Pride and Humility[55]

I'm but a sea-bird, wandering here alone, And dare not call the ponds and lakes my own; But what are those two lovely birds on high, Shining resplendent 'gainst the morning sky? Upon the top bough of the San-Chu[56] tree, Presumptuously they build that all may see; Their feathers than the iris lovelier far, What if a missile should their beauty mar! Such brilliant robes, which they with joy expose, Might well excite the envy of their foes; And even the gods may view with dire disdain The high ambition of the proud and vain. Now I in quiet obscurity can roam Far from my nest, flecked by the ocean's foam; Yet, in a world where greed is always rife, No one would raise a hand to take my life.