With silly words who insults all
Is held in contempt as banal.
Vain talk before many is worse
Than doing to friends deeds adverse.
The babbler's hasty lips proclaim
That "good - for - nothing" is his name.
Vain words before an assembly
Will make all gains and goodness flee.
Glory and grace will go away
When savants silly nonsense say.
Call him a human chaff who prides
Himself in weightless idle words.
Let not men of worth vainly quack
Even if they would roughly speak.
The wise who weigh the worth refrain
From words that have no grain and brain
The wise of spotless self-vision
Slip not to silly words-mention.
To purpose speak the fruitful word
And never indulge in useless load.
AGAINST VAIN SPEAKING
