A Dialogue-Antheme
Christ’s Taunt Over Death
Christ mockingly asks Death what remains of his glory and sting.
Christ. Alas, poor Death, where is your glory?✦ Where is your famous force, your ancient sting?✦
Death’s Boast of the Crucifixion
Death replies, boasting that he killed Christ the King.
Death. Oh, poor mortal, with no story of your own—go study and read how I have killed your King.1
Christ’s Reversal of the Curse
Christ declares that Death's curse has rebounded, making Death himself accursed.
Christ. Poor Death! And who was hurt by that? Your curse, laid on him, makes you the cursed one.✦2
Final Victory over Death
Death threatens to crush Christ, but Christ replies that Death will one day be no more.
Death. Let the losers talk—but you will die; these arms will crush you. Christ. Don't hold back—do your worst. One day I'll be better than before; you'll be so much worse that you'll be no more.✦3
Read the original English
Chr. Alas, poore Death, where is thy glorie? Where is thy famous force, thy ancient sting?
Dea. Alas poore mortall, void of storie, Go spell and reade how I have kill'd thy King.
Chr. Poore death! and who was hurt thereby? Thy curse being laid on him, makes thee accurst.
Dea. Let losers talk: yet thou shalt die; These arms shall crush thee. Chr. Spare not, do thy worst. I shall be one day better then before: Thou so much worse, that thou shalt be no more.
Scripture echoes
- ↩1Cor.15.55 — Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?
- ↩1Cor.15.55 — Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?
- ↩Gal.3.13 — Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree."
- ↩1Cor.15.26;Hos.13.14 — The last enemy to be destroyed is death. Hos.13.14 — From the hand of Sheol I will ransom them; from death I will redeem them. Where are your plagues, O Death? Where is your sting, O Sheol? Repentance shall be hidden from my eyes.
Notes
- 1 ↩Early modern 'storie' here means renown or a tale of one's own; rendered as 'any story of your own' to keep Death's scorn clear. 'Spell and reade' means carefully study and read, not magical spell.
- 2 ↩Source ‘accurst’ is the passive result: Death’s curse transferred onto Christ rebounds and marks Death itself as accursed.
- 3 ↩Early Modern 'then' rendered as comparative 'than' ('better than before').
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