| William Wilfred Campbell, comp. The Oxford Book of Canadian Verse. 1913. | | | | The Truth | | By Archibald Lampman (1861–1899) |
| | | FRIEND, though thy soul should burn thee, yet be still. | |
| Thoughts were not made for strife, nor tongues for swords. | |
| He that sees clear is gentlest of his words, | |
| And that ’s not truth that hath the heart to kill. | |
| The whole world’s thought shall not one truth fulfil. | 5 |
| Dull in our age, and passionate in youth, | |
| No mind of man hath found the perfect truth, | |
| Nor shalt thou find it; therefore, friend, be still. | |
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| Watch and be still, nor hearken to the fool, | |
| The babbler of consistency and rule: | 10 |
| Wisest is he, who, never quite secure, | |
| Changes his thoughts for better day by day. | |
| To-morrow some new light will shine, be sure, | |
| And thou shalt see thy thought another way. | | | | |
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