Book VII: The Man Who Ran After Fortune, and the Man Who Waited for Her in His Bed
Who joins not with his restless raceTo give Dame Fortune eager chase?O, had I but some lofty perch,From which to view the panting crowdOf care-worn dreamers, poor and proud,As on they hurry in the search,From realm to realm, o'er land and water,Of Fate's fantastic, fickle daughter!Ah! slaves sincere of flying phantom!Just as their goddess they would clasp,The jilt divine eludes their grasp,And flits away to Bantam!Poor fellows! I bewail their lot.And here's the comfort of my ditty;For fools the mark of wrath are notSo much, I'm sure, as pity.'That man,' say they, and feed their hope,'Raised cabbages--and now he's pope.Don't we deserve as rich a prize?'Ay, richer? But, hath Fortune eyes?And then the popedom, is it worthThe price that must be given?--Repose?--the sweetest bliss of earth,And, ages since, of gods in heaven?'Tis rarely Fortune's favouritesEnjoy this cream of all delights.Seek not the dame, and she will you--A truth which of her sex is true.
Snug in a country townA pair of friends were settled down.One sigh'd unceasingly to findA fortune better to his mind,And, as he chanced his friend to meet,Proposed to quit their dull retreat.'No prophet can to honour come,'Said he, 'unless he quits his home;Let's seek our fortune far and wide.''Seek, if you please,' his friend replied:'For one, I do not wish to seeA better clime or destiny.I leave the search and prize to you;Your restless humour please pursue!You'll soon come back again.I vow to nap it here till then.'The enterprising, or ambitious,Or, if you please, the avaricious,Betook him to the road.The morrow brought him to a placeThe flaunting goddess ought to graceAs her particular abode--I mean the court--whereat he staid,And plans for seizing Fortune laid.He rose, and dress'd, and dined, and went to bed,Exactly as the fashion led:In short, he did whate'er he could,But never found the promised good.Said he, 'Now somewhere else I'll try--And yet I fail'd I know not why;For Fortune here is much at homeTo this and that I see her come,Astonishingly kind to some.And, truly, it is hard to seeThe reason why she slips from me.'Tis true, perhaps, as I've been told,That spirits here may be too bold.To courts and courtiers all I bid adieu;Deceitful shadows they pursue.The dame has temples in Surat;I'll go and see them--that is flat.'To say so was t' embark at once.O, human hearts are made of bronze!His must have been of adamant,Beyond the power of Death to daunt,Who ventured first this route to try,And all its frightful risks defy.'Twas more than once our venturous wightDid homeward turn his aching sight,When pirate's, rocks, and calms and storms,Presented death in frightful forms--Death sought with pains on distant shores,Which soon as wish'd for would have come,Had he not left the peaceful doorsOf his despised but blessed home.Arrived, at length, in Hindostan,The people told our wayward manThat Fortune, ever void of plan,Dispensed her favours in Japan.And on he went, the weary seaHis vessel bearing lazily.This lesson, taught by savage men,Was after all his only gain:--Contented in thy country stay,And seek thy wealth in nature's way.Japan refused to him, no lessThan Hindostan, success;And hence his judgment came to makeHis quitting home a great mistake.Renouncing his ungrateful course,He hasten'd back with all his force;And when his village came in sight,His tears were proof of his delight.'Ah, happy he,' exclaimed the wight,'Who, dwelling there with mind sedate,Employs himself to regulateHis ever-hatching, wild desires;Who checks his heart when it aspiresTo know of courts, and seas, and glory,More than he can by simple story;Who seeks not o'er the treacherous wave--More treacherous Fortune's willing slave--The bait of wealth and honours fleeting,Held by that goddess, aye retreating.Henceforth from home I budge no more!'Pop on his sleeping friends he came,Thus purposing against the dame,And found her sitting at his door.
Words in this poem 28
- dame n.
