Yours will be the heart-ache and the smart,

English as a Second Language English Vocabulary, Grammar and Idioms
1

There will be a moaning in your heart,
There will be an anguish in your eyes;
You will see your dearest ones depart,
You will hear their quivering good-byes.
Yours will be the heart-ache and the smart,
Tears that scald and lonely sacrifice;
There will be a moaning in your heart,
There will be an anguish in your eyes.
http://famouspoetsandpoems.com/poets/robert_william_service/poems/12590.html
What does “the smart” mean in the above poem?

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I think the smart here means the sharp pain linked to ‘the heart-ache’.

This interpretation is confirmed by the line “Time will dry the tear and dull the smart.” in the third stanza of the poem by Robert William Service.

Further, there is also a comma after the smart meaning that the word is a noun.

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3

Hi,

Agree with Lawrence. ‘Smart’ is also used as a verb to describe a stinging pain. For example when you cut yourself and then apply an ointment on it, you would feel a sharp pain lasting a minute or two and say - It’s smarting.

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