James Vila Blake, Sonnets from Marcus Aurelius 9

9.  

Ἄλλος ἁμαρτάνει τι εἰς ἐμέ; ὄψεται: ἰδίαν ἔχει διάθεσιν, ἰδίαν ἐνέργειαν. ἐγὼ νῦν ἔχω, ὅ με θέλει νῦν ἔχειν ἡ κοινὴ φύσις, καὶ πράσσω, ὅ με νῦν πράσσειν θέλει ἡ ἐμὴ φύσις.

Some man or other does me some wrong. He shall look to that himself. For his disposition is his own, and his action in accord therewith is his own. As for me, what universal Nature now purposes me to possess, that now I possess, and I do what my own nature requires of me.

—Marcus Aurelius, Meditations 5.25  

9. 

Halt! To the right about! Away with you, enemies! 

Nay, rather—second thoughts are best—here stay! 

Come on and do your worst, and cry what shame it is

Fellows like me cumber the earth a day! 

Take counsel now, be warlike as you will, 

Brush up your pandoors’ whiskers, your hussars 

Clap on their helmets, spit your leaden pill, 

Bare your sabres and hack your sanguine scars, 

Your venoms ply, your wily slanders wake, 

Your stabbing points of lies polish the more! 

Ye can not get you where I live, nor make 

My ruling faculty worse than before. 

Forsooth ye make a very pretty foe, 

That can not hurt me and soon prove it so. 

IMAGE: Edouard Detaille, Vive l'Empereur! (1891)