- A mistress of a family, who is a lady; a womam in authority; especially, a lady. [F. dame, LL. domna, fr. L. domina mistress, lady, fem. of dominus master, ruler, lord; akin to domare to tame, subdue. See Tame, and cf. Dam mother, Dan, Danger]
- jilt n.
- A woman who capriciously deceives her lover; a coquette; a flirt. Otway. [Contr. fr. Scot. jillet a giddy girl, a jill-flirt, dim. of jill a jill.]
- bantam n.
- A variety of small barnyard fowl, with feathered legs, probably brought from Bantam, a district of Java.
- ditty n.
- A saying or utterance; especially, one that is short and frequently repeated; a theme. [OE. dite, OF. ditié, fr. L. dictatum, p. p. neut. of dictare to say often, dictate, compose. See Dictate, v. t.]
- popedom n.
- The place, office, or dignity of the pope; papal dignity. [AS. papedom.]
- honour n.
- Esteem due or paid to worth; high estimation; respect; consideration; reverence; veneration; manifestation of respect or reverence. [OE. honor, honour, onour, onur, OF. honor, onor, honur, onur, honour, onour, F. honneur, fr. L. honor, honos.]
- clime n.
- A climate; a tract or region of the earth. See Climate. [L. clima. See Climate.]
- humour n.
- Moisture, especially, the moisture or fluid of animal bodies, as the chyle, lymph, etc.; as, the humors of the eye, etc. [OE. humour, OF. humor, umor, F. humeur, L. humor, umor, moisture, fluid, fr. humere, umere, to be moist. See Humid.]
- enterprising a.
- Having a disposition for enterprise; characterized by enterprise; resolute, active or prompt to attempt; as, an enterprising man or firm.
- avaricious a.
- Actuated by avarice; greedy of gain; immoderately desirous of accumulating property. [Cf. F. avaricieux.]
- ought p. p.
- Was or were under obligation to pay; owed. [Orig. the preterit of the verb to owe. OE. oughte, aughte, ahte, AS. ahte. sq. root110. See Owe.]
- abode n.
- Act of waiting; delay. [OE. abad, abood, fr. abiden to abide. See Abide. For the change of vowel, cf. abode, imp. of abide.]
- whereat adv.
- At which; upon which; whereupon; -- used relatively.
- went n.
- Course; way; path; journey; direction.
- somewhere adv.
- In some place unknown or not specified; in one place or another.
- daunt v. t.
- To overcome; to conquer. [OF. danter, F. dompter to tame, subdue, fr. L. domitare, v. intens. of domare to tame. See Tame.]
- route n.
- The course or way which is traveled or passed, or is to be passed; a passing; a course; a road or path; a march. [OE. & F. route, OF. rote, fr. L. rupta (sc. via), fr. ruptus, p.p. of rumpere to break; hence, literally, a broken or beaten way or path. See Rout, and cf. Rut ]
- frightful a.
- Full of fright; affrighted; frightened.
- defy v. t.
- To renounce or dissolve all bonds of affiance, faith, or obligation with; to reject, refuse, or renounce. [F. défier, OF. deffier, desfier, LL. disfidare to disown faith or fidelity, to dissolve the bond of allegiance, as between the vassal and his lord; hence, to ch]
- venturous a.
- Daring; bold; hardy; fearless; venturesome; adveturous; as, a venturous soldier. [Aphetic form of OE. aventurous. See Adventurous, Venture, n.]
- wight n.
- A whit; a bit; a jot. [OE. wight, wiht, a wight, a whit, AS. wiht, wuht, a creature, a thing; skin to D. wicht a child, OS. & OHG. wiht a creature, thing, G. wicht a creature, Icel. v]
- homeward a.
- Being in the direction of home; as, the homeward way.
- aching a.
- That aches; continuously painful. See Ache.
- wayward a.
- Taking one's own way; disobedient; froward; perverse; willful. [OE. weiward, for aweiward, i. e., turned away. See Away, and -ward.]
- wealth n.
