Danish · Preface, Exordium, Eulogy

Lovtale over Abraham

A Eulogy on Abraham

133 sentences · 98 notes

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1
If there were no eternal consciousness in a man, if at the bottom of everything there lay only a wildly seething power that, writhing in dark passions, brought forth all that was great and all that was insignificant, if a bottomless emptiness, never sated, lay hidden beneath everything — what then would life be but despair?
DersomIfdersom · subordinating conjunctionintroduces the clause of var
derthereder · adverbexpletive with var
ingennoingen · determiner, common gender, singulardeterminer of Bevidsthed
evigeternalevig · adjective, common gender, singularmodifies Bevidsthed
Bevidsthedconsciousnessbevidsthed · noun, common gender, singularsubject of var
varwasvære · verb, past, indicative, activeverb of the clause introduced by Dersom
iini · prepositionpreposition marking Menneske
etaen · determiner, neuter, singulardeterminer of Menneske
Menneskemanmenneske · noun, neuter, singularoblique complement of var
dersomifdersom · subordinating conjunctionintroduces the clause of laae
derthereder · adverbexpletive with laae
tilattil · prepositionpreposition marking Grund
Idiom 'til grund for' = 'at the bottom/root of'.
Grundthe bottomgrund · noun, common gender, singularobject of til
foroffor · prepositionpreposition marking Alt
Alteverythingalt · adjective, neuter, singularobject of for
kunonlykun · adverbmodifies laae
laaelayligge · verb, past, indicative, activeverb of the clause introduced by dersom (w10)
enaen · determiner, common gender, singulardeterminer of Magt
vildtwildlyvild · adverbmodifies gjærende
gjærendeseethinggjære · verb, present, participlemodifies Magt
Magtpowermagt · noun, common gender, singularsubject of laae
derthatder · pronounsubject of vridende
vridendewrithingvride · verb, present, participlerelative clause on Magt
sigitselfsig · pronoun, accusative, reflexivedirect object of vridende
iini · prepositionpreposition marking Lidenskaber
dunkledarkdunkle · adjective, pluralmodifies Lidenskaber
Lidenskaberpassionslidenskab · noun, common gender, pluraloblique complement of vridende
frembragtebrought forthfrembringe · verb, past, indicative, activerelative clause on Magt
Alteverythingalt · adjective, neuter, singulardirect object of frembragte
hvadthathvad · pronoun, singularintroduces the clause of stort
derthatder · adverbsubject of var
varwasvære · verb, past, indicative, activecopula linking to stort
stortgreatstor · adjective, neuter, singularrelative clause on Alt
ogandog · conjunctionlinks the coordination
hvadthathvad · pronoun, singularintroduces the clause of ubetydeligt
derthatder · adverbsubject of var
varwasvære · verb, past, indicative, activecopula linking to ubetydeligt
ubetydeligtinsignificantubetydelig · adjective, neuter, singularrelative clause on Alt
dersomifdersom · subordinating conjunctionintroduces the clause of skjulte
enaen · determiner, common gender, singulardeterminer of Tomhed
bundløsbottomlessbundløs · adjective, common gender, singularmodifies Tomhed
Tomhedemptinesstomhed · noun, common gender, singularsubject of skjulte
aldrigneveraldrig · adverbmodifies mættet
mættetsatedmætte · verb, past, participle, singularmodifies Tomhed
skjultelay hiddenskjule · verb, past, indicative, activeverb of the clause introduced by dersom (w39)
sigitselfsig · pronoun, accusative, reflexivedirect object of skjulte
underbeneathunder · prepositionpreposition marking Alt
Alteverythingalt · adjective, neuter, singularoblique complement of skjulte
hvadwhathvad · pronoun, singularpredicate complement of var (paired with Andet, w53)
Idiom 'hvad ... andet end' = 'nothing other than' — frames the rhetorical question 'life was nothing but despair'.
varwasvære · verb, past, indicative, activemain verb of the sentence
dathenda · adverbmodifies var
Livetlifeliv · noun, neuter, singularsubject of var
Andetotherandet · determiner, neuter, singularpredicate complement of var (paired with hvad, w49)
endthanend · prepositionpreposition marking Fortvivlelse
Fortvivlelsedespairfortvivlelse · noun, common gender, singularobject of end
Grammar«Dersom» — if «Dersom» is a formal 'if' (conditional), more weighty than everyday «hvis». Kierkegaard stacks «dersom … dersom … dersom» as a rising anaphora of conditions before the question finally lands on «Fortvivlelse» (despair). Note the period orthography: «laae» (modern «lå»), «gjærende» («gj-» for soft g), and capitalized nouns (Bevidsthed, Magt, Tomhed).
WordFortvivlelse — despair «Fortvivlelse» = despair, a central Kierkegaardian term and the subject of his later «Sygdommen til Døden» (The Sickness unto Death). The whole opening sentence is built to set this single word as the alternative to a life without eternal consciousness.
2
If things were so, if there were no sacred bond binding humanity together, if one generation rose up after another like the leaves of the forest, if one generation succeeded another like the song of birds in the forest, if the generation passed through the world as the ship goes through the sea, as the wind goes through the wilderness, a thoughtless and barren labor, if an eternal oblivion, forever hungry, lay in wait for its prey, and there were no power strong enough to wrest it away — how empty and comfortless life would be!
WordSlægt — generation, lineage «Slægt» means a generation or a lineage/kin — here the succession of human generations, evoked in the image of forest leaves and birdsong. The doubled vowel in «gaaer» (modern «går») and «paa» (modern «på») is period spelling; «V.eiret» is an OCR-scarred «Veiret» (the weather/wind, modern «vejret»).
3
But it is not so, and as God created man and woman, so he fashioned the hero and the poet or orator.
Grammar«Qvinde» — woman «Qvinde» (modern «Kvinde») shows the period spelling «Qv-» for the k-sound, the same convention seen later in «Qvad» (song). The pairing «Helten og Digteren» — the hero and the poet — sets up the whole eulogy: the poet's task is to remember and praise the hero.
