James Vila Blake, Sonnets from Marcus Aurelius 18

18. 

Ἐμὲ ἓν μόνον περισπᾷ, μή τι αὐτὸς ποιήσω, ὃ ἡ κατασκευὴ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου οὐ θέλει ἢ ὡς οὐ θέλει ἢ ὃ νῦν οὐ θέλει. 

There is but one thing that moves me solicitously, namely, that I myself shall not do anything disallowed by the constitution of man, or in a way disallowed, or disallowed at this present moment.

—Marcus Aurelius, Meditations 7.20 

18. 

Two clans or companies wide Nature hath: 

What I can wield, eke what ’s beyond my power; 

With these let me go on my sunny path, 

Nor mire the breast or wings o’ the present hour. 

Now do I moan no more, whimper nor pine; 

The evils I can rule I straightway cure; 

For things not in my power ’twere base to whine 

Or groan while manful reason bids endure. 

So in the moving mass and sum of things 

I can and can not, one mark looms sublime: 

My sole care is that naught me draws or stings 

’Gainst my true self, or ill in way or time. 

How all-benign the universe to me, 

That I amid these massy things am free!