James Vila Blake, Sonnets from Marcus Aurelius 22

22. 

Ἆρόν με καὶ βάλε, ὅπου θέλεις. κἀκεῖ γὰρ ἕξω τὸν ἐμὸν δαίμονα ἵλεων, τουτέστιν, ἀρκούμενον, εἰ ἔχοι καὶ ἐνεργοίη κατὰ τὸ ἑξῆς τῇ ἰδίᾳ κατασκευῇ. 

Ἆρα τοῦτο ἄξιον, ἵνα δἰ αὐτὸ κακῶς μοι ἔχῃ ἡ ψυχὴ καὶ χείρων ἑαυτῆς ᾖ, ταπεινουμένη, ὀρεγομένη, συνδυομένη, πτυρομένη; καὶ τί εὑρήσεις τούτου ἄξιον; 

Pick me up and toss me anywhither, wherever you will. For there I shall still keep my divine part tranquil, that is to say, contented if it exist and act suitably to its own constitution. Is there any mishap worth my soul’s being in sorry plight on account of it, or falling below itself, abased, craving, hindered, frightened? What indeed will you find confirming such abasement? 

—Marcus Aurelius, Meditations 8.45 

22. 

The world is wide! Well, so ’s my will and choice. 

Pack me whither ye may, it is good scope— 

Be it a wild, it shall have all my voice; 

Or thick with haunts of men, there visions ope. 

And there, be it wild, or thick with haunts of men, 

What matter, since my ruling part divine 

Shall be content, and have it in my ken 

To live my nature as Nature doth design! 

For what! Some misadventure shall be able 

To ruffle up my mind or trip me down? 

That I were weak, servile, frightened, unstable, 

Who could defend these flutters of a clown? 

When, where or whither I, this much I see: 

I am my master, what to do or be. 

IMAGE: Hans Holbein the Younger, Wild Man (c. 1528)