The Retreat – Henry Vaughan
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| Henry Vaughan [1621-1695] |
Happy those early days! when I
Shined in my angel infancy.
Before I understood this place
Appointed for my second race,
Or taught my soul to fancy aught
But a white, celestial thought;
When yet I had not walked above
A mile or two from my first love,
And looking back, at that short space,
Could see a glimpse of His bright face;
When on some gilded cloud or flower
My gazing soul would dwell an hour,
And in those weaker glories spy
Some shadows of eternity;
Before I taught my tongue to wound
My conscience with a sinful sound,
Or had the black art to dispense
A several sin to every sense,
But felt through all this fleshly dress
Bright shoots of everlastingness.
O, how I long to travel back,
And tread again that ancient track!
That I might once more reach that plain
Where first I left my glorious train,
From whence th’ enlightened spirit sees
That shady city of palm trees.
But, ah! my soul with too much stay
Is drunk, and staggers in the way.
Some men a forward motion love;
But I by backward steps would move,
And when this dust falls to the urn,
In that state I came, return.
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Word-notes
shined (v. p. of ‘shine) : made glimmer, polished
angel (adj.) : with a kind, gentle and very good quality
infancy (n.) : babyhood, state or period of being an infant, early childhood
appointed (v. p. of ‘appoint’) : nominated; designated
race (n.) : heritage
fancy (v.) : imagine
aught (archaic pron.) : anything
celestial (adj.) : of or pertaining to heaven; heavenly; divine
glimpse (n.) : brief view, glance
gilded (adj.) : covered with a thin layer of gold colour, having the deep slightly brownish color of gold
gazing (participle adj.) : looking fixedly, staring
dwell (v.) : live in
weaker (adj. in comparative degree) : more feeble, weak, frail
glories (n. pl. of ‘glory’) : fames, honors
spy (v.) : observe or examine secretly
eternity (n.) : timelessness, infinity; time after death
wound (v.) : injure; offend
conscience (n.) : sense of right and wrong, sense of moral decision
sinful (adj.) : immoral, wicked, ungodly, full of or marked by sin
dispense (v.) : distribute, give out, hand out
several (adj.) : few
fleshly (adj.) : full of flesh; meaty
shoots (n. pl. of ‘shoot’) : sprouts
everlastingness (n.) : eternalness, perpetualness, ceaselessness
tread (v.) : step, walk
ancient (adj.) : very old, antique, archaic
track (n.) : lane, path
plain (n.) : an area of level or flat ground
glorious (adj.) : magnificent, dazzling, full of glory
whence (old-fashioned adv.) : (from) where
th’ (old English Article) : the
enlightened (participle adj.) : knowledgeable, well-educated, broad-minded
spirit (n.) : soul
shady (adj.) : covered in shadow, protected from light
palm (n.) : a type of tree that grows in tropical areas
staggers (v.) : walks unsteadily
forward (adj.) : toward the point
backward (adj.) : toward the back point
dust (n.) : dirt, soil
urn (n.) : jar for ashes; decorative vase
state (n.) : condition
