The Search
The Cry of Absence
The speaker laments the absence of God, confessing that his searches are his daily bread yet never succeed.
Where, oh where, have you fled, my Lord, my Love? My searches are my daily bread; yet they never succeed.✦1
Creation's Knowing
The speaker observes that herbs and stars seem to know and meet God, while he himself decays and pines.
My knees pierce the earth, my eyes the sky; and yet both the sphere and the center deny me that you are there.2 Yet I can still see how the herbs below grow green and bright, as if they knew they were going to meet you, while I decay. Still, I can see how the stars above simper and shine, as if they held the keys to your love, while I, poor thing, pine.
The Silent Sigh
The speaker sends sighs and groans as scouts to find God, but they return in vain.
I sent a sigh to seek you out, deep-drawn in pain, winged like an arrow—but my scout returns in vain. I tuned another (I had plenty in store) Into a groan, Because the search was mute before: But it was all the same.3
The Hidden Will
The speaker questions God's hidden will, which seems distant and impenetrable, causing grief.
Lord, are you molding some new fabric that wins favor, and keeps the present while leaving the old to their sins? Where is my God? What hidden place still conceals you? What hiding place dares to eclipse your face?4 Is it your will? Oh, don't let that be made of just anything — rather, let your ring be brass, or steel, or mountains, and I will pass.5 Your will is such an entrenchment that it goes beyond thought: against it all strength, all subtleties are worthless. Your will is so strangely distant that, next to it, East and West touch, the poles kiss, and parallels meet. So my grief must be as large as the distance between us—your distance from me. See my charge, Lord, see my case.
The Plea for Nearness
The speaker pleads for God to remove barriers and restore his presence, affirming that when God is near nothing can separate, and his nearness makes two one.
Oh, take away these bars and distances; turn and restore me; don't be Almighty against me—let me say—but for me.6 When you turn and choose to be near, what edge so keen, what point so piercing can appear to come between?✦ For just as your absence is greater than any distance we know, so your nearness takes the prize, making two into one.7
Read the original English
Whither, O, whither art thou fled, My Lord, my Love? My searches are my daily bread; Yet never prove.
My knees pierce th'earth, mine eies the skie; And yet the sphere And centre both to me denie That thou art there.
Yet can I mark how herbs below Grow green and gay; As if to meet thee they did know, While I decay.
Yet can I mark how starres above Simper and shine, As having keyes unto thy love, While poore I pine.
I sent a sigh to seek thee out, Deep drawn in pain, Wing'd like an arrow: but my scout Returns in vain.
I tun'd another (having store) Into a grone; Because the search was dumbe before: But all was one.
Lord, dost thou some new fabrick mold Which favour winnes, And keeps the present, leaving th' old Unto their sinnes?
Where is my God? what hidden place Conceals thee still? What covert dare eclipse thy face? Is it thy will?
O let not that of any thing: Let rather brasse, Or steel, or mountains be thy ring, And I will passe.
Thy will such an intrenching is, As passeth thought: To it all strength, all subtilties Are things of nought.
Thy will such a strange distance is, As that to it East and West touch, the poles do kisse, And parallels meet.
Since then my grief must be as large, As is thy space, Thy distance from me; see my charge, Lord, see my case.
O take these barres, these lengths away; Turn, and restore me: Be not Almightie, let me say, Against, but for me.
When thou dost turn, and wilt be neare; What edge so keen, What point so piercing can appeare To come between?
For as thy absence doth excell All distance known: So doth thy nearenesse bear the bell, Making two one.
Scripture echoes
- ↩Matt.6.11;Luke.11.3 — Give us today our daily bread. Luke.11.3 — Give us each day our daily bread.
- ↩Rom.8.38-Rom.8.39 — For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor rulers, neither the present nor the future, nor powers Rom.8.39 — nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord
Notes
- 1 ↩Early modern 'prove' here means turn out successfully / yield a result, not merely 'demonstrate.' Rendered as 'succeed' to keep that sense in contemporary English.
- 2 ↩Herbert's 'sphere' and 'centre' are cosmological: the celestial circumference and the earth's midpoint. The speaker searches the whole created order—high and low—and still finds no place that will admit God's presence.
- 3 ↩Source 'all was one' means the new groan fared no better than the failed sigh—the outcome was identical.
- 4 ↩Source 'covert' means a shelter or hiding place; rendered as 'hiding place' for plain contemporary force while keeping the daring personification of concealment.
- 5 ↩Elliptical 'that of any thing' almost certainly resumes the preceding 'thy will' (the covering that hides God): do not let that barrier be of any mere/ordinary stuff. 'Ring' here is an enclosing fortification, not jewelry; next section's 'intrenching' confirms the siege/fort image.
- 6 ↩Herbert's 'barres' and 'lengths' name the barriers and measured spans of separation from God; rendered as 'bars' and 'distances' to keep the prison/span image without archaism.
- 7 ↩Early modern idiom: to take first place or carry off the prize; rendered as 'takes the prize' rather than a literal bell image.
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