One drunk with wine of wealth and power
And health to enjoy them both, whirled on
His maddening course, till the earth, he thought,
Was made for him, his pleasure-garden, and man,
The crawling worm, was made to find him sport,
Till the thousand lights of joy, with pleasure fed,
That flickered day and night before his eyes,
With constant change of colours, began to blur
His sight, and cloy his senses; till selfish One born with healthy frame — but not of will
That can resist emotions deep and strong,
Nor impulse throw, surcharged with potent strength —
And just the sort that pass as good and kind,
Beheld that he was safe, whilst others long
And vain did struggle ‘gainst the surging waves.
Till, morbid grown, his mind could see, like flies
That seek the putrid part, but what was bad.
Then Fortune smiled on him, and his foot slipped.
That ope’d his eyes for e’er, and made him find
That stones and trees ne’er break the law,
But stones and trees remain ; that man alone
Is blest with power to fight and conquer Fate,
Transcending bounds and laws.
From him his passive nature fell, and life appeared
As broad and new, and broader, newer grew,
Till light ahead began to break, and glimpse of That
Where Peace Eternal dwells—yet one can only reach
By wading through the sea of struggles—courage-giving, came.
Then looking back on all that made him kin
To stocks and stones, and on to what the world
Had shunned him for, his fall, he blessed the fall,
And with a joyful heart, declared it —
“Blessed Sin!”
U Riew Bneng Ha Ka Jingkyndit (III)
-La pynkylla khasi da I Bah P S Lyngdoh
La kha ïa u briew ha ka dur ba lymphuin – hynrei ym ha ka mon
Ba lah ban ialeh pyrshah ïa ki jingsngew ba tasam,
Lymne pynkhih jingmut da ka dor barem lem bad ka jingkhlain bor
Bad tang kum kaba dei ban iaid kat kumba dei ban long.
Ha khmih u lah lait, katba kiwei ki kwah
Bad ka jingialeh ba lehnohei pyrshah ïa jingatphyllunng ki lat lat.
Haduh ba lah kiew ka jingpang, ba lah ban iohi ha ka jingpyrkhat jong u, kum ki skain.
Kiba wad ïa ka bynta ba pyut, pat de te kaei kaba sniew.
Te ka Kupar ka la rkhie ïa u, bad ka kjat jong u ka la btuit,
Ba la pynpeit ïa ki khmat jong u junom, bad la pynlong ïa u ban lap
Ba ki maw bad ki dieng kim ju pynkhein ain
Hynrei ki maw bad ki dieng ki neh tang u briew marwei
Ba la kyrkhu lem bad ka bor ban ialeh bad synshar la ka kupar
Ki kyndon bad ki ain ba ha khlieh tam.
Na u ki jingpynlong ka mariang ki wan jia long, bad ka jingim ka la mih-paw
Kaba khraw bad khie lung, bad ka la san kham khraw kham khie lung shuh shuh
Tad haduh jingshai ka khmat ka la sdang saphriang, bad ka jingiohi byrngut-byrnget ïa Uta
Hangno ba Jingsuk ka Shongneh junom – ba u briew u lah tang ban shu poi
Daba iaid kan-kan lyngba ka duriaw ka jingialeh – la wan ka jingpynshlur.
Te daba phai dien ïa baroh la pynkam jingiadei ïa u
Ban pynshitom bein, bad kumta ter ter ïa kaei ba ka pyrthei
Ba lah isih tasam ïa u, ha ka jinghap shop jong u, u la kyrkhu ïa ka jingwan jia long
Bad da ka mynsiem kaba kmen, la pynbna ïa ka
“Ko pap ba la pynkyntang.”