Vanitas

I' VE set my heart upon nothing, you see:
Hurrah!
And so the world goes well with me:
Hurrah!
And who has a mind to be fellow of mine,
Why, let him take hold and help me drain
These mouldy lees of wine.

I set my heart at first upon wealth:
Hurrah!
And bartered away my peace and health;
But ah!
The slippery change went about like air,
And when I had clutched a handful here,
Away it went there.

I set my heart upon woman next:
Hurrah!
For her sweet sake was oft perplexed;
But ah!
The false one looked for a daintier lot;
The constant one wearied me out and out;
The best was not easily got.

I set my heart upon travels grand:
Hurrah!
And spurned our plain old fatherland;
But ah!
Naught seemed to be just the thing it should:
Most comfortless beds and indifferent food,
My tastes misunderstood.

I set my heart upon sounding fame:
Hurrah!
And, lo! I'm eclipsed by some upstart's name;
And ah!
When in public life I loomed quite high,
The folk that passed me would look awry;
Their very worst friend was I.

And then I set my heart upon war:
Hurrah!
We gained some battles with eclat:
Hurrah!
We troubled the foe with sword and flame,
And some of our friends fared quite the same.
I lost a leg for fame.

Now I've set my heart upon nothing, you see:
Hurrah!
And the whole wide world belongs to me:
Hurrah!
The feast begins to run low, no doubt:
But at the old cask we'll have one good bout:
Come! drink the lees all out!
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Author of original: 
Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe
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