III: “Oh might those sighes and teares return againe”

Song Meaning

The speaker laments a past outpouring of emotion, wishing they could reclaim their "sighs and tears" to fuel a more productive "holy discontent." The current state is one of "vain" mourning, devoid of the cathartic "fruit" that might come from genuine repentance. This yearning suggests a desire to re-experience past sorrows, not out of masochism, but as a means to achieve a spiritual reckoning that feels currently out of reach. This "holy discontent" is framed as a contrast to past "idolatry," where tears and grief were "spent" in vain, perhaps on misplaced devotion. The narrator now repents this past suffering, paradoxically linking the act of suffering itself to their sin. This creates a painful loop: "'Cause I did suffer I must suffer pain," implying that past emotional expenditure has led to an inescapable cycle of present misery. The lyrics draw a sharp contrast between the speaker's plight and the perceived relief of others. Drunkards, thieves, lechers, and the proud all find solace in remembering past pleasures to ward off future woes. The speaker, however, is "allowed No ease," highlighting a profound isolation in their suffering. This comparison underscores the speaker's unique and seemingly unresolvable torment. The poem's power lies in its intricate, almost paradoxical, articulation of spiritual anguish. The narrator is trapped in a state where past sin and present suffering are indistinguishable, both the "effect and cause." The desire to mourn "with some fruit" reveals a deep longing for redemption, even as the current state of "vehement grief" seems to preclude it, making the speaker's predicament feel both intensely personal and tragically inescapable.