Remorse...regret...
Distress that gnaws at the heart
And preys on the mind;
Sorrow for that which cannot be attained,
For that which cannot be changed.
Remorse...
Which of them feels its bite more keenly?
Is it he who watches his kinsmen put their lives in danger
To save him? He knew what had to be done,
But he was afraid; now he has waited too long,
And lives hang in the balance.
Is it he who searches desperately, calling his Master?
He wants only to serve him! He has done what he could,
But longs to do more. Now he has failed, missed his cue;
He fears he has been left behind.
For some, regret weighs, but not so heavily;
One regrets the loss of kin and of guide,
Who now lie slaughtered and unavenged
In the deep places of the earth.
He will soothe his sorrow in the heat of battle.
Another regrets the spoiling of the earth by the foul enemy.
He pursues evil with determination.
He, too, mourns the loss of friend and guide;
He will put aside his sorrow in staunch support of those who remain.
The little ones wonder, why did we come? What use are we,
Except to hold the others back, extra baggage, always in the way?
Yet they seize their chance when they see it;
Regret is forgotten as they lead the chase away from their friend, in
order to save him.
For others, regret weighs heavily,
A burden on hearts that cannot be lifted.
They make a choice
And must live by it -- or die by it.
Remorse...regret...
Distress that gnaws at the heart
And preys on the mind;
Sorrow for that which cannot be attained,
For that which cannot be changed.
Remorse...
Which of them feels its bite more keenly?
Is it he who should be king?
The White City has need of him, but he cannot abandon the Quest.
Should he follow his heart, to fulfill his destiny?
Or face the fire, to fulfill his vow? He cannot decide, though
need
presses.
Is it he who lies stricken on the ground,
His face buried in old leaves?
He lies stunned and still as if struck down by his own curse, made in
his
madness.
He weeps silently, bitterly; he is himself again, but too late.
Remorse bites keenly, but brings to each a crisis,
The choice to act, the decision to make:
To go alone, to follow faithfully;
To fight for vengeance, for friends, for kin;
To put aside destiny for the sake of friendship,
To purge pride and reclaim honor in defense of the small.
Each one chooses, and remorse is forgotten in resolve.
Which one felt the bite more keenly?
Which one felt the return of hope more deeply?
Remorse gnaws at the heart; its bite is keen.
Regret preys on the mind,
And sorrow for that which cannot be attained or changed, is deep.
But hope is stronger.
Those who retain their hope will overcome the doubt of remorse and
regret,
And they shall have peace
In spite of the darkness.
