Prayer of the Woods

Tree root filled with Spring rain

Prayer of the Woods

I am the heat of your hearth on the cold winter nights,
the friendly shade screening you from the summer sun,
and my fruits are refreshing draughts
quenching your thirst as you journey on.

I am the beam that holds your house,
the board of your table,
the bed on which you lie,
and the timber that builds your boat.
I am the handle of your hoe,
the door of your homestead,
the wood of your cradle,
and the shell of your coffin.
I am the bread of kindness and the flower of beauty.

'Ye who pass by, listen to my prayer:

Harm me not.

This prayer has been used in the Portuguese forest preservations for more than 1,000 years.