Love (III)
Invitation and Hesitation
Love welcomes the speaker, who hesitates due to guilt, but Love gently reminds him that he himself made the eyes that now look away.
Love bid me welcome: yet my soul drew back, guilty of dust and sin. But sharp-eyed Love, seeing me grow hesitant from the moment I first came in, drew nearer to me, sweetly asking if I lacked anything.1 A guest worthy to be here, I answered. Love said, You'll be that guest. I, the unkind, ungrateful one? Ah, my dear, I can't look at you. Love took my hand and, smiling, replied, Who made the eyes but me?
Feast of Reconciliation
The speaker confesses he has marred God's gifts, Love reveals who bore the blame, and the speaker is invited to sit and eat at the table.
True, Lord, but I've marred them: let my shame go where it deserves.2 And don't you know, says Love, who bore the blame? My dear, then I will serve. You must sit down, says Love, and taste my food: So I sat and ate.3
Read the original English
Love bade me welcome: yet my soul drew back, Guiltie of dust and sinne. But quick-ey'd Love, observing me grow slack From my first entrance in, Drew nearer to me, sweetly questioning, If I lack'd any thing.
A guest, I answer'd, worthy to be here: Love said, you shall be he. I the unkinde, ungratefull? Ah my deare, I cannot look on thee. Love took my hand, and smiling did reply, Who made the eyes but I?
Truth Lord, but I have marr'd them: let my shame Go where it doth deserve. And know you not, sayes Love, who bore the blame? My deare, then I will serve. You must sit down, sayes Love, and taste my meat: So I did sit and eat.
Notes
- 1 ↩quick-ey'd rendered as sharp-eyed (alert, keenly noticing); grow slack rendered as grow hesitant (lose eagerness / hang back), not moral laziness.
- 2 ↩Early modern 'marr'd them' keeps the force of spoiled/ruined the eyes Love just claimed to have made; 'marred' is retained as still natural modern English.
- 3 ↩Early modern 'meat' means food/feast generally, not only flesh; rendered 'food' to avoid a modern narrowing of sense while keeping the host's table offer.
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