Wedding Poetry & Prose

Transcription

1 Wedding Poetry & Prose Is your love really like a red, red rose or more of a hot pink gerbera? Does Shakespeare do it for you? Selecting a reading for your ceremony can be quite challenging. Try to find something that connects with you or says something about your relationship. Here are some readings and poetry ranging from traditional to contemporary. Hopefully you'll find something in here that you like, something that makes you go "Yes, that's exactly how we feel and what we want to say! Classical Romantic Spiritual Readings Readings From The Bible

2 Classical Sonnet 116 by William Shakespeare Let me not to the marriage of true minds, admit impediments. Love is not love which alters when it alteration finds, Or bends with the remover to remove. Oh no! It is an ever fixed mark that looks on tempests and is never shaken. It is the star to every wandering bark, whose worth's unknown, although his height be taken. Love's not Time's fool, though rosy lips and cheeks within his bending sickle's compass come. Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks, but bears it out even to the edge of doom. If this be error and upon me proved, I never writ, nor no man ever loved. Sonnet 18 by William Shakespeare Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate: Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May, and summer's lease hath all too short a date: Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines, and often is his gold complexion dimm'd; And every fair from fair sometime declines, by chance or nature's changing course untrimm'd; But thy eternal summer shall not fade nor lose possession of that fair thou owest; Nor shall Death brag thou wander'st in his shade, when in eternal lines to time thou growest: So long as men can breathe or eyes can see, so long lives this and this gives life to thee How do I love thee? by Elizabeth Barrett Browning How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. I love thee to the depth and breadth and height my soul can reach, when feeling out of sight for the ends of being and ideal grace. I love thee to the level of every day's most quiet need, by sun and candle-light. I love thee freely, as men strive for right. I love thee purely, as they turn from praise. I love thee with the passion put to use in my old grief, and with my childhood's faith. I love thee with a love I seemed to lose with my lost saints. I love with the breath, smiles, tears, of all my life; and, if God choose, I shall but love thee better after death. Author Unknown Something old is your love, A love to last until the end of time. Something new is your marriage, An adventure to taken. Something borrowed is your time, So begin each day with a kiss. Something blue is the bright sky, Your future is paved with them. So here s to you and to your love. Congratulations to you on your wedding day

3 To My Dear and Loving Husband by Anne Bradstreet If ever two were one, then surely we. If ever man were loved by wife, then thee; If ever wife was happy in a man, Compare with me ye women if you can. I prize thy love more than whole mines of gold, Or all the riches that the East doth hold. My love is such that rivers cannot quench, Nor ought but love from thee give recompense. Thy love is such I can no way repay; The heavens reward thee manifold, I pray. Then while we live, in love let's so persevere, That when we live no more we may live ever. Poem by Robert Browning Grow old along with me! The best is yet to be, The last of life, for which the first was made: Our times are in his hand, who saith, "A whole I planned, Youth shows but half; trust God: see all, nor be afraid!" O My Luve s Like a Red, Red Rose by Robert Burns My luve s like a red, red rose, that s newly sprung in June. O, my Luve s like the melodie, that s sweetly play d in tune. As fair art thou, my bonie lass, so deep in luve am I, And I will luve thee still, my dear, till a the seas gang dry. Till a the seas gang dry, my dear, and the rocks melt wi the sun! And I will luve thee still, my dear, while the sands o life shall run. And fare thee weel, my only luve, and fare thee weel a while! And I will come again, my luve, tho it were ten thousand mile!

