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They also serve who only stand and wait.

John Milton, Sonnet 19, c. 1655

Literature

The story behind the card

This is the last line of the sonnet that begins 'When I consider how my light is spent', which John Milton (1608–1674) wrote after losing his sight, probably in 1655. He fears that his 'one talent' is wasted, like the coin buried by the servant in the Gospel parable (a talent was a sum of money). Patience answers that God does not need man's work; they also serve who only stand and wait. Blind, Milton went on to dictate Paradise Lost.

Türkçe oku
Yalnızca durup bekleyenler de hizmet eder.
John Milton, 19. Sone, 1655 dolayları

Bu, John Milton'ın (1608-1674) “When I consider how my light is spent” (Işığımın nasıl tükendiğini düşündüğümde) diye başlayan sonesinin son dizesidir. Milton bu şiiri görme yetisini yitirdikten sonra, büyük olasılıkla 1655'te yazdı. Şiirde tek yeteneğinin boşa gittiğinden kaygılanır ve İncil'deki meseli anar: Efendisinin emanet ettiği parayı işletmeyip toprağa gömen hizmetkâr. İngilizcede bu paranın adı olan “talent” aynı zamanda yetenek demektir. Sabır ona cevap verir: Tanrı'nın kimsenin emeğine ihtiyacı yoktur; yalnızca durup bekleyenler de hizmet eder. Milton sonra Kayıp Cennet'i, göremediği için yardımcılarına yazdırarak tamamladı.

Sources and further reading

Background reading: John Milton
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