4
The latter can do nothing of what the former does; he can only admire, love, and rejoice in the hero.
Grammar«denne … hiin» — the latter … the former «Denne» (this one, the nearer) and «hiin» (that one, the more remote) is an archaic demonstrative pair: «denne» = the poet just named, «hiin» = the hero. The verb «gjøre» keeps the period «gj-» spelling for the soft g.
5
Yet he too is happy, no less than the other; for the hero is, as it were, his better self, with which he is in love, glad that it is nevertheless not himself, that his love can be admiration.
Grammar«thi» — for, because «thi» is an archaic, literary 'for / because' (modern «for» or «thi» survives only in elevated prose). «Kjærlighed» (love) keeps the period «Kj-» spelling for the k-sound before a front vowel, as does «Kjære» later.
6
He is the genius of remembrance; he can do nothing but recall what has been done, do nothing but admire what has been done; he takes nothing of his own, but is jealous of what has been entrusted to him.
WordErindringens Genius — the genius of remembrance «Erindring» = recollection/remembrance; «Erindringens Genius» casts the poet as the tutelary spirit of memory. «misundelig paa det Betroede» — jealous over what is entrusted — guards the hero's deeds as a sacred trust rather than his own.
7
He follows his heart's choice, but when he has found what he sought, then he wanders from every man's door with his song and his speech, that all may admire the hero as he does, may be proud of the hero, as he is.
Grammar«maae» — present subjunctive 'may' «at Alle maae beundre» uses «maae» (modern «må») in an optative sense — 'that all may admire' — expressing purpose/wish after «at». The doubled-vowel spelling «maae» and «naar» (when, modern «når») is period orthography.
8
This is his exploit, his humble labor; this is his faithful service in the hero's house.
Grammar«Huus» — house (doubled vowel) «Huus» (modern «Hus») doubles the vowel to mark length, like «Viis» (way) and «Viisdom» (wisdom) elsewhere in the passage. The stray period after «Bedrift.» is an artifact of the 19th-century print; the sentence runs on through «hans ydmyge Gjerning».
9
If he thus stays true to his love, if he strives day and night with the cunning of oblivion, which would steal the hero away from him, then he has accomplished his task, then he is gathered to the hero, who has loved him just as faithfully; for the poet is, as it were, the hero's better self — feeble, as a memory is, but also transfigured, as a memory is.
GrammarVerb-first conditional clause «Bliver han … tro» inverts verb and subject to mean 'if he remains true' — Danish forms conditionals by fronting the verb instead of using «hvis». The same V1 construction returns in «strider han». «forklaret» here means 'transfigured/clarified', a charged word given the religious theme.
10
Therefore none who was great shall be forgotten; and though it take longer still, though the cloud of misunderstanding carry the hero away, his lover comes nonetheless, and the longer time passed, the more faithfully he clings to him.
Grammar«jo … desto» — the more … the more «jo længere … desto trofastere» is the correlative 'the longer … the more faithfully'. The concessive «varer det end længere» / «tager … end … bort» uses «end» in the sense of 'even (though)'.
11
No!
12
None shall be forgotten who was great in the world; but each was great in his own way, and each in proportion to the greatness of that which he loved.
Grammar«paa sin Viis» — in his own way «Viis» (way/manner, modern «vis») doubles the vowel for length. This sentence opens the eulogy's great refrain: «Enhver … i Forhold til» (each … in proportion to), repeated through the loved object, the expectation, the struggle — building toward Abraham, who was 'greater than all'.
13
For he who loved himself became great by himself, and he who loved other men became great through his devotion, but he who loved God became greater than all.
Word«større end Alle» — greater than all «større end Alle» (greater than all) is the recurring climax that crowns each tier of the refrain and is finally reserved for Abraham. «Hengivenhed» = devotion, self-surrender — a key value Kierkegaard ranks below love of God.
14
Each shall be remembered, but each became great in proportion to his expectation.
WordForventning — expectation «Forventning» = expectation/anticipation, a load-bearing word in the eulogy and in Abraham's long wait. «Forvenftning» here is an OCR misreading of «Forventning»; the correct form appears just below.
15
One became great by expecting the possible; another by expecting the eternal; but he who expected the impossible became greater than all.
Worddet Mulige / det Evige / det Umulige The triad «det Mulige» (the possible), «det Evige» (the eternal), «det Umulige» (the impossible) ranks modes of expectation, reserving the highest for the one who expects the impossible — Abraham. The neuter «det» + adjective forms an abstract noun ('the possible', etc.).
16
Each shall be remembered, but each was great precisely in proportion to the greatness of that which he struggled with.
17
For he who struggled with the world became great by overcoming the world, and he who struggled with himself became greater by overcoming himself; but he who struggled with God became greater than all.
Grammar«strede / stred» — struggled (past of «stride») «stred» is the past tense of «stride» (to strive/contend). The escalating object — «med Verden … med sig selv … med Gud» (with the world … with himself … with God) — mirrors the earlier love- and expectation-triads, each crowned by «større end Alle».
18
Thus was the struggle waged in the world, man against man, in their thousands, but he who struggled with God was greater than all.
19
Thus was the struggle waged on earth: there was the one who overcame everything by his strength, and there was the one who overcame God by his powerlessness.
WordKraft / Afmagt — strength / powerlessness «Kraft» (strength, power) is set against «Afmagt» (powerlessness, impotence). The paradox — overcoming God by powerlessness — anticipates the definition of Abraham, whose strength 'is powerlessness' («hvis Styrke er Afmagt»).
20
There was the one who trusted in himself and won everything, there was the one who, secure in his strength, sacrificed everything, but he who believed God was greater than all.
Word«troede Gud» — believed God «troede Gud» (believed God, with no preposition) is stronger than «troede paa Gud» (believed in God): it means trusting God's word outright. This is the verb behind «Tro» (faith), the book's central concept and Abraham's defining act.
