C. S. Lewis' "Donkey's Delight" has long been one of my favorite poems. And it provides an apt illustration of the way that the Lord loves to interrupt the flow of our sinful trajectories with His wonderful, "But God..."
The Gospel truly is the ultimate "non-sequitur"; or as Lewis puts it, "the excellent joke."
I've provided some "Cliffs Notes" for the poetically challenged. But if you love to read and reread poetry until it eventually overcomes its shyness and begins to open up to you, then just skip on ahead to the poem. Enjoy.
"Cliffs Notes"
- First stanza: He courts a girl for ten months with unswerving service, devotion and gifts. Then a happy sailor steals her away with one glance of his eyes.
- Second stanza: He pours himself into writing; pouring his heart into every line. Then a singing boy flits in and steals away the favor of the crowd.
- Third stanza: He puts himself under a spiritual master who has him fast, keep late night prayer vigils, vows of silence and scratchy clothing in order to curry God’s favor. Then a careless, dirty drunkard comes waltzing in at the last minute and receives the divine favor that he had sought.
- Fourth stanza: Contemplating the resurrection of Jesus, he stops his striving and simply receives as a gift that which he had tried so hard to obtain by merit. He enters into the “excellent joke” the ultimate non-sequitur, and joins Balaam’s ass, creaking out his “glory to God” as he romps in the sunshine of God’s love.
Ten mortal months I courted
A girl with bright hair,
Unswerving in my service
As the old lovers were.
Almost she had learned to call me
One moment changed the omens,
She was cold again.
For carelessly, unfairly,
With one glance of his eyes,
A gay, light-hearted sailor
Bore away the prize,
Unbought, which I had sought with
Many gifts and sighs.
In stern disdain I turned to
The Muses’ service then,
To seek how the unspeakable
Could be fixed by a pen,
Not to flinch through the ink that
I must use, they said,
Was my dearest blood, nearest
My heart, the riches red.
I obeyed them, I made them
Many a costly lay,
Till carelessly, unfairly,
A boy passed that way
Who set ringing with his singing
All the fields and lanes;
They gave him their favor,
Lost were all my pains.
Then I passed to a Master
Who is higher in repute,
Trusting to find justice
At the world’s root.
With rigid fast and vigil,
Silence, and shirt of hair,
The narrow way to Paradise
I walked with care.
But carelessly, unfairly,
At the eleventh hour came,
Reckless and feckless,
Without a single claim,
A dare-devil, a ne’er-do-well
Who smelled of shag and gin;
Before me (and far warmer
Was his welcome) he went in.
I stood still in the chill
Of the Great Morning,
Aghast. then a last
-Oh, I was late learning —-
I repented, I entered
Into the excellent joke,
The absurdity. My burden
Rolled off as I broke
Into laughter; and soon after
I found my own level;
With Balam’s Ass daily
Out at grass I revel,
Now playing, now braying
Over the meadows of light,
Our soaring, creaking Gloria,
Our donkeys’ delight.
"Cliffs Notes"
- First stanza: He courts a girl for ten months with unswerving service, devotion and gifts. Then a happy sailor steals her away with one glance of his eyes.
- Second stanza: He pours himself into writing; pouring his heart into every line. Then a singing boy flits in and steals away the favor of the crowd.
- Third stanza: He puts himself under a spiritual master who has him fast, keep late night prayer vigils, vows of silence and scratchy clothing in order to curry God’s favor. Then a careless, dirty drunkard comes waltzing in at the last minute and receives the divine favor that he had sought.
- Fourth stanza: Contemplating the resurrection of Jesus, he stops his striving and simply receives as a gift that which he had tried so hard to obtain by merit. He enters into the “excellent joke” the ultimate non-sequitur, and joins Balaam’s ass, creaking out his “glory to God” as he romps in the sunshine of God’s love.
Ten mortal months I courted
A girl with bright hair,
Unswerving in my service
As the old lovers were.
Almost she had learned to call me
One moment changed the omens,
She was cold again.
For carelessly, unfairly,
With one glance of his eyes,
A gay, light-hearted sailor
Bore away the prize,
Unbought, which I had sought with
Many gifts and sighs.
In stern disdain I turned to
The Muses’ service then,
To seek how the unspeakable
Could be fixed by a pen,
Not to flinch through the ink that
I must use, they said,
Was my dearest blood, nearest
My heart, the riches red.
I obeyed them, I made them
Many a costly lay,
Till carelessly, unfairly,
A boy passed that way
Who set ringing with his singing
All the fields and lanes;
They gave him their favor,
Lost were all my pains.
Then I passed to a Master
Who is higher in repute,
Trusting to find justice
At the world’s root.
With rigid fast and vigil,
Silence, and shirt of hair,
The narrow way to Paradise
I walked with care.
But carelessly, unfairly,
At the eleventh hour came,
Reckless and feckless,
Without a single claim,
A dare-devil, a ne’er-do-well
Who smelled of shag and gin;
Before me (and far warmer
Was his welcome) he went in.
I stood still in the chill
Of the Great Morning,
Aghast. then a last
-Oh, I was late learning —-
I repented, I entered
Into the excellent joke,
The absurdity. My burden
Rolled off as I broke
Into laughter; and soon after
I found my own level;
With Balam’s Ass daily
Out at grass I revel,
Now playing, now braying
Over the meadows of light,
Our soaring, creaking Gloria,
Our donkeys’ delight.
C. S. Lewis
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