Coplas por la muerte de su padre" (Verses on the Death of His Father) by Jorge Manrique
Sacude la tristeza y tu ánimo recobra,
no quieto mires de la fortuna la rueda
cómo gira al pasar rozando tu vereda
que a quien quiere vivir vida es lo que le sobra.
No haces sino nutrir esa mortal zozobra
que así en las redes del morir lento te enreda,
pues vivir es obrar y lo único que queda
la obra es; echa, pues, mano a la obra.
Ve sembrándote al paso y con tu propio arado
sin volver la vista que es volverla a la muerte,
y no a lo por andar sea peso lo andado.
En los surcos lo vivo, en ti deja lo inerte,
pues la vida no pasa al paso de un nublado;
de tus obras podrás un día recogerte.
- Jorge Manrique, from his work "Coplas por la muerte de su padre"
Shake off sadness and regain your spirit,
don’t passively watch fortune's wheel
as it turns, grazing your path,
for those who wish to live have life in abundance.
You only nourish that mortal anxiety
that slowly entangles you in the nets of dying,
for living is acting, and what remains
is the work; so, get to work.
Start planting as you go with your own plow,
without looking back, for that is looking back at death,
and let not what’s been walked weigh down the journey.
In the furrows lies the living; leave the inert in you,
for life does not pass under a cloudy sky;
one day, from your works, you may reap.
Takeaway
The poem reminds us that life is about actively shaping our path, not passively waiting for change. In therapy, this means taking brave steps to work through your pain, anxiety, or trauma. Just like planting seeds in the poem, every session and effort you put into therapy helps sow the seeds of healing and growth. It’s about not letting past regrets or fears hold you back from the life you deserve. Therapy provides the tools to work through these struggles, allowing you to reclaim your power and create lasting change.
By focusing on this, therapy becomes a process of taking meaningful action toward building a future where your struggles don’t define you, but instead, your growth does.
