Bees Make Honey
by Elise Witt
© Elise Witt, Non Si Sa Mai Music ASCAP
from Elise Witt’s We’re All BORN SINGING
Directed, edited and filmed by Jessica Lily.
As a beekeeper, I had this little Bee Chant buzzing around my hive and my imagination. When I discovered the beautiful Wander Poem ascribed to the Buddha, I decided they were made for each other. Then they needed company, so I added the Bird, the Fish, and the Spider. May we all take the essence of life without destroying its beauty or ourselves.
* Pyah yeh is the honey bee, in Burmese.
Les Abeilles font du miel Bees make honey
Ils n’ont pas besoin d’argent They don’t need money
—–As the Bee takes the essence of the flower and flies
—–Without destroying its beauty
—–Without destroying its perfume
—–So wander in this life, wander in this life
Les Oiseaux font des chansons
Birds make song
Ils n’ont pas besoin d’avoir raison ou tort They don’t need right or wrong
—–As the Bird takes the essence of the air and sings
—–Without destroying its beauty
—–Without destroying its perfume
—–So wander in this life, wander in this life
Les Poissons respirent de l’eau Fish breathe water
Ils n’ont pas besoin d’soldats They don’t need soldiers
—–As the Fish takes the essence of the water and swims
—–Without destroying its beauty
—–Without destroying the tides
—–So wander in this life, wander in this life Pyah yeh, pyah yeh*
Les Araignées font du fil
Spiders make thread
Elles n’ont pas besoin de peur
They don’t need the edge of the ledge
—–As the Spider takes the essence of itself and spins
—–Without destroying its beauty
—–Without destroying itself
—–So wander in this life, wander in this life, wonder at this life.