I Cast My Net Into The Sea

In the morning I cast my net into the sea. I dragged up from the dark abyss things of strange aspect and strange beauty -- some shone like a smile, some glistened like tears, and some were flushed like the cheeks of a bride. When with the day's burden I went home, my love was sitting in the garden idly tearing the leaves of a flower. I hesitated for a moment, and then placed at her feet all that I had dragged up, and stood silent. She glanced at them and said, 'What strange things are these? I know not of what use they are!' I bowed my head in shame and thought, 'I have not fought for these, I did not buy them in the market; they are not fit gifts for her.' Then the whole night through I flung them one by one into the street. In the morning travellers came; they picked them up and carried them into far countries.