Gabriela Mistral

create beauty senses soul

“You shall create beauty not to excite the senses

but to give sustenance to the soul. ”

― Gabriela Mistral (1889-1957)

dance crippled child invalid sing dead thistle valley dust

“A crippled child

Said, "How shall I dance?"

Let your heart dance

We said.

Then the invalid said:

"How shall I sing?"

Let your heart sing

We said

Then spoke the poor dead thistle,

"But I, how shall I dance?"

Let your heart fly to the wind

We said.

Then God spoke from above

"How shall I descend from the blue?"

Come dance for us here in the light

We said.

All the valley is dancing

Together under the sun,

And the heart of him who joins us not

Is turned to dust, to dust.”

― Gabriela Mistral (1889-1957)

guilty errors faults abandon children fountain life

“We are guilty of many errors and many faults, but our worst crime is abandoning the children, neglecting the fountain of life. Many of the things we need can wait. The child cannot. Right now is the time his bones are being formed, his blood is being made, and his senses are being developed. To him we cannot answer ‘Tomorrow,’ his name is today.”

― Gabriela Mistral (1889-1957)

wait child now time tomorrow name today

“Many things we need can wait. The child cannot. Now is the time his bones are formed, his mind developed. To him we cannot say tomorrow, his name is today.”

― Gabriela Mistral (1889-1957)

speech possession soul

"Speech is our second possession, after the soul-and perhaps we have no other possession in this world."

― Gabriela Mistral (1889-1957)

soul body artist people

"What the soul is to the body, so is the artist to his people."

― Gabriela Mistral (1889-1957)

joy healthy fair beauty useful

"There is the joy of being healthy and fair, but there is overall the beauty, the immense joy of being useful."

― Gabriela Mistral (1889-1957)

children neglect wait today

"We are guilty of many errors and many faults, But our worst crime is abandoning the children, Neglecting the fountain of life. Many of the things we need can wait. The child cannot. Right now is the time his bones are being formed, His blood is being made, And his senses are being developed. To him we cannot answer 'Tomorrow.' His name is 'Today.'"

― Gabriela Mistral (1889-1957)

speech possession soul world

"Speech is our second possession, after the soul-and perhaps we have no other possession in this world."

― Gabriela Mistral (1889-1957)