 | King Alfred's Poems |  |
60
XIV. The Emptiness of Wealth.
Quamvis fluente dives auri gurgite
Non expleturas cogat avarus opes.
Non expleturas cogat avarus opes.
Hwæt bith thæm welegan
Woruld-gitsere &c.
Woruld-gitsere &c.
What is a man the better
A man of worldly mould—
Though he be gainful getter
Of richest gems and gold,
With every kind well filléd
Of goods in ripe array,
And though for him be tilléd
A thousand fields a day?
A man of worldly mould—
Though he be gainful getter
Of richest gems and gold,
With every kind well filléd
Of goods in ripe array,
And though for him be tilléd
A thousand fields a day?
Though all this middle earth be
Beneath his wealdom thrown,
And men and all their worth be
South East and West his own,
He cannot of such treasure
Away with him take aught,
Nor gain a greater measure
Than in his mind he brought.
Beneath his wealdom thrown,
And men and all their worth be
South East and West his own,
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Away with him take aught,
Nor gain a greater measure
Than in his mind he brought.
Wisdom having sung this lay,
Again began his spell to say.
Again began his spell to say.
| King Alfred's Poems | |