Live in the wilderness with only the ravens as friends, Know yourself and do not envy others' wealth. Everybody's capable of finding their own bread, But nobody gets to see the whole world.
TRADITIONAL INTERPRETATION
You should try to live your life in accordance with Nature and count your blessings rather than envying others. Material goods may be scarce for a while, but your friends and family may well be able to support you both emotionally and financially. You should invest money in long-term businesses now, but youmay suffer some financial losses along the way. Equally, if you have a medical problem you should try to get it treated immediately. People and objects you thought were lost will turn up soon.
REFLECTION
This calls to mind the prophet Elijah in the Bible, who fled from the persecution of the enemies of God and lived in the desert, his food being brought by ravens. Both that story and this poem remind us that,while we may strive for much, sometimes we need to be content with what we have. We may want the world but should learn to find true value in the ordinary - as the Christian mystic Mother Julian of Norwich did when she realized that the whole universe was contained in a walnut.