4 Romantic Hold My Hand and I'm Yours - Nicholas Gordon Hold my hand and I'm yours, and your heart will stay close to mine, for I know the sun must rise with the dawn, and at night the stars must shine. And the wind must wander the ocean and sing with the waves of the sea Just so, I know, I'll be by your side, and you will be wedded to me. And you will be wedded to me, my love, and I will be wedded to you; For I know the tide must turn with the moon, and the spring must return ever new. And the sky must weep that the hillsides may laugh in the green of their joy; and the leaves must turn red, brown, and gold that the earth might their riches employ. And love like a mad, swollen hunger, and love like an unending song, and love like the silent pull of the Earth shall be with us all our lives long, my love, Shall be with us all our lives long. I Am Love Author Unknown Some say I can fly on the wind, yet I haven t any wings. Some have found me floating on the open sea, yet I cannot swim. Some have felt my warmth on cold nights, yet I have no flame. And though you cannot see me, I lay between two lovers at the hearth of fireplaces. I am the twinkle in your child s eyes. I am hidden in the lines of your mother s face. I am your father s shield as he guards your home. And yet Some say I am stronger than steel, yet I am as fragile as a tear. Some have never searched for me, yet I am around them always. Some say I die with loss, yet I am endless. And though you cannot hear me, I dance on the laughter of children. I am woven into the whispers of passion. I am in the blessings of Grandmothers. I embrace the cries of newborn babies. And yet Some say I am a flower, yet I am also the seed. Some have little faith in me, yet I will always believe in them. Some say I cannot cure the ill, yet I nourish the soul. And though you cannot touch me, I am the gentle hand of the kind. I am the fingertips that caress your cheek at night. I am the hug of a child. I am love

5 I Promise - Dorothy R. Colgan I promise to give you the best of myself and to ask of you no more than you can give. I promise to respect you as your own person and to realize that your interests, desires and needs are no less important than my own. I promise to share with you my time and my attention and to bring joy, strength and imagination to our relationship. I promise to keep myself open to you, to let you see through the window of my world into my innermost fears and feelings, secrets and dreams. I promise to grow along with you, to be willing to face changes in order to keep our relationship alive and exciting. I promise to love you in good times and bad, with all I have to give and all I feel inside in the only way I know how, completely and forever. The Art of Marriage - Wilferd A. Peterson Happiness in marriage is not something that just happens. A good marriage must be created. In the art of marriage the little things are the big things. It is never being too old to hold hands. It is remembering to say "I love You" at least once each day. It is never going to sleep angry. It is at no time taking the other for granted; the courtship shouldn't end with the honeymoon, it should continue through all the years. It is having a mutual sense of values and common objectives; it is standing together facing the world. It is forming a circle of love that gathers in the whole family. It is doing things for each other, not in the attitude of duty or sacrifice, but in the spirit of joy and giving. It is speaking words of appreciation and demonstrating gratitude in thoughtful ways. It is not expecting the husband to wear a halo or the wife to have the wings of an angel. It is not looking for perfection in each other. It is cultivating flexibility, patience, understanding, and a sense of humor. It is having the capacity to forgive and forget. It is giving each other an atmosphere in which each can grow. It is finding room for things of the spirit. It is a common sense for the good and the beautiful. It is establishing a relationship in which the independence is equal, the dependence is mutual, and the obligation is reciprocal. It is not only marrying the right partner, it is being the right partner. These Hands Unknown Author These are the hands of your best friend, young and strong and full of love for you. These are the hands that are holding yours on your wedding day as you promise to love each other today, tomorrow, and forever. These are the hands that will work along side yours as together you build your future. These are the hands that will passionately love you and cherish you through the years - and with the slightest touch - will comfort you like no other. These are the hands that will hold you when fear or grief wracks your mind. These are the hands that will countless times wipe tears from your eyes, tears of joy and tears of sorrow. These are the hands that will tenderly hold your children. These are the hands that will help hold your family together as one. These are the hands that will give you strength when you need it. These are the hands that even when wrinkled with age will still be reaching for yours still giving the same unspoken tenderness - with just a touch.

