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Nicholson & Lee, eds. The Oxford Book of English Mystical Verse. 1917.

Thomas Traherne (1637?–1674)

49. Love

O NECTAR! O delicious stream!

O ravishing and only pleasure! Where

Shall such another theme

Inspire my tongue with joys or please mine ear!

Abridgement of delights!

And Queen of sights!

O mine of rarities! O Kingdom wide!

O more! O cause of all! O glorious Bride!

O God! O Bride of God! O King!

O soul and crown of everything!

Did not I covet to behold

Some endless monarch, that did always live

In palaces of gold,

Willing all kingdoms, realms, and crowns to give

Unto my soul! Whose love

A spring might prove

Of endless glories, honours, friendships, pleasures,

Joys, praises, beauties and celestial treasures!

Lo, now I see there’s such a King,

The fountain-head of everything!

Did my ambition ever dream

Of such a Lord, of such a love! Did I

Expect so sweet a stream

As this at any time! Could any eye

Believe it! Why all power

Is used here;

Joys down from Heaven on my head do shower,

And Jove beyond the fiction doth appear

Once more in golden rain to come

To Danae’s pleasing fruitful womb.

His Ganymede! His life! His joy!

Or He comes down to me, or takes me up

That I might be His boy,

And fill, and taste, and give, and drink the cup,

But those (tho’ great) are all

Too short and small,

Too weak and feeble pictures to express

The true mysterious depths of Blessedness.

I am His image, and His friend,

His son, bride, glory, temple, end.