The poetical works of Thomas Traherne faithfully reprinted from the author's original manuscript together with Poems of Felicity reprinted from the Burney manuscript and Poems from Various Sources: Edited with preface and notes by Gladys I. Wade |
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| 4. | Fourth Day. |
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 | The poetical works of Thomas Traherne |  |
240
Fourth Day.
1
Thou Lamp of God, and spacious World's vast Light,Of thee how shall I sing? of thee how write?
For here I find the Danger is,
With Bards of old, the Way to miss.
Of thee a God, they strangely wond'ring made,
And to thy Fire devoutly Homage paid.
2
The ancient Bards did see, and do, no more.But I a brighter Sun than thee adore.
The Sun, I mean, that gave thee Light,
A Sun ten thousand times more bright.
Ah! who can thee sufficiently admire,
O God, my Sun, or thee enough desire?
3
Hail, thou faint Image of th' Eternal Sun!Oh that with thee my Race I now could run!
Oh that I could with thee obey!
And oh that I did never stray!
But with thee always keep within my Line,
And with thee always in his Service join.
4
Thy influential Heat all Places warms,And every Creature feels thy living Charms.
The Fields do laugh, the Woods do sing,
The Hills do dance, the Valleys spring.
The Fields and Groves, the Meads and Pastures live
By Heat, which God to thee at first did give.
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The Plants, and Birds, and Beasts do all conspireIn this; and thee do eagerly Desire.
Nothing we meet with here below,
But what by thee doth live and grow.
Oh! how thou dost with Youth and Vigour fill
Thy Subject Earth, which Lifeless would be still!
6
Me with new Life from God thou dost inspire,That seeing thee I burn with rapt'rous Fire.
Thou art the Glory of thy Lord:
Thou art the Image of his Word:
And I with thee now praise my LORD and thine,
That he my Sun, may ever on me shine.
Amen.
| The poetical works of Thomas Traherne | |