The Hanging Dagger

The ornate dagger hangs in the great hall
And over the years it has been witness
To beauty and wonders both large and small--
The humor of the jesters, the fitness
Of the acrobats, the power of the
Royalty that gather these things to them.
Countless gazes have been fixed when they see
The dagger's splendor, hypnotized by stem
And blade, the life's work of its creator.
On its plaque, the dagger has one question
In a tongue for which there's no translator:
"So I, the most beautiful possession,
     Will never know what it feels like to cut
     Or pierce or slice, so I exist for what?"