6 Hands of the Bride and Groom [said by the Maid of Honor]: (bride's name), please face (groom's name), and hold his hands, palms up, so you may see the gift that they are to you. These are the hands that will passionately love you and cherish you through the years, for a lifetime of happiness. These are the hands that will countless times wipe the tears from your eyes: tears of sorrow and tears of joy. These are the hands that will comfort you in illness, and hold you when fear or grief fill you. These are the hands that will give you support and celebrate with you in your accomplishments. [said by the Best Man]: (groom's name), please hold (bride's name) hands, palms up, where you may see the gift that they are to you. These are the hands that will hold you tight as you struggle through difficult times. They are the hands that will comfort you when you are sick or console you when you are grieving. These are the hands that will passionately love you and cherish you through the years, for a lifetime of happiness. These are the hands that will give you support as she encourages you to fulfill your dreams. Together, as a team, everything you wish for can be realized. Maybe Author Unknown Maybe we are supposed to meet the wrong people before meeting the right one so that, when we finally meet the right person, we will know how to be grateful for that gift. Maybe it is true that we don't know what we have got until we lose it, but it is also true that we don't know what we have been missing until it arrives. Maybe the happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything that comes along their way. Maybe the best kind of love is the kind you can sit on a sofa together and never say a word, and then walk away feeling like it was the best conversation you've ever had. Maybe you shouldn't go for looks; they can deceive. Don't go for wealth; even that fades away. Go for someone who makes you smile, because it takes only a smile to make a dark day seem bright. Maybe you should hope for enough happiness to make you sweet, enough trials to make you strong, enough sorrow to keep you human, and enough hope to make you happy. Maybe love is not about finding the perfect person, it's about learning to see an imperfect person perfectly. Deep within my Heart - Rev. Bonnie J. Giebfried Deep within my heart my love for you is true. Deep within my heart a smile exists when I think about you. Deep within my heart the colors of the rainbow paint a beautiful picture. Deep within my heart I can face whatever may come my way. Deep within my heart there is a music that is tranquil and calming. Deep within my heart there is a feeling that I can not describe. Deep within my heart there is no boundary. Deep within my heart is a sensitivity that can not be explained. Deep within my heart is a yearning that is exciting and new. Deep within my heart is the joy of sharing myself. Deep within my heart is the caring that is unconditional. Deep within my heart is the essence of mystery. All these things I give to you freely!

7 Marriage Fulfills the Dreams and Love Two People Share - Glenda Wilm Everyone searches for one special person they can share their lives with. The other half who makes them whole, like two notes blending together to make a beautiful song, or the colours that complement each other to form a rainbow. It is everyone s wish to have a lifetime of sunny days, a rainbow after every storm; a lifetime of loving and living and growing and giving, of sharing and caring; a lifetime of days together, learning from the bad times and cherishing the good times. Marriage is everything your heart desires and the strength, courage and determination to work for it. In marriage you take care of each other s heart and hold on to what you share. You hold it gently so it doesn t smother and firmly so it doesn t slip away. Hold it so that it can grow and you can grow together and live and laugh and love together always. Love Is - Susan Polis Schutz Love is being happy for the other person when they are happy, being sad for the other person when they are sad, being together in good times and being together in bad times. Love is the source of strength. Love is being honest with yourself at all times, being honest with the other person at all times, telling, listening, respecting the truth and never pretending. Love is the source of reality. Love is an understanding that is so complete that you feel as if you are a part of the other person, accepting the other person just the way they are and not trying to change them to be something else. Love is the source of unity. Love is the freedom to pursue your own desires while sharing your experience with the other person, the growth of one individual alongside of and together with the growth of another individual. Love is the source of success. Love is the excitement of planning things together, the excitement of doing things together. Love is the source of the future. Love is the fury of the storm, the calm of the rainbow, Love is the source of passion. Love is giving and taking in a daily situation, being patient with each other's needs and desires. Love is the source of sharing. Love is knowing that the other person will always be with you regardless of what happens, missing the other person when they are away, but remaining near in heart at all times. Love is the source of security. Love is the source of life. The Key To Love - Author unknown The key to love is understanding The ability to comprehend not only the spoken word but those unspoken gestures. The little things that say so much by themselves. The key to love is forgiveness To accept each others faults and pardon mistakes without forgetting, but with remembering what you learn from them. The key to love is sharing Facing your good fortunes as well as the bad, together both conquering problems, forever searching for ways to intensify your happiness. The key to love is giving Without thought of return but with the hope of just a simple smile and by giving in but never giving up. The key to love is respect Realising that you are two separate people, with different ideas that you don t belong to each other that you belong with each other, and share a mutual bond. The key to love is inside us all It takes time and patience to unlock all the ingredients that will take you to its threshold. It is the continual learning process that demands a lot of work But the rewards are more than worth the effort And that is the key to love.

