Bring all your lutes and harps of Heaven and Earth; Whate'er co-operates to the common mirth: Vessels of vocal joys, Or you, more noble architects of intellectual noise, 75 Cymbals of Heaven, or human spheres, Solicitors of souls or ears; And when you are come, with all That you can bring or we can call: For ever here, and mix Yourselves into the long And everlasting series of a deathless song; Mix all your many worlds above, And loose them into one of love. Cheer thee my heart! For thou too hast thy part And place in the great throng Of this unbounded all-embracing song. Powers of my soul, be proud! 80 85 90 To all the dear-bought Nations this redeeming Name, The name of your delights, and our desires, Ye mighty Orbs, as well as you; Nor yields the noblest nest Of warbling Seraphim to the ears of Love, D 95 100 105 And we, low worms, have leave to do The same bright business (ye Third Heavens) with you. Gentle spirits, do not complain! Come, lovely Name! Appear from forth the bright Regions of peaceful light; Look from Thine Own illustrious home, Fair King of names, and come: Leave all Thy native glories in their gorgeous nest, And give Thy Self a while the gracious Guest Of humble souls, that seek to find The hidden sweets Which man's heart meets When Thou art Master of the mind. Lo, how the thirsty lands 115 I 20 125 Gasp for Thy golden showers! with long-stretch's hands. Lo, how the labouring Earth That hopes to be All Heaven by Thee, Leaps at Thy birth! The attending World, to wait Thy rise, First turn'd to eyes; 130 And then, not knowing what to do, Turn'd them to tears, and spent them too. 135 Come royal Name; and pay the expense O come away And kill the death of this delay! O see so many worlds of barren years 140 Melted and measured out in seas of tears: O see the weary lids of wakeful Hope (Love's eastern windows) all wide ope With curtains drawn, 145 To catch the day-break of Thy dawn. O they are wise, And know what sweets are suck'd from out it: It is the hive, By which they thrive, Where all their hoard of honey lies. Lo, where it comes, upon the snowy Dove's (Cloud of condensèd sweets) and break upon us In balmy showers! O fill our senses, and take from us All force of so profane a fallacy, 150 155 160 165 To think ought sweet but that which smells of Thee! Fair, flowery Name, in none but Thee And Thy nectareal fragrancy, Hourly there meets An universal synod of all sweets; 170 By whom it is definèd thus, For ever shall presume To pass for odoriferous, But such alone whose sacred pedigree Can prove itself some kin (sweet Name!) to Thee. Sweet Name, in Thy each syllable A thousand Blest Arabias dwell; 175 Home, and lodge them in his heart. O that it were as it was wont to be! When Thy old friends of fire, all full of Thee, 190 Fought against frowns with smiles; gave glorious chase Of Death and fiercest dangers, durst with brave Thee, 195 And to the teeth of Hell stood up to teach Thee, Little, alas thought they Who tore the fair breasts of Thy friends, For Thee, and served them in Thy glorious ends. 205 What did their weapons but with wider pores Enlarge Thy flaming-breasted lovers, More freely to transpire That impatient fire, The heart that hides Thee hardly covers? 210 Each wound of theirs was Thy new morning, 215 With blush of Thine Own blood Thy day adorning : It was the wit of Love o'erflowed the bounds Of Wrath, and made Thee way through all those wounds. Welcome, dear, all-adorèd Name! For sure there is no knee That knows not Thee: Or, if there be such sons of shame, Alas! what will they do When stubborn rocks shall bow And hills hang down their heaven-saluting heads To seek for humble beds Of dust, where in the bashful shades of Night And couch before the dazzling light of Thy dread majesty. They that by Love's mild dictate now Will not adore Thee, Shall then, with just confusion bow And break before Thee. 220 225 230 |