21
There was the one who was great by his strength, and the one who was great by his wisdom, and the one who was great by his hope, and the one who was great by his love; but Abraham was greater than all — great by the strength whose power is powerlessness, great by the wisdom whose secret is folly, great by the hope whose form is madness, great by the love that is hatred of oneself.
WordThe paradoxes of Abraham's greatness Each gift is defined by its paradoxical inversion: «Styrke … Afmagt» (power/powerlessness), «Viisdom … Daarskab» (wisdom/folly), «Haab … Vanvid» (hope/madness), love that is «Had til sig selv» (hatred of self). This is the paradox-of-faith logic at the heart of «Frygt og Bæven». «Viisdom» and «Haab» keep their period doubled vowels.
22
By faith Abraham went out from the land of his fathers and became a stranger in the land of promise.
Word«Ved Troen» — by faith «Tro» = faith, the central word of the book; «Ved Troen» (by faith) opens a litany of acts — modeled on Hebrews 11 — each beginning the same way. «Forjættelse» = the promise (God's covenant to Abraham); «Forjættelsens [Land]» drops the noun, 'the [land] of promise'.
23
He left one thing behind, took one thing with him; he left his earthly understanding behind and took faith with him; otherwise he would surely not have gone out, but would have thought it absurd.
Wordurimeligt — absurd, unreasonable «urimeligt» (unreasonable, absurd) is what «jordisk Forstand» (earthly understanding/reason) would call God's promise. Leaving reason behind and taking «Troen» instead is precisely Kierkegaard's faith 'by virtue of the absurd'.
24
By faith he was a stranger in the land of promise, and there was nothing to remind him of what was dear, but everything by its newness tempted his soul to wistful longing.
Wordveemodig — wistful, melancholy «veemodig» (modern «vemodig») means wistful or melancholy; «veemodig Længsel» = a sorrowful longing for home. The word recurs through the eulogy («veemodig Qvad», «veemodige … Time») as the human grief Abraham transcends through faith.
25
And yet he was God's chosen one, in whom the Lord delighted!
WordGuds Udvalgte — God's chosen one «Guds Udvalgte» = God's elect/chosen, a phrase that returns several times as the painful irony of Abraham's trials deepens. «havde Velbehag [i]» — took pleasure/delight in — echoes the biblical 'in whom I am well pleased'.
26
Yes, had he been an outcast, thrust away from God's grace, he could have grasped it better; now it was as if a mockery of him and of his faith.
GrammarVerb-first counterfactual «havde han været … da kunde han» fronts the verb to mean 'had he been … then he could' — a counterfactual conditional without «hvis». «Naade» = grace (doubled vowel, modern «nåde»); «Spot» = mockery, scorn.
27
There was also in the world the one who lived banished from the fatherland that he loved.
28
He is not forgotten, nor are his songs of lament, when in sorrow he sought and found what was lost.
WordKlagesange — songs of lament «Klagesang» = a lament, a song of complaint (a contrast with Abraham, of whom there is no «Klagesang»). «ei heller» (modern «ej heller») = 'nor / neither', an archaic negative; «Veemod» is the noun behind «veemodig».
29
Of Abraham there is no lament.
30
It is human to lament, human to weep with the one who weeps, but it is greater to believe, more blessed to contemplate the one who believes.
Word«større … saligere» — greater … more blessed This is the eulogy's recurring couplet: it is human to grieve, but «større at troe» (greater to believe) and «saligere at betragte den Troende» (more blessed to contemplate the believer). «salig» = blessed/blissful; «den Troende» = the one who believes (the believer). The stray periods around «men . det» and the trailing «.» are print artifacts.
31
By faith Abraham received the promise that in his seed all the families of the earth should be blessed.
WordSæd — seed, offspring «Sæd» = seed, i.e. offspring/descendants (Genesis 22:18). «skulde … velsignes» is the past subjunctive/future-in-past 'should be blessed'; «Slægter» here means the families or peoples of the earth.
32
Time passed, the possibility was there, Abraham believed; time passed, it became absurd, Abraham believed.
33
There was the one in the world who also had an expectation.
34
Time passed, it drew toward evening; he was not wretched enough to have forgotten his expectation, and therefore he too shall not be forgotten.
Word«det lakkede mod Aften» — it drew toward evening «lakke mod» = to draw/approach (of time); «det lakkede mod Aften» idiomatically means life was nearing its evening, i.e. old age. «ussel» = wretched, base.
35
Then he grieved, and the grief did not deceive him as life had done; it did for him all that it could; in the sweetness of sorrow he possessed his disappointed expectation.
WordSorgens Sødme — the sweetness of sorrow «Sorg» = grief/sorrow; «Sorgens Sødme» (the sweetness of sorrow) is the consolation that grief, unlike life, keeps faith with the grieving. «eiede» = possessed (modern «ejede»). The doubled «i i» and «den- kunde» are scanning artifacts kept verbatim.
36
It is human to grieve, it is human to grieve with the one who grieves, but it is greater to believe, more blessed to contemplate the one who believes.
WordThe refrain returns, now with grief The couplet of s30 returns with «sørge» (to grieve) replacing «klage» (to lament): «den Sørgende» = the one grieving. Kierkegaard reuses the formula to mark each human emotion Abraham's faith surpasses.
37
Of Abraham we have no song of mourning.
Grammar«have vi» — older plural verb form «have vi» uses the older plural form «have» (modern «har vi») — Danish once inflected verbs for plural subjects. «Sørgesang» = a song of mourning, a dirge.
38
He did not mournfully count the days as the seasons went by; he did not look at Sarah with suspicious glances, to see whether she was not growing old; he did not halt the course of the sun, so that Sarah should not age, and with her his expectation; soothing her, he did not sing to Sarah his wistful song.
WordQvad — song, lay «Qvad» (modern «kvad») is an old, elevated word for a song or lay, with the period «Qv-» spelling. «dyssende» = lulling/soothing (as one lulls a child). The four parallel «han … ikke» clauses list all the human anxieties Abraham did not indulge.