8 Why Marriage? - Mari Nichols Because to the depths of me, I long to love one person, With all my heart, my soul, my mind, my body. Because I need a forever friend to trust with the intimacies of me, Who won't hold them against me, Who loves me when I'm unlikable, Who sees the small child in me, and who looks for the divine potential of me. Because I need to cuddle in the warmth of the night with someone who thanks God for me, with someone I feel blessed to hold. Because marriage means opportunity to grow in love in friendship. Because marriage is a discipline to be added to a list of achievements. Because marriages do not fail, people fail when they enter into marriage expecting another to make them whole. Because, knowing this, I promise myself to take full responsibility for my spiritual, mental and physical wholeness I create me, I take half of the responsibility for my marriage. Together we create our marriage. Because with this understanding the possibilities are limitless. I Love You - Roy Croft I love you, not only for what you are, but for what I am when I am with you. I love you, not only for what you have made of yourself, but for what you are making of me. I love you, for the part of me that you bring out. I love you, for putting your hand into my heaped-up heart, and passing over all the foolish, weak things that you can t help dimly seeing there, and for drawing out, into the light, all the beautiful belongings that no one else had looked quite far enough to find. I love you, because you are helping me to make of the lumber of my life, not a tavern, but a temple. Out of the works of my every day, not a reproach, but a song. I love you, because you have done more than any creed could have done to make me good, and more than any fate could have done to make me happy. You have done it without a touch, without a word, without a sign. You have done it by being yourself. Perhaps that is what being a friend means, after all.

9 Because - Steven Reiser Because we have things in common we have the joy of sharing them Because we are so different there is so much we can learn from each other Because we love each other we look for the good in the other Because we are forgiving we overlook the faults in each other Because we are patient we give each other time to understand Because we are filled with kindness we compliment the things we do for each other Because we can empathize we know what it's like to stand in each other's shoes Because we have character we enjoy each other's uniqueness Because we have faith we believe in the best for the future Because we are honest we are comfortable to trust each other Because we are filled with loyalty we always know the other will be there The Rhythm of Free Partners from Anne Morrow Lindbergh's Gift from the Sea A good relationship has a pattern like a dance and is built on some of the same rules. The partners do not need to hold on tightly, because they move confidently in the same pattern, intricate but gay and swift and free, like a country dance of Mozart's. To touch heavily would be to arrest the pattern and freeze the movement, to check the endlessly changing beauty of its unfolding. There is no place here for the possessive clutch, the clinging arm, the heavy hand; only the barest touch in passing. Now arm in arm, now face to face, now back to back - it does not matter which. Because they know they are partners moving to the same rhythm, creating a pattern together, and being invisibly nourished by it. When the partners each love so completely that they have forgotten to ask themselves whether or not they are loved in return; when they each only know that they love and are moving to its music - then, and then only, are two people able to dance perfectly in tune to the same rhythm. With You In My Heart Mick Jennings With you in my heart, my life is complete, You're the air that I breathe and the food that I eat. You are my soul mate, the beat in my heart, It feels like a year each second we're apart. With you in my heart I'm walking on air, I can imagine your perfume and the touch of your hair. Your beautiful eyes, so kind and so green, The loveliest sight I ever have seen. With you in my heart, I am brim full of pride, it's as though i can achieve anything with you by my side. You're my rock, you re my angel, my one true love, you're my present from heaven, my gift from above. With you in my heart, I love you so much, how caring you are, my soul you do touch. You're a beautiful princess, a pleasure to know, my love for you just continues to grow. With you in my heart, I'm the happiest man on earth, I feel God has planned this since the day of my birth. I could never love anyone the way I love you, I hope and I pray that you feel the same way too. With you in my heart, through the good and the bad, I'll be there when you need me, when you're hurting or sad. In fact I'll be there for you any night, any day, whenever you need me, you just have to say. With you in my heart, it really makes my day,

