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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The Dialogue. |
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 | The poetical works of Thomas Traherne |  |
The Dialogue.
Q.Why dost thou tell me that the fields are mine?
A.
Becaus for thee the fields so richly shine.
Q.
Am I the Heir of the Works of Men?
A.
For thee they dress, for thee manure them.
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Did I my self by them intended see,
That I the Heir of their Works should be,
It well would pleas; But they themselvs intend:
I therfore am not of their Works the End.
A.
The reall Benefit of all their Works,
Wherin such mighty Joy and Beauty lurks,
Derives its self to thee; to thee doth com,
As do the Labors of the Shining Sun;
Which doth not think on thee at all, my Friend,
Yet all his Beams of Light on thee do tend:
For thee they shine and do themselvs display;
For thee, they do both make and gild the Day;
For thee doth rise that glorious Orb of Light;
For thee it sets, and so givs way for Night;
That glorious Bridegroom daily shews his face,
Adorns the World, and swiftly runs his Race,
Disperseth Clouds, and raiseth Vapors too,
Exciteth Winds, distills the Rain and Dew,
Concocteth Mines, and makes the liquid Seas
Contribute Moisture to the Neighb'ring Leas,
Doth quicken Beasts, revive thy vital Powers,
Thrusts forth the Grass, and beautifies thy Flowers,
By tacit Causes animats the Trees,
As they do Thee so he doth cherish Bees,
Digesteth Mettals, raiseth Fruit and Corn,
Makes Rivers flow, and Mountains doth adorn:
All these it doth, not by its own Design,
But by thy God's, which is far more divine;
Who so disposeth Things, that they may be
In Hev'n and Earth kind Ministers to Thee:
And tho the Men that toil for Meat, and Drink,
And Cloaths, or Houses, do not on Thee think;
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To Thee, in Mind or Body, helpful are:
And that God thus intends thy single Self,
Should pleas thee more, than if to heap up Wealth
For Thee, all Men did work, and sweat, and bleed;
Mean Thee alone (my Friend) in ev'ry Deed.
| The poetical works of Thomas Traherne | |