39
Abraham grew old, Sarah a mockery in the land, and yet he was God's chosen one and heir to the promise that in his seed all the families of the earth should be blessed.
WordArving til Forjættelsen — heir to the promise «Arving» = heir; «Arving til Forjættelsen» = heir to the promise. «Abrabam» and the stray «"» are scanning errors for «Abraham»; «Sara til Spot» = Sarah (become) a mockery, the noun «Spot» (scorn) reused from earlier.
40
So then, would it not have been better that he was not God's chosen one?
41
What is it to be God's chosen one?
42
Is it to be denied in youth the wish of youth, only to have it fulfilled with great difficulty in old age?
Wordnegtet — denied, refused «negtet» (modern «nægtet») = denied/refused. The orthographic difference is a vowel change: the period spelling uses «e» where modern Danish writes «æ» (negtet → nægtet). «Ønske» = wish/desire; the play «i Ungdommen Ungdommens Ønske» — denied in youth the wish of youth — frames Abraham's long deferral.
43
But Abraham believed and held the promise fast.
44
If Abraham had wavered, then he would have given it up.
Wordvaklet — wavered «vakle» = to waver, totter, be unsteady; faith's opposite here. «Hvis … havde … da havde han» is the explicit-«hvis» counterfactual ('if … had …, then he would have …').
45
He would have said to God: "So then it is perhaps not your will that it should happen; then I will give up the wish; it was my only one, it was my bliss.
GrammarDanish quotation marks »…« Danish opens direct speech with a right-pointing «»» and closes with a left-pointing ««» — the reverse of German. «Villie» (modern «vilje») = will; «Salighed» = bliss/blessedness. «Såaa» / «skee» preserve the source's spelling and a stray accent.
46
My soul is sincere; I hide no secret resentment because you denied it."
WordNag — grudge, resentment «Nag» = a grudge, rancor, lingering resentment; «skjule … Nag» = to harbor a hidden grudge. «skjuler» keeps the period «skj-» spelling. The closing «”» here stands in for the Danish ««».
47
He would not have been forgotten; he would have saved many by his example, yet would not have become the father of faith; for it is great to give up one's wish, but greater to hold it fast after having given it up; it is great to lay hold of the eternal, but greater to hold fast to the temporal after having given it up.
WordTroens Fader — the father of faith «Troens Fader» = the father of faith, Abraham's defining title. The paradox sharpens: «det Evige» (the eternal) is easier than «det Timelige» (the temporal) — true faith holds fast to the finite/temporal even after surrendering it. «frelst» = saved; «Exempel» = example.
48
— Then came the fullness of time.
49
Had Abraham not believed, then Sarah would surely have died of grief, and Abraham, dulled by anguish, would not have understood the fulfillment, but would have smiled at it as at a dream of youth.
Wordsløvet i Græmmelse — dulled by anguish «Græmmelse» = grief, anguish, mortification; «sløvet» = blunted, made dull/apathetic. «Opfyldelsen» = the fulfillment (of the promise). Another verb-first counterfactual: «Havde Abraham ikke troet, da var …».
50
But Abraham believed, and therefore he was young; for he who always hopes for the best grows old, deceived by life, and he who is always prepared for the worst grows old early.
GrammarResumptive «han» after a fronted relative «den, der altid haaber det Bedste, han bliver gammel» repeats the subject with «han» after the long relative clause — a common spoken-rhetorical Danish pattern Kierkegaard uses for emphasis. «haaber» keeps the doubled vowel (modern «håber»).
51
but he who believes preserves an eternal youth.
Wordevig Ungdom — eternal youth The triad closes: the optimist and the pessimist both grow old, but «den, der troer» (he who believes) keeps «en evig Ungdom» (an eternal youth). «bevarer» = preserves/keeps. The clause runs on from the previous sentence with a lowercase «men».
52
Praised therefore be that story!
Grammar«Priset!» — praised be (optative participle) «Priset derfor hiin Fortælling!» uses the past participle «priset» (praised) as an exclamatory optative — 'praised be that tale!'. «hiin» is again the remote demonstrative 'that'; «Fortælling» = story/tale.
53
For Sarah, though far advanced in years, was young enough to desire a mother's delight, and Abraham, though gray-haired, was young enough to wish to be a father.
Grammarskjøndt — although «skjøndt» (modern «skønt») = although, with the period «skj-» spelling. «alderstegen» = advanced in years; «graahærdet» = gray-haired (doubled «aa»); «begjære» = to desire (with period «gj-»).
54
In outward respect the wonder lies in this, that it happened according to their expectation; in a deeper sense the miracle of faith lies in this, that Abraham and Sarah were young enough to wish, and that faith had preserved their wish and with it their youth.
WordTroens Vidunder — the miracle of faith «det Vidunderlige» (the wondrous thing) is distinguished from «Troens Vidunder» (the miracle/marvel of faith): the outward wonder is fulfillment, but the deeper marvel is that faith kept their desire alive. «vare» is the older plural past 'were' (modern «var»).
55
He received the fulfillment of the promise, he received it believing, and it happened according to the promise and according to faith; for Moses struck the rock with his staff, but he did not believe.
56
Then there was joy in Abraham's house, when Sarah stood as a bride on the golden-wedding day.
WordGuldbryllupsdagen — the golden-wedding day «Guldbryllup» = a golden (50th) wedding anniversary; the image of aged Sarah standing «Brud» (a bride) on the «Guldbryllupsdag» fuses old age with new birth. «Glæde» = joy.
57
Yet it was not to remain so; once again Abraham was to be tested.
Wordforsøges — to be tested/tried «forsøge» here means to put to the test/try (as God «fristede» Abraham); «skulde forsøges» = 'was to be tried'. This sentence pivots the eulogy from the long wait toward the binding of Isaac.
58
He had struggled with that cunning power which invents everything, with that vigilant foe which never slumbers, with that old man who outlives everything — he had struggled with time and kept his faith.
