VALA The torments of Love and Jealousy in The Death and Judgement of Albion the Ancient Man A Dream of Nine Nights The Four Zoas by William Blake [William Blake begins this epic poem with two Epigrams.] "Rest before Labour." "That we wrestle not before flesh and blood, but to authorities, to principalities, to the world emperor of darkness of this age, to the spirits of wickedness in the heavens." [End of Epigrams.] [William Blake also references these two Passages from the Gospel According to Saint John.] "That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me." "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth." [End of Passages.] Night the First The Song of the Aged Mother which shook the heavens with wrath Hearing the march of long resounding strong heroic Verse Marshalld in order for the day of Intellectual Battle Four Mighty Ones are in every Man; a Perfect Unity Cannot Exist. but from the Universal Brotherhood of Eden The Universal Man. To Whom be Glory Evermore Amen Are the Natures of those Living Creatures the Heavenly Father only? No Individual Can know in all Eternity Los was the fourth immortal starry one, and in the Earth Of a bright Universe Empery attended day and night Days and nights of revolving joy, Urthona was his name In Eden; in the Auricular Nerves of Human life Which is the Earth of Eden, he his Emanations propagated Fairies of Albion afterwards Gods of the Heathen, Daughter of Beulah Sing His fall into Division and his Resurrection to Unity His fall into the Generation of Decay and Death and his Regeneration by the Resurrection from the dead Begin with Tharmas Parent power. darkning in the West Lost! Lost! Lost! are my Emanations Enion O Enion We are become a Victim to the Living We hide in secret I have hidden Jerusalem in Silent Contrition O Pity Me I will build thee a Labyrinth also O pity me O Enion Why hast thou taken sweet Jerusalem from my inmost Soul Let her Lay secret in the Soft recess of darkness and silence It is not Love I bear to. It is Pity She hath taken refuge in my bosom and I cannot cast her out. The Men have recieved their death wounds and their Emanations are fled To me for refuge and I cannot turn them out for Pitys sake Enion said—Thy fear has made me tremble thy terrors have surrounded me All Love is lost Terror succeeds and Hatred instead of Love And stern demands of Right and Duty instead of Liberty. Once thou wast to Me the loveliest son of heaven—But now Why art thou Terrible and yet I love thee in thy terror till I am almost Extinct and soon shall be a Shadow in Oblivion Unless some way can be found that I may look upon thee and live Hide me some Shadowy semblance. secret whispring in my Ear In secret of soft wings. in mazes of delusive beauty I have lookd into the secret soul of him I lovd And in the Dark recesses found Sin and cannot return Trembling and pale sat Tharmas weeping in his clouds Why wilt thou Examine every little fibre of my soul Spreading them out before the Sun like Stalks of flax to dry The infant joy is beautiful but its anatomy Horrible Ghast and Deadly nought shalt thou find in it But Death Despair and Everlasting brooding Melancholy Thou wilt go mad with horror if thou dost Examine thus Every moment of my secret hours Yea I know That I have sinnd and that my Emanations are become harlots I am already distracted at their deeds and if I look Upon them more Despair will bring self murder on my soul O Enion thou art thyself a root growing in hell Tho thus heavenly beautiful to draw me to destruction Sometimes I think thou art a flower expanding Sometimes I think thou art fruit breaking from its bud In dreadful dolor and pain and I am like an atom A Nothing left in darkness yet I am an identity I wish and feel and weep and groan Ah terrible terrible In Eden, Females sleep the winter in soft silken veils Woven by their own hands to hide them in the darksom grave But Males immortal live renewd by female deaths. in soft Delight they die and they revive in spring with music and songs Enion said Farewell I die I hide. from thy searching eyes So saying—From her bosom weaving soft in Sinewy threads A tabernacle for Jerusalem she sat among the Rocks Singing her lamentation. Tharmas groand among his Clouds Weeping, then bending from his Clouds he stoopd his innocent head And stretching out his holy hand in the vast Deep sublime Turnd round the circle of Destiny with tears and bitter sighs And said. Return O Wanderer when the Day of Clouds is oer So saying he sunk down into the sea a pale white corse In torment he sunk down and flowd among her filmy Woof His Spectre issuing from his feet in flames of fire In gnawing pain drawn out by her lovd fingers every nerve She counted. every vein and lacteal threading them among Her woof of terror. Terrified and drinking tears of woe Shuddring she wove—nine days and nights Sleepless her food was tears Wondring she saw her woof begin to animate. and not As Garments woven subservient to her hands but having a will Of its own perverse and wayward Enion lovd and wept Nine days she labourd at her work. and nine dark sleepless nights But on the tenth trembling morn the Circle of Destiny Complete Round rolld the Sea Englobing in a watry Globe self balancd A Frowning Continent appeard Where Enion in the Desart Terrified in her own Creation viewing her woven shadow Sat in a dread intoxication of Repentance and Contritiont There is from Great Eternity a mild and pleasant rest Namd Beulah a Soft Moony Universe feminine lovely Pure mild and Gentle given in Mercy to those who sleep Eternally. Created by the Lamb of God around On all sides within and without the Universal Man The Daughters of Beulah follow sleepers in all their Dreams Creating Spaces lest they fall into Eternal Death The Circle of Destiny complete they gave to it a Space And namd the Space Ulro and brooded over it in care and love They said The Spectre is in every man insane and most Deformd Thro the three heavens descending in fury and fire We meet it with our Songs and loving blandishments and give To it a form of vegetation But this Spectre of Tharmas Is Eternal Death What shall we do O God pity and help So spoke they and closd the Gate of the Tongue in trembling fear What have I done! said Enion accursed wretch! What deed. Is this a deed of Love I know what I have done. I know Too late now to repent. Love is changd to deadly Hate A life is blotted out and I alone remain possessd with Fears I see the Shadow of the dead within my Soul wandering In darkness and solitude forming Seas of Doubt and rocks of Repentance Already are my Eyes reverted. all that I behold Within my Soul has lost its splendor and a brooding Fear Shadows me oer and drives me outward to a world of woe So waild she trembling before her own Created Phantasm She drew the Spectre forth from Tharmas in her shining loom Of Vegetation weeping in wayward infancy and sullen youth Listning to her soft lamentations soon his tongue began To Lisp out words and soon in masculine strength augmenting he Reard up a form of gold and stood upon the glittering rock A shadowy human form winged and in his depths The dazzlings as of gems shone clear, rapturous in fury Glorying in his own eyes Exalted in terrific Pride The Spectre thus spoke. Who art thou Diminutive husk and shell If thou hast sinnd and art polluted know that I am pure And unpolluted and will bring to rigid strict account All thy past deeds hear what I tell thee! mark it well! remember! This world is Thine in which thou dwellest that within thy soul That dark and dismal infinite where Thought roams up and down Is Mine and there thou goest when with one Sting of my tongue Envenomd thou rolist inwards to the place whence I emergd She trembling answerd Wherefore was I born and what am It I thought to weave a Covering for my Sins from wrath of Tharmas I thought Tharmas a Sinner and I murderd his Emanationst His secret loves and Graces Ah me wretched What have I done For now I find that all those Emanations were my Childrens Souls And I have murderd them with Cruelty above atonementt Those that remain have fled from my cruelty into the desarts And thou the delusive tempter to these deeds sittest before me In this thy world not mine tho dark I feel my world withint Mingling his horrible brightness with her tender limbs then high she soardt Above the ocean; a bright wonder that Nature shudder'd at Half Woman and half Spectre, all his lovely changing colours mixt With her fair crystal clearness; in her lips and cheeks his poisons roset In blushes like the morning, and his scaly armour softening A monster lovely in the heavens or wandering on the earth, Till with fierce pain she brought forth on the rocks her sorrow and woe Behold two little Infants wept upon the desolate wind. The first state weeping they began and helpless as a wave Beaten along its sightless way growing enormous in its motion to Its utmost goal, till strength from Enion like richest summer shining Raisd the bright boy and girl with glories from their heads out beaming Drawing forth drooping mothers pity drooping mothers sorrow They sulk upon her breast her hair became like snow on mountains Weaker and weaker, weeping woful, wearier and wearier Faded and her bright Eyes decayd melted with pity and love And then they wanderd far away she sought for them in vain In weeping blindness stumbling she followd them oer rocks and mountains Rehumanizing from the Spectre in pangs of maternal love Ingrate they wanderd scorning her drawing her Spectrous Life Repelling her away and away by a dread repulsive power Into Non Entity revolving round in dark despair. And drawing in the Spectrous life in pride and haughty joy Thus Enion gave them all her spectrous life Then Eno a daughter of Beulah took a Moment of Time And drew it out to Seven thousand years with much care and afflictiont And many tears and in Every year made windows into Eden She also took an atom of space and opend its center Into Infinitude and ornamented it with wondrous art Astonishd sat her Sisters of Beulah to see her soft affections To Enion and her children and they ponderd these things wondring And they Alternate kept watch over the Youthful terrors They saw not yet the Hand Divine for it was not yet reveald But they went on in Silent Hope and Feminine repose But Los and Enitharmon delighted in the Moony spaces of Eno Nine Times they livd among the forests, feeding on sweet fruits And nine bright Spaces wanderd weaving mazes of delight Snaring the wild Goats for their milk they eat the flesh of Lambs A male and female naked and ruddy as the pride of summer Alternate Love and Hate his breast; hers Scorn and Jealousy In embryon passions. they kiss'd not nor embrac'd for shame and fear His head beamd light and in his vigorous voice was prophecy He could controll the times and seasons, and the days and years She could controll the spaces, regions, desart, flood and forest But had no power to weave a Veil of covering for her Sins She drave the Females all away from Los And Los drave all the Males from her away They wanderd long, till they sat down upon the margind sea. Conversing with the visions of Beulah in dark slumberous bliss But the two youthful wonders wanderd in the world of Tharmas Thy name is Enitharmon; said the fierce prophetic boy While thy mild voice fills all these Caverns with sweet harmony O how our Parents sit and mourn in their silent secret bowers But Enitharmon answerd with a dropping tear and frowningt Dark as a dewy morning when the crimson light appears To make us happy let them weary their immortal powers While we draw in their sweet delights while we return them scornt On scorn to feed our discontent; for if we grateful prove They will withhold sweet love, whose food is thorns and bitter roots. We hear the warlike clarions we view the turning spheres Yet Thou in indolence reposest holding me in bonds Hear! I will sing a Song of Death! it is a Song of Vala! The Fallen Man takes his repose: Urizen sleeps in the porcht Luvah and Vala woke and flew up from the Human Heart Into the Brain; from thence upon the pillow Vala slumber'd. And Luvah siez'd the Horses of Light, and rose into the Chariot of Day Sweet laughter siezd me in my sleep! silent and close I laughd For in the visions of Vala I walkd with the mighty Fallen One I heard his voice among the branches, and among sweet flowers. Why is the light of Enitharmon darken'd in dewy mornt Why is the silence of Enitharmon a terror and her smile a whirlwind Uttering this darkness in my halls, in the pillars of my Holy-ones Why dost thou weep as Vala? and wet thy veil with dewy tears, In slumbers of my night-repose, infusing a false morning? Driving the Female Emanations all away from Los I have refusd to look upon the Universal Vision And wilt thou slay with death him who devotes himself to thee Once born for the sport and amusement of Man now born to drink up all his Powers I heard the sounding sea; I heard the voice weaker and weaker; The voice came and went like a dream, I awoke in my sweet bliss. Then Los smote her upon the Earth twas long eer she revivd He answer'd, darkning more with indignation hid in smiles I die not Enitharmon tho thou singst thy Song of Death Nor shalt thou me torment For I behold the Fallen Man Seeking to comfort Vala, she will not be comfortedt She rises from his throne and seeks the shadows of her garden Weeping for Luvah lost, in the bloody beams of your false morning Sickning lies the Fallen Man his head sick his heart faint Mighty atchievement of your power! Beware the punishment I see, invisible descend into the Gardens of Vala Luvah walking on the winds, I see the invisible knife I see the shower of blood: I see the swords and spears of futurity Tho in the Brain of Man we live, and in his circling Nerves. Tho' this bright world of all our joy is in the Human Brain. Where Urizen and all his Hosts hang their