Songs of A Wayfarer By William Davies |
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| LXIII. |
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| LXV. |
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| LXIX. |
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| LXXIX. |
| LXXX. |
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| LXXXVII. |
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| CXXX. |
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| CL. |
| CLI. |
| CLII. |
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| CLIV. |
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| CLVIII. |
| CLIX. |
| CLX. |
| CLXI. |
| CLXII. |
| CLXIII. |
| CLXIV. |
| CLXV. |
| CLXVI. |
| CLXVII. |
| CLXVIII. | CLXVIII. THE RULES OF A RIGHT LIFE. |
| CLXIX. |
| CLXX. |
| CLXXI. |
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| CLXXIII. |
| CLXXIV. |
| CLXXV. |
| CLXXVI. |
| CLXXVII. |
| CLXXVIII. |
| CLXXIX. |
| CLXXX. |
| CLXXXI. |
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| CLXXXIII. |
| CLXXXIV. |
| CLXXXV. |
| CLXXXVI. |
| CLXXXVII. |
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| CLXXXIX. |
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| CCXI. |
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| CCXIII. |
| CCXIV. |
| CCXV. |
| CCXVI. |
| CCXVII. |
| CCXVIII. |
| CCXIX. |
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| CCXXI. |
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| CCXXIX. |
| CCXXX. |
| CCXXXI. |
 | Songs of A Wayfarer |  |
CLXVIII. THE RULES OF A RIGHT LIFE.
Through joy and sorrow wouldst thou thrive:
To loftiest purpose rightly live;
Gaining the best that life can give,
To loftiest purpose rightly live;
Gaining the best that life can give,
Hold upright thought and act thy rule
Through wealth and want, and go to school
Where Reason sits in judgment cool.
Through wealth and want, and go to school
Where Reason sits in judgment cool.
153
An honest purpose stoutly borne,
And like a well-knit garment worn,
Which you may out or inwards turn.
And like a well-knit garment worn,
Which you may out or inwards turn.
Religion not composed of sighs,
Nor made of captious subtleties;
But raised through loving sympathies.
Nor made of captious subtleties;
But raised through loving sympathies.
A patriotism born and spent
Most chiefly in self-government,
Whereby the public good is meant.
Most chiefly in self-government,
Whereby the public good is meant.
True wisdom bred not on the lip,
Nor mere extent of scholarship;
But that which through the heart grows ripe.
Nor mere extent of scholarship;
But that which through the heart grows ripe.
A rectitude which swerveth not:
Which seeks and finds—if that its lot
Be rough or smooth—the self-same spot:
Which seeks and finds—if that its lot
Be rough or smooth—the self-same spot:
Which anchors not on shifting ground:
And though it hear the billows sound,
Securely mocks the fierce rebound.
And though it hear the billows sound,
Securely mocks the fierce rebound.
A count of time as only lent,
Like glebe, to be repaid in rent:
The heaviest loss a day misspent.
Like glebe, to be repaid in rent:
The heaviest loss a day misspent.
Strong energy that never tires,
Fed by those bright eternal fires
Born in a mind of high desires.
Fed by those bright eternal fires
Born in a mind of high desires.
154
A will that knows no other law
Than that which from itself doth draw;
And only holds its God in awe.
Than that which from itself doth draw;
And only holds its God in awe.
So large a sense of truth within,
That asks not any crown to win,
Nor cares for praise of men a pin:
That asks not any crown to win,
Nor cares for praise of men a pin:
But for itself doth hold itself
Its own reward: untouched by pelf:
Setting opinion on the shelf.
Its own reward: untouched by pelf:
Setting opinion on the shelf.
Firm faith in that large Law which guides
This mortal life and rules its tides
With Love that evermore abides.
This mortal life and rules its tides
With Love that evermore abides.
Peace laid in pure desires and high:
Rich in a plain simplicity:
Not dulled by blunt satiety.
Rich in a plain simplicity:
Not dulled by blunt satiety.
Contentment, too, which doth befit
One who upon a throne would sit
Above the world and govern it.
One who upon a throne would sit
Above the world and govern it.
Unselfishness which rather lies
In what it holds than what it is;
Filled with divine sufficiencies:
In what it holds than what it is;
Filled with divine sufficiencies:
Which would resign its best desire,
And sit down gladly in the mire
To raise the truth a little higher.
And sit down gladly in the mire
To raise the truth a little higher.
155
Opinion which by readiest choice
Doth in the good it finds rejoice;
Nor listens to detraction's voice.
Doth in the good it finds rejoice;
Nor listens to detraction's voice.
High poetries which hold no strife
With healthy labour, child and wife:
Right offspring of a well-spent life.
With healthy labour, child and wife:
Right offspring of a well-spent life.
Ambition which so low doth fly,
It asks no other luxury
Than sunshine and sweet liberty.
It asks no other luxury
Than sunshine and sweet liberty.
A tranquil manner—rather, none—
Which counts its proper praise alone
The good of others: not its own.
Which counts its proper praise alone
The good of others: not its own.
He who at such a height doth live,
Through joy and sorrow he shall thrive,
Having the best that life can give.
Through joy and sorrow he shall thrive,
Having the best that life can give.
| Songs of A Wayfarer | |