Classic Poem

My thirsty soul desires her drought
at heavenly fountains to refresh;
My prisoned mind would fain be out
of chains and fetters of the flesh.

The Under Song

Jerusalem, thy joys divine
no joys may be compared to them,
No people blessed so as thine,
no city like Jerusalem.
She looketh up unto her state
from whence she down by sin did slide;
She mourns the more the good she lost,
for present ill she doth abide.

She longs from rough and dangerous seas
to harbour in the haven of bliss,
Where safety anchoreth at her ease
and shore of sweet contentment is.
From banishment she more and more
desires to see her country dear;
She sits and sends her sighs before,
her joys and treasures all be there.

From Babylon she would return
unto her home and town of peace,
Jerusalem, where joys abound
continue still and never cease.
There blustering winter never blows
nor summer's parching heat doth harm;
In never freezes there nor snows,
the weather ever temperate warm.

The trees do blossom, bud and bear;
the birds do ever chirping sing;
The fruit is mellow all the year,
they have an everlasting spring;
The pleasant gardens ever keep
their herbs and flowers fresh and green;
All sorts of pleasant dainty fruits
at all times there are to be seen.

The lily white, the ruddy rose,
the crimson and carnation flowers,
Be watered there with honey dews
and heavenly drops of golden showers;
Pomegranate, prince of fruit, the peach,
the dainty date and pleasant fig,
The almond, muscatel and grape,
exceeding good and wondrous big;

The lemon, orange, medlar, quince,
the apricot and Indies spice,
The cherry, warden plum, and pear
more sorts than were in Paradise;
The fruit more eyesome, toothsome far
than that which grew on Adam's tree,
With whose delights assailed were
and both suppressed Eve and he.

The swelling odoriferous balm
most sweetly there doth sweat and drop;
The fruitful and victorious palm
lays out her mounty lofty top;
The river wine most pleasant flows,
more pleasant than the honeycomb,
Upon whose banks the sugar grows
enclosed in reeds of cinnamon.

The wall of jasper stone be built,
most rich and fair that ever was;
The streets and houses paved and gilt
with gold more clear than crystal glass;
Her gates in equal distance be
and each a glistening margarite,
Which comers-in far off may see,
a gladsome and a glorious sight.

Her inward chambers of delight
be decked with pearl and precious stone;
The doors and posterns all be white
of wrought and burnished ivory bone;
Her sun doth never eclipse not cloud,
her moon doth never there wax wan;
The Lamb with light hath her endowed
Whose glory pen cannot explain.

The glorious saints there dwellers be
in number more than man can think,
So many in a company
as love in likeliness doth think;
The stars in brightness they do pass
in swiftness arrows from a bow,
In strength and fierceness steel and brass,
in lightness fire, in whiteness snow.

Their clothing is more soft than silk,
with girdles girt of beaten gold;
They in their hands more white than milk
of palm triumphant branches hold;
Their faces shining like the sun
shoot out their gladsome glorious beams.
The field is fought, the battle won;
their heads be crowned with diadems.

Reward as merit different is,
distinct their joy and happiness,
But each in joy of other's bliss
Doth as his own the same possess;
So each in glory doth abound
and all their glories do excel,
But whereas all to each redound,
who can the exceeding glory tell?

Triumphant martyrs you may hear
recount their dangers which do cease,
And noble citizens ever wear
their happy gowns of joy and peace.
There learned clerks with sharpened wits
their Maker's wondrous works do tell;
The judges grave on bench do sit
to judge the tribes of Israel.

The glorious courtiers ever there
attend on person of their King,
With Angels joined in a choir
melodious hymns of praises sing;
The virgin chaste in lily white,
the martyrs clad in scarlet red,
The holy fathers which did write
wear laurel garlands on their heads.

Each Confessor a golden crown
adorned with pearl and precious stone;
The apostles pearls in renown
like princes sit in regal throne;
Queen Mother Virgin eminent,
than Saints and Angels more divine,
Like sune amidst the firmament
above the planets all doth shine.

The King that heavenly palace rules
doth bear upon his golden shield,
A cross in sign of triumph gules
erected in a verdant field.
His glory saith as doth behoove
him in his manhood for to take,
Whose godhead earth and heaven above
and all that dwell therein did make.

Like friends all partners as in bliss
with Christ their lord and master dear;
Like spouses they the bridegroom kiss,
who feasteth them with heavenly cheer,
With tree of life and manna sweet,
which tasted doth such pleasure bring
As none to judge thereof be meet
but such as banquet with the King.

With Cherubim their wings they move
and mount in contemplation high;
With Seraphim they burn in love,
the beams of glory be so nigh.
The Virgin's children dear they be
her loving Son for to embrace,
And Jesus his brethren for to see
his Heavenly Father's glorious face.

O sweet aspect, vision of peace,
happy regard and heavenly sight!
O endless joy without surcease,
perpetual day which hath no night!
O well and wale fountain of life,
offspring of everlasting bliss!
Eternal sun, resplendent light,
and eminent cause of all that is!

River of pleasure, sea of delight,
garden of glory evergreen!
O glorious glass and mirror bright
wherein all truth is ever seen!
O princely palace, royal court,
monarchal seat, imperial throne,
Where King of kings and Sovereign Lord
for ever ruleth all alone!

Where all the glorious saints do see
the secrets of the Deity,
The godhead and in persons three
the super-blessed Trinity;
The depth of wisdom most profound,
all puissant high sublimity,
The breadth of love without all bound
in endless long eternity.

The heavy earth below by kind
above ascends the mounting fire:
Be this the centre of my mind
and lofty sphere of her desire.
The chased deer do take the soil,
the tired hart the thick and wood:
Be this the comfort of my toil,
my refuge, hope and sovereign good.

The merchant cuts the seas for gain,
the soldier serves for his renown,
The tillman ploughs the grounds for grain:
be this my joy and lasting crown.
The falconer seeks to see a flight,
the hunter beats to see his game:
Long thou, my soul, to see that sight
and labour to enjoy the same.

No hour without some one delight
which he endeavours to attain:
Seek thou, my soul, both day and night
this one which ever shall remain —
This one contains all pleasure true;
all other pleasures are but vain.
Bid thou the rest, my soul, adieu,
and seek alone this one to gain.

Go count the grass upon the ground
or sands that be upon the shore,
And when you have the number found
the joys thereof be many more —
More thousand thousand years they last
and lodge within the happy mind,
And when so many years be past
Yet more and more be still behind.

Far more they be than we can ween;
they do our judgement much excel.
No ear hath heard nor eye hath seen,
no pen can write, no tongue can tell;
An Angel's tongue cannot recite
the endless joys of heavenly bliss
Which being wholly infinite
beyond all speech and writing is.

We can imagine but a shade;
it never entered into thought
What joy He is, enjoyed, that made
all joy, and them that joy, of nought.
My soul cannot the joys contain;
let her, Lord, enter into them,
For ever with thee to remain
within thy town Jerusalem.