The musician who would be praised by the ravens must learn to croak in their serenades.
Before great men can grow, the proper raw material must be provided. Pearls can't be made from putty.
My Heritage.
I am rich in the treasures of earth,
In the deeds that the fathers have done,
And for me from the moment of birth
All the gifts of the stars and the sun!
At my feet have the multitudes cast
What the ages have conquered and wrought,—
All the wonders of present and past,
All the truths that the sages have taught.
I'm the heir of the sea and the sky,
Of the storm and [the sun] and the star,
And the morning of time toils for me
Till I cross o'er the outermost bar.
Every truth that the teachers attained,
Every vision the dreamers have known
Every thought the philosophers gained,
Is forever and ever my own.
I'm the heir of the land and the sea!
'Twas for me that they finished their quest;
For they toiled the slow cycles for me
And they wrought that my days may be blest!