WordThe three figures of Time The «snilde Magt» (cunning power), «aarvaagne Fjende» (vigilant foe), and «gamle Mand, der overlever Alt» (old man who outlives all) are three faces of one enemy, named in the last clause: «Tiden» (Time). «snild» = cunning/crafty; «aarvaagen» = vigilant, watchful.
59
Now all the terror of the struggle was gathered into a single moment.
WordØieblik — moment, instant «Øieblik» (modern «øjeblik») = a moment/instant, literally 'the blink of an eye' — a charged term in Kierkegaard. «Forfærdelse» = terror, horror; «Strid» = struggle/strife. The whole prior struggle now condenses into one instant of trial.
60
"And God tempted Abraham and said to him: take Isaac your only son, whom you love, go to the land of Moriah and offer him there as a burnt offering on a mountain that I will show you."
Wordfristede — tempted/tested; Brændoffer — burnt offering «friste» means both 'tempt' and 'put to the test' — the ambiguity is central to «Frygt og Bæven». This quotes Genesis 22: «Brændoffer» = burnt offering; «Morija» = Moriah. The polite capitalized «Du / Din / Dig» (you/your) marks God addressing Abraham with formal weight.
61
So then everything was lost, more dreadful than if it had never happened!
Wordforspildt — wasted, lost, forfeited «forspildt» = squandered/forfeited/lost — the refrain «Alt var forspildt» (everything was lost) tolls through the next passage. «forfærdeligere» = more dreadful; «skeet» (modern «sket») = happened.
62
So the Lord was only mocking Abraham after all!
Word«drive Spot med» — to mock «drive Spot med [nogen]» is an idiom, 'to make a mockery of / to mock [someone]'. «Spot» (scorn, mockery) returns a third time, now voicing Abraham's anguished suspicion that the promise was a cruel joke.
63
Wondrously he had made the absurd real; now he would once more see it annihilated.
Worddet Urimelige … tilintetgjort «det Urimelige» (the absurd) made «virkeligt» (real) is faith's wonder; «tilintetgjort» = annihilated, reduced to nothing. The same paradox of the absurd that brought Isaac now threatens to destroy him.
64
It was indeed a folly, but Abraham did not laugh at it, as Sarah had laughed when the promise was proclaimed.
Wordloe — laughed; Daarskab — folly «loe» is the older past tense of «le» (to laugh) — Sarah laughed at the promise (Genesis 18). «Daarskab» = folly/foolishness, echoing the earlier 'wisdom whose secret is folly'. «forkyndt» = proclaimed/announced.
GrammarThe «blive»-passive «da Forjættelsen blev forkyndt» ('when the Promise was proclaimed'): «blive» (here past «blev») + past participle forms the event-passive, naming a single happening — distinct from the general-rule «-s» passive.
65
Everything was lost!
66
Seventy years of faithful expectation, the brief joy of faith's fulfillment.
Wordtrofaste Forventning — faithful expectation «trofast» = faithful, loyal, steadfast. «70 Aars … Forventning» measures the long deferral against «den korte Glæde» (the brief joy) of fulfillment, now seemingly forfeit. «Aar» (year) keeps the doubled vowel.
67
Who then is it that tears the staff from the old man, who is it that demands that he himself shall break it!
GrammarHvo — who (archaic) «Hvo» is the archaic, biblical 'who' (modern «hvem»), used here for elevated pathos. «Olding» = an old man, an aged person; «fordrer» = demands/requires. The staff («Stav») torn from the old man dramatizes the cruelty of the command.
68
Who is it that makes a man's gray hairs comfortless, who is it that demands that he himself shall do it!
Grammar«graae Haar» — gray hairs (doubled vowels) «graae» (gray) and «Haar» (hair) both show period doubled vowels (modern «grå hår»). «trøstesløse» = comfortless, disconsolate. The parallel «Hvo er den …» rhetorical questions hammer the unbearable demand.
69
Is there no compassion for the venerable old man, none for the innocent child!
WordMedlidenhed — compassion, pity «Medlidenhed» = compassion/pity (literally 'suffering-with'). «ærværdig» = venerable, worthy of reverence; «uskyldig» = innocent. The pairing of «ærværdige Olding» and «uskyldige Barn» sharpens the horror of the demand.
70
And yet Abraham was God's chosen one, and it was the Lord who laid the trial upon him.
WordPrøvelse — trial, ordeal «Prøvelse» = a trial/ordeal; «paalægge en Prøvelse» = to impose/lay a trial upon someone. The unbearable point: it is the Lord himself who imposes it on his own «Udvalgte». The stray «"» before Abraham is a scanning artifact.
71
Everything was now to be lost!
72
The glorious remembrance of the lineage, the promise in Abraham's seed — it was only a whim, a fleeting thought that the Lord had had, which Abraham was now to blot out.
WordIndfald — whim, sudden notion «Indfald» = a whim, a sudden idea/notion; «flygtig Tanke» = a fleeting thought. The terrible suggestion is that the whole promise was a passing fancy of God's, to be «udslette[t]» (blotted out/erased). «Ihukommelse» = remembrance, commemoration.
73
That glorious treasure, which was as old as the faith in Abraham's heart, many many years older than Isaac, the fruit of Abraham's life, hallowed by prayers, ripened in struggles — the blessing on Abraham's lips, this fruit was now to be plucked unripe and rendered meaningless; for what meaning had it, when Isaac was to be sacrificed!
Word«rives af i Utide» — plucked before its time «i Utide» = unseasonably, prematurely; «rives af i Utide» = to be torn off before ripening. «Velsignelse» = blessing; «Betydning» = meaning/significance. The fruit-and-treasure imagery makes Isaac's loss the undoing of Abraham's whole life. «helliget» = hallowed, consecrated.
74
That wistful yet blessed hour, when Abraham should take leave of all that was dear to him, when once more he should lift up his venerable head, when his countenance should shine like the Lord's, when he should gather his whole soul into a blessing mighty enough to make Isaac blessed all his days — that hour was not to come!
