Sunday, September 12, 2010

Vanity of Vanities

VANITAS VANITATUM, OMNIA VANITAS
(Vanity of vanities) by Anne Brontë 1820-1849

Maybe this is a little long..if your not too busy- enjoy some or all-

IN all we do, and hear, and see,
Is restless Toil, and Vanity.
While yet the rolling earth abides,
Men come and go like ocean tides;



And ere one generation dies,
Another in its place shall rise;
That, sinking soon into the grave,
Others succeed, like wave on wave;
.
And as they rise, they pass away.
The sun arises every day,
And hastening onward to the West,
He nightly sinks, but not to rest
:
Returning to the eastern skies,
Again to light us, he must rise.
And still the restless wind comes forth,
Now blowing keenly from the North;
.
Now from the South, the East, the West,
For ever changing, ne’er at rest.
The fountains, gushing from the hills,
Supply the ever-running rills;
:
The thirsty rivers drink their store,
And bear it rolling to the shore,
.
But still the ocean craves for more.
‘Tis endless labour everywhere!
Sound cannot satisfy the ear,
:
Light cannot fill the craving eye,
Nor riches half our wants supply;
Pleasure but doubles future pain,
And joy brings sorrow in her train;
.
Laughter is mad, and reckless mirth–
What does she in this weary earth?
Should Wealth, or Fame, our Life employ,
Death comes, our labour to destroy;
:
To snatch the untasted cup away,
For which we toiled so many a day.
What, then, remains for wretched man?
To use life’s comforts while he can,
.
Enjoy the blessings Heaven bestows,
Assist his friends, forgive his foes;
Trust God, and keep his statutes still,
Upright and firm, through good and ill;
:
Thankful for all that God has given,
Fixing his firmest hopes on heaven;
Knowing that earthly joys decay,
But hoping through the darkest day~


9 comments:

MadSnapper said...

i read it all and it is beautiful, sounds like something Solomon would have written in Ecclesiasties. LOVE the new look! perfecto!

sojourner said...

Beautiful verses and gorgeous flowers and photos! These verses sound like a hymn, you should put them to music :0)

Leenie said...

Eloquent, powerful and moving. Here is poetry in the true sense of the word. Rhythms that echo the waves and words that flow like water. Your photos and the audio added the sparkle. Hope and joy is there for all.

Ginny Hartzler said...

The poem is beautiful, and I love the header! Yes, I agree with that one comment, it sounds like the book of Ecclesestes (I know I spelled it wrong) It is now debatable as to whether Soloman really wrote it. "Meaningless under the sun!!!" My favorite verse is the one about light not beoing able to fill the craving eye. I can never get enough light. I think that this is because we come from a place of such blinding light, that the earth is dark in comparison. We will never get enough light till we die. Riches can't satisfy because this world is not our home.

rainfield61 said...

I followed your link to Vanitas Vanitatum, Omnia Vanitas. I was then carried away.

Kilauea Poetry said...

Thank you Sandra!
Wow..nice to see you around again Yvette (hugs)!
Hey Leenie, glad you enjoyed this, with some sound effects (smile)
I'd really have to agree with you Ginny!
Ya, Rainfields, I guess it was a bit of a departure from the jungle, thanks-

The Write Girl said...

This is a beautiful poem and quite poignant. We need to be more grateful for the life we have. Things will pass away but the spiritual remains. Nicely written Regina.

DIGITAL WORLD PAGES ARCHIVE said...

I do not know the English very well.
But I think it is beautiful poem.

DIGITAL WORLD PAGES ARCHIVE said...

The sea photo is very beautiful.

Let's be perfectly clear- the war on free speech is spiritual!