The Odour, 2. Cor. 2.
The Fragrant Name
The speaker marvels at the sweetness of the name 'My Master,' comparing it to ambergris that leaves a rich scent.
How sweetly My Master sounds! My Master! As ambergris leaves a rich scent for the taster, so these words leave a sweet contentment, an eastern fragrance: My Master.1
The Servant's Longing
After perfuming his mind with the words all day, the speaker asks to speak and expresses a desire to become a fragrant offering to his Master.
All day I let these words perfume my mind, even plunging my mind into both of them, so that I can discover what ingredients create this exquisite broth—this broth of scents that nourishes and enriches my mind.23 My Master, may I speak? Oh that I, your servant, might be a little so toward you—as much as flesh can be—so that these two words might creep and grow into some degree of spiciness for you!4
The Sweet Exchange
The speaker reflects on how pardon and Christ's call create a mutual exchange of sweetness that should occupy his whole life.
Then the pomander, which had previously been a speaking sweetness, would mend through reflection and tell me more: because the pardon of my imperfection would warm it and make it sweeter than before.5 For when My Master, who alone is sweet and pleasing even in my unworthiness, calls and meets me, his servant, as someone not displeasing to you, that call is only the breathing of the sweet. This breathing would, by sweetening me, return to you with gain (as sweet things trade when they meet). And so this new commerce and sweetness should occupy my whole life and keep me busy.
Read the original English
How sweetly doth My Master sound! My Master! As Amber-greese leaves a rich sent Unto the taster: So do these words a sweet content, An orientall fragrancie, My Master.
With these all day I do perfume my minde, My minde ev'n thrust into them both; That I might finde What cordials make this curious broth, This broth of smells, that feeds and fats my minde.
My Master, shall I speak? O that to thee My servant were a little so, As flesh may be; That these two words might creep & grow To some degree of spicinesse to thee!
Then should the Pomander, which was before A speaking sweet, mend by reflection, And tell me more: For pardon of my imperfection Would warm and work it sweeter then before.
For when My Master, which alone is sweet, And ev'n in my unworthinesse pleasing, Shall call and meet, My servant, as thee not displeasing, That call is but the breathing of the sweet.
This breathing would with gains by sweetning me (As sweet things traffick when they meet) Return to thee. And so this new commerce and sweet Should all my life employ, and busie me.
Notes
- 1 ↩Source 'Amber-greese' / 'sent' modernized as ambergris / scent; 'orientall fragrancie' rendered as eastern fragrance (luxuriant Eastern perfume sense, not modern ethnic usage).
- 2 ↩Early modern 'curious' here means carefully wrought / exquisite, not merely inquisitive; rendered 'exquisite'.
- 3 ↩Context from the previous stanza: the two words 'My Master'.
- 4 ↩Early modern 'spicinesse' is the aromatic/spice quality in the poem's odour metaphor (not mere piquancy); rendered 'spiciness' to keep the scent image plain and faithful.
- 5 ↩Pomander: a scented ball carried for fragrance; here the sweet words themselves, continuing the poem's odor/spice conceit. Early modern 'then' at the close is comparative 'than'.
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