House, chariot, and hoarded wealth—
These are not the law of love.
They are tools for survival in the march of days,
Not the altar upon which love is sworn.
Love requireth not coin,
Nor possession,
Nor name, nor rank, nor title carved by men.
The covenant of love is sealed by other means:
By sincerity unfeigned,
By sacrifice willingly borne,
By loyalty that doth not tremble,
By honesty uncorrupted.
This is love made clean.
All else is vanity,
A union hollow and already dead.
Beauty of flesh, adornment of form—
These fade like smoke before the wind.
What endureth is the strength of devotion,
The will to stand for one soul alone.
Riches promise joy,
Yet deliver emptiness.
Blessed is the love unchained from possessions,
For it boweth to no false god.
Cursed is the love weighed by riches,
For it shall collapse beneath its own greed.
From the days of childhood,
Through youth, and onward to the end of life,
Friends shall walk beside us.
In sorrow and in joy, they remain.
Cast them not aside with pride, nor strut in arrogance.
Harbor not envy, greed, nor betrayal.
Laugh with them in mirth,
Grieve with them in sorrow,
For this alone is the true sustenance of the soul.
Counsel given with sincerity,
A heart unfeigned in help,
Needeth no coin nor reward.
Sacrifice freely for them,
Let your heart be pure,
For money holdeth no worth where loyalty and sincerity abide.
Shun them not, forget them not,
Aid them even if they bear dislike toward thee.
Apologize sincerely for thy faults,
Forgive them, and cherish the bond.
Even when hearts are crossed,
True friendship endureth.
Friends, companions, allies—
Forget them not,
For in them lies strength, and the light of life.
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