Shut in from fields of air,
And in my cage I sit and sing,
To him who placed me there;
Well pleased a prisoner to be,
Because, my God, it pleases thee!
Naught have I else to do,
I sing the whole day long;
And he whom I most love to please
Doth listen to my song;
He caught and bound my wandering wing,
And still he bends to hear me sing.
Thou hast an ear to hear,
A heart to love and bless;
And though my notes were e'er so rude,
Thou wouldst not hear the less;
Because thou knowest as they fall,
That love, sweet love, inspires them all.
My cage confines me round.
Abroad I cannot fly;
But though my wing is closely bound.
My heart's at liberty;
My prison walls cannot control
The flight, the freedom of the soul.
Oh, it is good to soar,
These bolts and bars above,
To him whose purpose I adore,
Whose providence I love;
And in thy mighty will to find
The joy, the freedom of the mind.
(Written in the Bastille)
Jeanne-Marie Bouvier de la Motte-Guyon (commonly known as Madame Guyon) (1648 – 1717) France
Translated by Prof. T. C. Upham
Source: World's great religious poetry by Caroline Miles Hill, Macmillan, 1923
Wonderful find
ReplyDeleteI copied this when l first became a Christian 40+years ago.. the days in which we now live will cause it to mean so much more!
ReplyDeleteBeutiful Poem! Thank you. God bless you.
ReplyDeleteFeeling restricted in older age, this is such a blessing, big thanks to Madam Guyon.
ReplyDeleteIt's God's desire to set all of His children that free inwardly, so free inwardly that the circumstances of this fallen and corrupt world can't touch our inner life in Christ. Here is a quote by Isaac Penington that has meant a lot to me since I first came across it several years ago in Volume 1 of his writings as edited by Jason Henderson of Marketstreetfellowship.com. "For it's not the condition that makes one miserable, but the lack of Him (Christ) in the condition."
ReplyDelete