The line "He wants not friends that hath thy hymn" is a beautiful and somewhat complex line from **John Donne's Elegy XIX, "To His Mistress Going To Bed."** Let's break down its "history" and meaning: 1. **Source:** * **Poem:** Elegy XIX, "To His Mistress Going To Bed" * **Poet:** John Donne (1572-1631), a renowned English poet and cleric, famous for his metaphysical poetry. * **Date:** Likely written in the late 1590s or early 1600s, though not published until after his death. 2. **Context in the Poem:** The poem is an elaborate, witty, and highly sensual plea from a speaker to his beloved to undress and come to bed with him. It's a classic example of a "coy mistress" poem, blending intellectual argument with passionate desire. The specific lines where your phrase appears are: > "Unlace thyself, for that harmonious chime > Tells me thy body is now a holy time. > **He wants not friends that hath thy hymn**, > Nor any foe, to whom thy body is a limb." 3. **Meaning of the Line:** * **"He wants not friends"**: In archaic English, "wants" often meant "lacks" or "is without." So, this means "He lacks no friends" or "He needs no friends." * **"that hath thy hymn"**: * "hath" = has * "thy" = your * "hymn" = a song of praise, adoration, or worship. Putting it together: **"A person who has (or is privileged to offer) your praise/adoration needs no other friends."** In the context of Donne's poem, this is intensely intimate and elevated. The speaker is essentially saying: * The act of experiencing, praising, and adoring *you* (specifically, your body and the intimacy shared) is so profound and fulfilling that it surpasses the need for any other social connection or friendship. * It elevates the beloved to a near-divine status, where her presence inspires a form of worship ("hymn") so complete that it makes all other human relationships secondary. 4. **Literary Significance:** This line, like much of Donne's work, exemplifies metaphysical poetry's blend of the physical and the spiritual, the intellectual and the sensual. He takes a very earthly act (undressing for intimacy) and imbues it with profound spiritual and philosophical weight. The "hymn" here is not just a song, but an expression of ultimate devotion and satisfaction. In essence, the "history" of the phrase reveals it as a passionate declaration of complete devotion and satisfaction from a lover to his beloved, where her very being and the intimacy shared are elevated to a sacred, all-encompassing experience.