immortal lamps Thou neer shalt leave this cold expanse where watry Tharmas mourns So spoke Los. Scorn and Indignation rose upon Enitharmon Then Enitharmon reddning fierce stretchd her immortal hands Descend O Urizen descend with horse and chariots Threaten not me O visionary thine the punishment The Human Nature shall no more remain nor Human acts Form the rebellious Spirits of Heaven. but War and Princedom and Victory and Blood Night darkend as she spoke! a shuddring ran from East to Westt A Groan was heard on high. The warlike clarions ceast. the Spirits Of Luvah and Vala shudderd in their Orb: an orb of blood! Eternity groand and was troubled at the Image of Eternal Death The Wandering Man bow'd his faint head and Urizen descended And the one must have murderd the other if he had not descended Indignant muttering low thunders; Urizen descended Gloomy sounding, Now I am God from Eternity to Eternity Sullen sat Los plotting Revenge. Silent he eye'd the Prince Of Light. Silent the prince of Light viewd Los. at length a broodedt Smile broke from Urizen for Enitharmon brightend more and more Sullen he lowerd on Enitharmon but he smild on Los Saying Thou art the Lord of Luvah into thine hands I give The prince of Love the murderer his soul is in thine hands Pity not Vala for she pitied not the Eternal Man Nor pity thou the cries of Luvah. Lo these starry hosts They are thy servants if thou wilt obey my awful Law Los answerd furious art thou one of those who when most complacent Mean mischief most. If you are such Lo! I am also such One must be master. try thy Arts I also will try mine For I percieve Thou hast Abundance which I claim as mine Urizen startled stood but not Long soon he cried Obey my voice young Demon I am God from Eternity to Eternity Thus Urizen spoke collected in himself in awful pride Art thou a visionary of Jesus the soft delusion of Eternity Lo I am God the terrible destroyer and not the Saviour Why should the Divine Vision compell the sons of Eden to forego each his own delight to war against his Spectre The Spectre is the Man the rest is only delusion and fancy So spoke the Prince of Light and sat beside the Seat of Los Upon the sandy shore rested his chariot of fire Ten thousand thousand were his hosts of spirits on the wind: Ten thousand thousand glittering Chariots shining in the sky: They pour upon the golden shore beside the silent ocean. Rejoicing in the Victory and the heavens were filld with blood The Earth spread forth her table wide. the Night a silver cup Fill'd with the wine of anguish waited at the golden feast But the bright Sun was not as yet; he filling all the expanse Slept as a bird in the blue shell that soon shall burst away Los saw the wound of his blow he saw he pitied he weptt Los now repented that he had smitten Enitharmon he felt love Arise in all his Veins he threw his arms around her loins To heal the wound of his smiting They eat the fleshly bread, they drank the nervous wine They listend to the Elemental Harps and Sphery Song They view'd the dancing Hours, quick sporting thro' the sky With winged radiance scattering joys thro the ever changing light But Luvah and Vala standing in the bloody sky On high remaind alone forsaken in fierce jealousy They stood above the heavens forsaken desolate suspended in blood Descend they could not. nor from Each other avert their eyes Eternity appeard above them as One Man infolded In Luvah robes of blood and bearing all his afflictions As the sun shines down on the misty earth Such was the Vision But purple night and crimson morning and golden day descending Thro' the clear changing atmosphere display'd green fields among The varying clouds, like paradises stretch'd in the expanse With towns and villages and temples, tents sheep-folds and pastures Where dwell the children of the elemental worlds in harmony, Not long in harmony they dwell, their life is drawn away And wintry woes succeed; successive driven into the Void Where Enion craves: successive drawn into the golden feast And Los and Enitharmon sat in discontent and scornt The Nuptial Song arose from all the thousand thousand spiritst Over the joyful Earth and Sea, and ascended into the Heavens For Elemental Gods their thunderous Organs blew; creating Delicious Viands. Demons of Waves their watry Eccho's woke! Bright Souls of vegetative life, budding and blossoming Stretch their immortal hands to smite the gold and silver Wires And with immortal Voice soft warbling fill all Earth and Heaven. With doubling Voices and loud Horns wound round sounding Cavernous dwellers fill'd the enormous Revelry, Responsing! And Spirits of Flaming fire on high, govern'd the mighty Song. And This the Song! sung at The Feast of Los and Enitharmon Ephraim calld out to Zion: Awake O Brother Mountain Let us refuse the Plow and Spade, the heavy Roller and spiked Harrow. burn all these Corn fields. throw down all these fences Fattend on Human blood and drunk with wine of life is better far Than all these labours of the harvest and the vintage. See the river Red with the blood of Men. swells lustful round my rocky knees My clouds are not the clouds of verdant fields and groves of fruit But Clouds of Human Souls. my nostrils drink the lives of Men The Villages Lament. they faint outstretchd upon the plain Wailing runs round the Valleys from the Mill and from the Barn But most the polishd Palaces dark silent bow with dread Hiding their books and pictures. underneath the dens of Earth The Cities send to one another saying My sons are Mad With wine of cruelty. Let us plat a Scourge O Sister City Children are nourishd for the Slaughter; once the Child was fed With Milk; but wherefore now are Children fed with bloodt The Horse is of more value than the Man. The Tyger fierce Laughs at the Human form. the Lion mocks and thirsts for blood They cry O Spider spread thy web! Enlarge thy bones and fill'd With marrow. sinews and flesh Exalt thyself attain a voice Call to thy dark armd hosts, for all the sons of Men muster together To desolate their cities! Man shall be no more! Awake O Hosts The bow string sang upon the hills! Luvah and Vala ride Triumphant in the bloody sky. and the Human form is no more The listning Stars heard, and the first beam of the morning started back He cried out to his Father, depart! depart! but sudden Siez'd And clad in steel. and his Horse proudly neighd; he smelt the battle Afar off, Rushing back, reddning with rage the Mighty Father Siezd his bright Sheephook studded with gems and gold, he Swung it round His head shrill sounding in the sky, down rushd the Sun with noise Of war, The Mountains fled away they sought a place beneath Vala remaind in desarts of dark solitude. nor Sun nor Moon By night nor day to comfort her, she labourd in thick smoke Tharmas endurd not, he fled howling. then a barren waste sunk> Conglobing in the dark confusion, Mean time Los was born And Thou O Enitharmon! Hark I hear the hammers of Los They melt the bones of Vala, and the bones of Luvah into wedges The innumerable sons and daughters of Luvah closd in furnaces Melt into furrows. winter blows his bellows: ice and Snow Tend the dire anvils. Mountains mourn and Rivers faint and fail There is no City nor Corn-field nor Orchard! all is Rock and Sand There is no Sun nor Moon nor Star. but rugged wintry rocks Justling together in the void suspended by inward fires Impatience now no longer can endure. Distracted Luvah Bursting forth from the loins of Enitharmon, Thou fierce Terror Go howl in vain, Smite Smite his fetters Smite O wintry hammers Smite Spectre of Urthona, mock the fiend who drew us down From heavens of joy into this Deep. Now rage but rage in vain Thus Sang the Demons of the Deep. the Clarions of War blew loud The Feast redounds and Crownd with roses and the circling vine The Enormous Bride and Bridegroom sat, beside them Urizen With faded radiance sighd, forgetful of the flowing wine And of Ahania his Pure Bride but She was distant far But Los and Enitharmon sat in discontent and scorn Craving the more the more enjoying, drawing out sweet bliss From all the turning wheels of heaven and the chariots of the Slain At distance Far in Night repelld. in direful hunger craving Summers and Winters round revolving in the frightful deep. Enion blind and age-bent wept upon the desolate wind Why does the Raven cry aloud and no eye pities her? Why fall the Sparrow and the Robin in the foodless winter? Faint! shivering they sit on leafless bush, or frozen stone Wearied with seeking food across the snowy waste; the little Heart, cold; and the little tongue consum'd, that once in thoughtless joy Gave songs of gratitude to waving corn fields round their nest. Why howl the Lion and the Wolf? why do they roam abroad? Deluded by summers heat they sport in enormous love And cast their young out to the hungry wilds and sandy desarts Why is the Sheep given to the knife? the Lamb plays in the Sun He starts! he hears the foot of Man! he says, Take thou my wool But spare my life, but he knows not that winter cometh fast. The Spider sits in his labourd Web, eager watching for the Fly Presently comes a famishd Bird and takes away the Spider His Web is left all desolate, that his little anxious heart So careful wove; and spread it out with sighs and weariness. This was the Lamentation of Enion round the golden Feast Eternity groand and was troubled at the image of Eternal Death Without the body of Man an Exudation from his sickning limbs Now Man was come to the Palm tree and to the Oak of Weeping Which stand upon the Edge of Beulah and he sunk down From the Supporting arms of the Eternal Saviour; who disposd The pale limbs of his Eternal Individuality Upon The Rock of Ages. Watching over him with Love and Care Then those in Great Eternity met in the Council of God As one Man for contracting their Exalted Senses They behold Multitude or Expanding they behold as one As One Man all the Universal family and that one Mant They call Jesus the Christ and they in him and he in them Live in Perfect harmony in Eden the land of life Consulting as One Man above the Mountain of Snowdon Sublime For messengers from Beulah come in tears and darkning clouds Saying Shiloh is in ruins our brother is sick Albion Het Whom thou lovest is sick he wanders from his house of Eternity The daughters of Beulah terrified have closd the Gate of the Tongue Luvah and Urizen contend in war around the holy tent So spoke the Ambassadors from Beulah and with solemn mourningt They were introducd to the divine presence and they kneeled down In Conways Vale thus recounting the Wars of Death Eternal The Eternal Man wept in the holy tent Our Brother in Eternity Even Albion whom thou lovest wept in pain his family Slept round on hills and valleys in the regions of his love But Urizen awoke and Luvah woke and thus conferrd Thou Luvah said the Prince of Light behold our sons and daughters Reposd on beds. let them sleep on. do thou alone depar Into thy wished Kingdom where in Majesty and Power We may erect a throne. deep in the North I place my lot Thou in the South listen attentive. In silent of this night I will infold the Eternal tent in clouds opake while thou Siezing the chariots of the morning. Go outfleeting ride Afar into the Zenith high bending thy furious course Southward with half the tents of men inclosd in clouds> Will lay my scepter on Jerusalem the Emanation On all her sons and on thy sons O Luvah and on mine Till dawn was wont to wake them then my trumpet sounding loud Ravishd away in night my strong command shall be obeyd For I have placd my centinels in stations each tenth man Is bought and sold and in dim night my Word shall be their law Luvah replied Dictate to thy Equals. am not I The Prince of all the hosts of Men nor Equal know in Heaven If I arise into the Zenith leaving thee to watch The Emanation and her Sons the Satan and the Anak Sihon and Og. wilt thou not rebel to my laws remain In darkness building thy strong throne and in my ancient night Daring my power wilt arm my sons against me in the Atlantict My deep My night which thou assuming hast assumed my Crown I will remain as well as thou and here with hands of blood Smite this dark sleeper in his tent then try my strength with thee While thus he spoke his fires reddend oer the holy tent Urizen cast deep darkness round him silent brooding death Eternal death to Luvah. raging Luvah pourd The Lances of Urizen from chariots. round the holy tent Discord began and yells and cries shook the wide firmament Beside his anvil stood Urthona dark. a mass of iron Glowd furious on the anvil prepard for spades and coulters All His sons fled from his side to join the conflict pale he heard The Eternal voice he stood the sweat chilld on his mighty limbs He dropd his hammer. dividing from his aking bosom fled A portion of his life shrieking upon the wind she fled And Tharmas took her in pitying Then Enion in jealous fear Murderd her and hid her in her bosom embalming her for fear She should arise again to life Embalmd in Enions bosom Enitharmon remains a corse such thing was never known In Eden that one died a death never to be revivd Urthona stood in terror but not long his spectre fled To Enion and his body fell. Tharmas beheld him fall Endlong a raging serpent rolling round the holy tent The sons of war astonishd at the Glittring monster drove Him far into the world of Tharmas into a cavernd rock But Urizen with darkness overspreading all the armies Sent round his heralds secretly commanding to depart Into the north Sudden with thunders sound his multitudes Retreat from the fierce conflict all the sons of Urizen at once Mustring together in thick clouds leaving the rage of Luvah To pour its fury on himself and on the Eternal Man Sudden down fell they all together into an unknown Space Deep horrible without End. Separated from Beulah far beneath The Mans exteriors are become indefinite opend to