On Laws

Then a lawyer said, But what of ourLaws, master?

And he answered:

You delight in laying down laws,

Yet you delight more in breaking them.

Like children playing by the ocean whobuild sand-towers with constancy andthen destroy them with laughter.

But while you build your sand-towers theocean brings more sand to the shore,

And when you destroy them the oceanlaughs with you.

Verily the ocean laughs always with theinnocent.

But what of those to whom life is notan ocean, and man-made laws are notsand-towers,

But to whom life is a rock, and the lawa chisel with which they would carve itin their own likeness?

What of the cripple who hates dancers?

What of the ox who loves his yoke anddeems the elk and deer of the foreststray and vagrant things?

What of the old serpent who cannot shedhis skin, and calls all others naked andshameless?

And of him who comes early to thewedding-feast, and when over-fed andtired goes his way saying that allfeasts are violation and all feasterslawbreakers?

What shall I say of these save thatthey too stand in the sunlight, but withtheir backs to the sun?

They see only their shadows, and theirshadows are their laws.

And what is the sun to them but a casterof shadows?

And what is it to acknowledge thelaws but to stoop down and trace theirshadows upon the earth?

But you who walk facing the sun, whatimages drawn on the earth can holdyou?

You who travel with the wind, whatweather-vane shall direct your course?

What man’s law shall bind you if youbreak your yoke but upon no man’s prisondoor?

What laws shall you fear if you dancebut stumble against no man’s ironchains?

And who is he that shall bring you tojudgment if you tear off your garmentyet leave it in no man’s path?

People of Orphalese, you can muffle thedrum, and you can loosen the stringsof the lyre, but who shall command theskylark not to sing?