The poetical works of Thomas Traherne :: :: University of Virginia Library

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

Traherne, Thomas

PART ONE POEMS FROM THE DOBELL FOLIO MS.

PART TWO POEMS FROM THE BURNEY MS.

PART THREE POEMS FROM VARIOUS SOURCES

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Eden.

1

A learned and a Happy Ignorance
Divided me,
From all the Vanitie,
From all the Sloth Care Pain and Sorrow that advance,
The Madness and the Miserie
Of Men. No Error, no Distraction I
Saw soil the Earth, or overcloud the Skie.

2

I knew not that there was a Serpents Sting,
Whose Poyson shed
On Men, did overspread
The World: not did I Dream of such a Thing
As Sin; in which Mankind lay Dead.
They all were Brisk and Living Weights to me,
Yea Pure, and full of Immortalitie.

3

Joy, Pleasure, Beauty, Kindness, Glory, Lov,
Sleep, Day, Life, Light,
Peace, Melody, my Sight,
My Ears and Heart did fill, and freely mov.
All that I saw did me Delight.
The Universe was then a World of Treasure,
To me an Universal World of Pleasure.

4

Unwelcom Penitence was then unknown
Vain Costly Toys,
Swearing and Roaring Boys,
Shops, Markets, Taverns, Coaches were unshewn;
So all things were that Drownd my Joys.
No Thorns choakt up my Path, nor hid the face
Of Bliss and Beauty, nor Ecclypst the place.

5

Only what Adam in his first Estate,
Did I behold;
Hard Silver and Drie Gold
As yet lay under Ground; my Blessed Fate
Was more acquainted with the Old
And Innocent Delights, which he did see
In his Original Simplicitie.

6

Those Things which first his Eden did adorn,
My Infancy
Did crown. Simplicitie
Was my Protection when I first was born.
Mine Eys those Treasures first did see,
Which God first made. The first Effects of Lov
My first Enjoyments upon Earth did prov;

7

And were so Great, and so Divine, so Pure;
So fair and Sweet,
So True; when I did meet
Them here at first, they did my Soul allure,
And drew away my Infant feet
Quite from the Works of Men; that I might see
The Glorious Wonders of the DEITIE.