pain In a fierce hungring void and none can visit his regions Jerusalem his Emanation is become a ruint Her little ones are slain on the top of every streett And she herself led captive and scatterd into the indefinite Gird on thy sword O thou most mighty in glory and majesty Destroy these opressors of Jerusalem and those who ruin Shiloh So spoke the Messengers of Beulah. Silently removing The Family Divine drew up the Universal tent Above High Snowdon and closd the Messengers in clouds aroundt Till the time of the End. Then they Elected Seven. called the Seven Eyes of God and the Seven lamps of the Almighty The Seven are one within the other the Seventh is named Jesus The Lamb of God blessed for ever and he followd the Man Who wanderd in mount Ephraim seeking a Sepulcher His inward eyes closing from the Divine vision and all His children wandering outside from his bosom fleeing away The Daughters of Beulah beheld the Emanation they pitiedt They wept before the Inner gates of Enitharmons bosom And of her fine wrought brain and of her bowels within her loins Three gates within Glorious and bright open into Beulah From Enitharmons inward parts but the bright female terror Refusd to open the bright gates she closd and barrd them fast Lest Los should enter into Beulah thro her beautiful gates The Emanation stood before the Gates of Enitharmont Weeping. the Daughters of Beulah silent in the Porches Spread her a couch unknown to Enitharmon here reposd Jerusalem in slumbers soft lulld into silent rest Terrific ragd the Eternal Wheels of intellect terrific ragd The living creatures of the wheels in the Wars of Eternal life But perverse rolld the wheels of Urizen and Luvah back reversd Downwards and outwards consuming in the wars of Eternal Death [End of Night the First] Night the Second Rising upon his Couch of Death Albion beheld his Sons Turning his Eyes outward to Self. losing the Divine Vision Albion calld Urizen and said. Behold these sickning Spheres Whence is this Voice of Enion that soundeth in my Porches Take thou possession! take this Scepter! go forth in my might For I am weary, and must sleep in the dark sleep of Deatht Thy brother Luvah hath smitten me but pity thou his youth Tho thou hast not pitid my Age O Urizen Prince of Light Urizen rose from the bright Feast like a star thro' the evening sky Exulting at the voice that calld him from the Feast of envy First he beheld the body of Man pale, cold, the horrors of death Beneath his feet shot thro' him as he stood in the Human Brain And all its golden porches grew pale with his sickening light No more Exulting for he saw Eternal Death beneath Pale he beheld futurity; pale he beheld the Abyss Where Enion blind and age bent wept in direful hunger craving All rav'ning like the hungry worm, and like the silent grave Mighty was the draught of Voidness to draw Existence in Terrific Urizen strode above, in fear and pale dismay He saw the indefinite space beneath and his soul shrunk with horror His feet upon the verge of Non Existence; his voice went forth Luvah and Vala trembling and shrinking, beheld the great Work master And heard his Word! Divide ye bands influence by influence Build we a Bower for heavens darling in the grizly deep Build we the Mundane Shell around the Rock of Albion The Bands of Heaven flew thro the air singing and shouting to Urizen Some fix'd the anvil, some the loom erected, some the plow And harrow formd and framd the harness of silver and ivory The golden compasses, the quadrant and the rule and balance They erected the furnaces, they formd the anvils of gold beaten in mills Where winter beats incessant, fixing them firm on their base The bellows began to blow and the Lions of Urizen stood round the anvil And the leopards coverd with skins of beasts tended the roaring fires Sublime distinct their lineaments divine of human beautyt The tygers of wrath called the horses of instruction from their mangers They unloos'd them and put on the harness of gold and silver and ivory In human forms distinct they stood round Urizen prince of Light Petrifying all the Human Imagination into rock and sand Groans ran along Tyburns brook and along the River of Oxford Among the Druid Temples. Albion groand on Tyburns brook Albion gave his loud death groan The Atlantic Mountains trembled Aloft the Moon fled with a cry the Sun with streams of blood From Albions Loins fled all Peoples and Nations of the Earth Fled with the noise of Slaughter and the stars of heaven Fled Jerusalem came down in a dire ruin over all the Earth She fell cold from Lambeths Vales in groans and Dewy death The dew of anxious souls the death-sweat of the dying In every pillard hall and arched roof of Albions skies The brother and the brother bathe in blood upon the Severn The Maiden weeping by. The father and the mother with The Maidens father and her mother fainting over the body And the Young Man the Murderer fleeing over the mountains Reuben slept on Penmaenmawr and Levi slept on Snowdon Their eyes their ears nostrils and tongues roll outward they behold What is within now seen without they are raw to the hungry wind They become Nations far remote in a little and dark Land The Daughters of Albion girded around their garments of Needlework Stripping Jerusalems curtains from mild demons of the hills Across Europe and Asia to China and Japan like lightenings They go forth and return to Albion on his rocky couch Gwendolen Ragan Sabrina Gonorill Mehetabel Cordella Boadicea Conwenna Estrild Gwinefrid Ignoge Cambel Binding Jerusalems Children in the dungeons of Babylon They play before the Armies before the hounds of Nimrod While The Prince of Light on Salisbury plain among the druid stone Rattling the adamantine chains and hooks heave up the ore In mountainous masses, plung'd in furnaces, and they shut and seald The furnaces a time and times; all the while blew the North His cloudy bellows and the South and East and dismal West And all the while the plow of iron cut the dreadful furrows In Ulro beneath Beulah where the Dead wail Night and Day Luvah was cast into the Furnaces of affliction and sealed And Vala fed in cruel delight, the furnaces with fire Stern Urizen beheld urg'd by necessity to keep The evil day afar, and if perchance with iron power He might avert his own despair; in woe and fear he saw Vala incircle round the furnaces where Luvah was clos'd In joy she heard his howlings, and forgot he was her Luvah With whom she walkd in bliss, in times of innocence and youth Hear ye the voice of Luvah from the furnaces of Urizen If I indeed am Valas King and ye O sons of Ment The workmanship of Luvahs hands; in times of Everlasting When I calld forth the Earth-worm from the cold and dark obscure I nurturd her I fed her with my rains and dews, she grew A scaled Serpent, yet I fed her tho' she hated me Day after day she fed upon the mountains in Luvahs sight I brought her thro' the Wilderness, a dry and thirsty land And I commanded springs to rise for her in the black desart Till she became a Dragon winged bright and poisonoust I opend all the floodgates of the heavens to quench her thirst And I commanded the Great deep to hide her in his hand Till she became a little weeping Infant a span long I carried her in my bosom as a man carries a lamb I loved her I gave her all my soul and my delight I hid her in soft gardens and in secret bowers of Summer Weaving mazes of delight along the sunny Paradise Inextricable labyrinths, She bore me sons and daughters And they have taken her away and hid her from my sight They have surrounded me with walls of iron and brass, O Lambt Of God clothed in Luvahs garments little knowest thout Of death Eternal that we all go to Eternal Death To our Primeval Chaos in fortuitous concourse of incoherent Discordant principles of Love and Hate I suffer affliction Because I love. for I was love but hatred awakes in met And Urizen who was Faith and Certainty is changd to Doubt The hand of Urizen is upon me because I blotted out That Human delusion to deliver all the sons of Godt From bondage of the Human form, O first born Son of Light O Urizen my enemy I weep for thy stern ambition But weep in vain O when will you return Vala the Wanderer These were the words of Luvah patient in afflictions Reasoning from the loins in the unreal forms of Ulros night And when Luvah age after age was quite melted with woe The fires of Vala faded like a shadow cold and pale An evanescent shadow. last she fell a heap of Ashes Beneath the furnaces a woful heap in living death Then were the furnaces unscald with spades and pickaxes Roaring let out the fluid, the molten metal ran in channels Cut by the plow of ages held in Urizens strong hand In many a valley, for the Bulls of Luvah dragd the Plow With trembling horror pale aghast the Children of Mant Stood on the infinite Earth and saw these visions in the air In waters and in Earth beneath they cried to one another What are we terrors to one another. Come O brethren wherefore Was this wide Earth spread all abroad. not for wild beasts to roam But many stood silent and busied in their families And many said We see no Visions in the darksom air Measure the course of that sulphur orb that lights the darksom day Set stations on this breeding Earth and let us buy and sell Others arose and schools Erected forming Instruments To measure out the course of heaven. Stern Urizen beheld In woe his brethren and his Sons in darkning woe lamenting Upon the winds in clouds involvd Uttering his voice in thunders Commanding all the work with care and power and severity Then siezd the Lions of Urizen their work, and heated in the forge Roar the bright masses, thund'ring beat the hammers, many a pyramid Is form'd and thrown down thund'ring into the deeps of Non Entity Heated red hot they hizzing rend their way down many a league Till resting, each his center finds; suspended there they stand Casting their sparkles dire abroad into the dismal deep For measurd out in orderd spaces the Sons of Urizen With compasses divide the deep; they the strong scales erect That Luvah rent from the faint Heart of the Fallen Man And weigh the massy Cubes, then fix them in their awful stationst And all the time in Caverns shut, the golden Looms erected First spun, then wove the Atmospheres, there the Spider and Worm Plied the wingd shuttle piping shrill thro' all the list'ning threads Beneath the Caverns roll the weights of lead and spindles of iron The enormous warp and woof rage direful in the affrighted deep While far into the vast unknown, the strong wing'd Eagles bend Their venturous flight, in Human forms distinct; thro darkness deep They bear the woven draperies; on golden hooks they hang abroad The universal curtains and spread out from Sun to Sun The vehicles of light, they separate the furious particles Into mild currents as the water mingles with the wine. While thus the Spirits of strongest wing enlighten the dark deep The threads are spun and the cords twisted and drawn out; then the weak Begin their work; and many a net is netted; many a net Spread and many a Spirit caught, innumerable the nets Innumerable the gins and traps; and many a soothing flute Is form'd and many a corded lyre, outspread over the immense In cruel delight they trap the listeners, and in cruel delight Bind them, condensing the strong energies into little compass Some became seed of every plant that shall be planted; some The bulbous roots, thrown up together into barns and garners Then rose the Builders; First the Architect divine his plan Unfolds, The wondrous scaffold reard all round the infinite Quadrangular the building rose the heavens squared by a line. Trigon and cubes divide the elements in finite bonds Multitudes without number work incessant: the hewn stone Is placd in beds of mortar mingled with the ashes of Vala Severe the labour, female slaves the mortar trod oppressed Twelve halls after the names of his twelve sons composd The wondrous building and three Central Domes after the Names Of his three daughters were encompassd by the twelve bright halls Every hall surrounded by bright Paradises of Delight In which are towns and Cities Nations Seas Mountains and Riverst Each Dome opend toward four halls and the Three Domes Encompassd The Golden Hall of Urizen whose western side glowd bright With ever streaming fires beaming from his awful limbs His Shadowy Feminine Semblance here reposd on a White Couch Or hoverd oer his Starry head and when he smild she brightend Like a bright Cloud in harvest. but when Urizen frownd She wept In mists over his carved throne and when he turnd his back Upon his Golden hall and sought the Labyrinthine porches Of his wide heaven Trembling, cold in paling fears she sat A Shadow of Despair therefore toward the West Urizen formd A recess in the wall for fires to glow upon the pale Females limbs in his absence and her Daughters oft upon A Golden Altar burnt perfumes with Art Celestial formd Foursquare sculpturd and sweetly Engravd to please their shadowy mothert Ascending into her misty garments the blue smoke rolld to revive Her cold limbs in the absence of her Lord. Also her sons With lives of Victims sacrificed upon an altar of brass On the East side. Revivd her Soul with lives of beasts and birds Slain on the Altar up ascending into her cloudy bosom Of terrible workmanship the Altar labour of ten thousand Slaves One thousand Men of wondrous power spent their lives in its formation It stood on twelve steps namd after the names of her twelve sons And was Erected at the chief entrance of Urizens hall When Urizen returnd from his immense labours and travels Descending She reposd beside him folding him around In her bright skirts. Astonishd and Confounded he beheld Her shadowy form now Separate he shudderd and was silent Till her caresses and her tears revivd him to life and joy Two wills they had two intellects and not as in times of old This Urizen