h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

"An' lea'e us nought but grief an' pain,
For promis'd joy!"

To translate it into standard English for the meaning, I would say

"And leave us nothing but grief and pain,
Instead of the joy that was promised".

So he didn't get it wrong. He agrees with you.

Yes, that's what I understood, and it's what I wasn't sure about. I mean, what promised joy are we talking about?
Maybe it's my interpretation of the word 'joy'?
Well, whatever, all my plans were 'über den Haufen geworfen'*.


*knocked on the head

Ah, I see what you mean now. His point was that the joy that was promised came to nothing - yours is that you haven't even had the *promise* of joy.

It's hard to say which is worse!

I guess it's worse when you expect joy and there is none.