by Thomas Wyatt
When thus Thou hast declared thy mighty power.
The lord his servants wishes so esteemeth 610
That He him turneth unto the poor’s request.
To our descent this to be written seemeth,
Of all comforts as consolation best:
And they, that then shall be regenerate,
Shall praise the Lord therefore, both most and least. 615
For He hath look’d from the height of his estate,
The Lord from heaven in earth hath look’d on us,
To hear the moan of them that are algate
In foul bondage; to loose, and to discuss
The sons of death out from their deadly bond; 620
To give thereby occasion glorious
In this Sion his holy name to stand;
And in Jerusalem his lauds, lasting aye,
When in one Church the people of the land
And realms been gather’d to serve, to laud, to pray 625
The Lord above, so just and merciful.
But to this samble running in the way,
My strength faileth to reach it at the full.
He hath abridged my days, they may not dure
To see that term, that term so wonderful: 630
Although I have with hearty will, and cure,
Pray’d to the Lord, take me not, Lord, away
In midst of my years: though thine ever sure
Remain eterne, whom time cannot decay.
Thou wrought’st the earth, thy hands the heavens did make: 635
They shall perish, and thou shalt last alway;
And all things age shall wear, and overtake,
Like cloth, and Thou shalt change them like apparel
Turn, and translate, and thou in worth it take;
But Thou thyself thyself remainest well 640
That Thou wast erst, and shalt thy years extend.
Then, since to this there may no thing rebel,
The greatest comfort that I can pretend,
Is that the children of thy servants dear,
That in thy word are got, shall without end 645
Before thy face be stablish’d all in fear.
The Author
WHEN David had perceived in his breast
The Spirit of God return, that was exiled;
Because he knew he hath alone express’d
These same great things, that greater Spirit compiled; 650
As shawm or pipe lets out the sound impress’d,
By music’s art forged tofore and filed;
I say when David had perceived this,
The spirit of comfort in him revived is.
For thereupon he maketh argument 655
Of reconciling unto the Lord’s grace;
Although sometime to prophesy have lent
Both brute beasts, and wicked hearts a place.
But our David judgeth in his intent
Himself by penance, clean out of this case, 660
Whereby he hath remission of offence,
And ginneth to allow his pain and penitence.
But when he weigheth the fault, and recompense,
He damneth this his deed and findeth plain
Atween them two no whit equivalence; 665
Whereby he takes all outward deed in vain
To bear the name of rightful penitence;
Which is alone the heart returned again,
And sore contrite, that doth his fault bemoan;
And outward deed the sign or fruit alone. 670
With this he doth defend the sly assault
Of vain allowance of his own desert;
And all the glory of his forgiven fault
To God alone he doth it whole convert;
His own merit he findeth in default: 675
And whilst he pondereth these things in his heart,
His knee his arm, his hand sustained his chin,
When he his song again thus did begin.
De profundis clamavi ad te, Domine
FROM depth of sin, and from a deep despair,
From depth of death, from depth of heart’s sorrow, 680
From this deep cave, of darkness deep repair,
Thee have I called, O Lord, to be my borrow.
Thou in my voice, O Lord, perceive and hear
My heart, my hope, my plaint, my overthrow,
My will to rise: and let by grant appear, 685
That to my voice thine ears do well attend;
No place so far, that to Thee is not near;
No depth so deep, that thou ne mayst extend
Thine ear thereto; hear then my woful plaint:
For, Lord, if thou observe what men offend, 690
And put thy native mercy in restraint;
If just exaction demand recompense;
Who may endure, O Lord? who shall not faint
At such accompt? so dread, not reverence
Should reign at large. But thou seekest rather love 695
For in thy hand is Mercy’s residence;
By hope whereof Thou dost our hearts eke move.
I in the Lord have set my confidence:
My soul such trust doth evermore approve:
Thy holy word of eterne excellence, 700
Thy mercy’s promise, that is alway just,
Have been my stay, my pillar, and defence.
My soul in God hath more desirous trust,
Than hath the watchman looking for the day,
For his relief, to quench of sleep the thrust. 705
Let Israel trust unto the Lord alway;
For grace and favour are his property:
Plenteous ransom shall come with him, I say,
And shall redeem all our iniquity.
The Author
THIS word Redeem, that in his mouth did sound, 710
Did put David, it seemeth unto me,
As in a trance, to stare upon the ground,
And with his thought the height of heaven to see:
Where he beholds the Word that should confound
The word of death, by humility to be 715
In mortal maid, in mortal habit made,
Eternity in mortal vail to shade.
