 |
| Please pray for the soul of Esther Clark. R.I.P. She gave a framed copy of this painting to the author in the 1980's. |
The work is offered on behalf of my family to Our Blessed Lady, Regina Martyrum et Consolatrix Afflictorum.
For EEKPTEE&EA.
👈The Tears of St Peter (1587-1596)
El Greco (Domḗnikos Theotokópoulos) 1541-1614
Museo Soumaya at Plaza Carso, Mexico.
+ + +
- 75 -
But O how long demurre I on His eyes! [445]
Whose look did pearce my hart with healing wound,
Launcing impostumde sore of periur'd lyes,
Which these two issues of mine eyes have found;
Where runne it must, till death the issues stop,
And penall life hath purg'd the finall drop.[450]
But how long have I now been contemplating the Lord’s eyes! His glance has pierced my heart, but in a healing way that finally lanced the wound which had been festering there with lies and broken promises. The flow of tears from my eyes revealed this and the flowing must not cease until I come to die, after a life of penance has purged the very last drop.
446. demurre. intransitive. To linger, tarry, wait; figurative to dwell upon something. 1559 W. Baldwin et al. Myrroure for Magistrates James I. f. xxxixv Take hede ye demurre not vpon them. 1595 R. Southwell St. Peter's Complaint 19 But ô, how long demurre I on his eyes.
446. pearce. Pierce.
hart. Heart.
447. launcing. Lancing. Lance. v. To make an incision in (the gums, a sore, a tumour) with a lancet; to cut open. 1575 G. Turberville Bk. Faulconrie 257 The way to cure it, is to giue the humor a vent by launsing it.
impostumde. Imposthumed. Imposthume. v. To gather into an impostume or abscess; = impostumate.
To swell into an impostume, to form an ulcerous tumour; to fester. 1607 G. Markham Cavelarice vii. 70 When those kernels do swel and impostumate outwardly.
1712 J. Arbuthnot Law is Bottomless-pit viii. 15 The Bruise imposthumated, and afterwards turn'd to a stinking Ulcer.
perjur’d. Perjure. to assert falsely; to say with perjury. To break (an oath, vow, promise, etc.).
“And Peter answering, said to him: Although all shall be scandalized in thee, I will never be scandalized. Jesus said to him: Amen I say to thee, that in this night before the cock crow, thou wilt deny me thrice. Peter saith to him: Yea, though I should die with thee, I will not deny thee.” [Matt. xxvi. 33-35]“And after a little while they came that stood by, and said to Peter: Surely thou also art one of them; for even thy speech doth discover thee. Then he began to curse and to swear that he knew not the man. And immediately the cock crew. And Peter remembered the word of Jesus which he had said: Before the cock crow, thou wilt deny me thrice.” [Matt. xxvi. 73-75]
448. issues. Issue. The action of going, flowing, or coming out; With reference to an immaterial thing, such as an emotion. Discharge of blood, pus, or other matter from the body. The two issues of mine eyes must refer to Peter’s tears, the weeping flood of 442.
450. penall. Penal. Of or relating to punishment. Painful, harsh, severe, esp. in the way of punishment. Constituting or of the nature of punishment; inflicted as punishment; punitive.
penall life. Perhaps meaning a life of penance in atonement for his sin.
purg’d. Purge. To make pure or clean in spirit, thought, or morals; to rid of or free from sin, guilt, error, etc.; ?1531 J. Frith Disput. Purgatorye iii. sig. i2v Yet was not Lazarus caryed in to purgatorye to be purged of hys synnes.
the finall drop. The last drop, either of Peter’s weeping flood or from the impostumde sore of perjur’d lies.
+ + +
- 76 -
Like solest swan, that swims in silent deepe,
And neuer sings but obsequies of death;
Sigh out thy plaints, and sole in secret weepe,
In suing pardon, spend thy periur'd breath;
Attire thy soul in sorrowe's mourning weede, [455]
And at thine eyes let guiltie conscience bleede.
Just as a swan in bereavement is left all alone and swims silently in deep mourning for the missing mate, never singing aught but dirges for the deceased — so shall I sigh in lamentation and weep secret tears in solitude. I shall spend my perjured breath in seeking forgiveness; I shall put on sorrow’s mourning clothes and, in contemplating thine eyes, allow my guilty conscience to pour forth tears of contrition.
451. solest. Sole. 1. Having no husband or wife; 1520 in J. Anderson Cal. Laing Charters (1899) 82 As longe as she kepeth hirselve sole and wydow. 2. Without companions; apart from or unaccompanied by another or others; alone, solitary. 1530 J. Palsgrave Lesclarcissement 324/2 Sole, alone or solytary, seul.
deepe. n. The deep part of the sea, or of a lake or river. A deep (i.e. secret, mysterious, unfathomable, or vast) region of thought, feeling, or being; a ‘depth’, ‘abyss’. 1609 Bp. J. Hall Passion-serm. 31 Hee is happilie waded out of those deepes of sorrowes, wherof our conceites can find no bottome.
Cf. the De Profundis (Psalm cxxix.): “Out of the depths I have cried to thee, O Lord:”
452. obsequies. A funeral rite or ceremony; a funeral. Also: a commemorative rite or service 1594 W. Shakespeare Titus Andronicus i. i. 160 Lo at this Tombe my tributarie teares, I render for my brethrens obsequies .
453. plaints. Plaint. The action or an act of plaining; audible expression of sorrow; (also) such an expression in verse or song, a lament. 1588 R. Greene Pandosto sig. C4 Pandosto would once a day repaire to the Tombe, and there with watry plaintes bewaile his misfortune.
454. suing. Sue. To petition or appeal for something; to seek to obtain something. 1595 W. Shakespeare Henry VI, Pt. 3 iii. ii. 61 What loue dost thou thinke I sue so much to get?
456. bleede. Bleed. To emit, discharge, or ‘lose’ blood; to drop, or run with, blood. transferred of other liquids. a1616 W. Shakespeare Winter's Tale (1623) v. ii. 88 Shee did (with an Alas) I would faine say, bleed Teares; for I am sure, my heart wept blood.
+ + +
Totus tuus ego sum
Et omnia mea tua sunt;
Tecum semper tutus sum:
Ad Jesum per Mariam.
No comments:
Post a Comment