Plain English translation of John Donnes

Meditation 17
Perchance he for whom this bell tolls may be so ill, as that he
knows not it tolls for him; and perchance I may think myself
so much better than I am, as that they who are about me, and
see my state, may have caused it to toll for me, and I know
not that.

Perhaps the bell rung for this sick man as if it were

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his life-clock. Although he does not know that it rung
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for him; and perhaps I view myself much better condition
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than the dying man is, as those who know me and see my
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condition, may have urged the bell ringer to ring for
me. I know that's not the case
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The church is Catholic, universal, so are all her actions; all

that she does belongs to all. When she baptizes a child, that
action concerns me; for that child is thereby connected to
that body which is my head too, and ingrafted into that body
whereof I am a member.

The
church's vast taste of acceptance applies
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universally, including her decisions and actions that
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are shared amongst all. When she admits a child to the
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church,
I am concerned because that child is now
spiritually
connected to the body that belongs to my
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head
too which is inserted into that body that I am
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affiliated with.

And when she buries a man, that action concerns me: all
mankind is of one author, and is one volume; when one man
dies, one chapter is not torn out of the book, but translated
into a better language; and every chapter must be so
translated;

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concerned: a mankind's lives are written by one author,
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and is in one volume. When one man dies, an episode
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consisting of that person's life is not removed from the
volume of life, but converted into an improved version of
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the person's life. This will apply to every episode of
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God employs several translators; some pieces are translated

by age, some by sickness, some by war, some by justice; but
God's hand is in every translation, and his hand shall bind up
all our scattered leaves again for that library where every
book shall lie open to one another.

God hires several life simplifiers, some parts of the

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book are changed in age, some in sickness, some in war,
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some
in justice. However, God is present in every
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alteration
that he makes and his hand will wrap up all
the
scattering
lives and stories for the legion of
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volumes
where
every
book will be dependent upon each
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other.

As therefore the bell that rings to a sermon calls not upon the
preacher only, but upon the congregation to come, so this
bell calls us all; but how much more me, who am brought so
near the door by this sickness.

Henceforth, the bell that tolls to the sermon not only

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summons the preacher but also the entire community to
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come, so the bell applies to us all. But how much more
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am I closer to death as I am brought closer to the door
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of the afterlife.
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There was a contention as far as a suit (in which both piety

and dignity, religion and estimation, were mingled), which of
the religious orders should ring to prayers first in the
morning; and it was determined, that they should ring first
that rose earliest.
If we understand aright the dignity of this bell that tolls for
our evening prayer, we would be glad to make it ours by
rising early, in that application, that it might be ours as well
as his, whose indeed it is. The bell doth toll for him that thinks
it doth; and though it intermit again, yet from that minute
that that occasion wrought upon him, he is united to God.

When the church returns a mans body back to earth, I am

God's mass volume of life.

There
was a prolonged quarrel (in which reverence and
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dignity, religion and judgment all collided together),
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who
should be the first to ring the morning for
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prayers.
It was chosen that whoever woke up the earlier
will
be able to be the first to ring the bell.
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If we clearly understand the lack of pride received for
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ringing the evening bell, then we would be glad to be
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urged to rise early. It would be our pleasure and also
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that of Gods. He knows that the bell is ringing for
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him, and as the bell stops and rings again, that minute
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works upon him as he is now united with God.

Who casts not up his eye to the sun when it rises? but who
takes off his eye from a comet when that breaks out? Who
bends not his ear to any bell which upon any occasion rings?
but who can remove it from that bell which is passing a piece
of himself out of this world?

As the sun rises who does not look at it?

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If a meteor grace through the sky, who does
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not set his eye upon it? When the church
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bell rings, who does not pay attention to
it? Thus who can tolerate not looking or
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hearing unless he is out of his mind?
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No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of

the continent, a part of the main. If a clod be washed away by
the sea, Europe is the less, as well as if a promontory were,
as well as if a manor of thy friend's or of thine own were:

No man is separated from the world, as

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Everyman is unique, forming bits and
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pieces of the world. Every part of the
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earth is unique, if a piece of dirt was
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wash off the shore, it is as it affects
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the whole of the western most peninsula
of Eurasia is

any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in

mankind, and therefore never send to know for whom the
bells tolls; it tolls for thee.

When one person die, he dies not for

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himself but for everyone, the death
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bell tolls not only for the dead but
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also you. The death of one person
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lessens my authority for I'm involved
in all mankind.
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Neither can we call this a begging of misery, or a borrowing

of misery, as though we were not miserable enough of
ourselves, but must fetch in more from the next house, in
taking upon us the misery of our neighbours.

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excuse,if we are not miserable enough, we
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can go to our neighbour and take on their
grief as well.
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We cannot call ringing the bell as an

Truly it were an excusable covetousness if we did, for

affliction is a treasure, and scarce any man hath enough of it.
No man hath affliction enough that is not matured and
ripened by and made fit for God by that affliction.

It is not wrong to try to take on the

griefs of others because grief is as good
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as a treasure and no have enough treasure
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to
satisfy them,for god will bless
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whomever
that experience the most
sadness.
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What s the use of having so much

If a man carry treasure in bullion, or in a wedge of gold, and

have none coined into current money, his treasure will not
defray him as he travels. Tribulation is treasure in the
nature of it, but it is not current money in the use of it, except
we get nearer and nearer our home, heaven, by it.

valuables when you don't use them.i

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it is as good as useless. Since
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suffering is a valuable and if we
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don't learn from it, it is useless.
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Hence we must learn from our
suffering as it will lead us the
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Another man may be sick too, and sick to death, and this
affliction may lie in his bowels, as gold in a mine, and be of no
use to him; but this bell, that tells me of his affliction, digs out
and applies that gold to me:

Even though a man can fall into the hands

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of sickness and die, but the sadness and
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all the grief will stay within him as if
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precious minerals in a mine that cannot
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be useful to him. But the bell tells me
that it will affect me
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if by this consideration of another's danger I take mine own

into contemplation, and so secure myself, by making my
recourse to my God, who is our only security.

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To consider another's danger, I first take my own
into thoughts. So in order to protect myself, I
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seek for assistance from God, who is our only
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source of security.
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stairway to heaven.