James Vila Blake, Sonnets from Marcus Aurelius 21

21. 

Οὐκ εἰμὶ ἄξιος ἐμαυτὸν λυπεῖν: οὐδὲ γὰρ ἄλλον πώποτε ἑκὼν ἐλύπησα. 

Far be it from me to allow disquiet in my own soul—I who never wittingly or willingly have put another to allowing vexation of spirit. 

—Marcus Aurelius, Meditations 8.42 

21. 

 'Twere strange with others to be reasonable, 

But with myself tempestuous and sore; 

I ought to be like fountains, estimable 

To him who quaffs, but to themselves much more. 

The fountain giveth drink to all athirst, 

And for that office is sought out and singled; 

But as it sparkles up, each drop ’s a-burst 

With image of blue sky and green earth mingled. 

So have I been, will be, to every one— 

If hurtful, unwilling so, but willingly befriending; 

Then what disquiet shall to me be done 

By me, a spray from earth, and thither tending! 

As willingly ne’er did I others vex, 

Say why shall I myself myself perplex? 

IMAGE: William-Adolphe Bouguereau, At the Fountain (1897)