31
“Only the actions of the just smell sweet and blossom in the dust.”
The material world is fed or famished by earth’s inconstant rains and soils,
But the soul is sustained, amid dust or flood, with food that never spoils.
Long, long ago, a Greek was silenced for speaking truth to those who would not hear;
To dust his enemies’ names are lost, yet his endures, forever just, forever sweet and dear.
32
“Man raises but time weighs.”
The works up-raised by the hands of men are weighed by heavy Time,
But works of the weightless mind and soul shall everlasting climb.
33
“The noblest motive is the public good.”
Commonwealths of cats, democracies of dogs,
Egalitarian eagles and fraternities of frogs;
As lurid as they would look, as appallingly absurd,
Are those societies of men where “public good” is never heard.
34
“A little learning is a dangerous thing
Drink deep or taste not of the Perian spring.”
One man is wisely foolish, and another is foolishly wise,
The one by folly prospers, the other by wisdom dies.
35
“Learning is but an adjunct to oneself.”
To live and yet to never once inquire of ourselves,
Is like to garnering all of life’s most lovely, happy books,
But never giving more regard than sidelong, sour looks,
Leaving them dressed in dead and drying dust upon their shelves.
No comments:
Post a Comment