The Lamp burns sure within by Emily Dickinson

Внутри - горит свеча...
Елей хоть слуги льют,
неважен он, где нить жива
и светел её труд!

Долить забудет - раб...
Свеча - в пылу златом -
ровна, пусть вышел весь елей,
и раб - ушёл на том.





(Да, такие вещи Прист сам разгадывать не умеет,
сваливает на Рут Миллер или ещё на кого-то.
А мне вспомнилось, Учитель говорил людям:
- Не рабы вы Богу, вы - сыны Ему!..
Христа не послушали.)

[David Preest:
The poem is partly a literal impossibility. Although it
is true that the wick will burn steadily even if the oil
is supplied by ‘Serfs,’ it is not true the Lamp will
‘burn golden on,’ if the oil is out and the Slave has
vanished. So it follows that the poem is a metaphor.
Ruth Miller suggests that the burning Lamp stands for
Emily writing her poems. And she will ‘burn golden on,’
whether or not serf critics supply her with the oil of
encouraging appreciation. In fact she will not even
have noticed whether they have supplied
such appreciation or not.]

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The Lamp burns sure -- within by Emily Dickinson

The Lamp burns sure -- within --   
Tho' Serfs -- supply the Oil --    
It matters not the busy Wick --    
At her phosphoric toil!            

The Slave -- forgets -- to fill -- 
The Lamp -- burns golden -- on --   
Unconscious that the oil is out -- 
As that the Slave -- is gone.