“The Rainbow Never Tells Me”🌈

Peter Paul Rubens (1630-5) – Landscape with a Rainbow

“The Rainbow Never Tells Me”  (97) by Emily Dickinson)

The rainbow never tells me
That gust and storm are by,
Yet is she more convincing
Than Philosophy.

My flowers turn from Forums—
Yet eloquent declare
What Cato couldn’t prove me
Except the birds were here!

The signs of nature (rainbow, flowers, and birds) can reveal the deepest truths because they communicate better than words or philosophy.
Nature does not need words to be explained or interpreted. Birds and flowers can tell us much more than the long arguments of a philosopher, or a skilled speaker: words and logic are inadequate when compared to the signs of nature.

L’arcobaleno non me lo dice mai
che le raffiche e la tempesta sono passate,
eppure è più convincente
della Filosofia.

I miei fiori disdegnano le Tribune –
eppure eloquenti dichiarano
ciò che Catone non potrebbe dimostrarmi
salvo che gli uccelli erano qui!
(L.Z.)