Niewe Iaer
The Sunset of the Old Year
The author reflects on the passing of time and the weight of past disorder as the old year concludes.
It's over. Yesterday the last sun went down into the sea, witness to my year full of disorder.1
A New Garment of Grace
The author petitions God for a spiritual renewal, asking to be clothed in grace for the journey through the wilderness of life.
O you for whom a thousand years are as this very day, before whom I strip my filthy soul today of the muddy clothes of forty years and two, and three, and two more still, which you have borne with me — I ask it all of your patience with sinful prayers: grant me a fairer suit than I ever put on.23 In the first newness, flesh and blood will pinch a little, and the fit is hard on them — but I trust your hand; it will ease it out and lengthen it for me readily enough.4 Just make me one of Your Israelites on the journey to the eternal homeland through this wilderness, and don't let this new garment wear out as long as I live.5
Read the original Latin
't Is uyt. de leste Sonn gingh gisteren in Zee, Getuyghe van mijn jaer voll ongeregeltheden. O dien daer duysend jaer zijn als de dagh van heden, Voor wien ick desen dagh mijn' vuyle ziel ontklee Van 't smodderigh gewaed van veertigh jaer en twee, En dry, en noch eens twee, die ghy my hebt geleden; All vergh ick 't dijn geduld met sondighe gebeden, Gunt my een schoonder pack dan ick 'er oyt aen dee. In d'eerste niewicheyd sal 't vleesch en bloed wat prenghen, En 't past haer moyelick: maer ick betrouw dijn' hand; Die sal 't my lichtelick wat ruymen en wat lenghen. Maeckt my maer op de reys van 't eewigh vaderland In dese wildernis een' dijner Isräelijten, En laet dit niewe kleed mijn leven niet verslijten.
Notes
- 1 ↩ongeregeltheden: disorder, unruliness, irregular living — not mere 'mistakes,' but a year out of right order.
- 2 ↩Age counted as 40+2+3+2 (=47). 'Die ghy my hebt geleden' taken as years God has endured/borne with the speaker (patience motif from HeilDagh.1.2.2), not merely years that have passed.
- 3 ↩pack: suit/outfit of clothes, continuing the garb/gewaed metaphor; not 'burden' or 'package.'
- 4 ↩prenghen ≈ prangen: pinch/press tight (of new clothes). Clothing metaphor continues: conversion's new garment is tight on the flesh until God's hand lets it out (ruymen) and lengthens it (lenghen).
- 5 ↩maer here is restrictive 'only/just,' not adversative 'but.' 'eewigh vaderland' = eternal fatherland/homeland (heavenly country).
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