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<div style="background:#fff;border:#bbb dashed 1px;padding:5px"><a href="http://en.citatepedia.ro/comments.php?id=461152" style="color:#000;text-decoration:none"><div style="margin:10px 0"><strong>Vanity of Vanities</strong></div><div style="margin:10px 0">A Song of Emptiness<br>To Fill up the Empty Pages Following</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Vain, frail, short liv'd, and miserable Man,<br>Learn what thou art when thine estate is best:<br>A restless Wave o'th' troubled Ocean,<br>A Dream, a lifeless Picture finely drest:</div><div style="margin:10px 0">A Wind, a Flower, a Vapour, and a Bubble,<br>A Wheel that stands not still, a trembling Reed,<br>A rolling Stone, dry Dust, light Chaff, and Stubble,<br>A Shadow of Something, but nought indeed.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Learn what deceitful Toyes, and empty things,<br>This World, and all its best Enjoyments bee:<br>Out of the Earth no true Contentment springs,<br>But all things here are vexing Vanitee.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">For what is Beauty, but a fading Flower?<br>Or what is Pleasure, but the Devils bait,<br>Whereby he catcheth whom he would devour,<br>And multitudes of Souls doth ruinate?</div><div style="margin:10px 0">And what are Friends but moral men, as we?<br>Whom Death from us may quickly separate;<br>Or else their hearts may quite estranged be,<br>And all their love be turned into hate.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">And what are Riches to be doted on?<br>Uncertain, fickle, and ensnaring things;<br>They draw Mens Souls into Perdition,<br>And when most needed, take them to their wings.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Ah foolish Man! that sets his heart upon<br>Such empty Shadows, such wild Fowl as these,<br>That being gotten will be quickly gone,<br>And whilst they stay increase but his desease.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">As in a Dropsie, drinking draughts begets,<br>The more he drinks, the more he still requires:<br>So on this World whoso affection sets,<br>His Wealths encrease encreaseth his desires.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">O happy Man, whose portion is above,<br>Where Floods, where Flames, where Foes cannot bereave him,<br>Most wretched man, that fixed hath his love<br>Upon this World, that surely will deceive him!</div><div style="margin:10px 0">For, what is Honour? What is Sov'raignty,<br>Whereto mens hearts so restlesly aspire?<br>Whom have they Crowned with Felicity?<br>When did they ever satisfie desire?</div><div style="margin:10px 0">The Ear of Man with hearing is not fill'd:<br>To see new sights still coveteth the Eye:<br>The craving Stomack though it may be still'd,<br>Yet craves again without a new supply.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">All Earthly things, man's Cravings answer not,<br>Whose little heart would all the World contain,<br>(If all the World should fall to one man's Lot)<br>And notwithstanding empty still remain.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">The Eastern Conquerour was said to weep,<br>When he the Indian Ocean did view,<br>To see his Conquest bounded by the Deep,<br>And no more Worlds remaining to subdue.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Who would that man in his Enjoyments bless,<br>Or envy him, or covet his estate,<br>Whose gettings do augment his greediness,<br>And make his wishes more intemperate?</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Such is the wonted and the common guise<br>Of those on Earth that bear the greatest Sway:<br>If with a few the case be otherwise<br>They seek a Kingdom that abides for ay.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Moreover they, of all the Sons of men,<br>That Rule, and are in highest places set,<br>Are most inclin'd to scorn their Bretheren<br>And God himself (without great grace) forget.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">For as the Sun doth blind the gazer's eyes,<br>That for a time they nought discern aright:<br>So Honour doth befool and blind the Wise,<br>And their own Lustre 'reaves them of their sight.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Great are their Dangers, manifold their Cares;<br>Thro which, whilst others Sleep, they scarcely Nap<br>And yet are oft surprized unawares,<br>And fall unwitting into Envies Trap!</div><div style="margin:10px 0">The mean Mechanick finds his kindly rest,<br>All void of fear Sleepeth the Country-Clown,<br>When greatest Princes often are distrest,<br>And cannot Sleep upon their Beds of Down.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Could Strength or Valour men Immortalize,<br>Could Wealth or Honour keep them from decay,<br>There were some cause the same to Idolize,<br>And give the lye to that which I do say.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">But neither can such things themselves endure<br>Without the hazard of a Change one hour,<br>Nor such as trust in them can they secure<br>From dismal dayes, or Deaths prevailing pow'r.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">If Beauty could the beautiful defend<br>From Death's dominion, then fair Absalom<br>Had not been brought to such a shameful end:<br>But fair and foul unto the Grave must come.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">If Wealth or Scepters could Immortal make,<br>Then wealthy Croesus, wherefore are thou dead?<br>If Warlike force, which makes the World to quake,<br>Then why is Julius Caesar perished?</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Where are the Scipio's Thunder-bolts of War?<br>Renowned Pompey, Caesars Enemie?<br>Stout Hannibal, Romes Terror known so far?<br>Great Alexander, what's become of thee?</div><div style="margin:10px 0">If Gifts and Bribes Death's favour might but win,<br>If Power, if force, or Threatnings might it fray,<br>All these, and more, had still surviving been:<br>But all are gone, for Death will have no Nay.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Such is this World with all her Pomp and Glory,<br>Such are the men whom worldly eyes admire:<br>Cut down by Time, and now become a Story,<br>That we might after better things aspire.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Go boast thy self of what thy heart enjoyes,<br>Vain Man! triumph in all thy worldly Bliss:<br>Thy best enjoyments are but Trash and Toyes:<br>Delight thy self in that which worthless is.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Omnia Praetereunt praeter amare Deum.</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br /></a><br />poem by <a href="http://en.citatepedia.ro/by.php?a=Michael+Wigglesworth">Michael Wigglesworth</a><div class=q>
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<script type="text/javascript" src="//s7.addthis.com/js/300/addthis_widget.js#pubid=citatepedia" async="async"></script><div style="display:inline-block" class="addthis_sharing_toolbox" data-url="http://en.citatepedia.ro/comments.php?id=461152" data-title="Vanity of Vanities de Michael Wigglesworth" data-description="A Song of Emptiness
To Fill up the Empty Pages Following

Vain, frail, short liv'd, and miserable Man,
Learn what thou art when thine estate is best:
A restless Wave o'th' troubled Ocean,
A Dream, a lifeless Picture finely drest:

A Wind, a Flower..."></div>
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