master's hand
Dolly Parton Lyrics

Twas battered and scared, and the auctioneer
The old violin was disheveled and unimpressive, which made the auctioneer hesitant to even include it in his list

Thought it scarcely worth his while
The auctioneer perceived the violin to be of little value, implying nobody would be interested enough to pay a high price for it

To waste much time on the old violin,
The auctioneer didn't give much attention nor time to the violin before announcing and inviting bids

But he held it up with a smile.
Despite the violin's poor condition, the auctioneer still proceeded to display it for everyone to see with a cheerful disposition

"What am I bidden, good folks," he cried,
The auctioneer prompted and encouraged the audience to start bidding on the violin

"Who'll start bidding for me?
The auctioneer initiated the auction process by calling for an opening bid

A dollar, a dollar - now who"ll make it two _
The auctioneer began calling out the numbers of the bid, incrementally increasing them until he reaches the highest bid

Two dollars, and who"ll make it three?
As the bidding progressed, the auctioneer sought to solicit even higher bids from the audience

"Three dollars once, three dollars twice,
The auctioneer repeated the final bid amount and acknowledged going once and going twice before closing the auction

Going for three". . . but no!
Unfortunately, the auctioneer's final bid attempt didn't attract any bidders as he was expecting, which ended the auction's proceeding without anybody purchasing the item.

From the room far back a gray-haired man
A wise and experienced gentleman who was at the back of the hall became interested in the violin

Came forward and picked up the bow;
The man stepped forward to play the violin that caught his attention.

Then wiping the dust from the old violin,
Before playing the violin, the older man carefully removes the dirt that was accumulated over the years

And tightening up the strings,
Next, he adjusts the strings on the instrument, ensuring each one is in perfect tune.

He played a melody,pure and sweet,
He began playing an exquisite and melodious tune that sounded very beautiful to everyone in the room.

As sweet as an angel sings.
The melody played by the man sounded pure and serene, as heavenly as that of an angel.

The music ceased and the auctioneer
After the beautiful tune ended, the auctioneer spoke out once more

With a voice that was quiet and low,
The auctioneer spoke in a soft and low tone with clarity.

Said: "What am I bidden for the old violin?"
The auctioneer inquired for the audience's final bid for the violin.

And he held it up with the bow;
The auctioneer held up the violin alongside its bow to remind the audience of the item they have just bid for.

"A thousand dollars - and who'll make it two?
The wise gentleman who appreciated the violin played by the auctioneer responded with an opening bid of $1,000.

Two thousand - and who'll make it three?
Other bidders were pushed to increase the bidding amounts, as the auctioneer called out for a new and higher bid.

Three thousand once, three thousand twice
As the auction continued, the auctioneer called out each bid increment, announcing the current bid twice before closing it.

And going - and gone," said he.
Finally, the auctioneer declared the violin was sold' to the highest bidder as none dared match the $3,000 bid he called, marking the end of the auction.

The people cheered, but some of them cried,
The crowd's reaction showed joy for the outcome, but some also felt sadness they missed out on this precious instrument.

"We do not quite understand -
People who didn't understand why the price of the item kept increasing, voiced out their confusion

What changed its worth?"
Those who didn't bid, showing their ignorance about the worth of the violin, inquired about what made the violin so expensive?

The man replied:
The gentleman who played and bought the violin answered:

"The touch of the masters hand."
The wise man knew that the beauty embodies in the old violn came alive after it was uplifted by a skillful master musician

And many a man with life out of tune,
The metaphor here compares individuals with their imperfect lives to the imperfect old violin

And battered and torn with sin,
The metaphor continues, saying these individuals have shed their innocence and are leading lives filled with afflictions

Is auctioned cheap to a thoughtless crowd.
The comparison of life to an auctioned item continues, undervaluing the worth of every individual that isn't appreciated for their true value even to the people around them.

Much like the old violin.
The old violin and the people represent the same thing here in the artist's comparison.

A "mess of pottage," a glass of wine,
The artist describes various materialistic things that lead individuals astray from the real value they possess- a reference from the Biblical story of Esau who sold his birthright for a bowl of stew

A game and he travels on,
This line represents the trivial nature of leisurely activities and how they all come and go

He's going once, and going twice -
People seeking transient and fleeting experiences soon start losing their real identity

He's going - and almost gone!
They're soon forgotten and fade away even with all the amusement that they have enjoyed

But the MASTER comes, and the foolish crowd,
The reference here is about Jesus entering the people's lives he deems valuable even if society undervalues them,

Never can quite understand,
People around the individuals in reference can't recognize their worth

The worth of a soul, and the change that's wrought
Jesus identifies every individual's true worth and the potential they possess that no one but him recognizes

By the touch of the MASTER'S hand.
Only the 'MASTER', the Holy Spirit/Jesus, touching an individual's life can reveal their true worth and potentiality they hold beyond human comprehension.