He seeth that Word, when full ripe time should come,
Do away that vail by fervent affection,
Torn of with death, for Death should have her doom, 720
And leapeth lighter from such corruption:
The glute of light, that in the air doth lome,
Man redeemeth, death hath her destruction:
That mortal vail hath immortality;
To David assurance of his iniquity. 725
Whereby he frames this reason in his heart,
That goodness, which doth not forbear his son
From death for me, and can thereby convert
My death to life, my sin to salvation,
Both can and will a smaller grace depart 730
To him, that sueth by humble supplication:
And since I have his larger grace assay’d,
To ask this thing why am I then afraid?
He granteth most to them that most do crave,
And He delights in suit without respect. 735
Alas, my son pursues me to the grave,
Suffered by God my sin for to correct.
But of my sin, since I may pardon have,
My son’s pursuit shall shortly be reject;
Then will I crave with sured confidence. 740
And thus beginneth the suit of his pretence.
Domine, exaudi Orationem meam
HEAR my prayer, O Lord; hear my request;
Complish my boon; answer to my desire;
Not by desert, but for thine own behest;
In whose firm truth Thou promised mine empire 745
To stand stable: and after thy justice,
Perform, O Lord, that thing that I require.
But not of Law after the form and guise
To enter judgment with thy thrall bonds
lave,
To plead his right; for in such manner wise 750
Before thy sight no man his right shall save.
For of myself, lo! this my righteousness
By scourge, and whip, and pricking spurs, I have
Scant risen up, such is my beastliness:
For that mine enemy hath pursued my life, 755
And in the dust hath soiled my lustiness;
To foreign realms, to flee his rage so rife,
He hath me forced; as dead to hide my head.
And for because, within myself at strife,
My heart, and spirit, with all my force, were fled, 760
I had recourse to times that have been past,
And did remember thy deeds in all my dread,
And did peruse thy works that ever last;
Whereby I know above these wonders all
Thy mercies were: then lift I up in haste 765
My hands to Thee; my soul to Thee did call,
Like barren soil, for moisture of thy grace.
Haste to my help, O Lord, afore I fall;
For sure I feel my spirit doth faint apace.
Turn not thy face from me that I be laid 770
In count of them that headlong down do pass
Into the pit: Shew me betimes thine aid,
For on thy grace I wholly do depend:
And in thy hand since all my health is staid,
Do me to know what way, thou wilt, I bend; 775
For unto thee I have raised up my mind.
Rid me, O Lord, from them that do entend
My foes to be; for I have me assigned
Alway within thy secret protection.
Teach me thy will, that I by thee may find 780
The way to work the same in affection:
For thou, my God, thy blessed Spirit upright
In laud of truth shall be my direction.
Thou, for thy name, Lord, shalt revive my sprite
Within the right, that I receive by Thee: 785
Whereby my life of danger shall be quite.
Thou hast fordone the great iniquity,
That vex’d my soul: Thou shalt also confound
My foes, O Lord, for thy benignity;
For thine am I, thy servant aye most bound. 790
Noli emulari in maligna
ALTHO’ thou see th’ outrageous climb aloft,
Envy not thou his blind prosperity.
The wealth of wretches, tho’ it seemeth soft,
Move not thy heart by their felicity.
They shall be found like grass, turn’d into hay, 795
And as the herbs that wither suddenly.
Stablish thy trust in God: seek right alway,
And on the earth thou shalt inhabit long.
Feed, and increase such hope from day to day;
And if with God thou time thy hearty song, 800
He shall thee give what so thy heart can lust.
Cast upon God thy will, that rights thy wrong;
Give him the charge, for He upright and just
Hath cure of thee, and eke, of thy cares all;
And He shall make thy truth to be discust. 805
Bright as the sun, and thy rightwiseness shall
(The cursed wealth, though now do it deface)
Shine like the daylight that we the noon call.
Patiently abide the Lord’s assured grace:
Bear with even mind the trouble that he sends: 810
Dismay thee not, though thou see the purchase
Increase of some; for such like luck God sends
To wicked folk.
Restrain thy mind from wrath that aye offends.
Do way all rage, and see thou do eschew 815
By their like deed such deeds for to commit;
For wicked folk their overthrow shall rue.
Who patiently abides, and do not flit
They shall possede the world from heir to heir;
The wicked shall of all his wealth be quit 820
So suddenly, and that without repair,
That all his pomp, and all his strange array
Shall from thine eye depart, as blast of air,
The sober then the world shall wield I say,
And live in wealth and peace so plentiful. 825
Him to destroy the wicked shall assay,
And gnash his teeth eke with groaning ireful;
The Lord shall scorn the threatenings of the wretch.
