The Altar
Original Text:
George Herbert, The temple. Sacred poems and private ejaculations, edited by N. Ferrar (Cambridge: T. Buck and R. Daniel, 1633). STC 13183. Facs. edn. Menston: Scolar Press, 1968. PR 3507 T45 1633A. Also The Bodleian Manuscript of George Herbert's Poems: A Facsimile of Tanner 307, Introduced by Amy M. Charles and Mario A. Di Cesare. Delmar: Scholars' Facsimiles and Reprints, 1984. PR 3507 T45 1984 ROBA.
1A broken ALTAR, Lord, thy servant rears,
2Made of a heart and cemented with tears;
3 Whose parts are as thy hand did frame;
5 A HEART alone
6 Is such a stone,
7 As nothing but
8 Thy pow'r doth cut.
9 Wherefore each part
10 Of my hard heart
11 Meets in this frame
12 To praise thy name.
13 That if I chance to hold my peace,
15Oh, let thy blessed SACRIFICE be mine,
16And sanctify this ALTAR to be thine.
Publication Start Year:
1633
RPO poem Editors:
N. J. Endicott
RPO Edition:
3RP 1.208.
Form: