Classic Poem

" NO more could Croesus, Lydia's king, prevent
The rise and fall of Fortune's turning wheel.
Men put a bridle on his neck, and led
Him to his pyre, whence rain delivered him.
Seeing the fire extinguished, his foes gone,
And none remaining near the place, he fled
Unhindered by pursuit of enemies.
Once more he was the master of his land,
Once more was captured in another war,
And finally was hanged. But first this dream
He had: Two gods upon a tree appeared
And served him; Jupiter gave him a bath,
And Phoebus with a towel dried his limbs.
Unluckily relying on the dream,
He foolishly became puffed up with pride.
Phanie, his daughter, who was sage and wise
And knew how to interpret such a dream
When he had told it her, frankly replied:
" Dear father, doleful news this vision gives.
Fortune but mocks you; pride's not worth a cock:
By this dream you may understand that she
Intends that you shall on a gibbet hang;
And when with neither roof nor covering
You dangle, to the winds of heaven exposed,
The rain of Jupiter shall on you fall
And Phoebus' rays will dry your face and limbs.
To such an end you'll be by fortune brought,
Who gives her favors but to take them back,
And often brings the great to littleness —
The small to greatness — lording it o'er lords.
Why should I flatter? You're to hanging doomed.
Fortune will tie the halter round your neck,
Take from your head the lovely golden crown,
And give it to one whom you don't now fear.
Need I more clearly all the dream expound?
The sky that thunders and brings rain is Jove,
Who in your dream prepared the bath for you;
Phoebus, who held the towel, is the sun;
A gibbet by the tree was signified,
And you must surely tread the gallows plank.
No other meaning can I figure out.
Thus Fortune takes revenge upon the folk
Who show themselves as arrogant as you,
Maddened with pride. For many a worthy man
She has destroyed, and never cared a fig.
Loyalty and treachery are one
To her — and kingliness and low estate.
Like simple, careless girls at shuttlecock
She flings at random, here and there, her gifts —
Honor and dignity and wealth and power —
Careless on whom they fall. Her favors grow
As they're distributed, so that she throws
Them carelessly, as though they were but sand,
About the world, by ponds or prairies.
She counts none worth more than a tennis ball
Except Gentility, her daughter, friend
And cousin of Misfortune, whom she's like.
However much a man may try to win
This child of Fortune, she will not consent
Until he learns to cleanse his heart so well
That he becomes upright and courteous
And worthy; warlike bravery alone
Will never keep Gentility from flight
Before a man who's stained with villainy.
Gentility is noble; her I love
Because she will not enter villain hearts;
Therefore you'll flee from villainy, I hope.
My father dear, be not so proud and vain;
Be rather an example to the rich.
Keep winsome heart that's generous and fine
And full of pity for the poor. A king
Should ever thus be kind and debonair,
If he would have his people's amity,
Without which kings are worse than other folk."
" Thus Phanie pleaded. But a fool ne'er sees
In all his folly aught but soundest sense,
So much his silly heart confuses things.
Croesus abased himself but full
Of pride and folly thought that he was wise,
Howe'er outrageous he displayed himself.
" Daughter," said he, " it is most impolite
And wrong for you to sermon me like this.
I'm wiser than the one who chides me now.
Your mad interpretation of my dream
Is one great lie. Vision so fine as mine
Never such vile interpretation had.
A dream so noble, on which you have put
Such false significance, a literal
Interpretation needs. I think we'll see
This as the outcome: Gods will come to me
And do me service, for they are my friends,
As I deserve, and as my vision shows."
" Now see how Fortune served the prideful king.
He could not save himself from gallows tree.
Does this not prove the instability
Of Fortune's wheel, when one can not prevent
Its turning even when he has been warned?
If you know anything of casuistry,
Which is as most authentic science held,
You must admit that when the mighty fall
The weak can strive against their fate only in vain. "