quote · Legacy record
What though thine arm hath conquered in the fight,— What though the vanquished yield unto thy sway, Or riches garnered pave thy golden way,— Not therefore hast thou gained the sovran height Of man’s nobility! No halo’s light From these shall round thee shed its sacred ray; If these be all thy joy,—then dark thy day, And darker still thy swift approaching night! But if in thee more truly than in others Hath dwelt Love’s charity;—if by thine aid Others have passed above thee, and if thou, Though victor, yieldest victory to thy brothers, Though conquering conquered, and a vassal made— Then take thy crown, well mayst thou wear it now.
What though thine arm hath conquered in the fight,— What though the vanquished yield unto thy sway, Or riches garnered pave thy golden way,— Not therefore hast thou gained the sovran height Of man’s nobility! No halo’s light From these shall round thee shed its sacred ray; If these be all thy joy,—then dark thy day, And darker still thy swift approaching night! But if in thee more truly than in others Hath dwelt Love’s charity;—if by thine aid Others have passed above thee, and if thou, Though victor, yieldest victory to thy brothers, Though conquering conquered, and a vassal made— Then take thy crown, well mayst thou wear it now.
In print by 1921 AD · modern
Recorded in a printed collection by this date; the original date of these words is still unknown.
Meaning not yet available
An individual explanation has not yet been added. We do not substitute a generic description for an interpretation of these particular words.
Begin with source-checked readings and explanations ↗Attribution & collection notes
- Author or tradition
- Samuel Waddington (identity unresolved)
Attribution: unknown - Country attributed
- Not established
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin. - Historical period
- In print by 1921 AD · modern
In print by 1921: recorded in My Commonplace Book (third English edition,1921). Collection publication is an upper bound for this wording, not its earliest origin, composition date or the author's lifetime.
An author lifetime, approximate period or collection date is not necessarily the date when these words were first written or spoken. - Recorded source
- My Commonplace Book (third English edition,1921) (1921 AD)
Page 201 · printed citation: Samuel Waddington. · compiler notes excluded
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.