Proverbs. Turkish And Persian Poem by Richard Chenebix Trench

I.
All skirts extended of thy mantle hold,
When angel hands from heav'n are scattering gold.

II.
Sects seventy-two, they say, the world infest,
And each and all lie hidden in thy breast.

III.
One staff of Moses, slight as it appears,
Aye breaks in shivers Pharaoh's thousand spears.

IV.
Forget not Death, O man! for thou mayst be
Of one thing certain,--he forgets not thee.

V.
Speaks one of good which falls not to thy lot,
He also speaks of ill which thou hast not.

VI.
Boast not thy service rendered to the King,
'Tis grace enough he lets thee service bring.

VII.
Lies once thy cart in quagmire overthrown,
Thy path to thee by thousands will be shown.

VIII.
Oh square thyself for use--a stone that may
Fit in the wall, is left not in the way.

IX.
Never the game has happy issue won,
Which with the cotton has the fire begun.

X.
The world's great wheel in silence circles round,
An housewife's spindle with unceasing sound.

XI.
Who doth the raven for a guide invite,
Must marvel not on carcases to light.

XII.
The king but with one apple maketh free,
And straight his servants have cut down the tree.

XIII.
Two friends will in a needle's eye repose,
But the whole world is narrow for two foes.

XIV.
Rejoice not when thine enemy doth die,
Thou hast not won immortal life thereby.

XV.
Be bold to bring forth fruit -- though stick and stone
At the fruit-bearing trees are flung alone.

XVI.
All things that live from God their sustenance wait,
And sun and moon are beggars at his gate.

XVII.
While in thy lips words thou dost confine,
Thou art their lord--once uttered, they are thine.

XVIII.
Boldly thy bread upon the waters throw,
And if the fishes do not, God will know.

XIX.
What will not time and toil--? through these a worm
Will into silk a mulberry leaf transform.

XX.
When what thou willest has befall'n not, still
This help remains, what has befall'n to will.

XXI.
The lily with ten tongues can hold its peace;
Wilt thou with one from babbling never cease?

XXII.
How shall the praise of silence best be told?
To speak is silver, to hold peace is gold.

XXIII.
Thy word unspoken thou canst any day
Speak, but thy spoken ne'er again unsay.

XXIV.
O babbler, couldst thou but the cause divine
Why one tongue only, but two ears are thine!

XXV.
What mystic roses in thy breast will blow,
If on the wind their leaves thou straightway strow!