- Weal; welfare; prosperity; good. [OE. welthe, from wele; cf. D. weelde luxury. See Weal prosperity.]
- ungrateful a.
- Not grateful; not thankful for favors; making no returns, or making ill return for kindness, attention, etc.; ingrateful. South.
- henceforth adv.
- From this time forward; henceforward.
- budge a.
- Brisk; stirring; jocund. South. [See Budge, v.]
Definitions and etymologies from Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913.
About this text
Book VII: The Man Who Ran After Fortune, and the Man Who Waited for Her in His Bed is in the public domain. This text is taken from The Fables of La Fontaine, Project Gutenberg ebook #7241, the Elizur Wright translation; the transcription's header, footer and licence were removed and nothing else was changed. You may copy, print and reuse it freely.
Cite as: Jean de La Fontaine, Book VII: The Man Who Ran After Fortune, and the Man Who Waited for Her in His Bed, in The Fables of La Fontaine (1841), text of Project Gutenberg ebook #7241, Laurel, https://laurelpoetry.com/poem/la-fontaine-fables/7-12.html, id L28348.
Form and metre
Book VII: The Man Who Ran After Fortune, and the Man Who Waited for Her in His Bed is 116 lines in 2 stanzas. The metre is iambic tetrameter, measured from the stress the words themselves fix (confidence 93%).
See other poems in iambic tetrameter.
Measured by Laurel's pipeline, not copied from a handbook: how stress and metre are counted, how rhyme is lettered, how a drifted rhyme is found. Where the dictionary cannot confirm a rhyme the letter is withheld, not guessed.
Rhyme words, stanza by stanza
The word that ends each line, lettered by the rhyme it makes; a dash is a line whose rhyme the dictionary could not confirm.
- 1 AABCCBDDEFFEGHGHIIJJK-K-LLMM raceA · chaseA · perchB · crowdC · proudC · searchB · waterD · daughterD · phantomE · claspF · graspF · bantamE · lotG · dittyH · notG · pityH · hopeI · popeI · prizeJ · eyesJ · worthK · given · earthK · heaven · favouritesL · delightsL · youM · trueM
- 2 AABBCCDDEE--FFGGHHIHHIJJKKLLMMNNNMMOOPP----QQRRSSTTUVUVWWWW----XXYYZZaabbbccddeeffgghiih townA · downA · findB · mindB · meetC · retreatC · comeD · homeD · wideE · repliedE · see · destiny · youF · pursueF · againG · thenG · ambitiousH · avariciousH · roadI · placeH · graceH · abodeI · staidJ · laidJ · bedK · ledK · couldL · goodL · tryM · whyM · homeN · comeN · someN · seeM · meM · toldO · boldO · adieuP · pursueP · surat · flat · once · bronze · adamantQ · dauntQ · tryR · defyR · wightS · sightS · stormsT · formsT · shoresU · comeV · doorsU · homeV · hindostanW · manW · planW · japanW · sea · lazily · men · gain · stayX · wayX · lessY · successY · makeZ · mistakeZ · coursea · forcea · sightb · delightb · wightb · sedatec · regulatec · desiresd · aspiresd · glorye · storye · wavef · slavef · fleetingg · retreatingg · moreh · camei · damei · doorh
Scansion, line by line
Each line with its syllable count and the stresses the words themselves fix: / stressed, ˘ unstressed, · a syllable the word leaves free and the metre decides. Read against iambic tetrameter. How this is done.
