Logos Virtual Library: George Herbert: The Temple: The Church: Christmas

George Herbert

George Herbert (1593-1633)

The Temple

Christmas

All after pleasures as I rid one day,

My horse and I, both tir’d, bodie and minde,

With full crie of affections, quite astray;
I took up in the next inne I could finde.
There when I came, whom found I but my deare,

My dearest Lord, expecting till the grief

Of pleasures brought me to him, readie there
To be all passengers most sweet relief?
Thou, whose glorious, yet contracted light,

Wrapt in nights mantle, stole into a manger;

Since my dark soul and brutish is thy right,
Man of all beasts be not thou a stranger:

Furnish and deck my soul, that thou mayst have

A better lodging, then a rack, or grave.

The shepherds sing; and shall I silent be?

My God, no hymne for thee?
My soul’s a shepherd too; a flock it feeds

Of thoughts, and words, and deeds.
The pasture is thy word: the streams, thy grace

Enriching all the place.
Shepherd and flock shall sing, and all my powers

Out-sing the day-light houres.
Then we will chide the sunne for letting night

Take up his place and right:
We sing one common Lord; wherefore he should

Himself the candle hold.
I will go searching, till I finde a sunne

Shall stay, till we have done;
A willing shiner, that shall shine as gladly,

As frost-nipt sunnes look sadly.
Then we will sing, and shine all our own day,

And one another pay:
His beams shall cheer my breast, and both so twine,
Till ev’n his beams sing, and my musick shine.