You Are Like A Tiger 
Tamil Prayer by Manikka Vasahar 8th century from Southern India

You are like a honey-comb on the branch of a tree; I can see the sweet honey, but the branch is too high for me to climb.

You are like a gold fish swimming in a pond, only an arm's length from the bank; yet if I try to catch you in my hand, you slip from my grasp.

You are like a snake, your skin dazzling in its bright colors, yet your tongue able to destroy a man with a single prick.

Be merciful to me, O Lord. Give me life, not death. Reach out to me, and hold me in your arms. Come down to me, and lift me up to heaven. Sustain my feeble soul with your power.