1 Weary with toil, I haste me to my bed,
Exhausted from labor, I hurry to my bed, Tired from work, I rush to get to bed, i'm exhausted
2 The dear respose for limbs with travel tired,
The precious rest for my limbs exhausted from toil, the welcome rest my tired body desperately needs, rest for my weary body 'Respose' = repose, rest; 'travel' = labor, journey.
3 But then begins a journey in my head
But then a journey begins inside my mind, But instead my thoughts start traveling, but my mind won't stop
4 To work my mind, when body’s work’s expired.
To tire my mind once my body's labor has ended, to torment my thoughts when my body finally stops working, my mind takes over from my body 'Work' = labor, exertion; exchange of physical for mental toil.
5 For then my thoughts, from far where I abide,
Because my thoughts, from this distant place where I'm bound, My thoughts leave where I am, from however far away, my mind escapes
6 Intend a zealous pilgrimage to thee, The mind's sacred journey: the beloved as destination of the soul's pilgrimage.
Undertake a fervent, sacred pilgrimage toward you, make a devoted journey to you, reach for you 'Intend' = undertake, aim; 'pilgrimage' = sacred journey toward the beloved.
7 And keep my drooping eyelids open wide,
And hold my heavy eyelids open against their weight, And I force my exhausted eyes to stay open, i can't sleep 'Drooping' = heavy, exhausted; the body tries to sleep but the mind resists.
8 Looking on darkness which the blind do see.
Staring into the darkness that the blind know well, staring at the same darkness blind people see, blind in the night Paradox: awake but blind to light; the speaker experiences the blind's darkness.
Wordplay
- looking = perceiving, seeing
- darkness = literal absence of light, but also spiritual darkness or despair
- the paradox: awake eyes see darkness; blind eyes also 'see' darkness—the speaker is paradoxically blind while sighted
Volta The shift from describing the journey ('my thoughts...intend a zealous pilgrimage') to revealing its transformation: the beloved's shadow makes 'black night beauteous.' Suffering becomes illuminated by love's presence.
9 Save that my soul’s imaginary sight
Except that my soul's inner vision Except my imagination, my soul's vision, except my mind sees you 'Imaginary sight' = mental vision, imagination; not literal but deeply real.
10 Presents thy shadow to my sightless view,
Presents your phantom image to my sight that isn't sight, brings your ghost-image to my unseeing eyes, shows me your phantom 'Shadow' = phantom, image, ghost; 'sightless view' = paradox of seeing without sight.
Wordplay
- shadow = phantom, image, or the beloved's ghost
- sightless view = seeing without sight, imagination rather than perception
- the paradox: the view is 'sightless' yet presents something visible—imagination is a form of vision
11 Which like a jewel (hung in ghastly night) The jewel in darkness: the beloved's image becomes precious precisely because of surrounding absence.
Which, like a jewel suspended in terrible darkness, which hangs like a precious gem in the horrible night, you shine in the dark 'Jewel' = precious, beautiful; visual radiance in darkness.
12 Makes black night beauteous, and her old face new.
Makes the black night beautiful and renews its ancient face, transforms the dark night into something beautiful and young, you make the darkness beautiful 'Her old face new' = night, personified as old, becomes young through the beloved's image.
13 Lo thus by day my limbs, by night my mind,
So you see, by day my body labors, by night my mind suffers, So this is my life—my body worn out during the day, my mind restless at night, i never rest
14 For thee, and for my self, no quiet find. The cost of love: perpetual restlessness, body and mind forever divided between self and beloved.
For you, and for myself, I can find no peace. neither you nor I can find any rest or peace. no peace. not ever No rest possible: body exhausted by day, mind restless by night; the divisions don't heal.