The wisdom of pipers

This quote is from the current issue of Chanter, the magazine of the Bagpipe Society. As that organ might, ahem, be a bit specialist for most of you I thought I'd share it here. It's very beautiful, and comes from an unknown Greek, cave-dwelling, anchorite, tsambouna player (as interviewed by American traveller George Burchill).

'I sit and listen to the shadows in my cave and I play them. I sit at the mouth of my cave and I hear my flock and the birds and I play them. I hear the wind and the rain and the snow and I play them. I hear my bees when they take their honey and I play them. I hear the sun and the moon and the stars and the silence and I play them. I hear the mountain flowers and the silent bats at night and I play them. I hear my breathing and my heart and I play them. I hear the silence and the years passing and I play them.'