| Line | Syl. | Stress |
|---|---|---|
| Who joins not with his restless race | 8 | ·····/˘· |
| To give Dame Fortune eager chase? | 8 | ···/˘/˘· |
| O, had I but some lofty perch, | 8 | ·····/˘· |
| From which to view the panting crowd | 8 | ·····/˘· |
| Of care-worn dreamers, poor and proud, | 8 | ···/˘··· |
| As on they hurry in the search, | 8 | ···/˘··· |
| From realm to realm, o'er land and water, | 9 | ·······/˘ |
| Of Fate's fantastic, fickle daughter! | 9 | ··˘/˘/˘/˘ |
| Ah! slaves sincere of flying phantom! | 9 | ··˘/·/˘/˘ |
| Just as their goddess they would clasp, | 8 | ···/˘··· |
| The jilt divine eludes their grasp, | 8 | ··˘/˘/·· |
| And flits away to Bantam! | 7 | ··˘/·/˘ |
| Poor fellows! I bewail their lot. | 8 | ·/˘·˘/·· |
| And here's the comfort of my ditty; | 9 | ···/˘··/˘ |
| For fools the mark of wrath are not | 8 | ········ |
| So much, I'm sure, as pity. | 7 | ·····/˘ |
| 'That man,' say they, and feed their hope, | 8 | ········ |
| 'Raised cabbages--and now he's pope. | 8 | ·/˘˘···· |
| Don't we deserve as rich a prize?' | 8 | ··˘/···· |
| Ay, richer? But, hath Fortune eyes? | 8 | ·/˘··/˘· |
| And then the popedom, is it worth | 8 | ···/˘··· |
| The price that must be given?-- | 7 | ·····/˘ |
| Repose?--the sweetest bliss of earth, | 8 | ˘/·/˘··· |
| And, ages since, of gods in heaven? | 9 | ·/˘····/˘ |
| 'Tis rarely Fortune's favourites | 8 | ·/˘/˘··· |
| Enjoy this cream of all delights. | 8 | ˘/····˘/ |
| Seek not the dame, and she will you-- | 8 | ········ |
| A truth which of her sex is true. | 8 | ········ |
| Snug in a country town | 6 | ···/˘· |
| A pair of friends were settled down. | 8 | ·····/˘· |
| One sigh'd unceasingly to find | 8 | ········ |
| A fortune better to his mind, | 8 | ·/˘/˘··· |
| And, as he chanced his friend to meet, | 8 | ········ |
| Proposed to quit their dull retreat. | 8 | ˘/····˘/ |
| 'No prophet can to honour come,' | 8 | ·/˘··/˘· |
| Said he, 'unless he quits his home; | 8 | ········ |
| Let's seek our fortune far and wide.' | 8 | ··//˘··· |
| 'Seek, if you please,' his friend replied: | 8 | ······˘/ |
| 'For one, I do not wish to see | 8 | ········ |
| A better clime or destiny. | 8 | ·/˘··/˘˘ |
| I leave the search and prize to you; | 8 | ········ |
| Your restless humour please pursue! | 8 | ·/˘/˘·˘/ |
| You'll soon come back again. | 6 | ····˘/ |
| I vow to nap it here till then.' | 8 | ········ |
| The enterprising, or ambitious, | 9 | ·/˘·˘·˘/˘ |
| Or, if you please, the avaricious, | 9 | ········· |
| Betook him to the road. | 6 | ˘/···· |
| The morrow brought him to a place | 8 | ·/˘····· |
| The flaunting goddess ought to grace | 8 | ·/˘/˘··· |
| As her particular abode-- | 8 | ··˘/˘˘˘/ |
| I mean the court--whereat he staid, | 8 | ····˘/·· |
| And plans for seizing Fortune laid. | 8 | ···/˘/˘· |
| He rose, and dress'd, and dined, and went to bed, | 10 | ·········· |
| Exactly as the fashion led: | 8 | ˘/˘··/˘· |
| In short, he did whate'er he could, | 9 | ····˘˘/·· |
| But never found the promised good. | 8 | ·/˘··/˘· |
| Said he, 'Now somewhere else I'll try-- | 8 | ···/···· |
| And yet I fail'd I know not why; | 8 | ········ |
