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Happiness is beneficial to the body, but it is grief that develops the powers of the mind.
--Marcel Proust (1871-1922), À la recherche du temps perdu
Le bonheur est salutaire pour les corps, mais c'est le chagrin qui développe les forces de l'esprit.
Psal. LXXI. v 20. Quantas ostendisti
mihi tribulationes multas & magnas,
& conversus vivificasti me!*
Tear, Earth! Tear in two! Your mountains break and cover
the wholly disheartened spirit!
The lightning and ache and need
and fear
and woe are frightening!
and harsh longing bites!
You ever-lit lights of the cities of heaven!
Oh make my legs stand! Oh do not help my legs!
Since the thunderous wedge of pain
cuts the power of fear!
God!
Good God! Only for me the strict Judge
what have I not seen of your fury!
What have I not heard of scorn and abuse!
Are my eyes lent to me
so that I should count nothing as harsh trouble
nothing as torture?
Every day my ears are yelled full
yes even my dim soul!
Can I, can I not escape?
Can the clear starry night, can the sun not refresh me?
Will every red dawn of every evening hour oppress me?
--Andreas Gryphius (1616-1664)
He lived his youth during the time of the Thirty Years War
Reiss Erde! reiss entzwey! Ihr Berge brecht und decket
Den gantz verzagten Geist!
Den Blitz und Ach und Noth
und Angst
und Weh’ erschrecket!
Und herbe Wehmut beist!
Ihr immerlichten staetter Himmel Lichter!
Ach bescheinet meine Glider! ach bescheint die Glider nicht!
Die der Donnerkeil der Schmertzen
die die Krafft der Angst zubricht!
Gott
guter Gott! Nur mir zu strenger Richter
Was laesset mich dein Grimm nicht sehen!
Was hoer ich nicht fuer Spott und Schmaehen?
Sind die Augen mir verlihen
Daß ich nichts als herbe Plagen
nichts als Marter schauen soll?
Taeglich rufft man mir die Ohren
ja die matte Seele voll!
Kan ich! kan ich nicht entflihen?
Kan die hell-besternte Nacht! kan mich nicht die Sonn erquicken?
Sol mich jede Morgenroett’ jeder’ Abendstunde druecken?
[*For you showed me many and great fears, and make me live again. In the King James version of the Bible, Psalm 71:20: "Thou, which hast shewed me great and sore troubles, shalt quicken me again, and shalt bring me up again from the depths of the earth."]
Who knew that when I was sick,
you would be the one who suffered?
Lying in bed, suddenly I was startled from my pillow,
Leaning on the others, I wept in front of your lamp.
It turns out to be hard to have a daughter--
I have no son, how can I avoid grief?
The sickness came, took only ten days,
even though we'd raised you for three years.
Miserable tears, crying voices, everything hurt painfully.
Your old clothes lonely on the hanger, the medicine at your bedside.
I sent you through the deep village lanes,
I saw the tiny grave in the field.
Don't tell me it's three li away--
this separation is till the end of days.
--Bai Juyi 白居易 (772-846)
豈料吾方病，飜悲汝不全。
仄仄平平仄，平平仄仄平。
臥驚從枕上，扶哭就燈前。
仄平○仄仄，平仄仄平平。
有女誠爲累，無兒豈免憐。
仄仄平平仄，平平仄仄平。
病來纔十日，養得已三年。
仄平平仄仄，仄仄仄○平。
慈淚隨聲迸，悲腸遇物牽。
平仄平平仄，平平仄仄○。
故衣猶架上，殘藥尚頭邊。
仄○○仄仄，平仄仄平平。
送出深村巷，看封小墓田。
仄仄○平仄，○○仄仄平。
莫言三里地，此別是終天。
If you’re going through hell
keep on going,
don’t slow down
if you’re scared, don’t show it
you might get out before the devil even knows
you’re there.
--Lyrics of a country song by Rodney Atkins (1969- )
I Homonoea, who was far clearer-voiced than the Sirens, I who was more golden than the Cyprian* herself at revellings and feasts, I the chattering bright swallow lie here, leaving tears to Atimetus, to whom I was dear from girlhood; but unforeseen fate scattered all that great affection.
--Anonymous ancient Greek poem, tr by J.W. Mackail; cited in The Portable Greek Reader, ed. W.H. Auden
Translated also by H.D.: her version includes these lines:
The golden one is gone from the banquets;
She, beloved of Atimetus,
The swallow, the dear Homonoea;
Gone the dear chatterer.
* Aphrodite/Venus
Closing Sohrab's door, I wondered if that was how forgiveness budded, not with the fanfare of epiphany, but with pain gathering its things, packing up, and slipping away unannounced in the middle of the night.
--From The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini (1955- )