percievd and silent brooded in darkning Clouds To him his Labour was but Sorrow and his Kingdom was Repentance He drave the Male Spirits all away from Ahania And she drave all the Females from him away Los joyd and Enitharmon laughd, saying Let us go down And see this labour and sorrow; They went down to see the woes Of Vala and the woes of Luvah, to draw in their delights And Vala like a shadow oft appeard to Urizen The King of Light beheld her mourning among the Brick kilns compelld To labour night and day among the fires, her lamenting voice Is heard when silent night returns and the labourers take their rest O Lord wilt thou not look upon our sore afflictions Among these flames incessant labouring, our hard masters laugh At all our sorrow. We are made to turn the wheel for water To carry the heavy basket on our scorched shoulders, to sift The sand and ashes, and to mix the clay with tears and repentance I see not Luvah as of old I only see his feet Like pillars of fire travelling thro darkness and non entity The times are now returnd upon us, we have given ourselves To scorn and now are scorned by the slaves of our enemies Our beauty is coverd over with clay and ashes, and our backs Furrowd with whips, and our flesh bruised with the heavy basket Forgive us O thou piteous one whom we have offended, forgive The weak remaining shadow of Vala that returns in sorrow to thee. Thus she lamented day and night, compelld to labour and sorrow Luvah in vain her lamentations heard; in vain his love Brought him in various forms before her still she knew him not Still she despisd him, calling on his name and knowing him not Still hating still professing love, still labouring in the smoke And Los and Enitharmon joyd, they drank in tenfold joy From all the sorrow of Luvah and the labour of Urizen And Enitharmon joyd Plotting to rend the secret cloud To plant divisions in the Soul of Urizen and Ahania But infinitely beautiful the wondrous work arose In sorrow and care. a Golden World whose porches round the heavens And pillard halls and rooms recievd the eternal wandering stars A wondrous golden Building; many a window many a door And many a division let in and out into the vast unknown Cubed in window square immoveable, within its walls and cielings The heavens were closd and spirits mournd their bondage night and day And the Divine Vision appeard in Luvahs robes of blood Thus was the Mundane shell builded by Urizens strong power Sorrowing went the Planters forth to plant, the Sowers to sow They dug the channels for the rivers and they pourd abroad The seas and lakes, they reard the mountains and the rocks and hills On broad pavilions, on pillard roofs and porches and high towers In beauteous order, thence arose soft clouds and exhalations Wandering even to the sunny Cubes of light and heat For many a window ornamented with sweet ornaments Lookd out into the World of Tharmas, where in ceaseless torrents His billows roll where monsters wander in the foamy paths On clouds the Sons of Urizen beheld Heaven walled round They weighd and orderd all and Urizen comforted saw The wondrous work flow forth like visible out of the invisible For the Divine Lamb Even Jesus who is the Divine Vision Permitted all lest Man should fall into Eternal Death For when Luvah sunk down himself put on the robes of blood Lest the state calld Luvah should cease. and the Divine Vision Walked in robes of blood till he who slept should awake Thus were the stars of heaven created like a golden chain To bind the Body of Man to heaven from failing into the Abyss Each took his station, and his course began with sorrow and caret In sevens and tens and fifties, hundreds, thousands, numberd all According to their various powers. Subordinate to Urizen And to his sons in their degrees and to his beauteous daughters Travelling in silent majesty along their orderd ways In right lined paths outmeasurd by proportions of number weight And measure. mathematic motion wondrous. along the deep In fiery pyramid. or Cube. or unornamented pillar Of fire far shining. travelling along even to its destind end Then falling down. a terrible space recovring in winter dire Its wasted strength. it back returns upon a nether course Till fired with ardour fresh recruited in its humble season It rises up on high all summer till its wearied course Turns into autumn. such the period of many worlds Others triangular right angled course maintain. others obtuse Acute Scalene, in simple paths. but others move In intricate ways biquadrate. Trapeziums Rhombs Rhomboids Paralellograms. triple and quadruple. polygonic In their amazing hard subdued course in the vast deep And Los and Enitharmon were drawn down by their desires Descending sweet upon the wind among soft harps and voicest To plant divisions in the Soul of Urizen and Ahania To conduct the Voice of Enion to Ahanias midnight pillow Urizen saw and envied and his imagination was filled Repining he contemplated the past in his bright sphere Terrified with his heart and spirit at the visions of futurity That his dread fancy formd before him in the unformd void For Los and Enitharmon walkd forth on the dewy Earth Contracting or expanding their all flexible senses At will to murmur in the flowers small as the honey bee At will to stretch across the heavens and step from star to star Or standing on the Earth erect, or on the stormy waves Driving the storms before them or delighting in sunny beams While round their heads the Elemental Gods kept harmony And Los said. Lo the Lilly pale and the rose reddning fierce Reproach thee and the beamy gardens sicken at thy beauty I grasp thy vest in my strong hand in vain. like water springs In the bright sands of Los. evading my embrace. then I alone Wander among the virgins of the summer Look they cry The poor forsaken Los mockd by the worm the shelly snail The Emmet and the beetle hark they laugh and mock at Los Enitharmon answerd Secure now from the smitings of thy Power Demon of fury If the God enrapturd me infolds In clouds of sweet obscurity my beauteous form dissolving Howl thou over the body of death tis thine But if among the virginst Of summer I have seen thee sleep and turn thy cheek delighted Upon the rose or lilly pale. or on a bank where sleep The beamy daughters of the light starting they rise they flee From thy fierce love for tho I am dissolvd in the bright God My spirit still pursues thy false love over rocks and valleys Los answerd Therefore fade I thus dissolvd in rapturd trance Thou canst repose on clouds of secrecy while oer my limbs Cold dews and hoary frost creeps thro I lie on banks of summer Among the beauties of the World Cold and repining Los Still dies for Enitharmon nor a spirit springs from my dead corse Then I am dead till thou revivest me with thy sweet song Now taking on Ahanias form and now the form of Enion I know thee not as once I knew thee in those blessed fields Where memory wishes to repose among the flocks of Tharmas Enitharmon answerd Wherefore didst thou throw thine arms around Ahanias Image I decievd thee and will still decieve Urizen saw thy sin and hid his beams in darkning Clouds I still keep watch altho I tremble and wither across the heavens In strong vibrations of fierce jealousy for thou art mine Created for my will my slave tho strong tho I am weak Farewell the God calls me away I depart in my sweet bliss She fled vanishing on the wind And left a dead cold corse In Los's arms howlings began over the body of death Los spoke. Thy God in vain shall call thee if by my strong power I can infuse my dear revenge into his glowing breast Then jealousy shall shadow all his mountains and Ahania Curse thee thou plague of woful Los and seek revenge on thee So saying in deep sobs he languishd till dead he also fell Night passd and Enitharmon eer the dawn returnd in bliss She sang Oer Los reviving him to Life his groans were terrible But thus she sang. I sieze the sphery harp I strike the strings At the first Sound the Golden sun arises from the Deep And shakes his awful hair The Eccho wakes the moon to unbind her silver locks The golden sun bears on my song And nine bright spheres of harmony rise round the fiery King The joy of woman is the Death of her most best beloved Who dies for Love of her In torments of fierce jealousy and pangs of adoration. The Lovers night bears on my song And the nine Spheres rejoice beneath my powerful controll They sing unceasing to the notes of my immortal hand The solemn silent moon Reverberates the living harmony upon my limbs The birds and beasts rejoice and play And every one seeks for his mate to prove his inmost joy Furious and terrible they sport and rend the nether deeps The deep lifts up his rugged head And lost in infinite humming wings vanishes with a cry The fading cry is ever dying The living voice is ever living in its inmost joy Arise you little glancing wings and sing your infant joy Arise and drink your bliss For every thing that lives is holy for the source of life Descends to be a weeping babe For the Earthworm renews the moisture of the sandy plain Now my left hand I stretch to earth beneath And strike the terrible string I wake sweet joy in dens of sorrow and I plant a smile In forests of affliction And wake the bubbling springs of life in regions of dark death O I am weary lay thine hand upon me or I faint I faint beneath these beams of thine For thou hast touchd my five senses and they answerd thee Now I am nothing and I sink And on the bed of silence sleep till thou awakest me Thus sang the Lovely one in Rapturous delusive trance Los heard reviving he siezd her in his arms delusive hopes Kindling She led him into Shadows and thence fled outstretchd Upon the immense like a bright rainbow weeping and smiling and fading Thus livd Los driving Enion far into the deathful infinite That he may also draw Ahania's spirit into her Vortex Ah happy blindness Enion sees not the terrors of the uncertaint Thus Enion wails from the dark deep, the golden heavens tremble I am made to sow the thistle for wheat; the nettle for a nourishing dainty I have planted a false oath in the earth, it has brought forth a poison tree I have chosen the serpent for a councellor and the dog For a schoolmaster to my children I have blotted out from light and living the dove and nightingale And I have caused the earth worm to beg from door to door I have taught the thief a secret path into the house of the just I have taught pale artifice to spread his nets upon the morning My heavens are brass my earth is iron my moon a clod of clay My sun a pestilence burning at noon and a vapour of death in night What is the price of Experience do men buy it for a song Or wisdom for a dance in the street? No it is bought with the price Of all that a man hath his house his wife his children Wisdom is sold in the desolate market where none come to buy And in the witherd field where the farmer plows for bread in vain It is an easy thing to triumph in the summers sun And in the vintage and to sing on the waggon loaded with corn It is an easy thing to talk of patience to the afflicted To speak the laws of prudence to the houseless wanderer To listen to the hungry ravens cry in wintry season When the red blood is filld with wine and with the marrow of lambs It is an easy thing to laugh at wrathful elements To hear the dog howl at the wintry door, the ox in the slaughter house moan To see a god on every wind and a blessing on every blast To hear sounds of love in the thunder storm that destroys our enemies house To rejoice in the blight that covers his field, and the sickness that cuts off his children While our olive and vine sing and laugh round our door and our children bring fruits and flowers Then the groan and the dolor are quite forgotten and the slave grinding at the mill And the captive in chains and the poor in the prison, and the soldier in the field When the shatterd bone hath laid him groaning among the happier dead It is an easy thing to rejoice in the tents of prosperity Thus could I sing and thus rejoice, but it is not so with me! Ahania heard the Lamentation and a swift Vibration Spread thro her Golden frame. She rose up eer the dawn of day When Urizen slept on his couch. drawn thro unbounded space Onto the margin of Non Entity the bright Female came There she beheld the Spectrous form of Enion in the Void And never from that moment could she rest upon her pillow [End of Night the Second] Night the Third Now sat the King of Light on high upon his starry throne And bright Ahania bow'd herself before his splendid feet O Urizen look on Me. like a mournful stream I Embrace round thy knees and wet My bright hair with my tears: Why sighs my Lord! are not the morning stars thy obedient Sons Do they not bow their bright heads at thy voice? at thy command Do they not fly into their stations and return their light to thee The immortal Atmospheres are thine, there thou art seen in glory Surrounded by the ever changing Daughters of the Light Why wilt thou look upon futurity darkning present joy She ceas'd the Prince his light obscurd and the splendors of his crown Infolded in thick clouds, from whence his mighty voice burst forth O bright Ahania, a Boy is born of the dark Ocean Whom Urizen doth serve, with Light replenishing his darkness I am set here a King of trouble commanded here to serve And do my ministry to those who eat of my wide table All this is mine yet I must serve and that Prophetic boy Must grow up to command his Prince but hear my determind Decree Vala shall become a Worm in Enitharmons Wombt Laying her seed upon the fibres soon to issue forth And Luvah in the loins of Los a dark and furious death Alas for me! what will become of me at that dread time? Ahania bow'd her head and wept seven days before the King And on the eighth day when his clouds unfolded from his throne She rais'd her bright head sweet perfumd and thus with heavenly