Time & Brevity
The Rule of Life
Translated by Edgar Alfred Bowring (1853) · From Epigrams
Time & Brevity
IF thou wouldst live unruffled by care,
Let not the past torment thee e'er;
As little as possible be thou annoy'd,
And let the present be ever enjoy'd;
Ne'er let thy breast with hate be supplied,
And to God the future confide.
Cite this poem
MLA
Goethe, Johann Wolfgang von. “The Rule of Life.” Translated by Edgar Alfred Bowring. Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/goethe/204/.
Chicago
Goethe, Johann Wolfgang von. “The Rule of Life.” Translated by Edgar Alfred Bowring. Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/goethe/204/.
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