Content is rich, but who is he
Upon the earth that lives content?
From highest estate to low degree,
They all proclaim’d with one consent,
That he, who hath what heart can wish
Hath not content serv’d in his dish.
The poor that holds the toiling plough;
The rich that sails into the Ind;
The prince to whom the nobles bow;
The lover in his pleasures shrin’d:
I ask’d them all, and none could tell
Where sweet Content doth use to dwell.
In youth I thought to find the same
About the chair where princes sit,
And now in age I blush for shame
To think I had so little wit
To seek in court for such a thing
As hardly is granted to the King.
By chance I met a father old,
With a large pouch hard by his side;
I thought amongst his hoarded gold
Content to dwell was not deni’d:
And when I ask’d him for Content,
He said he knew not what it meant.
When nothing could my fancy please,
At last I fell into a dream;
Methought I saw upon the seas
A ship that sail’d against the stream:
And so do they that seek to find
Content but in a quiet mind. |
Rahulolu leidub külluses, kuid kes
maamunal elab rahul olles?
Kõrgeimast seisusest alamani
ühel nõul kõik tunnistasid:
kellele kõik, mis hing võib ihata, on antud,
tal kandikul ei ole rahulolu ette kantud.
Vaeselt, kes rassides adrakurgi hoiab,
rikkalt, kes merd mööda Indiasse seilab,
printsilt, kes ülikuilt saab kummardusi,
armunult, kes kalliks peab lembekogemusi,
neilt kõigilt pärisin – ep osan’d keegi ütelda,
kus võiks rõõsa rahulolu elada.
Nooruses arvasin: ta leiupaik
on trooni lähistel, kus printsi asupaik.
Nüüd vanaduses punastan häbist,
et mul nii vähe nutti oli,
õukonnast otsida säärast asja,
mis vaid haruharva kingitakse kuningale.
Üht vana paatrit juhtumisi kohtasin,
täidlane, raske kukkur küljel kõlkumas.
Mõtlesin, et keset tema kullavaru
pole ehk keeldu eluneda rahulolul.
Kui aga temalt rahulolu kohta pärisin,
ta vastas, et ei tea, millega tegemist.
Ei suutnud miski mu kujutlusi vaigistada,
kuni jäin viimaks tukastama
ja mulle näib, et nägin mereteel
üht laeva, mis seilas vastuvett.
Nii teevad needki, kes rahulolu
mujalt otsivad kui meelerahust. |
|