The Wisdom of Mystics- George Herbert and 'Easter'

[Daniel]

I've been blessed with being able to sing the setting of the poem below by Vaughn-Williams in his "Five Mystical Songs'. Vaughn-Williams used the poetry of George Herbert, the 17th Century English mystic.

http://www.luminarium.org/sevenlit/herbert/

In honor of Easter, the efforts of SoulForce and all those who strive for sweet music in life through loving actions.



From The Temple (1633), by George Herbert:


¶ Easter.

RIse heart; thy Lord is risen. Sing his praise
Without delayes,
Who takes thee by the hand, that thou likewise
With him mayst rise:
That, as his death calcined thee to dust,
His life may make thee gold, and much more, just.

Awake, my lute, and struggle for thy part
With all thy art.
The crosse taught all wood to resound his name,
Who bore the same.
His stretched sinews taught all strings, what key
Is best to celebrate this most high day.

Consort both heart and lute, and twist a song
Pleasant and long:
Or, since all musick is but three parts vied
And multiplied,
O let thy blessed Spirit bear a part,
And make up our defects with his sweet art.


I got me flowers to straw thy way;
I got me boughs off many a tree:
But thou wast up by break of day,
And brought’st thy sweets along with thee.

The Sunne arising in the East,
Though he give light, & th’ East perfume;
If they should offer to contest
With thy arising, they presume.

Can there be any day but this,
Though many sunnes to shine endeavour?
We count three hundred, but we misse:
There is but one, and that one ever.