He strained my faith－1
Did he find it supple?
Shook my strong trust－
Did it then－yield?
Hurled my belief－5
But－did he shatter－it?
Racked－with suspense－
Not a nerve failed!
Wrung me－with Anguish－9
But I never doubted him－
'Tho' for what wrong
He did never say－
Stabbed－while I sued 13
His sweet forgiveness－
Jesus－it's your little "John"!
Don't you know－me?
Did he find it supple?
Shook my strong trust－
Did it then－yield?
Hurled my belief－5
But－did he shatter－it?
Racked－with suspense－
Not a nerve failed!
Wrung me－with Anguish－9
But I never doubted him－
'Tho' for what wrong
He did never say－
Stabbed－while I sued 13
His sweet forgiveness－
Jesus－it's your little "John"!
Don't you know－me?
(F.366/J.497)
[1–4] faith, yield:: the farmer examined the barley for seeds.
[5–8] Hurled, shatter:: a harvest of barley.
[9–12] Wrung, Anguish:: grounded the grain to flour.
[13, 14] Stabbed:: John Barleycorn become the bread and being eaten.
[15] John:: a hint on John Barleycorn, a barley personified in folksong.
DOMINGO. Who is John Barleycorn? one of the spirits of darkness, perhaps?
MARIQUITA. Ah, ah, ah! John Barleycorn means a grain of barley; and the ballad tells how they make beer of barley. ─ The London magazine, Volume IV (1826)