Lament Xix. The Dream Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: AABBCCDDEEFFGGHHFFBB IIJJFFFFDDFFBBKKLLBB MMBBNNFFOOFFFFPPQNRR SSFFBBTTUUBBFFIIBBLL FFIIBBFFFFFFEELLRVWW HHRRNNXXSSBBFFDDFFFF FFYZFFBBDDIIKKYYBBBB A2A2B2B2C2C2FFFFFFFF DDD2D2

Long through the night hours sorrow was my guestA
And would not let my fainting body restA
Till just ere dawn from out its slow dominionsB
Flew sleep to wrap me in its dear dusk pinionsB
And then it was my mother did appearC
Before mine eyes in vision doubly dearC
For in her arms she held my darling oneD
My Ursula just as she used to runD
To me at dawn to say her morning prayerE
In her white nightgown with her curling hairE
Framing her rosy face her eyes aboutF
To laugh like flowers only halfway outF
Art thou still sorrowing my son Thus spokeG
My mother Sighing bitterly I wokeG
Or seemed to wake and heard her say once moreH
It is thy weeping brings me to this shoreH
Thy lamentations long uncomfortedF
Have reached the hidden chambers of the deadF
Till I have come to grant thee some small graceB
And let thee gaze upon thy daughter's faceB
That it may calm thy heart in some degreeI
And check the grief that imperceptiblyI
Doth gnaw away thy health and leave thee sickJ
Like fire that turns to ashes a dry wickJ
Dost thou believe the dead have perished quiteF
Their sun gone down in an eternal nightF
Ah no we have a being far more splendidF
Now that our bodies' coarser claims are endedF
Though dust returns to dust the spirit givenD
A life eternal must go back to heavenD
And little Ursula hath not gone outF
Forever like a torch Nay cease thy doubtF
For I have brought her hither in the guiseB
She used to wear before thy mortal eyesB
Though mid the deathless angels brighter farK
She shineth as the lovely morning starK
And still she offers up her prayers for youL
As here on earth when yet no words she knewL
If herefrom springs thy sorrow that her yearsB
Were broken off before all that endearsB
A life on earth to mortals she might proveM
Yet think how empty the delights that moveM
The minds of men delights that must give placeB
At last to sorrow as in thine own caseB
Did then thy little girl such joy conferN
That all the comfort thou didst find in herN
Could parallel thine anguish of todayF
Thou canst not answer otherwise than nayF
Then fret not that so early death has comeO
To what was dearest thee in ChristendomO
She did not leave a land of much delightF
But one of toil and grief and evil blightF
So plenteous that all which men can holdF
Of their so transitory blessings goldF
Must lose its value through this base alloyP
This knowledge of the grief that follows joyP
Why do we weep great God That with her dowerQ
She bought herself no lord that she might cowerN
Before upbraidings from her husband's kinR
That she knew not the pangs that usher inR
The newborn child And that she could not knowS
Like her poor mother if more racking woeS
It were to bear or bury them Ah meetF
Are such delights to make the world more sweetF
But heaven hath purer surer happinessB
Free from all intermingling of distressB
Care rules not here and here we know not toilT
Misfortune and disaster do not spoilT
Here sickness can not enter nor old ageU
And death tear nourished hath no pasturageU
We live a life of endless joy that bringsB
Good thoughts we know the causes of all thingsB
The sun shines on forever here its lightF
Unconquered by impenetrable nightF
And the Creator in his majestyI
Invisible to mortals we may seeI
Then turn thy meditations hither towardsB
This changeless gladness and these rich rewardsB
Thou know'st the world what love of it can doL
Found thou thine efforts on a base more trueL
Thy little girl hath chosen well her partF
Thou may'st believe as one about to startF
For the first time upon the stormy seaI
Beholding there great flux and jeopardyI
Returneth to the shore while those that raiseB
Their sails the wind or some blind crag betraysB
And this one dies from hunger that from coldF
Scarce one escapes the perils manifoldF
So she who though her years should have surpassedF
That ancient Sybil must have died at lastF
Preferred that ending to anticipateF
Before she knew the ills of man's estateF
For some are left without their parents' careE
To know how sore an orphan's lot to bearE
One girl must marry headlong and then rueL
Her dower given up to God knows whoL
Some maids are seized by their own countrymenR
Others made captive by the Tatar clanV
And held thus in a pagan shameful thrallW
Must drink their tears till death comes ending allW
But this thy little child need fear no moreH
Who taken early up to heaven's doorH
Could walk all glad and shining pure withinR
Her soul still innocent of earthly sinR
Doubt not my son that all is well with herN
And let not sorrow be thy conquerorN
Reason and self command are precious stillX
And yielding all to blighted hope is illX
Be in this matter thine own lord althoughS
Thy longed for happiness thou must foregoS
For man is born exposed to circumstanceB
To be the target of all evil chanceB
And if we like it or we like it notF
We still can not escape our destined lotF
Nor hath misfortune singled thee my sonD
It lays its burdens upon every oneD
Thy little child was mortal as thou artF
She ran her given course and did departF
And if that course was brief yet who can sayF
That she would have been happier to stayF
The ways of God are past our finding outF
Yet what He holds as good shall we misdoubtF
And when the spirit leaves us it is vainY
To weep so long it will not come againZ
And herein man is hardly just to fateF
To bear in mind what is unfortunateF
In life and to forget all that transpiresB
In full accordance with his own desiresB
And such is Fortune's power dearest sonD
That we should not lament when she hath doneD
A bitter turn but thank her in that sheI
Hath held her hand from greater injuryI
So yielding to the common order barK
Thy heart to more disasters than now areK
Gaze at the happiness thou dost retainY
What is not loss that must be rated gainY
And finally what profits the expenseB
Of thy long labor and the years gone henceB
While thou didst spend thyself upon thy booksB
And knewest scarce how lightsome pleasure looksB
Now from thy grafting pluck the fruit and saveA2
Something of value from frail nature's graveA2
To other men in sorrow thou hast shownB2
The comfort left them hast none for thine ownB2
Now master heal thyself time is the cureC2
For all but he whose wisdom doth abjureC2
The common ways he should anticipateF
The healing for which other men must waitF
What is time's cunning That it drives awayF
Our former haps with newer ones more gayF
Or like the old So man by taking thoughtF
Perceives them ere their accidents are wroughtF
And by such thinking banishes the pastF
And views the future quiet and steadfastF
Then bear man's portion like a man my sonD
The Lord of grief and comfort is but oneD
Then I awoke and know not if to deemD2
This truth itself or but a passing dreamD2

Jan Kochanowski



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