'O sinful man, give me thine heart'

The Crucifixion in a 15th-century Book of Hours (BL Sloane 2321, f.111v)

Reuert, reuert, reuert, reuert;
O synfull man, geve me thyn hert.

Haue myende how I mankyende haue take
Of a pure mayde, man, for thy sake,
That were moost bonde, moost fre to make:
O synfull man, geve me thyn hert.

Haue myende, thou synfull creature,
I toke baptyme in thy nature
Fro filthe of synne to make the pure:
O synfull man, geve me thyn hert.

Haue myende, man, how I toke the felde
Vpon my bak bering my shelde;
For payne ne dethe I wolde not yelde;
O synfull man, yeve me thyn hert.

Haue myende, I was put on the rode
And for thy sake shedde my hert blode.
Beholde my payne, beholde my moode:
O synfull man, yeve me thyn hert.

Beholde me, hede, hande, foote, and side,
Beholde my woundes fyve so wyde,
Beholde the payne that I abyde:
O synfull man, yeve me thyn hert.

Haue myende, man, how fast I was bounde
For thy sake to a pilloure rounde,
Scorged till my bloode feil to grounde:
O synfull man, yeve me thyn hert.

Haue myende, how I in fourme of bred
Haue left my flesshe and blode to wedde,
To make the quyk, whenne thou art dedde:
O synfull man, yeve me thyn hert.

Haue myende, man, how I haue the wrought,
How with my bloode I haue the bought,
And how to blis I haue the brought;
O synfull man, yeve me thyn hert.

O synfull man, beholde and see,
What I haue done and do for the.
Yf thou wilte be in blis with me,
O synfull man, yeve me thyn hert.

Bothe for my dethe and paynes smert,
That I suffred for thy desert,
I aske no more, man, but thyne hert:
Reuert, reuert, reuert, reuert.

This is another poem from CUL MS. Ee 1.12, which in that manuscript follows the two 'Nolo mortem peccatoris' poems and precedes 'O man, whiche art the erthe take froo'. The speaker is, of course, Christ, and the refrain, 'revert' is perhaps supposed to echo Isaiah 44:22: 'Return to me, for I have redeemed you'.

The Crucifixion in a 15th-century Book of Hours (BL Harley 2915 f. 167v)

Revert, revert, revert, revert;
O sinful man, give me thine heart.

Have mind how I mankind have take
Of a pure maid, man, for thy sake,
Those who were most bound, most free to make:
O sinful man, give me thine heart.

Have mind, thou sinful creature,
I took baptism in thy nature
From filth of sin to make thee pure:
O sinful man, give me thine heart.

Have mind, man, how I took the field
Upon my back bearing my shield;
For pain nor death I would not yield;
O sinful man, give me thine heart.

Have mind, I was put on the rood
And for thy sake shed my heart's blood.
Behold my pain, behold my mood: [appearance, manner]
O sinful man, give me thine heart.

Behold me, head, hand, foot, and side,
Behold my wounds five so wide,
Behold the pain that I abide:
O sinful man, give me thine heart.

Have mind, man, how fast I was bound
For thy sake to a pillar round,
Scourged till my blood fell to ground:
O sinful man, give me thine heart.

Have mind how I in form of bread
Have left my flesh and blood to wedde, [as a pledge]
To make thee quick, when thou art dead:
O sinful man, give me thine heart.

Have mind, man, how I have thee wrought,
How with my blood I have thee bought,
And how to bliss I have thee brought;
O sinful man, give me thine heart.

O sinful man, behold and see,
What I have done and do for thee.
If thou wilt be in bliss with me,
O sinful man, give me thine heart.

Both for my death and pains smart,
That I suffered for thy desert, [for what you deserved]
I ask no more, man, but thine heart:
Revert, revert, revert, revert.

A selection of more Middle English poems about the Passion:

'Stond wel moder under rode'

'Woefully arrayed'

'Lo, lemman sweet'

'I sigh when I sing'

'O man unkind, print in thy mind'

'Suddenly afraid'

'O all women that ever were born'

'Unkind man, give heed to me'

Cold winds and Christ's Passion