I experienced the need to post something but discovered that I had nothing to say. Then I found this. Since today is the Feast of the Assumption and a holy day of obligation which I am cut off from, I thought it only appropriate that I participate this way: thus a poem from our past to celebrate an event in our present. les
On the Glorious Assumption of Our Blessed Lady
Richard Crashaw (1613-1649)
MONDAY, AUGUST 12, 2024
Hark! She is call’d. The parting hour is come.
Take thy farewell, poor world! Heav’n must go home
A piece of heav’nly earth, purer and brighter
Than the chaste stars, whose choice lamps come to light her
While through the crystal orbs, clearer than they,
She climbs and makes a fair more milky way.
She’s called. Hark how the dear immortal dove
Sighs to his silver mate, ‘Rise up, my love!
‘Rise up, my fair, my spotless one!
‘The winter’s past, the rain is gone.
‘The spring is come, the flowers appear.
‘No sweets but thou are wanting here.
‘Come away, my love!
‘Come away, my dove! Cast off delay.
‘The court of Heav’n is come
‘To wait upon thee home. Come, come away!
‘The flowers appear,
‘Our quickly would, wert thou once here.
‘The spring is come, or, if it stay,
‘Tis to keep time with thy delay.
‘The rain is gone, except so much as we
‘Detain in needful tears to weep the want of thee.
‘The winter’s past.
‘Or, if he make less haste,
‘His answer is, Why, she does so.
‘If summer come not, how can winter go?
On the golden wings
Of the bright youth of Heav’n, that sings
Under so sweet a burthen. Go,
Since thy dread son will have it so.
And while thou goest our song and we
Will, as we may, reach after thee.
Hail, holy queen of humble hearts!
We in thy praise will have our parts.
Thy precious name shall be
Thy self to us, and we
With holy care will keep it by us.
We to the last
Will hold it fast
And no Assumption shall deny us.
All the sweetest showers
Of our fairest flowers
Will we strow upon it.
Though our sweets cannot make
It sweeter, they can take
Themselves new sweetness from it.
Maria, men and angels sing,
Maria, mother of our King.
Live, rosy princess, live. And may the bright
Crown of a most incomparable light
Embrace thy radiant brows. O may the best
Of everlasting joys bath thy white breast.
Live, our chaste love, the holy mirth
Of Heav’n, the humble pride of earth.
Live, crown of women, queen of men.
Live mistress of our song. And when
Our weak desires have done their best,
Sweet angels, come and sing the rest.
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Image: Assumption of the Virgin Between St. Minias and St. Julian by Andrea del Castagno, 1449–1450 [Gemäldegalerie, Berlin]
