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12
VERSES,
SUGGESTED BY AN INSCRIPTION ON A TOMBSTONE IN MELROSE ABBEY.
“Earth walketh on the earth,
Glistering like gold;
Earth goeth to the earth,
Sooner than it wold!
Earth buildeth on the earth
Palaces and towers;
Earth sayeth to the earth,
All shall be ours!”
Glistering like gold;
Earth goeth to the earth,
Sooner than it wold!
Earth buildeth on the earth
Palaces and towers;
Earth sayeth to the earth,
All shall be ours!”
“Most musical! most
melancholy!”
To my spirit's ear,
Chiding earth-born care and folly,
These quaint lines appear:
Be their solemn lesson scanned;
Earth-worm! hear, and understand.
To my spirit's ear,
Chiding earth-born care and folly,
These quaint lines appear:
Be their solemn lesson scanned;
Earth-worm! hear, and understand.
13
Earth on earth still proudly walketh,
“Glistering like gold!”
To the silent grave he stalketh,
“Sooner than he wold!”
Man is earth, and therefore must
Mingle with his parent dust!
“Glistering like gold!”
To the silent grave he stalketh,
“Sooner than he wold!”
Man is earth, and therefore must
Mingle with his parent dust!
Man on earth yet proudly reareth
“Palaces and towers!”
And each edifice appeareth
Worthy of his powers,
Were it his ambitious aim
Thus to leave himself a name!
“Palaces and towers!”
And each edifice appeareth
Worthy of his powers,
Were it his ambitious aim
Thus to leave himself a name!
Earth—the pile and builder eyeing,
From her hidden shrine,
Says, to both alike replying,
“Ye shall soon be mine!
One shall crumble on my breast,
One beneath my turf shall rest!”
From her hidden shrine,
Says, to both alike replying,
“Ye shall soon be mine!
One shall crumble on my breast,
One beneath my turf shall rest!”
14
But is earth, then, thus victorious
Over what must live?
No! a destiny more glorious
Deathless MIND can give!
Unto this IT gave not birth;
This can ne'er return to earth.
Over what must live?
No! a destiny more glorious
Deathless MIND can give!
Unto this IT gave not birth;
This can ne'er return to earth.
He whose solemn thought and feeling
Left upon this stone
These few words, to both appealing,
Has earth's boast o'erthrown:
“Earth to earth”—with all her powers,
Cannot say “All shall be ours!”
Left upon this stone
These few words, to both appealing,
Has earth's boast o'erthrown:
“Earth to earth”—with all her powers,
Cannot say “All shall be ours!”
He hath passed death's shadowy
portal;
In these lines he lives!
And, to spirits as immortal,
Words of warning gives:
Would ye triumph over earth,
Bear in mind your heavenly birth.
In these lines he lives!
And, to spirits as immortal,
Words of warning gives:
Would ye triumph over earth,
Bear in mind your heavenly birth.
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