|
The weight one woman bore, brought forth, and took to the temple when she obeyed an age- old custom and presented her first son to God, lightened our crimes--not as victim but as a willing sacrifice, a sign of this world's unspeakable viciousness. Today a second light is unveiled, God lightens the shadows, we glimpse figures and a true light is offered to the church. Simeon understood when he prayed his eyes might close forever to see the sunlight of eternity--he'd have died before that sweet child had he not spoken to her out of a heart penetrated by grief |
An image of the Italian text from Visconti's 1840 edition |
|
Notes: From V XCII:252. See also B S1:114:142; R XVII, 429; MS RA; Valgrisi 115. The second of two sonnets to Simeon, a "good and devout man". Both occur in same MS. Following Valgrisi, Bullock has reversed the order Visconti followed; Ruscelli puts a sonnet inbetween. Reference: Luke 2:23-35. Again Cf T. S. Eliot, 'A Song for Simeon -- 1928, Collected Poems, 1909-1962 Key |
