BE JOYOUS, BE GENTLE, WORTHY, KIND
Be joyous! Yes, be joyous—be gentle, worthy, kind;
Fling rank, fling titles to the wind;
Put pride, put selfishness behind;
Throw caste, throw prejudice away!
Show mankind more humanity;
You may not live another day.
Why mortals frail? Why vain? Why proud?
Soon lowly ye shall lie, swathed in a shroud.
Alike, the rich, the great, the small,
The grave ere long engulfeth all.
Time’s scythe mows down all human kind;
Time spares no rank. Oh, Death and Time, are blind.
Then, mortals frail, be just, be good;
Treat not thy fellows mean and rude;
Ye who true happiness would know
Must kindness first to others show.
Learn, then, ye mortals who are sad,
Kind acts! Kind acts will make you glad.
Have honor, truth, and principle.
Thy word should be thy bond. Fulfill
Thy promises; nor lie for further favors still.
Cheat not That One who “credit” gives;
They who defraud are worst of thieves!
What chance have they in Heaven to dwell
Who swindle God and man on earth—pray tell?
Of worldly pelf, when thou hast need,
Go work, go work. ’Tis good to delve!
Hard labor counts. Be not afraid.
Great power lies within thy self.
Apply that force. Begin! Why wait?
Self-effort delays not that friends may aid.
Have courage! Yes, be brave.
Cowardice is a self-fettered slave!
Have lofty purposes, ambitious dreams!
He is a clod who never schemes.
Energy, economy, skill, thoroughness,
Par excellence, insures success!
Be useful. Yes, bear thy hard load!
Rebel not ’gainst the will of God.
Work! Work! All honest toil is blessed.
Work faithfully; soon thou shalt rest.
To further some great good intent He placed thee here;
Then murmur not—be of good cheer.
At one, at many failures be not dismayed.
Out of failures fortunes, master-works are made!
Thou cans’t be good, thou cans’t be great!
’Tis not too late; tis not too late,—
Tho’ thy heart were black as night;—tho’
Thy hands were stained with blood,—yet
God’s grace (and penance yet) would make thee white as snow.
A purpose have—firmly fixed, unchangeable! Staid as are Hercules’ rocks.
Thus anchored fast unto Hope’s solid shore
Thou cans’t withstand griefs ruder schocks.
Let, oh let adversity’s mad ocean-billows roar
Round thee. Hate’s spume shall fall as sea-flakes tossed but in jest.
To pleasant dreams thou cans’t lie down, securely, sweetly rest
Disturbed by neither Slander’s viper-tongue nor Mar’s iron crest.
Build,—build thy abode on solid ground,
With massive walls and battlements around.
What tho’ misfortune’s myrmadons come thick and fast!
Abiding Confidence will rout the prowling foe at last.
Complacent be in darkness—complacent be in rain;
The never-quenched sun soon will shine again.
Lo! Is not earth a school? An outer court?
A place wherein rude Intelligence is taught?
Is not the soul immortal? Does not Death but tear away
Life’s soiled habilaments of clay?
If so—have, then, no fear of thy “good valet” Death.
He strips thee but to cleanse, and better clothe.
Have hope, have faith, have charity;
Strive to merit immortality.
At Pleasure’s fount dip deep.
In its pure ecstatic tide thy troubles steep.
Grave saint, if righteous souls shall joyous live again
Why should we sorrow here? Why vainly foster care and pain?
Nay, nay, most happy presence, acquainted best with Joy and Love
Are those best fitted, sir, for life,—for exalted consecrated life above.
Then, mortals blest, why still? Why sad?
Cheer up, dear fellows, and be glad.
Live merrily—live while you may,
Gaily, gaily tripping along life’s way.
Waste not these few, these fleeting, precious hours;
After death, as after night, dawns the brighter, fairer day,
Be happy, then, be thankful, grateful as the flowers.