Social Commentaries
The Same, Expanded
Translated by Edgar Alfred Bowring (1853) · From Epigrams
IF thou wouldst live unruffled by care,
Let not the past torment thee e'er;
If any loss thou hast to rue,
Act as though thou wert born anew;
Inquire the meaning of each day,
What each day means itself will say;
In thine own actions take thy pleasure,
What others do, thou'lt duly treasure;
Ne'er let thy breast with hate be supplied,
And to God the future confide.
Cite this poem
MLA
Goethe, Johann Wolfgang von. “The Same, Expanded.” Translated by Edgar Alfred Bowring. Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/goethe/205/.
Chicago
Goethe, Johann Wolfgang von. “The Same, Expanded.” Translated by Edgar Alfred Bowring. Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/goethe/205/.
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