My True Love Hath My Heart
My true love hath my heart and I have his,
By just exchange one for another given
I hold his dear, and mine he cannot miss,
There never was a better bargain driven
My true love hath my heart and I have his.
His heart in me keeps him and me in one,
My heart in him his thoughts and senses guides
He loves my heart, for once it was his own,
I cherish his because in me it bides
My true love hath my heart and I have his.
Where it fits in the ceremony
In most ceremonies the readings follow the officiant’s welcome, before the vows; a second reading can come between the vows and the exchange of rings. In a civil ceremony, some registrars ask to see readings in advance to confirm they contain no religious content — this one will pass.
Pair it with
Two readings that balance this one, one sacred and one secular:
- Tobit 8:4–8 — “Mercifully ordain that we may become aged together” — Tobias and Sarah’s wedding-night prayer.
- Philippians 2:1–4 — “Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.”