voice O Prince the Eternal One hath set thee leader of his hosts Leave all futurity to him Resume thy fields of Lightt Why didst thou listen to the voice of Luvah that dread morn To give the immortal steeds of light to his deceitful hands No longer now obedient to thy will thou art compell'd To forge the curbs of iron and brass to build the iron mangers To feed them with intoxication from the wine presses of Luvah Till the Divine Vision and Fruition is quite obliterated They call thy lions to the fields of blood, they rowze thy tygers Out of the halls of justice, till these dens thy wisdom framd Golden and beautiful but O how unlike those sweet fields of bliss Where liberty was justice and eternal science was mercy Then O my dear lord listen to Ahania, listen to the vision The vision of Ahania in the slumbers of Urizen When Urizen slept in the porch and the Ancient Man was smittent The Darkning Man walkd on the steps of fire before his halls And Vala walkd with him in dreams of soft deluding slumber He looked up and saw thee Prince of Light thy splendor faded But saw not Los nor Enitharmon for Luvah hid them in shadow In a soft cloud Outstretch'd across, and Luvah dwelt in the cloud Then Man ascended mourning into the splendors of his palace Above him rose a Shadow from his wearied intellect Of living gold, pure, perfect, holy; in white linen pure he hover'd A sweet entrancing self delusion, a watry vision of Man Soft exulting in existence all the Man absorbing Man fell upon his face prostrate before the watry shadow Saying O Lord whence is this change thou knowest I am nothing And Vala trembled and coverd her face, and her locks. were spread on the pavement I heard astonishd at the Vision and my heart trembled within me I heard the voice of the Slumberous Man and thus he spoke Idolatrous to his own Shadow words of Eternity uttering O I am nothing when I enter into judgment with thee If thou withdraw thy breath I die and vanish into Hades If thou dost lay thine hand upon me behold I am silent If thou withhold thine hand I perish like a fallen leaf O I am nothing and to nothing must return again If thou withdraw thy breath, behold I am oblivion He ceasd: the shadowy voice was silent; but the cloud hoverd over their heads In golden wreathes, the sorrow of Man and the balmy drops fell down And Lo that Son of Man, that shadowy Spirit of the Fallen One Luvah, descended from the cloud; In terror Albion rose- Indignant rose the Awful Man and turnd his back on Vala Why roll thy clouds in sick'ning mists. I can no longer hide The dismal vision of mine Eyes, O love and life and light! Prophetic dreads urge me to speak. futurity is before me Like a dark lamp. Eternal death haunts all my expectation Rent from Eternal Brotherhood we die and are no more I heard the Voice of Albion starting from his sleep “Whence is this voice crying Enion that soundeth in my ears O cruel pity! O dark deceit! can Love seek for dominion And Luvah strove to gain dominion over the mighty Albion They strove together above the Body where Vala was inclos'd And the dark Body of Albion left prostrate upon the crystal pavement Coverd with boils from head to foot. the terrible smitings of Luvah Then frownd the Fallen Man and put forth Luvah from his presence (I heard him: frown not Urizen: but listen to my Vision) Saying, Go and die the Death of Man for Vala the sweet wanderer I will turn the volutions of your Ears outward; and bend your Nostrils Downward; and your fluxile Eyes englob'd, roll round in fear Your withring Lips and Tongue shrink up into a narrow circle Till into narrow forms you creep. Go take your fiery way And learn what 'tis to absorb the Man you Spirits of Pity and Love O Urizen why art thou pale at the visions of Ahania Listen to her who loves thee lest we also are driven away. They heard the Voice and fled swift as the winters setting sun And now the Human Blood foamd high, I saw that Luvah and Vala Went down the Human Heart where Paradise and its joys abounded In jealous fears in fury and rage, and flames roll'd round their fervid feet And the vast form of Nature like a Serpent play'd before them And as they went in folding fires and thunders of the deep Vala shrunk in like the dark sea that leaves its slimy banks And from her bosom Luvah fell far as the east and west And the vast form of Nature like a Serpent roll'd between. She ended, for his wrathful throne burst forth the black hail storm Am I not God said Urizen. Who is Equal to me Do I not stretch the heavens abroad or fold them up like a garment He spoke mustering his heavy clouds around him black opake Then thunders rolld around and lightnings darted to and fro His visage changd to darkness and his strong right hand came forth To cast Ahania to the Earth be siezd her by the hair And threw her from the steps of ice that froze around his throne Saying Art thou also become like Vala. thus I cast thee out Shall the feminine indolent bliss. the indulgent self of weariness The passive idle sleep the enormous night and darkness of Death Set herself up to give her laws to the active masculine virtue Thou little diminutive portion that darst be a counterpart Thy passivity thy laws of obedience and insincerity Are my abhorrence. Wherefore hast thou taken that fair form Whence is this power given to thee! once thou wast in my breast A sluggish current of dim waters. on whose verdant margin A cavern shaggd with horrid shades. dark cool and deadly, where I laid my head in the hot noon after the broken clods Had wearied me, there I laid my plow and there my horses fed And thou hast risen with thy moist locks into a watry image Reflecting all my indolence my weakness and my death To weigh me down beneath the grave into non Entity Where Luvah strives scorned by Vala age after age wandering Shrinking and shrinking from her Lord and calling him the Tempter And art thou also become like Vala thus I cast thee out. So loud in thunders spoke the King folded in dark despair And threw Ahania from his bosom obdurate She fell like lightning Then fled the sons of Urizen from his thunderous throne petrific They fled to East and West and left the North and South of Heaven A crash ran thro the immense The bounds of Destiny were broken The bounds of Destiny crashd direful and the swelling Sea Burst from its bonds in whirlpools fierce roaring with Human voice Triumphing even to the Stars at bright Ahanias fall Down from the dismal North the Prince in thunders and thick clouds As when the thunderbolt down falleth on the appointed place Fell down down rushing ruining thundering shuddering Into the Caverns of the Grave and places of Human Seed Where the impressions of Despair and Hope enroot forever A world of Darkness. Ahania fell far into Non Entity She Continued falling. Loud the Crash continud loud and Hoarse From the Crash roared a flame of blue sulphureous fire from the flame A dolorous groan that struck with dumbness all confusion Swallowing up the horrible din in agony on agony Thro the Confusion like a crack across from immense to immense Loud strong a universal groan of death louder Than all the wracking elements deafend and rended worse Than Urizen and all his hosts in curst despair down rushing But from the Dolorous Groan one like a shadow of smoke appeard And human bones rattling together in the smoke and stamping The nether Abyss and gnasshing in fierce despair. panting in sobs Thick short incessant bursting sobbing. deep despairing stamping struggling Struggling to utter the voice of Man struggling to take the features of Man. Struggling To take the limbs of Man at length emerging from the smoke Of Urizen dashed in pieces from his precipitant fall Tharms reard up his hands and stood on the affrighted Ocean The dead reard up his Voice and stood on the resounding shore Crying. Fury in my limbs. destruction in my bones and marrow My skull riven into filaments. my eyes into sea jellies Floating upon the tide wander bubbling and bubbling Uttering my lamentations and begetting little monsters Who sit mocking upon the little pebbles of the tide In all my rivers and on dried shells that the fish Have quite forsaken. O fool fool to lose my sweetest bliss Where art thou Enion ah too near to cunning too far off And yet too near. Dashd down I send thee into distant darkness Far as my strength can hurl thee wander there and laugh and play Among the frozen arrows they will tear thy tender flesh Fall off afar from Tharmas come not too near my strong fury Scream and fall off and laugh at Tharmas lovely summer beauty Till winter rends thee into Shivers as thou hast rended me So Tharmas bellowd oer the ocean thundring sobbing bursting The bounds of Destiny were broken and hatred now began Instead of love to Enion. Enion blind and age bent Plungd into the cold billows living a life in midst of waters In terrors she witherd away to Entuthon Benithon A world of deep darkness where all things in horrors are rooted These are the words of Enion heard from the cold waves of despair O Tharmas I had lost thee. and when I hoped I had found thee O Tharmas do not thou destroy me quite but let A little shadow. but a little showery form of Enion Be near thee loved Terror. let me still remain and then do thou Thy righteous doom upon me. only let me hear thy voice Driven by thy rage I wander like a cloud into the deep Where never yet Existence came, there losing all my life I back return weaker and weaker, consume me not away In thy great wrath. tho I have sinned. tho I have rebelld Make me not like the things forgotten as they had not been Make not the thing that loveth thee. a tear wiped away Tharmas replied riding on storms his voice of Thunder rolld Image of grief thy fading lineaments make my eyelids fail What have I done! both rage and mercy are alike to me Looking upon thee Image of faint waters. I recoil From my fierce rage into thy semblance. Enion return Why does thy piteous face Evanish like a rainy cloud Melting. a shower of falling tears. nothing but tears! Enion: Substanceless. voiceless, weeping. vanishd. nothing but tears! Enion Art thou for ever vanishd from the watry eyes of Tharmas Rage Rage shall never from my bosom. winds and waters of woe Consuming all to the end consuming Love and Hope are ended For now no more remaind of Enion in the dismal air Only a voice eternal wailing in the Elements Where Enion, blind and age bent wanderd Ahania wanders now She wanders in Eternal fear of falling into the indefinite For her bright eyes behold the Abyss. sometimes a little sleep Weighs down her eyelids then she falls then starting wakes in fears Sleepless to wander round repelld on the margin of Non Entity [End of Nigh the Third] Night the Fourth But Tharmas rode on the dark Abyss. the voice of Tharmas rolld Over the heaving deluge. he saw Los and Enitharmon Emerge In strength and brightness from the Abyss his bowels yearnd over them They rose in strength above the heaving deluge. in mighty scorn Red as the Sun in the hot morning of the bloody day Tharmas beheld them his bowels yearnd over them And he said Wherefore do I feel such love and pity Ah Enion Ah Enion Ah lovely lovely Enion How is this All my hope is gone for ever fled Like a famishd Eagle Eyeless raging in the vast expanse Incessant tears are now my food. incessant rage and tears Deathless for ever now I wander seeking oblivion In torrents of despair in vain. for if I plunge beneath Stifling I live. If dashd in pieces from a rocky height I reunite in endless torment. would I had never risen From deaths cold sleep beneath the bottom of the raging Ocean And cannot those who once have lovd. ever forget their Love? Are love and rage the same passion? they are the same in me Are those who love. like those who died. risen again from death Immortal. in immortal torment. never to be deliverd Is it not possible that one risen again from Death Can die! When dark despair comes over, can I not Flow down into the sea and slumber in oblivion. Ah Enion Deformd I see these lineaments of ungratified Desire The all powerful curse of an honest man be upon Urizen and Luvah But thou My Son Glorious in brightness comforter of Tharmas Go forth Rebuild this Universe beneath my indignant power A Universe of Death and Decay. Let Enitharmons hands Weave soft delusive forms of Man above my watry world Renew these ruind souls of Men thro Earth Sea Air and Fire To waste in endless corruption. renew thou I will destroy Perhaps Enion may resume some little semblance To ease my pangs of heart and to restore some peace to Tharmas Los answerd in his furious pride sparks issuing from his hair Hitherto shalt thou come. no further. here thy proud waves cease We have drunk up the Eternal Man by our unbounded power Beware lest we also drink up thee rough demon of the waters Our God is Urizen the King. King of the Heavenly hosts We have no other God but he thou father of worms and clay And he is falln into the Deep rough Demon of the waters And Los remains God over all, weak father of worms and clay I know I was Urthona keeper of the gates of heaven But now I am all powerful Los and Urthona is but my shadow Doubting stood Tharmas in the solemn darkness. his dim Eyest Swam in red tears. he reard his waves above the head of Los In wrath. but pitying back withdrew with many a sigh Now he resolvd to destroy Los and now his tears flowd down In scorn stood Los red sparks of blighting from his furious head Flew over the waves of Tharmas. pitying Tharmas stayd his Waves For Enitharmon shriekd amain crying O my sweet world Built by the Architect divine whose love to Los and Enitharmon Thou rash abhorred Demon in thy fury hast oerthrown What Sovereign Architect said Tharmas dare my will controll For if I will I urge these waters. If I will they sleep In peace beneath my awful frown my will shall be my Law So Saying in a Wave he rap'd bright Enitharmon far Apart from Los. but coverd her with