For he doth know the tide is nigh at full
When he shall sink, and no hand shall him seech. 830
They have unsheathed eke their bloody bronds,
And bent their bow to prove if they might reach
To overthrow the . . . . . . .
Bare of relief the harmless to devour.
The sword shall pierce the heart of such that fonds: 835
Their bow shall break in their most endeavour.
A little living gotten rightfully
Passeth the riches, and eke the high power
Of that, that wretches have gather’d wickedly.
Perish shall the wicked’s posterity, 840
And God shall ‘stablish the just assuredly.
The just man’s days the Lord doth know, and see!
Their heritage shall last for evermore,
And of their hope beguil’d they shall not be,
When dismold days shall wrap the other sore. 845
They shall be full when other faint for food,
Therewhilst shall fail these wicked men therefore.
To God’s enemies such end shall be allow’d,
As hath lamb’s grease wasting in the fire,
That is consum’d into a smoky cloud. 850
Borroweth th’ unjust without will or desire
To yield again; the just freely doth give,
Where he seeth need: as mercy doth require.
Who will’th him well for right therefore shall leve;
Who banish him shall be rooted away. 855
His steps shall God direct still and relieve,
And please him shall what life him lust essay;
And though he fall under foot, lie shall not he,
Catching his hand for God shall straight him stay
. . . . . . . .
Nor yet his seed foodless seen for to be. 860
The just to all men merciful hath been;
Busy to do well, therefore his seed, I say,
Shall have abundance alway fresh and green.
Flee ill; do good; that thou may’st last alway,
For God doth love for evermore the upright. 865
Never his chosen doth he cast away;
For ever he them mindeth day and night;
And wicked seed alway shall waste to nought,
The just shall wield the world as their own right,
And long thereon shall dwell, as they have wrought. 870
With wisdom shall the wise man’s mouth him able;
His tongue shall speak alway even as it ought.
With God’s learning he hath his heart stable,
His foot therefore from sliding shall be sure!
The wicked watcheth the just for to disable, 875
And for to slay him doth his busy cure.
But God will not suffer him for to quail;
By tyranny, nor yet by fault unpure,
To be condemn’d in judgment without fail.
Await therefore the coming of the Lord! 880
Live with his laws in patience to prevail,
And He shall raise thee of thine own accord
Above the earth, in surety to behold
The wicked’s death, that thou may it record,
I have well seen the wicked sheen like gold: 885
Lusty and green as laurel lasting aye,
But even anon and scant his seat was cold
When I have pass’d again the selfsame way;
Where he did reign, he was not to be found:
Vanish’d
he was for all his fresh array. 890
Let uprightness be still thy steadfast ground.
Follow the right; such one shall alway find
Himself in peace and plenty to abound.
All wicked folk reversed shall untwind,
And wretchedness shall be the wicked’s end. 895
Health to the just from God shall be assign’d,
He shall them strength whom trouble should offend
The Lord shall help I say, and them deliver
From cursed hands, and health unto them send,
For that in Him they set their trust for ever. 900
An Epitaph of Sir Thomas Gravener, Knight
UNDER this stone there lieth at rest
A friendly man, a worthy knight;
Whose heart and mind was ever prest
To favour truth, to further right.
The poor’s defence, his neighbour’s aid, 5
Most kind always unto his kin;
That stint all strife, that might be stayed;
Whose gentle grace great love did win.
A man, that was full earnest set
To serve his prince at all assays: 10
No sickness could him from it let;
Which was the shortening of his days.
His life was good, he died full well;
The body here, the soul in bliss
With length of words why should I tell, 15
Or farther shew, that well known is;
Since that the tears of more and less,
Right well declare his worthiness.
Vivit post funera Virtus.
SIR ANTONIE SENTLEGER OF SIR T. WYATT
THUS lieth the dead, that whilome lived here
Among the dead that quick go on the ground;
Though he be dead, yet doth he quick appear
By immortal fame that death cannot confound
His life for aye, his fame in trump shall sound. 5
Though he be dead, yet is he thus alive:
No death that life from Wyatt can deprive.
The Poems
St John’s College, University of Cambridge. Wyatt first entered Henry VIII’s service in 1515 as “Sewer Extraordinary” and the same year he began studying at St John’s College.
St John’s College today
LIST OF POEMS IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER
Songs and Sonnets
THE LOVER FOR SHAMEFASTNESS HIDETH HIS DESIRE WITHIN HIS FAITHFUL HEART