Cease then to mumble rotten bones;
and strive to clothe with flesh and blood
The skel'eton; and to shape a Form
that all shall hail as fair and good.

"For gen'erous youth," an Arab saith,
"Jahim's* the only genial state;
"Give us the fire but not the shame
with the sad, sorry blest to mate."

* Jehannum, Gehenna, Hell.

And if your Heav'en and Hell be true,
and Fate that forced me to be born
Force me to Heav'en or Hell--I go,
and hold Fate's insolence in scorn.

I want not this, I want not that,
already sick of Me and Thee;
And if we're both transform'd and changed,
what then becomes of Thee and Me?

Enough to think such things may be:
to say they are not or they are
Were folly: leave them all to Fate,
nor wage on shadows useless war.

Do what thy manhood bids thee do,
from none but self expect applause;
He noblest lives and noblest dies