softest brooding care On a broad wave in the warm west. balming her bleeding wound O how Los howld at the rending asunder all the fibres rent Where Enitharmon joind to his left side in griding pain He falling on the rocks bellowd his Dolor. till the blood Stanch'd, then in ululation waild his woes upon the wind And Tharmas calld to the Dark Spectre who upon the Shores With dislocated Limbs had falln. The Spectre rose in pain A Shadow blue obscure and dismal. like a statue of lead Bent by its fall from a high tower the dolorous shadow rose Go forth said Tharmas works of joy are thine obey and live So shall the spungy marrow issuing from thy splinterd bones Bonify. and thou shalt have rest when this thy labour is done Go forth bear Enitharmon back to the Eternal Prophet Build her a bower in the midst of all my dashing waves Make first a resting place for Los and Enitharmon. then Thou shalt have rest. If thou refusest dashd abroad on all My waves. thy limbs shall separate in stench and rotting and thou Become a prey to all my demons of despair and hope The Spectre of Urthona seeing Enitharmon writhdt His cloudy form in jealous fear and muttering thunders hoarse And casting round thick glooms. thus utterd his fierce pangs of heart Tharmas I know thee. how are we alterd our beauty decayd But still I know thee tho in this horrible ruin whelmd Thou once the mildest son of heaven art now become a Rage A terror to all living things. think not that I am ignorant That thou art risen from the dead or that my power forgot I slumber here in weak repose. I well remember the Day The day of terror and abhorrencet When fleeing from the battle thou fleeting like the raven Of dawn outstretching an expanse where neer expanse had been Drewst all the Sons of Beulah into thy dread vortex following Thy Eddying spirit down the hills of Beulah. All my sons Stood round me at the anvil where new heated the wedge Of iron glowd furious prepard for spades and mattocks Hearing the symphonies of war loud sounding All my sons Fled from my side then pangs smote me unknown before. I saw My loins begin to break forth into veiny pipes and writhe Before me in the wind englobing trembling with strong vibrations The bloody mass began to animate. I bending over Wept bitter tears incessant. Still beholding how the piteous form Dividing and dividing from my loins a weak and piteous Soft cloud of snow a female pale and weak I soft embracd My counter part and calld it Love I named her Enitharmon But found myself and her together issuing down the tide Which now our rivers were become delving thro caverns huge Of goary blood struggling to be deliverd from our bonds She strove in vain not so Urthona strove for breaking forth, A shadow blue obscure and dismal from the breathing Nostrils Of Enion I issued into the air divided from Enitharmon I howld in sorrow I beheld thee rotting upon the Rocks I pitying hoverd over thee I protected thy ghastly corse From Vultures of the deep then wherefore shouldst thou rage Against me who thee guarded in the night of death from harm Tharmas replied. Art thou Urthona My friend my old companion, With whom I livd in happiness before that deadly night When Urizen gave the horses of Light into the hands of Luvah Thou knowest not what Tharmas knows. O I could tell thee tales That would enrage thee as it has Enraged me even From Death in wrath and fury. But now come bear back Thy loved Enitharmon. For thou hast her here before thine Eyes But my sweet Enion is vanishd and I never more Shall see her unless thou O Shadow. wilt protect this Son Of Enion and him assist. to bind the fallen King Lest he should rise again from death in all his dreary power Bind him, take Enitharmon for thy sweet reward while I In vain am driven on false hope. hope sister of despair Groaning the terror rose and drave his solid rocks before Upon the tide till underneath the feet of Los a World Dark dreadful rose and Enitharmon lay at Los's feet The dolorous shadow joyd. weak hope appeard around his head Tharmas before Los stood and thus the Voice of Tharmas rolld Now all comes into the power of Tharmas. Urizen is falln And Luvah hidden in the Elemental forms of Life and Death Urthona is My Son O Los thou art Urthona and Tharmas Is God. The Eternal Man is seald never to be deliverd I roll my floods over his body my billows and waves pass over him The Sea encompasses him and monsters of the deep are his companions Dreamer of furious oceans cold sleeper of weeds and shells Thy Eternal form shall never renew my uncertain prevails against thee Yet tho I rage God over all. A portion of my Life That in Eternal fields in comfort wanderd with my flocks At noon and laid her head upon my wearied bosom at night She is divided She is vanishd even like Luvah and Valat O why did foul ambition sieze thee Urizen Prince of Light And thee O Luvah prince of Love till Tharmas was divided And I what can I now behold but an Eternal Death Before my Eyes and an Eternal weary work to strive Against the monstrous forms that breed among my silent waves Is this to be A God far rather would I be a Man To know sweet Science and to do with simple companions Sitting beneath a tent and viewing sheepfolds and soft pastures Take thou the hammer of Urthona rebuild these furnaces Dost thou refuse mind I the sparks that issue from thy hair I will compell thee to rebuild by these my furious waves Death choose or life thou strugglest in my waters, now choose life And all the Elements shall serve thee to their soothing flutes Their sweet inspiriting lyres thy labours shall administer And they to thee only remit not faint not thou my son Now thou dost know what tis to strive against the God of waters So saying Tharmas on his furious chariots of the Deep Departed far into the Unknown and left a wondrous void Round Los. afar his waters bore on all sides round. with noise Of wheels and horses hoofs and Trumpets Horns and Clarions Terrified Los beheld the ruins of Urizen beneath A horrible Chaos to his eyes. a formless unmeasurable Death Whirling up broken rocks on high into the dismal air And fluctuating all beneath in Eddies of molten fluid Then Los with terrible hands siezd on the Ruind Furnaces Of Urizen. Enormous work: he builded them anew Labour of Ages in the Darkness and the war of Tharmas And Los formd Anvils of Iron petrific. for his blows Petrify with incessant beating many a rock. many a planet But Urizen slept in a stoned stupor in the nether Abyss A dreamful horrible State in tossings on his icy bed Freezing to solid all beneath, his grey oblivious form Stretchd over the immense heaves in strong shudders. silent his voice In brooding contemplation stretching out from North to South In mighty power. Round him Los rolld furious His thunderous wheels from furnace to furnace. tending diligent The contemplative terror. frightend in his scornful sphere Frightend with cold infectious madness. in his hand the thundering Hammer of Urthona. forming under his heavy hand the hours The days and years. in chains of iron round the limbs of Urizen Linkd hour to hour and day to night and night to day and year to year In periods of pulsative furor. mills he formd and works Of many wheels resistless in the power of dark Urthona But Enitharmon wrapd in clouds waild loud. for as Los beat The anvils of Urthona link by link the chains of sorrow Warping upon the winds and whirling round in the dark deep Lashd on the limbs of Enitharmon and the sulphur fires Belchd from the furnaces wreathd round her. chaind in ceaseless fire The lovely female howld and Urizen beneath deep groand Deadly between the hammers beating grateful to the Ears Of Los. absorbd in dire revenge he drank with joy the cries Of Enitharmon and the groans of Urizen fuel for his wrath And for his pity secret feeding on thoughts of cruelty The Spectre wept at his dire labours when from Ladles huge He pourd the molten iron round the limbs of Enitharmon But when he pourd it round the bones of Urizen he laughd Hollow upon the hollow wind. his shadowy form obeying The voice of Los compelld he labourd round the Furnaces And thus began the binding of Urizen day and night in fear Circling round the dark Demon with howlings dismay and sharp blightings The Prophet of Eternity beat on his iron links and links of brass And as he beat round the hurtling Demon. terrified at the Shapes Enslavd humanity put on he became what he beheld Raging against Tharmas his God and uttering Ambiguous words blasphemous filld with envy firm resolvd On hate Eternal in his vast disdain he labourd beating The Links of fate link after link an endless chain of sorrows The Eternal Mind bounded began to roll eddies of wrath ceaseless Round and round and the sulphureous foam surgeing thick Settled a Lake bright and shining clear. White as the snow Forgetfulness dumbness necessity in chains of the mind lockd up In fetters of ice shrinking. disorganizd rent from Eternity Los beat on his fetters and heated his furnaces And pourd iron sodor and sodor of brass Restless the immortal inchaind heaving dolorous Anguished unbearable till a roof shaggy wild inclosd In an orb his fountain of thought In a horrible dreamful slumber like the linked chain A vast spine writhd in torment upon the wind Shooting paind. ribbs like a bending Cavern And bones of solidness froze over all his nerves of joy A first age passed. a state of dismal woe From the Caverns of his jointed spine down sunk with fright A red round globe. hot burning. deep deep down into the Abyss Panting Conglobing trembling Shooting out ten thousand branches Around his solid bones and a Second Age passed over In harrowing fear rolling his nervous brain shot branches On high into two little orbs hiding in two little caves Hiding carefully from the wind his eyes beheld the deep And a third age passed a State of dismal woe The pangs of hope began in heavy pain striving struggling Two Ears in close volutions from beneath his orbs of vision Shot spiring out and petrified as they grew. And a Fourtht Age passed over and a State of dismal woe In ghastly torment sick hanging upon the wind Two nostrils bent down to the deeps— And a fifth age passed and a state of dismal woe In ghastly torment sick. within his ribs bloated round A craving hungry cavern. Thence arose his channeld Throat. then like a red flame a tongue of hunger And thirst appeard and a sixth age passed of dismal woe Enraged,and stifled with torment he threw his right arm to the north His left arm to the south shooting out in anguish deep And his feet stampd the nether abyss in trembling howling and dismay And a seventh age passed over and a state of dismal woe The Council of God on high watching over the Body Of Man clothd in Luvahs robes of blood saw and wept Descending over Beulahs mild moon coverd regions The daughters of Beulah saw the Divine Vision they were comforted And as a Double female form loveliness and perfection of beauty They bowd the head and worshippd and with mild voice spoke these words Lord. Saviour if thou hadst been here our brother had not died And now we know that whatsoever thou wilt ask of God He will give it thee for we are weak women and dare not lift Our eyes to the Divine pavilions. therefore in mercy thou Appearest clothd in Luvahs garments that we may behold thee And live. Behold Eternal Death is in Beulah Behold We perish and shall not be found unless thou grant a place In which we may be hidden under the Shadow of wings For if we who are but for a time and who pass away in winter Behold these wonders of Eternity we shall consume Such were the words of Beulah of the Feminine Emanation The Empyrean groand throughout All Eden was darkend The Corse of Albion lay on the Rock the sea of Time and Spacet Beat round the Rock in mighty waves and as a Polypus That vegetates beneath the Sea the limbs of Man vegetated In monstrous forms of Death a Human polypus of Death The Saviour mild and gentle bent over the corse of Death Saying If ye will Believe your Brother shall rise again And first he found the Limit of Opacity and namd it Satan In Albions bosom for in every human bosom these limits stand And next he found the Limit of Contraction and namd it Adam While yet those beings were not born nor knew of good or Evil Then wondrously the Starry Wheels felt the divine hand. Limit Was put to Eternal Death Los felt the Limit and saw The Finger of God touch the Seventh furnace in terror And Los beheld the hand of God over his furnaces Beneath the Deeps in dismal Darkness beneath immensity In terrors Los shrunk from his task. his great hammer Fell from his hand his fires hid their strong limbs in smoke For with noises ruinous hurtlings and clashings and groans The immortal endur'd. tho bound in a deadly sleep Pale terror siezd the Eyes of Los as he beat round The hurtling Demon. terrifid at the shapes Enslavd humanity put on he became what he beheld He became what he was doing he was himself transformd The globe of life blood trembled Branching out into roots; Fibrous, writhing upon the winds; Fibres of blood, milk and tears; In pangs, eternity on eternity. At length in tears and cries imbodied A female form trembling and pale Waves before his deathy face Spasms siezd his muscular fibres writhing to and fro his pallid lips Unwilling movd as Urizen howld his loins wavd like the sea At Enitharmons shriek his knees each other smote and then he lookd With stony Eyes on Urizen and then swift writhd his neckt Involuntary to the Couch where Enitharmon lay The bones of Urizen hurtle on the wind the bones of Los Twinge and his iron sinews bend like lead and fold Into unusual forms dancing and howling stamping the Abyss [End of Night the Fourth] Night the Fifth Infected Mad he dancd on his mountains high and dark as heaven Now fixd into one stedfast bulk his features stonify From his mouth curses and from his eyes sparks of blighting Beside the anvil cold he dancd with the