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The hour of justice does not strike
On the dials of this world.
[Fr., L'heure de la read more
The hour of justice does not strike
On the dials of this world.
[Fr., L'heure de la justice ne sonne pas
Aux cadrans de ce monde.]
- Maurice Maeterlinck, Measure of the Hours,
Begone about your business.
Begone about your business.
Once at a potent leader's voice I stayed;
Once I went back when a good monarch prayed;
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Once at a potent leader's voice I stayed;
Once I went back when a good monarch prayed;
Mortals, howe'er we grieve, howe'er deplore,
The flying shadow will return no more.
Amende to-day and slack not,
Deythe cometh and warneth not,
Tyme passeth and speketh not.
Amende to-day and slack not,
Deythe cometh and warneth not,
Tyme passeth and speketh not.
Live ye, he says, I flee.
Live ye, he says, I flee.
I mark my hours by shadow;
Mayest thou mark thine
By sunshine.
I mark my hours by shadow;
Mayest thou mark thine
By sunshine.
O God! methinks it were a happy life
To be no better than a homely swain;
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O God! methinks it were a happy life
To be no better than a homely swain;
To sit upon a hill, as I do now,
To carve out dials, quaintly, point by point,
Thereby to see the minutes, how they run--
How many makes the hour full complete,
How many hours brings about the day,
How many days will finish up the year,
How many years a mortal man may live;
When this is known, then to divide the times--
So many hours must I tend my flock,
So many hours must I take my rest,
So many hours must I contemplate,
So many hours must I sport myself;
So many days my ewes have been with young,
So many weeks ere the poor fools will ean,
So many months ere I shall shear the fleece.
So minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, and years,
Passed over to the end they were created,
Would bring white hairs unto a quiet grave.
Ah, what a life were this!
True as the needle to the pole,
Or as the dial to the sun.
True as the needle to the pole,
Or as the dial to the sun.
In the day, do the day's work.
In the day, do the day's work.
