What is the correct grammar for the following sentence Love lies within every rainbow or Love lays within every rainbow?

Answer 1

Lay? Lie? These words are easily confused, because they are used in different ways although their meanings are similar. So we'll just focus on the usage that relates to the question posed.

To lay means (among other things) to put down carefully or to put into a position of rest. To put = an act, action, or activity. 'To lay' is a transitive verb, which means it is always following by an object.

[To make is also a transitive verb, i.e. always followed by an object. "I'll make (something)."]

Examples of 'lay':

A chicken lays eggs. The maid lays the table every morning. (lay the table = she carefully puts cutlery on the table)

The past simple of lay is laid.

So, the chicken laid five eggs last week.

The maid laid the table this morning, as usual.

To lie (apart from the meaning to tell an untruth) means to be horizontal, or to be in a particular place. It refers a state of 'being'. This verb is irregular AND it is intransitive, i.e. it does not need to be followed by an object. e.g."This is where I will lie."

But this is where the confusion arises.. the past simple of lie is lay!

e.g. "Last night, this is where I lay." (not "Last night, this is where I lied."! nor "Last night, this is where I laid."! However, the third person singular of lie is not lays but lay! "The treasure lay (not 'lays') there for 200 years."

Identify meaning: Notice the essential difference in meaning; one usage refers to 'action', the other refers to a state of 'being'.

e.g. To lay (to put or lay something) on the table, or To lay/lie (be) on the table!

The meaning determines which word is to be used.

So let's now re-examine the given text. "Love [something] within every rainbow."

Is it in the present simple i.e. stating a general and timeless truth true? (e.g. I like ice-cream)? or is it an action? or is it referring to past time?

Consider: (1) Is love in or within the rainbow? Is that its state or condition in the poetic phrase under examination? The sentence "Love [something] within every rainbow" is presented as a statement of a timeless truism. And if a phrase is talking about a state, which tense form of the word should we use? The present simple, i.e. to lie.

Or, alternatively, (2) is Love actually putting something somewhere? If so, what is would be the object that love is 'putting into' the rainbow?

Could the sentence really mean that 'Love lays [lays what?] within every rainbow'? Hardly! This is not the sense of the sentence given in the question. Nothing is putting anything anywhere!

And love... it just lies there! So "Love lies within every rainbow."

Love lies... -other examples of usage

-"Philaster: Or, Love Lies A-Bleeding" -book written for Shakespeare's theatre company in 1609.

-"Real happiness lies within you" -saying by Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba

-'...And love lies bleeding in my hand...' -lyrics, Elton John.

-"Love Lies Bleeding" -film title.

Answer 2

The correct grammar is: "Love lies within every rainbow." "Lies" in this context means to exist or be found. "Lays" is the present tense of "to lay," which means to place something down.