ON FIRMNESS
Gods
Cease never from the work thou
hast begun
Till thou accomplish. Such the great Gods be,
Nor paused for gems unknown
beneath the Sun,
Nor feared for the huge poisons of the sea,
Then only ceased
when nectar’s self was won.
The Man of High Action
Happiness is nothing, sorrow
nothing. He
Recks not of these whom his
clear thoughts impel
To action, whether little and
miserably
He fare on roots or softly dine
and well,
Whether bare ground receive his
sleep or bed
With smoothest pillows ease his
pensive head,
Whether in rags or heavenly
robes he dwell.
Ornaments
What is an ornament? Courtesy in
high place,
Speech temperate in the hero,
innocence
In high philosophers, and
wrathlessness »
In hermits, and in riches noble
expense.
Sincerity and honest meaning
plain
Save outward holiness, mercy the
strong
Adorns and modesty most learned
men;
One grace to every station can
belong.
Cause of all other gems, of all
is blent
Virtue, the universal ornament.
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The Immutable Courage
If men praise thee, 0 man, ‘tis
well; nor ill,
If they condemn. Let fortune
curst or boon
Enter thy doors or leave them as
she will;
Though death expect thee ere yon
sinking moon
Vanish or wait till unborn stars
give light,
The firm high soul remains
immutable
Nor by one step will deviate
from the right.
The Ball
Lo, as a ball that, by the
player’s palm
Smit downward, falls but to again rebound,
So the high virtuous man hurled to the ground
Bends not to fortune long his
spirit calm.
Work and Idleness
Their bitterest enemy in their
bodies pent
Men cherish,
idleness. Be in thy breast
The tireless gust of
work thy mighty guest,
Man’s ceaseless helper, whose
great aid once lent
Thy strength shall fail not, nor
thy head be bent.
The Self-Reliance of
the Wise
The tree once pruned shall seek
again the skies,
The moon in heaven waning wax
once more:
Wise men grieve not nor vex their soul with sighs
Though the world tread them down
with savage roar;
Knowing their strength, they
husband it to rise.
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