The Sonne
One Single Name
The poet celebrates the English word 'sonne' which uniquely names both a parent's child and the sun, and uses that pun to reflect on Christ's humility and his glorious title Son of Man.
Let foreign nations boast of their language—of the fine variety each tongue affords. I like our language, as I like our people and our coast. Whoever can't fashion it well lacks wit, not words. How neatly we give one single name to a parent's child and to the sun's bright star!1 A son is light and fruit—a fruitful flame chasing the father's dimness, carried far from the first man in the East to the fresh, new western discoveries of posterity. So in one word we turn our Lord's humility back upon him in a sense most true: for what Christ once began in lowliness, we call him in glory—the Son of Man.
Read the original English
Let forrain nations of their language boast, What fine varietie each tongue affords: I like our language, as our men and coast: Who cannot dresse it well, want wit, not words. How neatly do we give one onely name To parents issue and the sunnes bright starre! A sonne is light and fruit; a fruitfull flame Chasing the fathers dimnesse, carri'd farre From the first man in th' East, to fresh and new Western discov'ries of posteritie. So in one word our Lords humilitie We turn upon him in a sense most true: For what Christ once in humblenesse began, We him in glorie call, The Sonne of Man.
Notes
- 1 ↩Herbert's point turns on English son/sun (Early Modern sonne/sunne): one sound—and nearly one spelling—for both offspring and the sun. Modern spelling splits them, so the neatness of the pun is partly lost in contemporary orthography.
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