Poem by Matteo Ricci, S.J.

A shepherd boy fell sad one day,

Hating the hillside on which he stood;

he thought a distant hill he saw

more beautiful from afar,

and that going there would wipe away his sorrows.

So he set off to that distant hill,

but as he drew near it

it looked less good than it had from afar.

O shepherd boy, shepherd boy,

how can you expect to transform yourself

by changing your dwelling place?

If you move away can you leave yourself behind?

Sorrow and joy sprout in the heart.

If the heart is peaceful, you’ll be happy everywhere,

if the heart is in turmoil, every place brings sorrow.

A grain of dust in your eye

brings discomfort speedily.

How can you then ignore this sharp awl

that pierces your heart?

If you yearn for things outside yourself

you will never obtain what you are seeking.

Why not put your own heart in order

and find peace on your own hillside?

Old and new writers alike give this advice:

there’s no advantage to roaming outside.

Keep the heart inside, for

that brings the profit.