Classic Poem

Thus quoth Alfred:
Without wisdom
Is weal worthless;
For though a man had
Seventy acres
And he had sown them
All with red gold
And that gold grew
As grass doth on earth,
Were he for his pains
Not a whit further
Unless he from the beginning
Make himself friends.
For what is gold but stone
Unless a wise man has wisdom?

Thus quoth Alfred:
A young man should never
Be sorrowful too quickly
Though his state please him not
Or though he has not;
All that he would
For God may give when He will
Good after evil,
Weal after woe.
Well is it for him
That it is ordained thus.

Thus saith Alfred:
Hard it is to row
Against the sea that floweth;
So is it hard to work
Against misfortune.
The man who in his youth
So worketh
And world's wealth here wins
That he may in old age
Enjoy ease,
And eke with his world's wealth
Please God ere he die; —
His youth and all that he has spent
He has well bestowed.

Thus quoth Alfred:
Listen, ye my people,
Yours is the need
And I will teach you
Wit and wisdom
That all things surpass.
More secure may he sit
Who hath them as companion.
For though his property leave him
His wit leaves him never more:
He will never perish
Who hath it as comrade
Whilst his life here endures.

Thus quoth Alfred:
If thou hast sorrow
Say it not to thine arrow;
Whisper it to thy saddlebow
And ride thee singing forth.


Do not let it known
All that thy heart knows.

Thus quoth Alfred:
It is idleness and too much pride
That teach a young wife evil ways;
And so often she does
Things that she should not do.
Easily might she shun misbehaviour
If she often were weary
With toil.


Often mouseth the kitten.
After the mother cat.


Many an apple is bright without
And bitter within;
So is many a woman in her bower
Beautiful
And yet is she disgraceful.
So too is many a young man
Goodly to see on horseback
And yet is he little worth —
Splendid in the sunshine
But evil in a dark hour.

Thus quoth Alfred:
Many a man thinks
What he need not think
That he hath a friend.
He promises himself all fair
But he is fair before
And fickle behind.
Believe never in the man
That is of much speech,
Nor believe all thou hearst in song.

Thus quoth Alfred:
Through saws is a man wise,
And through himself man is wise.
Through lying is he hateful
And through crafty tricks.


Keep thyself from lying
And all vice shun:
So mayst thou in thy tribe
Be beloved by everyone,
And love thy neighbour:
He is in thy need good.
At market and at church
Make thyself friends
With poor and with rich,
With all men alike.
Then mayest thou indeed
Sit happy at home
And happy fare over the land
Wherever thou wilt.

Thus quoth Alfred:
Chide not with a fool


Nor never thyself begin
To tell tidings
At a freeman's table.
With very few words a wise man
Can enclose much;
A fool's bolt is soon shot.
I hold him for a fool who sayeth out all
His will
When he should have remained silent.
Often does a tongue break bones
Though she herself hath none.

Thus quoth Alfred:
Wise child is Father's bliss.
If it so happens
That thou hast care of a bairn,
While he is little
Teach him men's manners.
Then when he grows older
He will turn thereto.


But if thou lettest him rule
In his growing time,


When he is older
Thou canst not control him,
He will despise thy command
And make thee often sad at heart.
Better that he had not been born.
For better is a child unborn
Than unbuxom.

Thus quoth Alfred:
If thou in thine old age
Shalt be deprived of thy worldly goods,
And thou art friendless;
Nor mayest thou with thy failing strength
Do aught for thyself, —
Then must thou thank thy Lord
For all His love,
And for all thine own life,
And for the daylight,
And for all happy things
That he for man has made.
Whersoever thou wendest
See thou always say
" Whatever happens may God's Will happen " .