। मुझे यहाँ छोड़ जातीं। ज़िंदा रहने के लिए, साँस लेने के लिए, रहने के लिए। बस रहने के लिए।
Filipino:
Hayaan mo akong maligaw sa mundo ng kawalan,
kung saan ang buhay ng buhay ay nandiyan lamang,
at ang wika ng iba ay nakakubli sa balahibo ng mga ibong lumilipad tungo sa isang malayo at malalim na gabi.
Tangay nila ang aking mga takot para ako lang ang maiwan,
buhay at nakahihinga ng magaan.
Chinese:
请让我迷失 在无尽的世界
那里鲜活的生活相互比邻
人言消失在羽翼之下
飞翔群鸟之羽翼
逝于远夜
带走我的恐惧
留下我于此
活着 呼吸 存在
只是存在
Slovak:
Prosím dovoľ mi vytratiť sa do sveta nekonečnosti
Tam kde sa život so životom stretá v tesnej blízkosti
Tam kde sú slova iných iba vtáčím perím
Perím kŕdľov vtákov letiacich
miznúc do dialky čiernej noci
Odnášajú so sebou všetok môj strach
Zostávam sám, žijem, dýcham, som, už iba som.
Mandarin:
Please let me be lost in the world of infinity.
我願失落於無垠
Where the life of life is in close proximity.
生命的美好唾手可及
Where the words of others are lost inside feathers.
他人的言語飛散於羽翼
Feathers of the flocks of birds in flight.
羽翼摶扶搖齊飛
Vanishing into the distant night.
消逝於沈夜
Taking with them my fears.
帶走我的恐懼
Leaving me here.
而我，駐足原地
To be alive, to breathe, to be.
Just be.”
活著，尚存一息。