Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, ed. Poems of Places: An Anthology in 31 Volumes.
Asia: Vols. XXI–XXIII. 1876–79.
They Gave to Thee
By Jeremy Taylor (1613–1667)(From Upon the Epiphany…)
T
Myrrh, frankincense, and gold;
But, Lord, with what shall we
Present ourselves before thy majesty,
Whom thou redeemedst when we were sold?
We ’ve nothing but ourselves, and scarce that neither;
Vile dirt and clay;
Yet it is soft, and may
Impression take.
Accept it, Lord, and say, this thou hadst rather;
Stamp it, and on this sordid metal make
Thy holy image, and it shall outshine
The beauty of the golden mine.