Song Meaning
This piece opens as a direct, celebratory blessing for "Thrice happy lovers," setting a hopeful and traditional tone. It immediately wishes them freedom from common marital pitfalls. The initial lines feel like a classic wedding toast, full of good intentions and optimism for a new beginning.
However, this optimism quickly gives way to a more grounded, almost cautionary perspective. The speaker explicitly warns against the "tormenting devil, Jealousy" and the "anxious cares and Strife" that are acknowledged as inherent to "a married Life." This shift reveals a speaker who understands the ideal but is also keenly aware of the practical difficulties and emotional challenges that lie ahead.
The most striking element appears in the lines, "And since the Errors of this Night are past / May he be ever Constant, she be ever chaste." The phrase "Errors of this Night" is particularly intriguing, suggesting a past transgression or perhaps simply the anxieties and imperfections leading up to the wedding. This ambiguity makes the subsequent, gendered advice all the more pointed: the groom is expected to be "Constant," implying steadfastness, while the bride is to be "chaste," a word loaded with implications of purity and fidelity, even *after* the wedding night. This stark contrast highlights unequal societal expectations.
Ultimately, these lyrics are effective because they blend the aspirational joy of a wedding with a surprisingly blunt, almost cynical, acknowledgment of marital realities and gendered roles. The speaker's voice is both a well-wisher and a realist, offering blessings while simultaneously laying out the specific, and unequal, burdens of a lifelong commitment.
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