The poem “The Blind Men and the Elephant” was written by 19th century American poet John Godfrey Saxe. The poem is based on a parable from India about six blind men who wanted to know what an elephant was like. As each blind man was holding a different part of the elephant, they all had different opinions. The parable is used to teach that one’s experience is subjective and limited, and that we sometimes fail to account for the complete truth. It encourages better communication and respect for a variety of perspectives.
I thought it would be nice to translate this poem in Filipino. The poem “Ang mga Bulag at ang Elepante” is my adaptation of the poem in Filipino. (Please note that I excluded the last paragraph, the MORAL, in my adaptation). It may also be used as reading practice for young readers, as a poem to memorize for elementary students, or just something to read to your child at bedtime.
The image used in the PDF file was obtained from Wikimedia Commons.
I also found the Saxe poem sung by Natalie Merchant on YouTube.
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If you have any questions regarding the use of this PDF file, you may e-mail me at samutsamot.mom@gmail.com
Click on the link below to open the PDF file in another tab. Am I crazy giving this poem away for free? Yes, yes I am. If you would like to suggest an improvement to the adapted poem, please leave a comment below.
