Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, WHEREFORE HIDEST THOU THY FACE, AND HOLDEST ME FOR THY ENEMY, by FRANCIS QUARLES


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

WHEREFORE HIDEST THOU THY FACE, AND HOLDEST ME FOR THY ENEMY, by                 Poet Analysis     Poet's Biography
First Line: Why dost thou shade thy lovely face?
Last Line: O thou, that art my light, my life, my way.
Variant Title(s): The God Who Hides
Subject(s): Religion; Theology


WHY dost thou shade thy lovely face? O why
Does that eclipsing hand so long deny
The sunshine of thy soul enliv'ning eye?

Without that light, what light remains in me?
Thou art my life, my way, my light; in thee
I live, I move, and by thy beams I see.

Thou art my life; if thou but turn away,
My life's a thousand deaths: thou art my way;
Without thee, Lord, I travel not, but stray.

My light thou art; without thy glorious sight,
Mine eyes are dark'ned with perpetual night:
My God, thou art my way, my life, my light.

Thou art my way; I wander, if thou fly:
Thou art my light; if hid, how blind am I!
Thou art my life; if thou withdraw, I die.

Mine eyes are blind and dark, I cannot see;
To whom, or whither, should my darkness flee,
But to the light? and who's that light but thee?

My path is lost; my wand'ring steps do stray;
I cannot safely go, nor safely stay;
Whom should I seek but thee, my path, my way?

O, I am dead: to whom shall I, poor I,
Repair? To whom shall my sad ashes fly
But life? And where is life but in thine eye?

And yet thou turn'st away thy face, and fly'st me;
And yet I sue for grace, and thou deny'st me;
Speak, art thou angry, Lord, or only try'st me?

Unscreen those heavenly lamps, or tell me why
Thou shad'st thy face; perhaps, thou think'st no eye
Can view those flames, and not drop down and die.

If that be all, shine forth, and draw thee nigher;
Let me behold and die; for my desire
Is, phoenix-like, to perish in that fire.

Death-conquered Lazarus was redeem'd by thee;
If I am dead, Lord, set death's prisoner free;
Am I more spent, or stink I worse, than he?

If my puff'd light be out, give leave to tine
My flameless snuff at that bright lamp of thine;
O what's thy light the less for lighting mine?

If I have lost my path, great Shepherd, say,
Shall I still wander in a doubtful way?
Lord, shall a lamb of Isr'el's sheepfold stray?

Thou art the pilgrim's path; the blind man's eye;
The dead man's life; on thee my hopes rely;
If thou remove, I err; I grope; I die.

Disclose thy sun-beams, close thy wings and stay;
See, see, how I am blind, and deaf, and stray,
O thou, that art my Light, my Life, my Way.





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