In a discussion of the classic spiritual “Sit Down, Servant”—performed above by the Staple Singers—a friend pointed out the parallel between the song’s chorus and the last stanza of George Herbert’s “Love (III).”
Love (III)
by George HerbertLove bade me welcome, yet my soul drew back,
Guilty of dust and sin.
But quick-ey’d Love, observing me grow slack
From my first entrance in,
Drew nearer to me, sweetly questioning
If I lack’d anything.
“A guest,” I answer’d, “worthy to be here”;
Love said, “You shall be he.”
“I, the unkind, the ungrateful? ah my dear,
I cannot look on thee.”
Love took my hand and smiling did reply,
”Who made the eyes but I?”“Truth, Lord, but I have marr’d them; let my shame
Go where it doth deserve.”
“And know you not,” says Love, “who bore the blame?”
”My dear, then I will serve.”
“You must sit down,” says Love, “and taste my meat.”
So I did sit and eat.
So many beautiful echoes in this faith God has given us, his servants, ungrateful, unkind.
November 28th, 2012 | 11:24 am
For those who love this song and subscribe to an online music service (I have Spotify), check out the version on Florence Quivar’s album Ride On, King Jesus. My favorite on the album is Plenty Good Room. The title song is almost hair raising at the climax, and there are some amazing staccato high notes in His Name So Sweet. Many of the other selections are deeply moving. It always amazes me that classically trained singers often handle spirituals so beautifully but handle popular music so badly (with some notable exceptions).
November 28th, 2012 | 1:23 pm
Speaking of music and this poem, there is a setting by Vaughan Williams, as one of his “Five Mystical Songs” (all Herbert poems). This one is particularly moving: at the beginning of the last two lines the key changes and the choir begins to chant, without words, the “O Sacrum Convivium” as the soloist sings “‘You must sit down,’ says Love, ‘and taste my meat.’ So I did sit and eat.”
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