One day an obscure youth， a wanderer，
Known but to few， lay musing1 with himself
about the chances of his future life.
In that youth's heart， there dwelt the coal Ambition，
Burning and glowing； and he asked himself，
Shall I， in time to come， be great and famed？
Now soon an answer wild and mystical
Seemed to sound forth2 from out the depths of air；
And to the gazer's eye appeared a shape
Like one as of a cloud - and thus it spoke3：
O， many a panting， noble heart
Cherishes in its deep recess4
The hope to win renown5 o'er earth
From Glory's prized caress6.
And some will win that envied goal，
And have their deeds known far and wide；
And some - by far the most - will sink
Down in oblivion's tide.
But thou， who visions bright dost cull7
From the imagination's store，
With dreams， such as the youthful dream
Of grandeur8， love， and power，
Fanciest that thou shalt build a name
And come to have the nations know
What conscious might dwells in the brain
That throbs9 beneath that brow？
And see thick countless10 ranks of men
Fix upon thee their reverent11 gaze -
And listen to the plaudits loud
To thee that thousands raise？
Weak， childish soul！ the very place
That pride has made for folly's rest；
What thoughts， with vanity all rife12，
Fill up thy heaving breast！
At night， go view the solemn stars
Those wheeling worlds through time the same -
How puny13 seem the widest power，
The proudest mortal name！
Think too， that all， lowly and rich，
Dull idiot mind and teeming14 sense，
Alike must sleep the endless sleep，
A hundred seasons hence.
So， frail15 one， never more repine，
Though thou livest on obscure， unknown；
Though after death unsought may be
Thy markless resting stone.
And as these accents dropped in the youth's ears，
He felt him sick at heart； for many a month
His fancy had amused and charmed itself
With lofty aspirations16， visions fair
Of what he might be. And it pierced him sore
To have his airy castles thus dashed down.
