Wouldst thou end thy earthly journey
Wise and of good fortune full,
Make the Lingering thine attorney
Thee to counsel--not thy tool;
Not for friend the Flying take,
Nor thy foe the Standing make.
II.
Threefold is of Space the way:
On unresting, without stay,
Strives the Length into the distance;
Ceaseless pours the Breadth's insistence
Bottomless the Depth goes down.
For a sign the three are sent thee:
_Onward_ must alone content thee--
Weary, thou must not stand still
Wouldst thou thy perfection fill!
Thou must spread thee wider, bigger,
Wouldst thou have the world take figure!
To the deep the man descendeth
Who existence comprehendeth.
Leads persistence to the goal;
Leads abundance to precision;
Dwells in the abyss the Vision.
* * * * *
_In the following epigrams I have altered the form,
which in the original is the elegiac distich_.
_KNOWLEDGE_.
To this man, 'tis a goddess tall,
Who lifts a star-encircled head;
To that, a fine cow in a stall,
Which gives him butter to his bread.
_MY FAITH_.
Which religion I profess?
None of which you mention make.
Wherefore so?--And can't you guess?
For Religion's sake.
_FRIEND AND FOE_.
Dear is my friend, but my foe too
Is friendly to my good;
My friend the thing shows I _can_ do,
My foe, the thing I should.
_EXPECTATION AND FULFILMENT_.
Thousand-masted, mighty float,
Out to sea Youth's navy goes:
Silent, in his one saved boat,
Age into the harbour rows.
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