hammer of Urthona Terrific pale. Enitharmon stretchd on the dreary Earth Felt her immortal limbs freeze stiffning pale inflexible His feet shrink withring from the deep shrinking and withering And Enitharmon shrunk up all their fibres withring beneath As plants witherd by winter leaves and stems and roots decaying Melt into thin air while the seed drivn by the furious wind Rests on the distant Mountains top. So Los and Enitharmon Shrunk into fixed space stood trembling on a Rocky cliff Yet mighty bulk and majesty and beauty remaind but unexpansive As far as highest Zenith from the lowest Nadir. so far shrunk Los from the furnaces a Space immense and left the cold Prince of Light bound in chains of intellect among the furnaces But all the furnaces were out and the bellows had ceast to blow He stood trembling and Enitharmon clung around his knees Their senses unexpansive in one stedfast bulk remain The night blew cold and Enitharmon shriekd on the dismal wind Her pale hands cling around her husband and over her weak head Shadows of Eternal death sit in the leaden air But the soft pipe the flute the viol organ harp and cymbal And the sweet sound of silver voices calm the weary couch Of Enitharmon but her groans drown the immortal harps Loud and more loud the living music floats upon the air Faint and more faint the daylight wanes. The wheels of turning darkness Began in solemn revolutions. Earth convulsd with rending pangs Rockd to and fro and cried sore at the groans of Enitharmon Still the faint harps and silver voices calm the weary couch But from the caves of deepest night ascending in clouds of mist The winter spread his wide black wings across from pole to pole Grim frost beneath and terrible snow linkd in a marriage chain Began a dismal dance. The winds around on pointed rocks Settled like bats innumerable ready to fly abroad The groans of Enitharmon shake the skies the labring Earth Till from her heart rending his way a terrible Child sprang forth In thunder smoke and sullen flames and howlings and fury and blood Soon as his burning Eyes were opend on the Abyss The horrid trumpets of the deep bellowd with bitter blasts The Enormous Demons woke and howld around the new born king Crying Luvah King of Love thou art the King of rage and death Urizen cast deep darkness round him raging Luvah pourdt The spears of Urizen from Chariots round the Eternal tent Discord began then yells and cries shook the wide firmament Where is Sweet Vala gloomy prophet where the lovely form That drew the body of Man from heaven into this dark Abysselds Shew thy soul Vala shew thy bow and quiver of secret fires Draw thy bow Vala from the depths of hell thy black bow drawt And twang the bow string to our howlings let thine arrows black Sing in the Sky as once they sang upon the hills of Light When dark Urthona wept in torment of the secret pain He wept and he divided and he laid his gloomy head Down on the Rock of Eternity on darkness of the deep Torn by black storms and ceaseless torrents of consuming fire Within his breast his fiery sons chaind down and filld with cursings And breathing terrible blood and vengeance gnashing his teeth with pain Let loose the Enormous Spirit in the darkness of the deep And his dark wife that once fair crystal form divinely clear Within his ribs producing serpents whose souls are flames of fire But now the times return upon thee Enitharmons womb Now holds thee soon to issue forth. Sound Clarions of war Call Vala from her close recess in all her dark deceit Then rage on rage shall fierce redound out of her crystal quiver So sung the Demons round red Orc and round faint Enitharmon Sweat and blood stood on the limbs of Los in globes. his fiery Eyelids Faded. he rouzd he siezd the wonder in his hands and went Shuddring and weeping thro the Gloom and down into the deeps Enitharmon nursd her fiery child in the dark deeps Sitting in darkness. over her Los mournd in anguish fierce Coverd with gloom. the fiery boy grew fed by the milk Of Enitharmon. Los around her builded pillars of iron And brass and silver and gold fourfold in dark prophetic fear For now he feard Eternal Death and uttermost Extinction He builded Golgonooza on the Lake of Udan Adan Upon the Limit of Translucence then he builded Luban Tharmas laid the Foundations and Los finishd it in howling woe But when fourteen summers and winters had revolved over Their solemn habitation Los beheld the ruddy boy Embracing his bright mother and beheld malignant fires In his young eyes discerning plain that Orc plotted his death Grief rose upon his ruddy brows. a tightening girdle grew Around his bosom like a bloody cord. in secret sobs He burst it, but next morn another girdle succeeds Around his bosom. Every day he viewd the fiery youth With silent fear and his immortal cheeks grew deadly pale Till many a morn and many a night passd over in dire woe Forming a girdle in the day and bursting it at night The girdle was formd by day by night was burst in twain Falling down on the rock an iron chain link by link lockd Enitharmon beheld the bloody chain of nights and days Depending from the bosom of Los and how with griding pain He went each morning to his labours. with the spectre dark Calld it the chain of jealousy. Now Los began to speak His woes aloud to Enitharmon. since he could not hide His uncouth plague. He siezd the boy in his immortal hands While Enitharmon followd him weeping in dismal woe Up to the iron mountains top and there the Jealous chain Fell from his bosom on the mountain. The Spectre dark Held the fierce boy Los naild him down binding around his limbs The accursed chain O how bright Enitharmon howld and cried Over her son. Obdurate Los bound down her loved joy The hammer of Urthona smote the rivets in terror. of brass Tenfold. the Demons rage flamd tenfold forth rending Roaring redounding. Loud Loud Louder and Louder and fird The darkness warring With the waves of Tharmas and Snows of Urizen Crackling the flames went up with fury from the immortal demon Surrounded with flames the Demon grew loud howling in his fires Los folded Enitharmon in a cold white cloud in fear Then led her down into the deeps and into his labyrinth Giving the Spectre sternest charge over the howling fiend Concenterd into Love of Parent Storgous Appetite Craving His limbs bound down mock at his chains for over them a flame Of circling fire unceasing plays to feed them with life and bring The virtues of the Eternal worlds ten thousand thousand spirits Of life lament around the Demon going forth and returningt At his enormous call they flee into the heavens of heavens And back return with wine and food. Or dive into the deeps To bring the thrilling joys of sense to quell his ceaseless rage His eyes the lights of his large soul contract or else expand Contracted they behold the secrets of the infinite mountains The veins of gold and silver and the hidden things of Vala Whatever grows from its pure bud or breathes a fragrant soul Expanded they behold the terrors of the Sun and Moon The Elemental Planets and the orbs of eccentric fire His nostrils breathe a fiery flame. his locks are like the forestst Of wild beasts there the lion glares the tyger and wolf howl there And there the Eagle hides her young in cliffs and precipices His bosom is like starry heaven expanded all the stars rings Flow into rivers of delight. there the spontaneous flowers Drink laugh and sing. the grasshopper the Emmet and the Fly The golden Moth builds there a house and spreads her silken bed His loins inwove with silken fires are like a furnace fierce As the strong Bull in summer time when bees sing round the heath Where the herds low after the shadow and after the water spring The numrous flocks cover the mountain and shine along the valley His knees are rocks of adamant and rubie and emerald Spirits of strength in Palaces rejoice in golden armour Armed with spear and shield they drink and rejoice over the slain Such is the Demon such his terror in the nether deep But when returnd to Golgonooza Los and Enitharmon Felt all the sorrow Parents feel. they wept toward one another And Los repented that he bad chaind Orc upon the mountain And Enitharmons tears prevaild parental love returnd Tho terrible his dread of that infernal chain They rose At midnight hasting to their much beloved care Nine days they traveld thro the Gloom of Entuthon Benithon Los taking Enitharmon by the hand led her along The dismal vales and up to the iron mountains top where Orc Howld in the furious wind he thought to give to Enitharmon Her son in tenfold joy and to compensate for her tears Even if his own death resulted so much pity him paind But when they came to the dark rock and to the spectrous cave Lo the young limbs had strucken root into the rock and strong Fibres had from the Chain of Jealousy inwove themselves In a swift vegetation round the rock and round the Cave And over the immortal limbs of the terrible fiery boy In vain they strove now to unchain. In vain with bitter tears To melt the chain of Jealousy. not Enitharmons death Nor the Consummation of Los could ever melt the chain Nor unroot the infernal fibres from their rocky bed Nor all Urthonas strength nor all the power of Luvahs Bulls Tho they each morning drag the unwilling Sun out of the deep Could uproot the infernal chain. for it had taken root Into the iron rock and grew a chain beneath the Earth Even to the Center wrapping round the Center and the limbs Of Orc entering with fibres. became one with him a living Chain Sustained by the Demons life. Despair and Terror and Woe and Rage Inwrap the Parents in cold clouds as they bend howling over The terrible boy till fainting by his side the Parents fell Not long they lay Urthonas spectre found herbs of the pit Rubbing their temples he reviv'd them. all their lamentations I write not here but all their after life was lamentation When satiated with grief they returnd back to Golgonooza Enitharmon on the road of Dranthon felt the inmost gate Of her bright heart burst open and again close with a deadly paint Within her heart Vala began to reanimate in bursting sobs And when the Gate was open she beheld that dreary Deept Where bright Ahania wept. She also saw the infernal roots Of the chain of Jealousy and felt the rendings of fierce howling Orc Rending the Caverns like a mighty wind pent in the Earth Tho wide apart as furthest north is from the furthest south Urizen trembled where he lay to hear the howling terror The rocks shook the Eternal bars tuggd to and fro were rifted Outstretchd upon the stones of ice the ruins of his throne Urizen shuddring heard his trembling limbs shook the strong caves The Woes of Urizen shut up in the deep dens of Urthona Ah how shall Urizen the King submit to this dark mansion Ah how is this! Once on the heights I stretchd my throne sublime The mountains of Urizen once of silver where the sons of wisdom dwelt And on whose tops the Virgins sang are rocks of Desolation My fountains once the haunt of Swans now breed the scaly tortoise The houses of my harpers are become a haunt of crows The gardens of wisdom are become a field of horrid graves And on the bones I drop my tears and water them in vain Once how I walked from my palace in gardens of delight The sons of wisdom stood around the harpers followd with harps Nine virgins clothd in light composd the song to their immortal voices And at my banquets of new wine my head was crownd with joy Then in my ivory pavilions I slumberd in the noon And walked in the silent night among sweet smelling flowers Till on my silver bed I slept and sweet dreams round me hoverd But now my land is darkend and my wise men are departed My songs are turned to cries of Lamentationt Heard on my Mountains and deep sighs under my palace roofs Because the Steeds of Urizen once swifter than the light Were kept back from my Lord and from his chariot of mercies O did I keep the horses of the day in silver pastures O I refusd the Lord of day the horses of his prince O did I close my treasuries with roofs of solid stone And darken all my Palace walls with envyings and hate O Fool to think that I could hide from his all piercing eyes The gold and silver and costly stones his holy workmanship O Fool could I forget the light that filled my bright spheres Was a reflection of his face who calld me from the deep I well remember for I heard the mild and holy voice Saying O light spring up and shine and I sprang up from the deept He gave to me a silver scepter and crownd me with a golden crown and said Go forth and guide my Son who wanders on the ocean I went not forth. I hid myself in black clouds of my wrath I calld the stars around my feet in the night of councils dark The stars threw down their spears and fled naked away We fell. I siezd thee dark Urthona In my left hand falling I siezd thee beauteous Luvah thou art faded like a flower And like a lilly is thy wife Vala witherd by winds When thou didst bear the golden cup at the immortal tables Thy children smote their fiery wings crownd with the gold of heaven Thy pure feet stepd on the steps divine. too pure for other feet And thy fair locks shadowd thine eyes from the divine effulgence Then thou didst keep with Strong Urthona the living gates of heaven But now thou art bound down with him even to the gates of hell Because thou gavest Urizen the wine of the Almighty For steeds of Light that they might run in thy golden chariot of pride I gave to thee the Steeds I pourd the stolen wine And drunken with the immortal draught fell from my throne sublime I will arise Explore these dens and find that deep pulsation That shakes my caverns with strong shudders. perhaps this is the night Of Prophecy and Luvah hath burst his way from Enitharmon When Thought is closd in Caves. Then love shall shew its root in deepest Hell [End of Night the Fifth] Night the Sixth So Urizen arose and leaning on his Spear explord his