Busy old fool, unruly Sun, by John Donne — Analysis & Translation

Original Poem

Busy old fool, unruly Sun, Why dost thou thus, Through windows, and through curtains, call on us? Must to thy motions lovers’ seasons run? Saucy pedantic wretch, go chide Late school-boys and sour prentices, Go tell court-huntsmen that the king will ride, Call country ants to harvest offices; Love, all alike, no season knows nor clime, Nor hours, days, months, which are the rags of time. Thy beams so reverend, and strong Why shouldst thou think? I could eclipse and cloud them with a wink, But that I would not lose her sight so long. If her eyes have not blinded thine, Look, and to-morrow late tell me, Whether both th’ Indias of spice and mine Be where thou left’st them, or lie here with me. Ask for those kings whom thou saw’st yesterday, And thou shall hear, “All here in one bed lay.” She’s all states, and all princes I; Nothing else is; Princes do but play us; compared to this, All honour’s mimic, all wealth alchemy. Thou, Sun, art half as happy as we, In that the world’s contracted thus; Thine age asks ease, and since thy duties be To warm the world, that’s done in warming us. Shine here to us, and thou art everywhere; This bed thy centre is, these walls thy sphere.

Translation (English)

Old and foolish sun, why are you bothering us? Why do you call us through the windows and curtains? Do lovers have to follow your schedule? Rude, know-it-all sun, go bother schoolboys and apprentices. Tell the hunters that the king is going to ride, Call the ants to their harvest duties. Love is the same everywhere, it doesn't follow seasons or climates, It doesn't care about hours, days, or months, which are just parts of time. Your rays are so respected and strong, Why do you think you're so important? I could block them with a wink, But I don't want to miss seeing her for that long. If her eyes haven't blinded you, Look and tell me tomorrow, If the riches of the East are still where you left them, or if they're here with me. Ask about the kings you saw yesterday, And you'll hear that they're all here in bed with us. She is all countries, and I am all rulers; Nothing else matters; Rulers just imitate us; compared to this, All honor is fake, all wealth is just an illusion. You, Sun, are only half as happy as we are, Because the world is smaller for us; You're old and need rest, and since your job is To warm the world, you've done it by warming us. Shine on us, and you're shining everywhere; This bed is your center, these walls are your universe.

About the Poet

John Donne (Metaphysical poetry era)

John Donne was an English poet, scholar, and cleric in the Church of England, known for his metaphysical poetry. He was born in 1571 or 1572 and died in 1631. Donne's work is noted for its metaphorical style, sensuality, and use of metaphysical conceits.

Historical Context

Literary Form: Metaphysical poem
When Written: Early 17th century
Background: The poem 'The Sun Rising' is a metaphysical poem by John Donne, expressing the speaker's disdain for the sun interrupting his time with his lover. It reflects Donne's characteristic style of using wit and conceit to explore themes of love and the nature of time.

Sources: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/44129/the-sun-rising, https://poets.org/poem/sun-rising, https://interestingliterature.com/2017/02/a-short-analysis-of-john-donnes-the-sun-rising/, https://poemanalysis.com/john-donne/the-sun-rising/

Detailed Explanation

John Donne's poem 'The Sun Rising' is a metaphysical exploration of love and the nature of time. The speaker addresses the sun directly, chastising it for interrupting his intimate moments with his lover. He mocks the sun's authority, suggesting that it should bother others like schoolboys and workers instead. The speaker argues that love transcends time and space, making the sun's daily routine irrelevant. He uses hyperbole to elevate his love, claiming that his lover embodies all nations and he, all rulers. This exaggeration underscores the intensity and exclusivity of their relationship. The poem is rich with metaphysical conceits, comparing the lovers' bed to the center of the universe, thus diminishing the sun's importance. Donne's use of wit and irony challenges conventional views of time and authority, emphasizing the supremacy of personal experience and emotion over external forces.

Themes

Literary Devices

Word Dictionary

Word	Meaning	Translation	Transliteration
unruly	disorderly	difficult to control	uhn-roo-lee
dost	do	do	dust
thou	you	you	thou
thy	your	your	thy
saucy	cheeky	boldly disrespectful	saw-see
pedantic	overly concerned with details	excessively concerned with minor details or rules	puh-dan-tik
wretch	miserable person	unfortunate or despicable person	retch
prentices	apprentices	people learning a trade	pren-tis-es
clime	region	a region considered with reference to its climate	klahym
reverend	respected	worthy of reverence	rev-er-uhnd
eclipse	block	obscure or block out	ih-klips
thine	your	your	thine
th’ Indias	the Indies	the regions of India and surrounding areas	the in-dee-uhs
alchemy	magic	medieval chemistry aiming to transform matter	al-kuh-mee
sphere	area	a round object or domain	sfeer