JESU
The Broken Name
The poet finds the fragments of the name JESU in his broken heart and spells them as 'I ease you.'
Jesus is in my heart; his sacred name is deeply carved there. But the other week, a great affliction shattered the little frame into pieces—which I went to retrieve. First I found the corner where J was; after that, where ES was; and next, where U was engraved. When I had gathered these fragments, I sat down at once to spell them out, and I saw that to my broken heart he is "I ease you," and to the whole he is J E S U.1
Read the original English
JESU is in my heart, his sacred name Is deeply carved there: but th’other week A great affliction broke the little frame, Ev’n all to pieces: which I went to seek: And first I found the corner, where was J, After, where ES, and next where U was graved, When I had got these parcels, instantly I sat me down to spell them, and perceived That to my broken heart he was I ease you, And to the whole is J E S U.
Notes
- 1 ↩Herbert’s letter-play is the poem’s hinge: the broken pieces J / ES / U read as “I ease you,” while the restored whole spells JESU. The modern rendering keeps that spelling so the pun still lands.
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