Souls undone, undoing others,-
 Long time since the tale began. 
You would not live to wrong your brothers: 
 Oh lad, you died as fits a man.

Now to your grave shall friend and stranger
 With ruth and some with envy come: 
Undishonoured, clear of danger,
 Clean of guilt, pass hence and home.

Turn safe to rest, no dreams, no waking;
 And here, man, here’s the wreath I’ve made: 
’Tis not a gift that’s worth the taking,
 But wear it and it will not fade.

XLV

If it chance your eye offend you,
 Pluck it out, lad, and be sound: 
’Twill hurt, but here are salves to friend you,
 And many a balsam grows on ground.

And if your hand or foot offend you,
 Cut it off, lad, and be whole;
But play the man, stand up and end you,
 When your sickness is your soul.

XLVI

Bring, in this timeless grave to throw,
No cypress, sombre on the snow;
Snap not from the bitter yew
His leaves that live December through;
Break no rosemary, bright with rime
And sparkling to the cruel clime;
Nor plod the winter land to look
For willows in the icy brook
To cast them leafless round him:  bring
No spray that ever buds in spring.

But if the Christmas field has kept
Awns the last gleaner overstept,
Or shrivelled flax, whose flower is blue
A single season, never two;
Or if one haulm whose year is o’er
Shivers on the upland frore,
-Oh, bring from hill and stream and plain
Whatever will not flower again,
To give him comfort:  he and those
Shall bide eternal bedfellows
Where low upon the couch he lies
Whence he never shall arise.

XLVII

THE CARPENTER’S SON

“Here the hangman stops his cart: 
Now the best of friends must part. 
Fare you well, for ill fare I: 
Live, lads, and I will die.”

“Oh, at home had I but stayed
’Prenticed to my father’s trade,
Had I stuck to plane and adze,
I had not been lost, my lads.”

“Then I might have built perhaps
Gallows-trees for other chaps,
Never dangled on my own,
Had I but left ill alone.”

“Now, you see, they hang me high,
And the people passing by
Stop to shake their fists and curse;
So ’tis come from ill to worse.”

“Here hang I, and right and left
Two poor fellows hang for theft: 
All the same’s the luck we prove,
Though the midmost hangs for love.”

“Comrades all, that stand and gaze,
Walk henceforth in other ways;
See my neck and save your own: 
Comrades all, leave ill alone.”

“Make some day a decent end,
Shrewder fellows than your friend. 
Fare you well, for ill fare I: 
Live, lads, and I will die.”