WordAasyn — countenance, face «Aasyn» (modern «åsyn») = countenance/face, an elevated word; «straale som Herrens» = shine like the Lord's. «tage Afsked med» = to take leave of/bid farewell to. «Stund» and «Time» both mean 'hour/while'. The dots in «.straale» and «Sjæl-i» are scanning artifacts.
75
For Abraham was indeed to take leave of Isaac, but in such a way that he himself should remain behind; death was to part them, but in such a way that Isaac became its prey.
WordDøden … Isaak blev dens Bytte «Bytte» = prey, booty (the same word used of oblivion's «Bytte» at the eulogy's opening). «skille ad» = to part/separate. The horror is the reversal of nature: the son, not the aged father, becomes death's prey.
76
The old man was not, glad in death, to lay his blessing hand upon Isaac, but, weary of life, to lay a violent hand upon Isaac.
Word«lægge voldsom Haand paa» — to lay a violent hand on The antithesis: a «velsignende» (blessing) hand versus a «voldsom» (violent, forceful) hand; «glad i Døden» (glad in death) versus «træt af Livet» (weary of life). The stray «1», «:», and mid-word periods are scanning artifacts kept verbatim from the source.
77
And it was God who tried him.
78
Yea, woe!
WordVee — woe «Vee» (modern «ve») = woe, an archaic biblical cry of lament (as in 'woe unto…'). Repeated «Ja Vee! Vee det Sendebud …» it lifts the passage into prophetic register.
79
Woe to the messenger who had come before Abraham with such tidings!
WordSendebud — messenger; Tidende — tidings «Sendebud» = messenger/envoy; «Tidende» = tidings, news (as in a newspaper's old name). «for: Abraham» and «.Tidende» carry stray scanning punctuation; «for[an] Abraham» = before/in front of Abraham.
80
Who would have dared to be this envoy of sorrow?
WordSorgens Udsending — envoy of sorrow «vove» = to dare/venture; «Udsending» = envoy, emissary. «Sorgens Udsending» (the envoy of sorrow) parallels «Sendebud». The period after «vovet.» and the closing «.» for a question are scanning artifacts; in sense this is a question.
81
But it was God who tried Abraham.
82
… Yet.
83
Abraham believed, and believed for this life.
Word«for dette Liv» — for this life The crux of Abraham's faith: he believed «for dette Liv» (for this life), not merely for a life to come. Kierkegaard insists faith holds onto the temporal/finite. The period after «Abraham.» is a scanning artifact.
84
Yes, had his faith been only for a life to come, he would surely have cast everything away more easily, in order to hasten out of the world to which he did not belong.
Wordet tilkommende [Liv] — a life to come «et tilkommende [Liv]» = a future/coming life, the hereafter. Faith aimed only at the next world would make renunciation easy; Abraham's faith is harder precisely because it clings to this life. «haste» = to hasten/hurry.
85
But Abraham's faith was not of that kind, if such a thing there be; for properly it is not faith, but the remotest possibility of faith, which at the far edge of the horizon dimly senses its object, yet is separated from it by a yawning abyss within which despair plays its game.
WordThe remotest possibility of faith «Troens fjerneste Mulighed» — the remotest possibility of faith — is distinguished from faith itself: it merely «aner» (dimly senses) its «Gjenstand» (object) across a «svælgende Dyb» (yawning abyss) where «Fortvivlelsen» (despair) holds sway. «Synskreds» = horizon (field of vision).
86
But Abraham believed precisely for this life, that he should grow old in the land, honored among the people, blessed in his lineage, unforgettable in Isaac, his dearest in life, whom he embraced with a love for which it was only a poor expression to say that he faithfully fulfilled the father's duty of loving the son, as indeed the command itself sounds: the son whom you love.
WordTilsigelse — the command, the bidding «Tilsigelse» = an injunction, a summons or bidding — here God's command in Genesis 22. «Kjæreste» = dearest/beloved (period «Kj-»); «fattigt Udtryk» = a poor/inadequate expression. The clause ends by quoting the command's own words, «den Søn, som Du elsker» (the son whom you love), to measure the cost of obedience.
87
Jacob had twelve sons and one whom he loved; Abraham had only one, whom he loved.
Grammar«een» — one (emphatic) «een» (spelled with double e) is the stressed numeral 'one', distinguished in older orthography from the article «en». The contrast with Jacob's twelve sons sharpens that Abraham's whole love rested on a single child.
88
But Abraham believed and did not doubt; he believed the absurd.
Wordtvivle — to doubt (faith's opposite) «tvivle» = to doubt; «troede og tvivlede ikke» sets faith squarely against doubt. «troede det Urimelige» (believed the absurd) restates the book's formula: faith holds what reason calls impossible — believing 'by virtue of the absurd'.
89
If Abraham had doubted — then he would have done something else, something great and glorious; for how could Abraham do anything but what is great and glorious!
Grammarhvorledes — how (archaic) «hvorledes» is the literary/older 'how' (modern «hvordan»). The point cuts deep: even doubting, Abraham would have done something heroic — but the merely great is set below the faith that asks no admiration. «Herligt» = glorious, magnificent.
90
He would have set out for Mount Moriah, he would have split the wood, kindled the fire, drawn the knife — he would have cried out to God: "do not scorn this offering; it is not the best that I own, that I know well; for what is an old man against the child of the promise, but it is the best that I can give you.
Wordforsmaa — to scorn, disdain; Offer — offering «forsmaa» (modern «forsmå») = to scorn/disdain/reject. «Offer» = offering/sacrifice. The opening «,» before «forsmaa» is the source's lower comma-quote opening direct speech. «Forjættelsens Barn» = the child of the promise (Isaac), more precious than an old man's own life.
91
Let Isaac never come to know it, that he may comfort himself with his youth."
