My spirit longs for thee
My spirit longs for thee. John Byrom* (1692-1763).
First printed in Volume II of Byrom’s Miscellaneous Poems (Manchester, 1773), published after his death, where it was entitled ‘The desponding Soul’s Wish’. The first stanza was originally awkward metrically, which is odd, given Byrom’s facility in verse writing:
My spirit longeth for thee
Within my troubled breast,
Altho’ I be unworthy
Of so divine a guest.
An improved text was included in EH , after which it found its way into many 20th-century British books, such as NEH :
My spirit longs for thee Within my troubled breast,Though I unworthy be Of so divine a Guest.
Of so divine a Guest Unworthy though I be,Yet has my heart...
If you have a valid subscription to Dictionary of Hymnology, please log inlog in to view this content. If you require a subscription, please click here.
MLA style (see MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing, 3rd Ed.)
. "My spirit longs for thee."
The Canterbury Dictionary of Hymnology. Canterbury Press. Web. 9 Feb. 2026.<
http://www.hymnology.co.uk/m/my-spirit-longs-for-thee>.
Chicago style (see The Chicago Manual of Style, 16th Ed.)
. "My spirit longs for thee."
The Canterbury Dictionary of Hymnology. Canterbury Press, accessed February 9, 2026,
http://www.hymnology.co.uk/m/my-spirit-longs-for-thee.