In grief and anguish of my heart

Apologies for the slow blogging around here recently; at the moment just managing to get up in the morning counts as a major achievement, and anything else is a bonus. This morning, as I contemplated the imminent disaster that is my post-DPhil life, I remembered this poem, and it was a little glimmer of light. It's by Michael Drayton, and is based on the second chapter of the Book of Jonah.

It goes well with this:





The Song of Jonah in the Whale's Belly


In grief and anguish of my heart, my voice I did extend
Unto the Lord, and he therto a willing ear did lend:
Even from the deep and darkest pit, & the infernal lake,
To me he hath bow'd down his ear, for his great mercy's sake.
For thou into the middest, of surging seas so deep
Hast cast me forth: whose bottom is, so low & wondrous steep.
Whose mighty wallowing waves, which from the floods do flow,
Have with their power up swallowed me, & overwhelm'd me tho.
Then said I, lo, I am exiled from presence of thy face,
Yet will I once again behold, thy house and dwelling place.
The waters have encompassed me, the floods inclosed me round,
The weeds have sore encumbered me, which in the seas abound.
Unto the valleys down I went, beneath the hils which stand,
The earth hath there environ'd me, with force of all the land.
Yet hast thou still preserved me, from all these dangers here,
And brought my life out of the pit, oh Lord my God so dear.
My soul consuming thus with care, I prayed unto the Lord,
And he from out his holy place, heard me with one accord.
Who to vain lying vanities doth wholly him betake,
Doth err also, God's mercy he doth utterly forsake.
But I will offer unto him the sacrifice of praise,
And pay my vows, ascribing thanks unto the Lord always.