Even This Will Pass Away

Once in Persia reigned a king,
Who upon a signet ring,
Carved a maxim strange and wise,
When held before his eyes,
Gave him counsel at a glance,
Fit for every change and chance:
Solemn words, and these were they:
“EVEN THIS WILL PASS AWAY.”

Trains of camel through the sand
Brought him gems from Samarcand;
Fleets of galleys over the seas
Brought him pearls to rival these,
But he counted little gain,
Treasures of the mine or main;
“What is wealth?” the king would say,
“EVEN THIS WILL PASS AWAY.”

Mid the pleasures of his court
At the zenith of their sport,
When the palms of all his guests
Burned with clapping at his jests,
Seated midst the figs and wine,
Said the king, “Ah, friends of mine.
Pleasure comes but not to stay,
“EVEN THIS WILL PASS AWAY.”

Woman, fairest ever seen
Was the bride he crowned as queen,
Pillowed on the marriage-bed
Whispering to his soul, he said,
“Though no monarch ever pressed
Fairer bosom to his breast,
Mortal flesh is only clay!
“EVEN THIS WILL PASS AWAY.”

Fighting on the furious field,
Once a javelin pierced his shield,
Soldiers with a loud lament
Bore him bleeding to his tortured side,
“Pain is hard to bear;” he cried.
“But with patience, day by day,
EVEN THIS WILL PASS AWAY.”

Towering in a public square
Forty cubits in this air,
And the king disguised, unknown,
Gazed upon his sculptured name.
And he pondered, “What is fame?”
“Fame is but a slow decay!
“EVEN THIS WILL PASS AWAY.”

Struck with palsy, sore and old,
Waiting at the gates of gold,
Said he with his dying breath
“Life is done, but what is Death?”
Then as answer to the king
Fell a sunbeam on his ring;
Showing by a heavenly ray.
EVEN THIS WILL PASS AWAY.”

—Theodore Tilton

Another Copy paste but some essential in life to remind that nothing remains as such forever. Remember one friends signature at bottom of his email... "Win as if you are used to winning, lose as if you are enjoying it" and it is so true that wins and losses are going to appear one after another in life. No one has lived winning everything and noone has lived to loose all the time. There is always a gain in whatever we do and there is always a loss too. Its just how we want to happily accept our own actions. But more important is to keep trying, keep striving to win to be a better person and give meaning to this life... One Life

Comments

Nuts said…
made me think a lot..what you have written makes sense. It also scares me to the core and makes me doubt myself...Don't know whether this is an eye-opener and how much weightage I shuold be giving it...
Aks said…
Dear

All I can say is this..
Do not push yourself into anyone else's thoughts. It will leave you confused. Let realisations come to you by themselves and maybe you might realise the same words in different form but with no fears
Caladrius said…
great work again. though i enjoyed the hindi one more...no this has nothin to do with this one being any less than the previous, its just coz i have an old 'ranjish' with english.
Aks said…
Thanks Sushant !!
but this is not my composition. It was an inspirational. rational poem and I wanted to keep it wid me forever...and hence on my blogsite...
Anonymous said…
how true and realy if we realise this life will be easier
R.S.Raju said…
This is world famous poem by Theodore Tilden. This says the same Truth as what our Vedanta has said several millenniums ago. Except the Almighty God everything keeps changing as per the Will of the Lord.
Jashodhara said…
This poem has inspired me a lot from the beginning. Sometimes when good things happen in our life ,we think to prolong it. But when bad time comes, we feel that it is so prolong that we can not bear it. We never think that Even this will pass away. Wonderful Spiritual Thought of the Poet! Great!

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