by John Donne (1572 - 1631)
In what torne ship soever I embarke
Language: English
In what torne ship soever I embarke, That ship shall be my embleme of thy Arke; What sea soever swallow mee, that flood Shall be to mee an embleme of thy blood; Though thou with clouds of anger do disguise Thy face; yet through that maske I know those eyes, Which, though they turne away sometimes, They never will despise. I sacrifice this Iland unto thee, And all whom I lov'd there, and who lov'd mee; When I have put our seas twixt them and mee, Put thou thy sea betwixt my sinnes and thee. As the trees sap doth seeke the root below In winter, in my winter now I goe, Where none but thee, th'Eternall root Of true Love I may know. Nor thou nor thy religion dost controule, The amorousnesse of an harmonious Soule, But thou would'st have that love thy selfe: As thou Art jealous, Lord, so I am jealous now, Thou lov'st not, till from loving more, thou free My soule: Who ever gives, takes libertie: O, if thou car'st not whom I love Alas, thou lov'st not mee. Seale then this bill of my Divorce to All, On whom those fainter beames of love did fall; Marry those loves, which in youth scattered bee On Fame, Wit, Hopes (false mistresses) to thee. Churches are best for Prayer, that have least light: To see God only, I goe out of sight: And to scape stormy dayes, I chuse An Everlasting night.
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Authorship:
- by John Donne (1572 - 1631), "A Hymne to Christ, at the Authors last going into Germany" [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Elizabeth Maconchy (1907 - 1994), "A Hymne to Christ", 1965, first performed 1966. [tenor and piano] [text not verified]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2009-01-08
Line count: 32
Word count: 246