Mans medley
The Joy of Man
Man's joy, though shared with creatures, is chiefly oriented toward the life to come.
Listen to how the birds sing, and how the woods ring with it. Every creature has its joy, and man has his. Yet if we measure it rightly, man's joy and pleasure belong more to the life to come than to the present.12
The Double Nature
Man uniquely binds heaven and earth, soul and flesh, and must use earthly pleasures as a foretaste of heavenly bliss.
The things of sense lay claim to this life; angels have a birthright to the other. Man alone binds both into one—with one hand touching heaven, with the other earth.3 In the soul, he rises and soars; in the flesh, he dies. He wears a garment of coarse, thick thread, but it's trimmed with intricate lace—and he should be judged by the trim, not by the base fabric.4 It's not that he can't taste the feast here—but just as birds drink and then immediately lift their heads, so he must sip and think of the better drink he may come to after he is dead.5
Double Trouble, Double Praise
Man's double nature brings double trouble, but by receiving grief rightly he can transform it into double praise.
But just as his joys are double, so is his trouble. He has two winters; other things have only one. Both frosts and thoughts nip and bite his lip; and of all creatures, he alone fears two deaths.6 Yet even the greatest griefs may become reliefs, if only he takes them rightly and in their proper way. Happy is he whose heart has found the art of turning his double pains into double praise.
Read the original English
HEark, how the birds do sing, And woods do ring. All creatures have their joy: and man hath his. Yet if we rightly measure, Mans joy and pleasure Rather hereafter, then in present, is.
To this life things of sense Make their pretence: In th' other Angels have a right by birth: Man ties them both alone, And makes them one, With th' one hand touching heav'n, with th' other earth.
In soul he mounts and flies, In flesh he dies. He wears a stuffe whose thread is course and round, But trimm'd with curious lace, And should take place After the trimming, not the stuffe and ground.
Not that he may not here Taste of the cheer, But as birds drink, and straight lift up their head, So he must sip and think Of better drink He may attain to, after he is dead.
But as his joyes are double; So is his trouble. He hath two winters, other things but one: Bothe frosts and thoughts do nip, And bite his lip; And he of all things fears two deaths alone.
Yet ev'n the greatest griefs May be reliefs, Could he but take them right, and in their wayes. Happie is he, whose heart Hath found the art To turn his double pains to double praise.
Notes
- 1 ↩In context (and with the next stanza's this-life / other-life contrast), 'hereafter' is rendered as the life to come, not merely 'later on'.
- 2 ↩Early Modern 'then' here is comparative 'than' (not temporal 'then'); rendered accordingly.
- 3 ↩Early modern 'pretence' here means an asserted claim or title, parallel to the angels' 'right by birth,' not mere false show.
- 4 ↩Early modern 'stuffe' = fabric/material; 'course' = coarse; 'curious' = finely wrought/intricate; 'take place after' = be ranked according to; 'ground' = base fabric beneath the lace.
- 5 ↩Early modern 'cheer' means the feast, hospitality, or good things provided—not merely high spirits. Rendered as 'feast' to keep the tasting/drinking image clear.
- 6 ↩two deaths likely pairs bodily death with spiritual/eternal death (the second death), not mere physical dying twice.
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