Wordtrøste sig ved — to take comfort in «trøste sig ved» = to comfort/console oneself with. The imagined plea is that Isaac never learn of the offering, so his youth stays unclouded — the self-sacrifice of a father who would bear the horror alone. «faae … at vide» = to come to know.
92
He would have plunged the knife into his own breast.
Grammar«havde stødt» — would have plunged (counterfactual) This continues the counterfactual begun at s89: the doubting Abraham would have turned the knife on himself rather than on Isaac — heroic, tragic, but not faith. «støde» = to thrust/plunge; «Bryst» = breast/chest.
93
He would have been admired in the world, and his name would not have been forgotten; but it is one thing to be admired, another to become a guiding star that saves the anguished.
Word«ledende Stjerne» — guiding star «ledende Stjerne» (a guiding/leading star) — «lededen» is a scanning error — saves «den Ængstede» (the anguished, anxious one). Mere admiration is set below the power to guide others through dread, the difference between the tragic hero and Abraham. «hlive» garbles «blive» (to become).
94
But Abraham believed.
95
He did not pray that he might move the Lord; it was only when the righteous punishment went out over Sodom and Gomorrah that Abraham came forward with his prayers.
96
We read in those holy scriptures: "And God tempted Abraham, and said: Abraham, Abraham, where are you? But Abraham answered: here I am."
97
You, to whom my discourse turns, was it so with you?
GrammarDirect address to the reader Here the eulogy turns from Abraham to address the reader directly as «Du» (you) — capitalized as intimate/direct address. «min Tale henvender sig [til]» = my discourse turns/addresses itself to; «Tilfælde» = case/instance. The final movement asks whether the reader could answer as Abraham did.
98
When from afar you saw the heavy dispensations drawing near, did you not say to the mountains, hide me, to the hills, fall upon me?
WordTilskikkelser — dispensations, fates sent by God «Tilskikkelse» = something dispensed or ordained (by Providence), a fate sent upon one. «skjuler mig … falder over mig» (hide me … fall upon me) echoes Hosea 10:8 / Luke 23:30. «saae» (saw) keeps the doubled vowel; «skjuler» the period «skj-».
99
Or were you stronger — and yet did not your foot move slowly along the way, did it not long, as it were, back toward the old paths?
Word«efter de gamle Spor» — toward the old tracks «Spor» = tracks, footprints, traces; «de gamle Spor» = the old, familiar paths one is loath to leave. «flyttede … Foden sig» (the foot moved itself) and «længtes» (longed) make the body's reluctance speak. «Veien» (the way) keeps the «ei» spelling (modern «vejen»).
100
When you were called, did you answer then, or did you not answer, perhaps softly, and whispering?
Wordsagte — softly, quietly «sagte» = softly, gently, in a low voice (not the same as «sagde», said); «hviskende» = whispering. The eulogy ends on this hushed question to the reader: when called, did you answer with Abraham's «her er jeg», or only faintly? «kaldet ad» = called to/for.
101
Not so Abraham: glad, bold, trusting, he answered aloud: here I am.
Word«saaledes» — thus / so «saaledes» (modern «således») = 'thus, in this way'. The doubled «aa» (for modern «å») is the hallmark of the 1843 orthography — you will see it throughout: «aarle», «Haab», «Naade», «maaskee». «freidig» (modern «frejdig») = 'bold, undaunted'.
102
We read further: "and Abraham rose early in the morning."
GrammarThe low comma as opening quotation mark «,og Abraham stod..."» — in this 19th-century edition a quotation opens with a baseline comma (,) and closes with a raised double mark ("). Read «,og ... Morgenen."» as 'and Abraham rose early in the morning.', a phrase quoted from Genesis 22:3.
103
As though it were to a feast, so he hastened, and early in the morning he was at the appointed place, on Mount Moriah.
104
He said nothing to Sarah, nothing to Eliezer — for who indeed could have understood him? Had not the trial by its very nature taken from him a vow of silence?
Word«Fristelse» — temptation / trial «Fristelse» = 'temptation', but here the testing of Abraham — Danish, like the German «Versuchung», fuses 'temptation' and 'ordeal'. «hvo» is an archaic 'who' (modern «hvem»). «Taushed» = 'silence', the keynote of the whole book (its narrator is «Johannes de silentio», John of the silence).
105
"He cleft the wood, he bound Isaac, he lit the pyre, he drew the knife."
106
My hearer!
107
There was many a father who believed that in his child he lost what was dearest to him in the world, that he was robbed of every hope of the future; yet there was none who in that sense was the child of the promise, as Isaac was for Abraham.
Word«Forjættelse» — the promise «Forjættelsens Barn» = 'the child of the promise'. «Forjættelse» (promise, esp. a divine pledge) marks Isaac as the son God had promised — which is precisely why his sacrifice is the paradox. «mangen Fader» = 'many a father' (singular «mangen» + singular noun).
108
There was many a father who lost his child, but then it was God, the Almighty's unchangeable and unsearchable will, His hand that took it.
Word«den Almægtige» — the Almighty «den Almægtige» = 'the Almighty'. «uforanderlige og urandsagelige» = 'unchangeable and unsearchable' — the negating prefix «u-» (like English 'un-') stacked twice; «urandsagelig» = 'that cannot be searched out / fathomed'. «Villie» is the period spelling of «Vilje» (will).
109
Not so with Abraham.
110
For him a heavier trial was reserved, and Isaac's fate was laid together with the knife in Abraham's hand.
111
And there he stood, the old man with his only hope!
112
But he did not doubt, he did not gaze anxiously to right or left, he did not challenge heaven with his prayers.
113
He knew it was God the Almighty who tried him, he knew it was the heaviest sacrifice that could be demanded of him; but he also knew that no sacrifice was too heavy when God demanded it — and he drew the knife.
Word«Offer» — sacrifice «Offer» = 'sacrifice / offering'; «fordres af ham» = 'be demanded of him' (passive «fordres»). The em-dash «—» before «og han drog Kniven» ('and he drew the knife') lets the clause fall like the blade. «naar» (modern «når») = 'when'.
