Thursday, January 13, 2011

Love bade me welcome



Love bade me welcome, yet my soul drew back,
Guilty of dust and sin.
But quick-ey'd Love, observing me grow slack
From my first entrance in,
Drew nearer to me, sweetly questioning
If I lack'd anything

"A guest," I answer'd, "worthy to be here";
Love said, "You shall be he."
"I, the unkind, the ungrateful? ah my Dear,
I cannot look on Thee."
Love took my hand and smiling did reply,
"Who made the eyes but I?"

"Truth, Lord, but I have marr'd them; let my shame
Go where it doth deserve."
"And know you not," says Love, "who bore the blame?"
"My Dear, then I will serve."
"You must sit down," says Love, "and taste my meat."
So I did sit and eat.

--George Herbert

2 comments:

Jonas said...

What an incredible poem!

Have you read anything else by Herbert? We have a book of his poems at home, I'll have to show it to you some time : )

Antonio Duarte said...

great!!