| For Fortune here is much at home | 8 | ·/˘····· |
| To this and that I see her come, | 8 | ········ |
| Astonishingly kind to some. | 8 | ˘/˘˘˘··· |
| And, truly, it is hard to see | 8 | ·/˘····· |
| The reason why she slips from me. | 8 | ·/˘····· |
| 'Tis true, perhaps, as I've been told, | 8 | ··˘/···· |
| That spirits here may be too bold. | 8 | ·/˘····· |
| To courts and courtiers all I bid adieu; | 10 | ···/˘···˘/ |
| Deceitful shadows they pursue. | 8 | ˘/˘/··˘/ |
| The dame has temples in Surat; | 8 | ···/˘·˘/ |
| I'll go and see them--that is flat.' | 8 | ········ |
| To say so was t' embark at once. | 9 | ·····˘/·· |
| O, human hearts are made of bronze! | 8 | ·/˘····· |
| His must have been of adamant, | 8 | ·····/˘˘ |
| Beyond the power of Death to daunt, | 8 | ···/···· |
| Who ventured first this route to try, | 8 | ·/˘····· |
| And all its frightful risks defy. | 8 | ···/˘·˘/ |
| 'Twas more than once our venturous wight | 9 | ····//˘˘· |
| Did homeward turn his aching sight, | 8 | ·/˘··/˘· |
| When pirate's, rocks, and calms and storms, | 8 | ·/˘····· |
| Presented death in frightful forms-- | 8 | ˘/˘··/˘· |
| Death sought with pains on distant shores, | 8 | ·····/˘· |
| Which soon as wish'd for would have come, | 8 | ········ |
| Had he not left the peaceful doors | 8 | ·····/˘· |
| Of his despised but blessed home. | 8 | ··˘/˘··· |
| Arrived, at length, in Hindostan, | 8 | ˘/······ |
| The people told our wayward man | 8 | ·/˘·//˘· |
| That Fortune, ever void of plan, | 8 | ·/˘/˘··· |
| Dispensed her favours in Japan. | 8 | ˘/·/˘·˘/ |
| And on he went, the weary sea | 8 | ·····/˘· |
| His vessel bearing lazily. | 8 | ·/˘/˘/˘˘ |
| This lesson, taught by savage men, | 8 | ·/˘··/˘· |
| Was after all his only gain:-- | 8 | ·····/˘· |
| Contented in thy country stay, | 8 | ˘/˘··/˘· |
| And seek thy wealth in nature's way. | 8 | ·····/˘· |
| Japan refused to him, no less | 8 | ˘/˘/···· |
| Than Hindostan, success; | 6 | ····˘/ |
| And hence his judgment came to make | 8 | ···/˘··· |
| His quitting home a great mistake. | 8 | ·/˘···˘/ |
| Renouncing his ungrateful course, | 8 | ˘/˘·˘/˘· |
| He hasten'd back with all his force; | 8 | ·/˘····· |
| And when his village came in sight, | 8 | ···/˘··· |
| His tears were proof of his delight. | 8 | ······˘/ |
| 'Ah, happy he,' exclaimed the wight, | 8 | ·/˘·˘/·· |
| 'Who, dwelling there with mind sedate, | 8 | ·/˘···˘/ |
| Employs himself to regulate | 8 | ˘/˘/·/˘· |
| His ever-hatching, wild desires; | 9 | ·/˘/˘·˘/˘ |
| Who checks his heart when it aspires | 9 | ······˘/˘ |
| To know of courts, and seas, and glory, | 9 | ·······/˘ |
| More than he can by simple story; | 9 | ·····/˘/˘ |
| Who seeks not o'er the treacherous wave-- | 8 | ·····/˘· |
| More treacherous Fortune's willing slave-- | 8 | ·/˘/˘/˘· |
| The bait of wealth and honours fleeting, | 9 | ·····/˘/˘ |
| Held by that goddess, aye retreating. | 9 | ···/˘·˘/˘ |
| Henceforth from home I budge no more!' | 8 | //······ |
| Pop on his sleeping friends he came, | 8 | ···/˘··· |
| Thus purposing against the dame, | 8 | ·/˘˘···· |
| And found her sitting at his door. | 8 | ···/˘··· |
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