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. |
| VIII. |
| IX. |
| X. |
| XI. |
| XII. |
| XIII. |
| XIV. |
| XV. |
| XVI. |
| XVII. |
| XVIII. |
| XIX. |
| XX. |
| XXI. |
| XXII. | XXII. Of the inner mind, and the outer sin. |
| XXIII. |
| XXIV. |
| XXV. |
| XXVI. |
| XXVII. |
| XXVIII. |
| XXIX. |
| XXX. |
| XXXI. |
 | King Alfred's Poems |  |
87
XXII. Of the inner mind, and the outer sin.
Quisquis profunda mente vestigat verum,
Cupitque nullis ille deviis falli, &c.
Cupitque nullis ille deviis falli, &c.
Se the æfter rihte
Mid gerece wille
In weardlice æfter Spyrian, &c.
Mid gerece wille
In weardlice æfter Spyrian, &c.
The man that after right with care
Will inwardly and deeply dive
So that none earthly thing may scare
Nor him from such good seeking drive,
Will inwardly and deeply dive
So that none earthly thing may scare
Nor him from such good seeking drive,
First in himself he shall find out
That which beyond he somewhile sought,
Within his mind must search about
And leave behind each troublous thought;
That which beyond he somewhile sought,
Within his mind must search about
And leave behind each troublous thought;
This at the soonest, as he may,
Such care were harm to him and sin;
Then let him haste and hide away
To this alone, his Mind within.
Such care were harm to him and sin;
Then let him haste and hide away
To this alone, his Mind within.
Say to this mind, that it may find
What oftest now it seeks around
All in, and to, itself assign'd
Every good that can be found:
What oftest now it seeks around
All in, and to, itself assign'd
Every good that can be found:
88
He then will see that all he had
In his mind's chamber thought and done
Was evil long afore and bad,
Clearly as he can see the sun:
In his mind's chamber thought and done
Was evil long afore and bad,
Clearly as he can see the sun:
But his own mind he shall see there
Lighter and brighter than the ray
Of heaven's star, the gem of air,
The sun in clearest summer day.
Lighter and brighter than the ray
Of heaven's star, the gem of air,
The sun in clearest summer day.
For that the body's lusts and crimes
And all its heaviness in kind
Utterly may not any times
Wipe out right wisdom from man's mind:
And all its heaviness in kind
Utterly may not any times
Wipe out right wisdom from man's mind:
Though now in every man such wrong,
Those lusts and crimes and fleshly weight,
Worry the mind both loud and strong
And make it half forget its state.
Those lusts and crimes and fleshly weight,
Worry the mind both loud and strong
And make it half forget its state.
And though the mist of lies may shade
Man's dreary thought that it be dull
And be no more so bright array'd
An if 'twere pure and powerful,
Man's dreary thought that it be dull
And be no more so bright array'd
An if 'twere pure and powerful,
Yet always is some seed-corn held
Of sturdy truth within the soul,
While flesh and ghost together weld,
And make one fixt and gather'd whole.
Of sturdy truth within the soul,
While flesh and ghost together weld,
And make one fixt and gather'd whole.
89
This seed-corn waxes evermore,
By much asking quickened so,
As well as by good wholesome lore,
That it quickly learns to grow.
By much asking quickened so,
As well as by good wholesome lore,
That it quickly learns to grow.
How may a man right answer find
To anything ask'd well and fit,
Unless he keenly store his mind
That it have much or little wit?
To anything ask'd well and fit,
Unless he keenly store his mind
That it have much or little wit?
Yet is there no man so bereaved
Of knowledge, that he cannot bring
Some answer well to be received
If he be ask'd of anything.
Of knowledge, that he cannot bring
Some answer well to be received
If he be ask'd of anything.
Wherefore it is a spell of right
Which our own Plato, long of old,
That ancient wise and worthy wight,
To all of us most truly told;
Which our own Plato, long of old,
That ancient wise and worthy wight,
To all of us most truly told;
He said, that each who wisdom sought,
Forgetful, should to Memory turn,
And in the coffer of his thought
Right-wisdom hidden would discern,
Forgetful, should to Memory turn,
And in the coffer of his thought
Right-wisdom hidden would discern,
Through all the drift of trouble there,
And all this body's heavy clay,
And busy toil, and daily care
Which stir the breasts of men alway.
And all this body's heavy clay,
And busy toil, and daily care
Which stir the breasts of men alway.
| King Alfred's Poems | |