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ON THE WICKED Evil Nature A heart unpitying, brawling vain and rude, An eye to others’ wives and wealth inclined, Impatience of true friends and of the good, — These things are self-born in the evil mind.
The Human Cobra
Avoid the evil man with learning crowned. Lo, the dread cobra, all his hood a gem Of glory, yet he crawls upon the ground. Fear’st thou him less for that bright diadem?
Virtue and Slander
A spiritless dull block call modesty; Love of long fasts and holy vows must be Mere shows, yon pure heart but a Pharisee, The world-renouncing sage a fool; the high World-conquering hero’s taxed with cruelty. This sweet word’s baseness, that great orator A windbag, and the great spirit furious pride, And calm patience an impotent weakness poor. Thus the base-natured all high things deride. Judged by the slanderous tongue, the uncandid eyes, What brightest virtue turns not blackest vice? Page– 183 Realities
Greed if thou hast, thou art of sin secure: Being treacherous, of what heinous fault hast need? No distant temple wants whose soul is pure: Heart’s truth is more than penance, vow or creed. With natural goodness, why mere virtues pile? The soul being great, a royal crown were poor; Good books thou hast, rubies were surplus vile; When shame has pierced the heart, can death do more?
Seven Griefs
Seven griefs are as seven daggers in my heart, — To see a lake without its lilied bloom, The moon grow beggared of her radiant part, Sweet woman’s beauty fade towards the tomb, A noble hug his wealth, a good man gone Down in the press of miseries, a fair And vacant face when knowledge is not there, A base man standing by a monarch’s throne.
The Friendship of Tyrants
Tyrants have neither kin nor lover. Fire Accepts the rich man’s offerings; at the end Shall these then slake its wrathful swift desire? Nay, let him touch it! It will spare its friend! Page– 184 The Hard Lot of the Courtier
Hard is the courtier’s lot who fain would please. Being silent, “Lo the dumb man!” they gibe; if speech Eloquent edge his wit, “He seeks to teach, The chatterer!” else, “Hark to his flatteries!” Rude, if he sit near; far,—”What want of ease!” Enduring insult, “Coward!”; if he spurn The injurer, “Surely a spawn of parents base!” Such service is in courts, whose laws to learn Wise sages are perplexed, or tread its ways.
The Upstart
Yea, how this high sun burns that was so low, Enlightening with his favours all things base! Hating all goods, with chainless license vile Of those his filthy deeds makes arrogant show Obscurely engendered in his unseen days Ere sudden fortune raised from miry soil. No virtue now, genius nor merit’s safe From vulture eyes that at all cleanness chafe.
Two Kinds of Friendship
Like shadows of the afternoon and mom Friendship in good men is and in the base; All vast the lewd man’s in its first embrace, But lessens and wears away; the other’s, born A dwarfish thing, grows giant-like apace. Page– 185 Natural Enmities
Trust not thy innocence, nor say, “No foe I have the world through,” other is the world. The deer’s content with simple grass, yet bow Of hunter fears; the fisher’s net is hurled To catch the water’s innocents; his high And simple life contented leads the good, Yet by the evil heart insatiably With causeless hatred finds himself pursued. Page– 186 |
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