{"id":584,"date":"2013-07-13T01:29:02","date_gmt":"2013-07-13T01:29:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/localhost\/?p=584"},"modified":"2013-07-13T01:29:02","modified_gmt":"2013-07-13T01:29:02","slug":"36-on-firmness-vol-08-translations-volume-08","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/01-works-of-sri-aurobindo\/01-sabcl\/08-translations-volume-08\/36-on-firmness-vol-08-translations-volume-08","title":{"rendered":"-36_On Firmness.htm"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n
\n

 <\/td>\n

\n
\n
\n


\n\tON FIRMNESS <\/font> <\/span>
\n\t<\/b><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n


\n\tGods<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n\tCease never from the work thou
\n\thast begun<\/span><\/p>\n

\n\t        Till thou accomplish. Such the great Gods be, <\/span><\/p>\n

\n\tNor paused for gems unknown
\n\tbeneath the Sun,<\/span><\/p>\n

\n\t         Nor feared for the huge poisons of the sea, <\/span><\/p>\n

\n\tThen only ceased
\n\twhen nectar\u2019s self was won.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n\t <\/p>\n


\n\tThe Man of High Action<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n\tHappiness is nothing, sorrow
\n\tnothing. He<\/span><\/p>\n

\n\t        Recks not of these whom his
\n\tclear thoughts impel <\/span><\/p>\n

\n\tTo action, whether little and
\n\tmiserably<\/span><\/p>\n

\n\t        He fare on roots or softly dine
\n\tand well, <\/span><\/p>\n

\n\tWhether bare ground receive his
\n\tsleep or bed <\/span><\/p>\n

\n\tWith smoothest pillows ease his
\n\tpensive head,<\/span><\/p>\n

\n\t        Whether in rags or heavenly
\n\trobes he dwell.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n\t <\/p>\n


\n\tOrnaments<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n\tWhat is an ornament? Courtesy in
\n\thigh place,<\/span><\/p>\n

\n\t       Speech temperate in the hero,
\n\tinnocence <\/span><\/p>\n

\n\tIn high philosophers, and
\n\twrathlessness \u00bb <\/span><\/p>\n

\n\t        In hermits, and in riches noble
\n\texpense. <\/span><\/p>\n

\n\tSincerity and honest meaning
\n\tplain<\/span><\/p>\n

\n\t        Save outward holiness, mercy the
\n\tstrong <\/span><\/p>\n

\n\tAdorns and modesty most learned
\n\tmen;<\/span><\/p>\n

\n\t         One grace to every station can
\n\tbelong. <\/span><\/p>\n

\n\tCause of all other gems, of all
\n\tis blent <\/span><\/p>\n

\n\tVirtue, the universal ornament.<\/span><\/div>\n

\n

\n\tPage\u2013 194<\/span><\/p>\n

\n\t\t<\/p>\n
<\/span><\/div>\n


\n\tThe Immutable Courage<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n\tIf men praise thee, 0 man, \u2018tis
\n\twell; nor ill,<\/span><\/p>\n

\n\t         If they condemn. Let fortune
\n\tcurst or boon <\/span><\/p>\n

\n\tEnter thy doors or leave them as
\n\tshe will;<\/span><\/p>\n

\n\t         Though death expect thee ere yon
\n\tsinking moon <\/span><\/p>\n

\n\tVanish or wait till unborn stars
\n\tgive light,<\/span><\/p>\n

\n\t         The firm high soul remains
\n\timmutable <\/span><\/p>\n

\n\tNor by one step will deviate
\n\tfrom the right.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n


\n\tThe Ball<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n\tLo, as a ball that, by the
\n\tplayer\u2019s palm<\/span><\/p>\n

\n\tSmit downward, falls but to again rebound, <\/span><\/p>\n

\n\tSo the high virtuous man hurled to the ground<\/span><\/p>\n

\n\tBends not to fortune long his
\n\tspirit calm.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n\t <\/p>\n


\n\tWork and Idleness<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

\n\t <\/span><\/p>\n

\n\tTheir bitterest enemy in their
\n\tbodies pent <\/span><\/p>\n

\n\t          Men cherish,
\n\tidleness. Be in thy breast <\/span><\/p>\n

\n\t          The tireless gust of
\n\twork thy mighty guest, <\/span><\/p>\n

\n\tMan\u2019s ceaseless helper, whose
\n\tgreat aid once lent <\/span><\/p>\n

\n\tThy strength shall fail not, nor
\n\tthy head be bent.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n\t <\/p>\n


\n\tThe Self-Reliance of
\n\tthe Wise<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n\tThe tree once pruned shall seek
\n\tagain the skies,<\/span><\/p>\n

\n\t         The moon in heaven waning wax
\n\tonce more:<\/span><\/p>\n

\n\tWise men grieve not nor vex their soul with sighs<\/span><\/p>\n

\n\t          Though the world tread them down
\n\twith savage roar;<\/span><\/p>\n

\n\tKnowing their strength, they
\n\thusband it to rise.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

\n\tPage\u2013 195<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n

\n

 <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

  ON FIRMNESS   Gods   Cease never from the work thou hast begun         Till thou accomplish. Such the great Gods be, Nor paused…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-584","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-08-translations-volume-08","wpcat-12-id"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/584","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=584"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/584\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=584"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=584"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=584"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}