114
nl Who strengthened Abraham's arm, who held his right hand uplifted, that it did not sink down powerless!
Grammar«Hvo» — archaic 'who' «Hvo» is the old nominative 'who' (modern «hvem»), here opening a rhetorical question. «Høire» = 'right hand'; «opløftet» = 'uplifted' — the «op-» prefix ('up') plus the past participle. «afmægtig» = 'powerless, faint'.
115
Whoever looks upon it is paralyzed.
116
Who strengthened Abraham's soul, that it did not grow dark before his eye, so that he saw neither Isaac nor the ram!
117
Whoever looks upon it is struck blind.
118
— And yet rare enough perhaps is the one who is made lame and blind, rarer still the one who worthily recounts what came to pass.
GrammarSentence opening on an em-dash This sentence begins with «—», a rhetorical pause carried over from the edition's typography; we preserve it. «sjelden» (modern «sjælden») = 'rare', «maaskee» (modern «måske») = 'perhaps'. «værdigen» = 'worthily', an adverb in archaic «-en».
119
We all know it — it was only a trial.
Word«Prøvelse» — a trial / testing «Prøvelse» = 'trial, ordeal' (from «at prøve», to test). The whole eulogy turns on this word: «det var kun en Prøvelse» ('it was only a trial') — the reader, unlike Abraham, knows the ending in advance.
120
If Abraham, when he stood on Mount Moriah, had doubted — if, irresolute, he had looked about him, if, before he drew the knife, he had by chance discovered the ram, if God had permitted him to sacrifice it instead of Isaac — then he would have gone home, everything would have been the same, he had Sarah, he kept Isaac, and yet how changed!
Grammar«hvis … hvis … hvis» — stacked conditions Kierkegaard piles up «hvis» ('if') clauses — a four-fold anaphora — before the «da» ('then') resolves them, mirroring the «dersom … dersom» cascade that opens the book. «raadvild» (modern «rådvild») = 'irresolute, at a loss'. «istedenfor» = 'instead of'.
121
For his retreat would have been a flight, his deliverance an accident, his reward disgrace, his future perhaps perdition.
122
Then he would have witnessed neither to his faith nor to God's grace, but witnessed to how dreadful it is to journey up to Mount Moriah.
Word«Tro» og «Naade» — faith and grace «Tro» = 'faith' and «Naade» = 'grace' are the two poles of the book; the point is that a doubting Abraham would have testified to neither. «vidnet om» = 'borne witness to'. «forfærdeligt» = 'dreadful, terrible'.
123
Then Abraham would not be forgotten, nor would Mount Moriah.
124
Then it would be named not as Ararat, where the ark came to rest, but named as a horror, because it was here that Abraham doubted.
125
Venerable Father Abraham!
126
When you journeyed home from Mount Moriah, you needed no eulogy to console you for what was lost; for you won everything indeed, and kept Isaac, was it not so?
Grammar«Du» — the intimate 'thou' From here the eulogy addresses Abraham directly as «Du» (thou), capitalized as a mark of reverence — the intimate, reverential second person (thou), used for God, a beloved, or Abraham here. The formal/polite pronoun in Danish is «De/Dem/Deres», not «Du». «Lovtale» = 'eulogy, panegyric' (literally 'praise-speech'), the title of this whole section.
127
The Lord did not take him from you again, but you sat glad at table with him in your tent, as you do over yonder through all eternities.
Word«Paulun» — tent / pavilion «Paulun» (from Latin «papilio») is an archaic, biblical word for 'tent, pavilion' — Abraham's dwelling. «hisset» = 'over yonder, in the beyond'; «gjør» is the period spelling of «gør» (do/does), keeping the «gj-» cluster.
128
Venerable Father Abraham!
129
Thousands of years have run their course since those days, yet you need no late-coming lover to wrest your memory from the grip of oblivion; for every tongue remembers you — and yet you reward your lover more gloriously than any: you make him blessed over yonder in your bosom, you hold captive here his eye and his heart by the wonder of your deed.
Word«Tungemaal» — tongue / language «Tungemaal» = 'tongue, language' (literally 'tongue-speech') — 'every tongue remembers you'. «sildig» = 'late, belated'; «Glemsels Vold» = 'the grip/dominion of oblivion' («Glemsel» = forgetting). «Skjød» (modern «skød») = 'bosom, lap', keeping «skj-».
130
Venerable Father Abraham!
131
Second father of the race!
132
You, who first perceived and bore witness to that immense passion which scorns the terrible struggle with the raging of the elements and the powers of creation in order to strive with God — you, who first knew that highest passion, the holy, pure, humble expression of the divine madness that was admired by the heathen — forgive the one who would speak to your praise, if he did not do it rightly.
Word«Lidenskab» — passion «Lidenskab» = 'passion' — for Kierkegaard the engine of faith, here «hiin højeste Lidenskab» ('that highest passion'). «hiin» is archaic 'that (yonder)'. «det guddommelige Vanvid» = 'the divine madness', faith as a holy folly «beundret af Hedninger» ('admired by the heathen').
133
He spoke humbly, as was his heart's desire, he spoke briefly, as is fitting, but he shall never forget that you needed 100 years to receive, against expectation, a son of your old age, that you had to draw the knife before you kept Isaac, he shall never forget that in 130 years you got no further than to faith.
Word«Troen» — the faith The eulogy closes on «Troen» ('the faith', definite form of «Tro») — the book's whole subject and its hardest task: Abraham «kom ikke videre end til Troen» ('got no further than to faith'). «maatte» (modern «måtte») = 'had to'; «faae» = the period spelling of «få» (receive/get).

The particulars

The text: Frygt og Bæven, Søren Kierkegaard. Preface, Exordium, Eulogy.
Translation: Public-domain Danish (Kierkegaard, d. 1855; published 1843). English translation © 2026 1732 Studios, LLC.
Words: Every word of the text, by letter.
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