King Alfred's Poems Now first turned into English Metres; By Martin F. Tupper |
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| I. |
| II. |
| III. |
| IV. |
| V. |
| VI. |
| VII. | VII. Of Content, and Humbleness. |
| VIII. |
| IX. |
| X. |
| XI. |
| XII. |
| XIII. |
| XIV. |
| XV. |
| XVI. |
| XVII. |
| XVIII. |
| XIX. |
| XX. |
| XXI. |
| XXII. |
| XXIII. |
| XXIV. |
| XXV. |
| XXVI. |
| XXVII. |
| XXVIII. |
| XXIX. |
| XXX. |
| XXXI. |
 | King Alfred's Poems |  |
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VII. Of Content, and Humbleness.
Quisquis volet perennem
Cautus ponere sedem, &c.
Cautus ponere sedem, &c.
Tha ongon se Wisdom
His gewunan fylgan, &c.
His gewunan fylgan, &c.
Again, as his wont, began Wisdom a song,
And spoke out his spells as he wander'd along
He said, On a mountain no man can be skill'd
With a roof weather proof a high hall to upbuild
And spoke out his spells as he wander'd along
He said, On a mountain no man can be skill'd
With a roof weather proof a high hall to upbuild
Moreover, let no man think ever to win
By mixing pure wisdom with over-proud sin.
Heard ye that any built firmly on sand,
Or caught hold of wisdom with gain-getting hand?
By mixing pure wisdom with over-proud sin.
Heard ye that any built firmly on sand,
Or caught hold of wisdom with gain-getting hand?
The light soil is greedy to swallow the rain;
So now doth the rich, in his measureless gain
Of honours and havings, drink deep of such weal,
Yea, down to the dregs, and still thirsty will feel.
So now doth the rich, in his measureless gain
Of honours and havings, drink deep of such weal,
Yea, down to the dregs, and still thirsty will feel.
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A house on a hill-top may never long stay,
For quickly the swift wind shall sweep it away,
And a house on the sand is no better at all;
In spite of the house-herd, in rain it shall fall.
For quickly the swift wind shall sweep it away,
And a house on the sand is no better at all;
In spite of the house-herd, in rain it shall fall.
So, failing and fickle is every mind
When rack'd by the rage of this world-trouble wind
And measureless cares, as a quick-dropping rain
Unstopping, stir up the mind's welkin with pain.
When rack'd by the rage of this world-trouble wind
And measureless cares, as a quick-dropping rain
Unstopping, stir up the mind's welkin with pain.
But he who would have everlasting true bliss,
Must fly from the glare of a world such as this:
And then let him make a strong home for his mind
Wherever true Lowliness' rock he can find;
Must fly from the glare of a world such as this:
And then let him make a strong home for his mind
Wherever true Lowliness' rock he can find;
A settled ground-anchor that never shall slide,
Though trouble attack it by tempest and tide;
For that, in Lowliness' valley so fair
The Lord, and mind-wisdom for ever live there.
Though trouble attack it by tempest and tide;
For that, in Lowliness' valley so fair
The Lord, and mind-wisdom for ever live there.
Therefore leads always a quiet-like life
The wise in the world without changes or strife,
When heedless alike of earth's good and earth's ill,
He watches in hope of an after-world still.
The wise in the world without changes or strife,
When heedless alike of earth's good and earth's ill,
He watches in hope of an after-world still.
Such an one evermore God ever kind
Happily keeps in the calm of his mind;
Though wild winds of sorrow against him are hurl'd
Though always annoyed by the cares of the world
Happily keeps in the calm of his mind;
Though wild winds of sorrow against him are hurl'd
Though always annoyed by the cares of the world
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Though wrathful and grim are these trouble-dark gales,
And Care in its anguish and anger assails.
And Care in its anguish and anger assails.
| King Alfred's Poems | |