Текст песни: The Blind Men and the Elephant + перевод

It was six men of Indostan

To learning much inclined

Who went to see the Elephant

(Though all of them were blind)

That each by observation

Might satisfy his mind

The First approached the Elephant

And happening to fall

Against his broad and sturdy side

At once began to bawl

«God bless me! but the Elephant

Is very like a wall!»

The Second, feeling of the tusk

Cried, «Ho! what have we here

So very round and smooth and sharp?

To me 'tis mighty clear

This wonder of an Elephant

Is very like a spear!»

The Third approached the animal

And happening to take

The squirming trunk within his hands

Thus boldly up and spake

«I see,» quoth he, «the Elephant

Is very like a snake!»

The Fourth reached out an eager hand

And felt about the knee

«What most this wondrous beast is like

Is mighty plain,» quoth he

«'Tis clear enough the Elephant

Is very like a tree!»

The Fifth who chanced to touch the ear

Said: «E'en the blindest man

Can tell what this resembles most

Deny the fact who can

This marvel of an Elephant

Is very like a fan!»

The Sixth no sooner had begun

About the beast to grope

Than, seizing on the swinging tail

That fell within his scope

«I see,» quoth he, «the Elephant

Is very like a rope!»

And so these men of Indostan

Disputed loud and long

Each in his opinion

Exceeding stiff and strong

Though each was partly in the right

And all were in the wrong!

Moral

So oft in theologic wars

The disputants, I ween

Rail on in utter ignorance

Of what each other mean

And prate about an Elephant

Not one of them has seen!

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