An Indianapolis listener says his father used to often spoke of leaving this veil of tears. His son wonders about the origin of that phrase. Grant and Martha explain the expression is actually vale of tears, a synonym for valley. In some translations, Psalm 84 refers to traveling through a vale of tears. This is part of a complete episode.
Transcript of “Veil of Tears”
Hello, you have A Way with Words.
Hello.
Hi, who’s this?
This is Chris. I’m calling from Indianapolis.
Hello, Chris. Welcome to the program.
Hi, Chris.
How can we help you today?
Well, let me give you a little back story. It starts a little sad. My father passed away just a few weeks ago.
I’m sorry to hear that.
Well, thank you very much. And it got me to thinking about some of the things that he used to say. He was a pretty sharp guy, graduated from the University of Chicago, got his master’s from Butler University.
Yay, go Dawgs, go Dawgs.
Sorry, I just had to say that.
Yeah, go Dawgs, thank you. He was a band director for 30 years. He used to like to work the New York Times crossword puzzle, as he would put it, in pen.
Whoa.
But one of the phrases that he was fond of using, he used to describe his own eventual departure. And that was a phrase he would say, when I leave this veil of tears. And he would always roll his eyes in credulity.
So I got to thinking about that and did a little bit of web research. And I saw it quoted a number of times but could never figure out its origin.
Okay.
Okay.
And, Chris, how were you spelling veil?
Well, I guess I assumed V-E-I-L, as in to cover one’s face, but I have no idea. He was the smart one in the family. If he were here today, he’d tell me, just eschew obfuscation and ask the question. I would look at him and go, huh?
Well, I tell you what, first of all, I just want to say your dad sounds like a really great guy, and I’m really glad that you’re sharing some of his memory with us. He sounds really cool.
If he were here, Chris, I’m betting that he would tell you that although veil of tears is sort of a beautiful, sort of poetic image, I think of somebody weeping so much that they have a veil over their face of tears, it’s spelled differently. It’s not that kind of veil.
Oh, my goodness.
So V-A-L-E then.
Yes, veil, which is another word for valley. And so the idea is this valley of tears, this sad, miserable, earthly existence when I leave this valley of tears. So our life is seen as a metaphor for walking through a valley.
Yes, yes. And it may be related to a passage in Psalm 84. Some translations translate it as valley of tears.
Well, I had seen it quoted in a number of religious writings on the Internet, but never credited to anyone.
Yeah, it’s several hundred years old. There are similar expressions in the 1500s, this veil of misery and woe, which is similar. So it’s got several hundred years on it.
Well, that would make a lot of sense.
Yeah, yeah.
Chris, thank you so much for calling.
Yeah, and thanks for sharing stories of your dad. We loved it.
Thank you very much.
I appreciate it.
You guys take care.
Bye-bye.
Take care.
Bye-bye.
Bye-bye.
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