En riker man
The Gracious Invitation
A wealthy man repeatedly invites guests to his son's wedding, but they consistently offer excuses to prioritize their worldly affairs.
A wealthy and powerful man prepared a wedding feast for his son with great care, arranging everything in splendid honor. He invited as many people as befitted the occasion. He sent word far and wide, here and there, asking the invited guests to come to the wedding. But they acted like fools: they paid no attention to his summons. They all had excuses and said they wanted to attend to their own affairs. He invited his friend to come over, because he really wanted to treat him well. But the friend replied, "I can't. I'm unable to come as your guest because I'm engaged to a woman I intend to marry." He sent another servant, both trustworthy and honest: “Ask him to come to me and enjoy himself, just as I invited him. I’ll spare no expense for my guests, and they’ll receive every good thing imaginable as their reward.” He said, "No, I can't do that. I'm building a new estate where I plan to live and make my home. I also own several villages, and I want to inspect them. So you'll have to send someone else; I want to see how they're doing." He sent the third servant and told him to invite them: “Don’t delay—hurry back. It’s getting late, and everyone is going to bed. I’ve waited long enough; now I’m going to shut my gates.”1
The Vanity of Earthly Pursuits
The invited guest prioritizes his oxen, wealth, and worldly gain, only to find himself locked out when he finally seeks rest.
He said, “No—and I’ll tell you why. I have five strong teams of oxen, and I’m going to plow with them so I can test their strength. I’m determined to use all my power to increase my wealth.” I grab at everything however I can, just to make the world go my way. By right or wrong, I take whatever comes as long as I can gain wealth. I use force and do whatever I want; I fool and deceive many. He plowed and drove and gathered everything in; his oxen went to lie down. Evening came on and the darkness deepened, so he wanted to ask for a place to rest. But his wife had locked the door and made up her mind: she wouldn't see him. He began to long to join the king’s guests, but by then it was too late; he was refused, and the door was firmly locked. He had to stand outside, unable to enjoy the dishes that had earlier been left untouched.
The Bitter Consequences of Rejection
Facing the finality of the closed door, the man laments his lost opportunity and the eternal suffering that follows his worldly choices.
Leave this gate immediately. All my guests are already seated. You’ll never again have the honor of eating at my table. Now, take the advice of those who urged you not to obey my command. Everything is against me, and there’s no remedy—my wife, my wealth, my well-being. Where can I go? Where can I live? Where will I find shelter tonight? God curse the hour! I’m sinking into the depths; my misery is so great. O world, you’re closing in on me now, hemming me in. I trusted entirely in your favor. Now everything is written down—how I have lived. What counsel can help me now? The kingdom of heaven is closed; that is where I meant to go. Now I’m in peril once again. Now death is coming—the death appointed for me—and I can't escape it. The world's deceit has fooled me, and that is my bitter anguish. Look: every kind of misery, along with the fires of hell, is what I must therefore suffer.
Read the original Latin
EN riker man/ wellogher han/ en bröllops kost tilreedde/ åt sinom son med mykin mon/ sijn stora äro beredde/ Ther til böd han/ så margan man/ så såm then äran skedde
Han sende vth wijdt/ både hijt och tijt/ och badh til bröllops komma/ the budne wore/ the giorde som dåre/ the actade ey hans doma/ the haffde förfal/ och sagde them all/ the wille forsökia sin froma
Han badh sin wen/ at koma till sijn/ han wille honom gerna welpläga/ han swarade så/ iach ey formå/ iach kommer thet ey til wägha/ at warda tin gest/ ty iach haffuer fest een quinno som iach wil ägha
Han sende en annan/ både wissan och sannan/ tu bidh honom til mich fara/ och göra sich gladh/ som iach honom badh/ iach wil min kost ey spara/ for mina bön/ och haffua til lön/ alt thet som gott kan wara
Han sade ney/ iach gitter thet ey/ iach bygger en gård aff nyie/ ther iach wil bo och haffua mijn roo/ iach haffuer ock flere byiar/ iach wil them skodha/ så må tu budha/ iach wil see huru the sich flyia
Han sende then tridie/ och lät honom bidia/ och röffua icke förlänge/ skynde sich bråt/ thet warder skötnat/ och folkit går alt tilsengia/ Iach haffuer nuu bijdt/ så longan tijd/ iach wil mina portar stengia
Han sade ney/ iach sägher for hwij/ iach haffuer fem starka öker/ iach wil them åka alt for then saka/ iach wil theres krafft forsökia/ Iach haffuer tes act/ med alla minne mact/ iach will mitt gotz föröke
Iach recker alt å/ huru iach scal få/ wil werlden med mich gonga/ me rett och orett/ iach tagher alt slett/ ee men iach kan gotzet fonga/ iach brukar fast til/ och gör hwad iach wil/ iach dårar och swijker monga
Han ålte och körde/ och samman förde/ hans oxar gingo at liggia/ quellen kom å/ och mörkret blå/ han wille tå hwijlo tiggia/ hans hustru hade stengt/ och sich vmtenct/ hon wille honom icke siya
Honom böriade longa/ och wille tå gonga/ och konnings gester warda/ tå war förseent honom wart förmeent/ och dören war läst så harda/ han måtte stå vthe/ the retter ey nyute/ som förra woro osparde
Gack snarliga bort/ ifrå thenne port/ mine gester äre alle sätte/ then äran skeer tich aldrig meer/ at tu äter aff mina retter/ tu tagh nuu rådh aff them tich badh at tu mitt buud ey sätte.
Mich är alt emoot/ och ingen boot/ mijn hustru mitt gotz mitt welle/ hwart skal iach roo/ hwar scal iach boo/ hwar tagher iach huus åt quelle/ Gud laste then stund/ iach siunker j grund/ så stor är mijn misselle
O werld tu stenger/ nuu medhan mich trenger/ iach lijtte alt å tijn nåde/ nuu står alt scriffuat/ huru iach haffuer liffuat/ hwad scal nuu warda til råde/ himmelrikit är stengt/ tijt hade iach mich tenct/ nuu står iach åter j wåda
Nuu kommer döden/ som mich är öden/ iach kan ey vndan rida/ werldenes swick haffuer dårat mich/ thet är mijn högliga quida/ sy alskons nödh/ me heluetis glödh/ the warder iach therfore lijda
Notes
- 1 ↩The early Swedish reading is uncertain; context suggests an instruction not to delay or linger.
Early Swedish Hymns companion
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