OLD POLISH ON-LINE
MIDDLE AGES
RENAISSANCE
BAROQUE
GUESTBOOK
SPECIAL THANKS
WHAT'S NEW
UNDER
E Y E
T H E
Stanislaw Herakliusz Lubomirski
Stanisław Herakliusz Lubomirski - Sonnet on the Great Suffering of Jesus Christ
Sonnet on the Great Suffering of Jesus Christ
Are throes suffered by God personified
A triumph of love sublime and boundless,
Or spoils of hell or graves of envious death
Or the miracle of heavenly might?
Power, sway,
1
grief, fear, sweat, blood, death defied,
2
Betrayal, ropes, tears, judgment, unrighteous
Slap on face and reeds used to give lashes,
Pillar, thorn, cross, nail, gall, and opened side
3
–
These are gifts of goodness, not punishment,
Not gifts but living founts of forgiveness,
Not founts but the miracles of God's hand,
Of the hand which released from its distress
Happy salvation, for which hearts should send
Offers of thanksgiving, o true goodness!
Translated by Michael J. Mikoś
Notes
1
"These are united in yielding their power and authority to the beast; they will make war on the Lamb and the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings (...)" (Revelation 17:13-14)
2
"Death has been swallowed up in victory."
"Where, O death is your victory?
Where, O death, is your sting?"
"The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Corinthians 15:54-57)
"(...) our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death (...)" (2 Timothy 1:10).
3
Lines 5-8 constitute an enumeration, in which the Passion is described. This device was often used by Baroque poets. Cf. a similar rhetorical figure in
The Brevity of Life
by Naborowski, symbolizing passage of time.