10 with the things that you do and the things that you say. You and Eva deserve happiness and I will ensure, from now, only good times come knocking at your door. With you in my heart, I hope it feels good, and that I am caring for you the way that I should. I will always be happy, just by the love that you give, I will protect you and love you for as long as I live. My darling, I will always love you. To Love is Not to Possess by James Kavanaugh To love is not to possess, to own or imprison, nor to lose one's self in another. Love is to join and separate, to walk alone and together, to find a laughing freedom that lonely isolation does not permit. It is finally to be able to be who we really are, no longer clinging in childish dependency, nor docilely living separate lives in silence. It is to be perfectly one's self and perfectly joined in permanent commitment to another and to one's inner self. Love only endures when it moves like waves, receding and returning gently or passionately, or moving lovingly like the tide in the moon's own predictable harmony, because finally, despite a child's scars or an adult's deepest wounds, they are openly free to be who they really are and always secretly were, in the very core of their being where true and lasting love can alone abide.

11 Spiritual Readings From The Prophet - Kahlil Gibran ON LOVE Love has no other desire but to fulfill itself. But if you love and must needs have desires, let here be your desires: To melt and be like a running brook that sings its melody to the night. To know the pain of too much tenderness. To be wounded by your own understanding of love; and to bleed willingly and joyfully. To wake at dawn with a winged heart and give thanks for another day of loving. To rest at the noon hour and meditate love s ecstasy. To return home at eventide with gratitude; and then to sleep with a prayer for the beloved in your heart, and a song of praise upon your lips. ON MARRIAGE Then Almitra spoke again and said, And what of Marriage, Master? And he answered saying: You were born together, and together you shall be forevermore. You shall be together when the white wings of death scatter your days. Aye, you shall be together even in the silent memory of God. But let there be spades in your togetherness. And let the winds of the heavens dance between you. Love one another but make not a bond of love. Let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls. Fill each other s cup but drink not from one cup. Give one another of your bread but eat not from the same loaf. Sing and dance together and be joyous, but let each of you be alone, even as the strings of the lute are alone though they quiver with the same music. Give your hearts, but not into each other s keeping. For only the land of Life can contain your hearts. And stand together, yet not too near together, for the pillars of the temple stand apart, and the oak tree and the cypress grow not in each other s shadow. From Buddha's Teaching: Unlimited Friendliness This is what should be done by the man and woman who are wise, who seek the good, and who know the meaning of the place of peace. Let them be fervent, upright, and sincere, without conceit of self, easily contented and joyous, free of cares; let them not be submerged by the things of the world; let them not take upon themselves the burden of worldly goods, let them be wise but not puffed up, and let them not desire great possessions even for their families. May all beings be happy and at their ease. All beings, whether weak or strong - omitting none - in high, middle, or low realms of existence, small or great, visible or invisible, near or far way, born or to be born. Even as a mother watches over and protects her only child, so with a boundless mind should one cherish all living beings, radiating friendliness over the entire world, above, below, and all around without limit. So let them cultivate a boundless good will toward the entire world, unlimited, free from ill-will or enmity. Standing or walking, sitting or lying down, during all their waking hours, let them establish this mindfulness of good will, which is the highest state. Those who are perfect will never again know rebirth.

12 The Desiderata Go placidly amid the clamor of life, and remember the peace to be found in silence. Speak your truth quietly, listen to others, but avoid loud and aggressive people who vex the spirit. Do not compare yourselves with others - there will always be greater and lesser persons and you may become vain and bitter. Enjoy your achievements as well your plans. Keep interest in your own careers. They are a real possession. Be cautious in your affairs, for the world is full of trickery, but do not let this bind you to virtue in others - many strive for high ideals and life is full of heroism. Be yourselves especially - do not feign affection and do not be cynical about love, for in the face of all greed and disenchantment, love is as perennial as grass. Grow older, gracefully surrendering the things of yours when the time comes. Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. Do not allow yourselves to become distressed by imaginings, many fears come out of fatigue and loneliness. Have self-discipline but be gentle with yourselves. You are the children of the Universe, no less than the trees and the stars. You have a right to be here, and whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the Universe is unfolding as it should. Therefore, be at peace with God, whatever you conceive him to be and whatever your labors and aspirations. In the noisy confusion of life, keep peace with your souls and be true to them. With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is till a beautiful world. Go honestly. Strive to be happy. The Wedding Ring - Michael Rew I hold you under sunlit curtains, shading stars with blue. You kiss me, all the stars our witness, underneath the moon. But if the sun and if the moon were wedded from the two, our love would never falter from the midnight to the noon. For we are parted now in life as are the moon and sun, but sunrise, sunset, wax and wane cannot keep us alone. Shall we forsake the dawn and dusk to live life two in one, to claim the earth our marriage bed, the heavens as our home? My gold, your silver, stars as diamonds forge the nuptial band so we may lead around the world the sacred wedding dance. God sanctifies within Man's eyes, once we are hand in hand, the matrimony meant this day, confessing our romance. The heavens yield, the earth shall shield, and may our Savior sing the beauty, purity, and love sealed in the wedding ring

