Mattens
The Morning Match
The speaker cannot begin his day without God, who is already waiting to receive his morning soul and sacrifice, setting the stage for a daily covenant.
I can't open my eyes without you already there, ready to catch my morning soul and sacrifice: then for that day we must make a match.✦1
What is a Heart?
The speaker marvels that God would cherish and court a human heart with such personal attention, as if nothing else mattered.
My God, what is a heart? Silver, or gold, or precious stone, or star, or rainbow, or a part of all these things, or all of them in one? My God, what is a heart, that you should watch it so intently and woo it, pouring all your art upon it, as if you had nothing else to do?
From Creation to Creator
The speaker contrasts human preoccupation with studying creation with the higher calling to know and love the Creator, praying that the morning light might lead him to God through a sunbeam.
Indeed, a person's whole condition amounts—and richly—to serving you: he did not create heaven and earth, yet he studies them, not the one by whom they exist.2 Teach me to know your love, so that this new light I now see may show both the work and the workman. Then by a sunbeam I will climb to you.
Read the original English
I Cannot ope mine eyes, But thou art ready there to catch My morning-soul and sacrifice: Then we must needs for that day make a match.
My God, what is a heart? Silver, or gold, or precious stone, Or starre, or rainbow, or a part Of all these things, or all of them in one?
My God, what is a heart, That thou shouldst it so eye, and wooe, Powring upon it all thy art, As if that thou hadst nothing els to do?
Indeed mans whole estate Amounts (and richly) to serve thee: He did not heav'n and earth create, Yet studies them, not him by whom they be.
Teach me thy love to know; That this new light, which now I see, May both the work and workman show: Then by a sunne-beam I will climbe to thee.
Scripture echoes
- ↩Ps.5.3 — Listen to the sound of my cry, my King and my God, for to you I pray.
Notes
- 1 ↩Early modern 'I cannot … but …' means 'I cannot … without finding that …' (not adversative 'however'). 'Make a match' keeps Herbert's compact/covenant sense (a binding agreement for the day), not a romantic pairing.
- 2 ↩Source 'estate' means a person's whole condition, standing, or lot, not property alone; kept as 'estate' for compactness, with that broader sense intended.
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