13 Readings From The Bible From Song of Solomon 2:10-13 My beloved responded and said to me, 'Arise, my darling, my beautiful one, And come along. 'For behold, the winter is past, The rain is over and gone. 'The flowers have already appeared in the land; The time has arrived for pruning the vines, And the voice of the turtledove has been heard in our land. 'The fig tree has ripened its figs, And the vines in blossom have given forth their fragrance. Arise, my darling, my beautiful one, And come along!' Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi Lord, make me an instrument of your peace. Where this is hatred, let me sow love; Where there is injury, pardon; Where there is doubt, faith; Where there is despair, hope; Where there is darkness, light, And where there is sadness, joy. O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive; It is in pardoning that we are pardoned, and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. From Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor. For if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to the one who falls when there is not another to lift him up. Furthermore, if two lie down together they keep warm, but how can one be warm alone? And if one can overpower him who is alone, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart. From Song of Solomon 8 6:7 Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm: for love is strong as death; jealousy is cruel as the grave: the flashes thereof are flashes of fire, a very flame of the LORD. Much water may not put out love, or the deep waters overcome it: if a man would give all the substance of his house for love, it would be judged a price not great enough

14 From Mark 10:6-9, "But from the beginning of creation, 'God made them male and female.' For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man put asunder." And they were bringing children to him, that he might touch them; and the disciples rebuked them. But when Jesus saw it he was indignant, and said to them, "Let the children come to me, do not hinder them; for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it." And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands upon them. From John 2:1-11 On the third day there was a marriage at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there; Jesus also was invited to the marriage, with his disciples. When the wine failed, the mother of Jesus said to him, "They have no wine." And Jesus said to her, "O woman, what have you to do with me? My hour has not yet come." His mother said to the servants, "Do whatever he tells you." Now six stone jars were standing there, for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus said to them, "Fill the jars with water." And they filled them up to the brim. He said to them, "Now draw some out, and take it to the steward of the feast." So they took it. When the steward of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the steward of the feast called the bridegroom and said to him, "Every man serves the good wine first; and when men have drunk freely, then the poor wine; but you have kept the good wine until now." This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory; and his disciples believed in him. From John 15:9-12 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you; abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. From Genesis 1:26-28 Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth." So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. And God blessed them, and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth. From: 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 If I speak in the tongues of men and angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a tinkling symbol. And if I have prophecy and know all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And if I dole out all my goods, and if I deliver my body that I may boast, but have not love, nothing I am profited. Love is long suffering, love is kind, it is not jealous, love does not boast, it is not inflated. It is not discourteous, it is not selfish, it is not irritable, it does not enumerate the evil. It does not rejoice over the wrong, but rejoices in the truth, it covers all things, it has faith for all things, it hopes in all things, it endures in all things. Love never falls in ruins; but whether prophecies, they will be abolished; or tongues, they will cease; or knowledge, it will be superseded. For we know in part and we prophecy in part. But when the perfect comes, the imperfect will be superseded. When I was an infant, I spoke as an infant, I reckoned as an infant; when I became an adult, I abolished the things of the infant. For now we see through a mirror in an enigma, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know as also I was fully known. But now remains faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.