dens He threw his flight thro the dark air to where a river flowd And taking off his silver helmet filled it and drank But when Unsatiated his thirst he assayd to gather more Lo three terrific women at the verge of the bright flood Who would not suffer him to approach. but drove him back with storms Urizen knew them not and thus addressd the spirits of darkness Who art thou Eldest Woman sitting in thy clouds What is that name written on thy forehead? what art thou? And wherefore dost thou pour this water forth in sighs and care She answerd not but filld her urn and pourd it forth abroad Answerest thou not said Urizen. then thou maist answer me Thou terrible woman clad in blue, whose strong attractive power Draws all into a fountain at the rock of thy attraction With frowning brow thou sittest mistress of these mighty waters She answerd not but stretchd her arms and threw her limbs abroad Or wilt thou answer youngest Woman clad in shining greent With labour and care thou dost divide the current into fourt Queen of these dreadful rivers speak and let me hear thy voice They reard up a wall of rocks and Urizen raisd his spear. They gave a scream, they knew their father Urizen knew his daughters They shrunk into their channels. dry the rocky strand beneath his feet Hiding themselves in rocky forms from the Eyes of Urizen Then Urizen wept and thus his lamentation poured forth O horrible O dreadful state! those whom I loved best On whom I pourd the beauties of my light adorning them With jewels and precious ornament labourd with art divine Vests of the radiant colours of heaven and crowns of golden fire I gave sweet lillies to their breasts and roses to their hair I taught them songs of sweet delight, I gave their tender voices Into the blue expanse and I invented with laborious art Sweet instruments of sound. in pride encompassing my Knees They pourd their radiance above all. the daughters of Luvah Envied At their exceeding brightness and the sons of eternity sent them gifts Now will I pour my fury on them and I will reverse The precious benediction. for their colours of loveliness I will give blackness for jewels hoary frost for ornament deformity For crowns wreathd Serpents for sweet odors stinking corruptibility For voices of delight hoarse croakings inarticulate thro frost For labourd fatherly care and sweet instruction. I will give Chains of dark ignorance and cords of twisted self conceit And whips of stern repentance and food of stubborn obstinacy That they may curse Tharmas their God and Los his adopted son That they may curse and worship the obscure Demon of destruction That they may worship terrors and obey the violent Go forth sons of my curse Go forth daughters of my abhorrence Tharmas heard the deadly scream across his watry world And Urizens loud sounding voice lamenting on the wind And he came riding in his fury. froze to solid were his waves Silent in ridges he beheld them stand round Urizen A dreary waste of solid waters for the King of Light Darkend his brows with his cold helmet and his gloomy spear Darkend before him. Silent on the ridgy waves he took His gloomy way before him Tharmas fled and flying fought Crying. What and who art thou Cold Demon. art thou Urizen Art thou like me risen again from death or art thou deathless If thou art he my desperate purpose hear and give me death For death to me is better far than life. death my desire That I in vain in various paths have sought but still I live The Body of Man is given to me I seek in vain to destroy For still it surges forth in fish and monsters of the deeps And in these monstrous forms I Live in an Eternal woet And thou O Urizen art falln never to be deliverd Withhold thy light from me for ever and I will withhold From thee thy food so shall we cease to be and all our sorrows End and the Eternal Man no more renew beneath our power If thou refusest in eternal flight thy beams in vain Shall pursue Tharmas and in vain shalt crave for food I will Pour down my flight thro dark immensity Eternal falling Thou shalt pursue me but in vain till starvd upon the void Thou hangst a dried skin shrunk up weak wailing in the wind So Tharmas spoke but Urizen replied not. On his way He took. high bounding over hills and desarts floods and horrible chasms Infinite was his labour without end his travel he strove In vain for hideous monsters of the deeps annoyd him sore Scaled and finnd with iron and brass they devourd the path before him Incessant was the conflict. On he bent his weary steps Making a path toward the dark world of Urthona. he rose With pain upon the dreary mountains and with pain descended And saw their grizly fears and his eyes sickend at the sight The howlings gnashings groanings shriekings shudderings sobbings burstings Mingle together to create a world for Los. In cruel delight Los brooded on the darkness. nor saw Urizen with a Globe of fire Lighting his dismal journey thro the pathless world of death Writing in bitter tears and groans in books of iron and brass The enormous wonders of the Abysses once his brightest joy For Urizen beheld the terrors of the Abyss wandring among The ruind spirits once his children and the children of Luvah Scard at the sound of their own sigh that seems to shake the immense They wander Moping in their heart a Sun a Dreary moon A Universe of fiery constellations in their brain An Earth of wintry woe beneath their feet and round their loinst Waters or winds or clouds or brooding lightnings and pestilential plagues Beyond the bounds of their own self their senses cannot penetrate As the tree knows not what is outside of its leaves and bark And yet it drinks the summer joy and fears the winter sorrow So in the regions of the grave none knows his dark compeer Tho he partakes of his dire woes and mutual returns the pang The throb the dolor the convulsion in soul sickening woes The horrid shapes and sights of torment in burning dungeons and in Fetters of red hot iron some with crowns of serpents and some With monsters girding round their bosoms, Some lying on beds of sulphur On racks and wheels he beheld women marching oer burning wastes Of Sand in bands of hundreds and of fifties and of thousands strucken with Lightnings which blazed after them upon their shoulders in their march In successive vollies with loud thunders swift flew the King of Light Over the burning desarts Then the desarts passd. involvd in clouds Of smoke with myriads moping in the stifling vapours. Swift Flew the King tho flagd his powers labring. till over rocks And Mountains faint weary he wanderd. where multitudes were shut Up in the solid mountains and in rocks which heaved with their torments Then came he among fiery cities and castles built of burning steel Then he beheld the forms of tygers and of Lions dishumanizd men Many in serpents and in worms stretchd out enormous length Over the sullen mould and slimy tracks obstruct his way Drawn out from deep to deep woven by ribbd And scaled monsters or armd in iron shell or shell of brass Or gold a glittering torment shining and hissing in eternal pain Some as columns of fire or of water sometimes stretchd out in heighth Sometimes in length sometimes englobing wandering in vain seeking for easet His voice to them was but an inarticulate thunder for their Ears Were heavy and dull and their eyes and nostrils closed up Oft he stood by a howling victim Questioning in words Soothing or Furious no one answerd every one wrapd up In his own sorrow howld regardless of his words, nor voice Of sweet response could he obtain tho oft assayd with tears He knew they were his Children ruind in his ruind world Oft would he stand and question a fierce scorpion glowing with gold In vain the terror heard not. then a lion he would Sieze By the fierce mane staying his howling course in vain the voicet Of Urizen vain the Eloquent tongue. A Rock a Cloud a Mountain Were now not Vocal as in Climes of happy Eternity Where the lamb replies to the infant voice and the lion to the man of years Giving them sweet instructions Where the Cloud the River and the Field Talk with the husbandman and shepherd. But these attackd him sore Siezing upon his feet and rending the Sinews that in Caves He hid to recure his obstructed powers with rest and oblivion Here he had time enough to repent of his rashly threatend curse He saw them cursd beyond his Curse his soul melted with fear He could not take their fetters off for they grew from the soul Nor could he quench the fires for they flamd out from the heart Nor could he calm the Elements because himself was Subject So he threw his flight in terror and pain and in repentant tears When he had passd these southern terrors he approachd the East Void pathless beaten With iron sleet and eternal hail and raint No form was there no living thing and yet his way lay thro This dismal world. he stood a while and lookd back oer his former Terrific voyage. Hills and Vales of torment and despair Sighing and Wiping a fresh tear. then turning round he threw Himself into the dismal void. falling he fell and fell Whirling in unresistible revolutions down and down In the horrid bottomless vacuity falling failing falling Into the Eastern vacuity the empty world of Luvah The ever pitying one who seeth all things saw his fall And in the dark vacuity created a bosom of clayt When wearied dead he fell his limbs reposd in the bosom of slime As the seed falls from the sowers hand so Urizen fell and death Shut up his powers in oblivion. then as the seed shoots forth In pain and sorrow. So the slimy bed his limbs renewd At first an infant weakness. periods passd he gatherd strength But still in solitude he sat then rising threw his flight Onward tho falling thro the waste of night and ending in death And in another resurrection to sorrow and weary travel But still his books he bore in his strong hands and his iron pen For when he died they lay beside his grave and when he rose He siezd them with a gloomy smile for wrapd in his death clothes He hid them when he slept in death when he revivd the clothes Were rotted by the winds the books remaind still unconsumd Still to be written and interleavd with brass and iron and gold Time after time for such a journey none but iron pens Can write And adamantine leaves recieve nor can the man who goes The journey obstinate refuse to write time after time Endless had been his travel but the Divine hand him led For infinite the distance and obscurd by Combustions dire By rocky masses frowning in the abysses revolving erratic Round Lakes of fire in the dark deep the ruins of Urizens world Oft would he sit in a dark rift and regulate his books Or sleep such sleep as spirits eternal wearied in his dark Tearful and sorrowful state. then rise look out and ponder His dismal voyage eyeing the next sphere tho far remote Then darting into the Abyss of night his venturous limbs Thro lightnings thunders earthquakes and concussions fires and floods Stemming his downward fall labouring up against futurity Creating many a Vortex fixing many a Science in the deep And thence throwing his venturous limbs into the Vast unknown Swift Swift from Chaos to chaos from void to void a road immense For when he came to where a Vortex ceasd to operate Nor down nor up remaind then if he turnd and lookd back From whence he came twas upward all. and if he turnd and viewd The unpassd void upward was still his mighty wandring The midst between an Equilibrium grey of air serene Where he might live in peace and where his life might meet repose But Urizen said Can I not leave this world of Cumbrous wheels Circle oer Circle nor on high attain a void Where self sustaining I may view all things beneath my feet Or sinking thro these Elemental wonders swift to fall I thought perhaps to find an End a world beneath of voidness Whence I might travel round the outside of this Dark confusion When I bend downward bending my bead downward into the deep Tis upward all which way soever I my course begin But when A Vortex formd on high by labour and sorrow and care And weariness begins on all my limbs then sleep revives My wearied spirits waking then tis downward all which way So ever I my spirits turn no end I find of all O what a world is here unlike those climes of bliss Where my sons gatherd round my knees O thou poor ruind world Thou horrible ruin once like me thou wast all glorious And now like me partaking desolate thy masters lot Art thou O ruin the once glorious heaven are these thy rocks Where joy sang in the trees and pleasure sported on the rivers And laughter sat beneath the Oaks and innocence sported round Upon the green plains and sweet friendship met in palaces And books and instruments of song and pictures of delight Where are they whelmd beneath these ruins in horrible destruction And if Eternal falling I repose on the dark bosom Of winds and waters or thence fall into a Void where air Is not down falling thro immensity ever and ever I lose my powers weakend every revolution till a death Shuts up my powers then a seed in the vast womb of darkness I dwell in dim oblivion. brooding over me the Enormous worlds Reorganize me shooting forth in bones and flesh and blood I am regenerated to fall or rise at will or to remain A labourer of ages a dire discontent a living woe Wandring in vain. Here will I fix my foot and here rebuild Here Mountains of Brass promise much riches in their dreadful bosoms So he began to dig, forming of gold silver and iron And brass vast instruments to measure out the immense and fix The whole into another world better suited to obey His will where none should dare oppose his will himself being King Of All and all futurity be bound in his vast chain And the Sciences were fixd and the Vortexes began to operate On all the sons of men and every human soul terrified At the turning wheels of heaven shrunk away inward withring away Gaining a New Dominion over all his sons and Daughters and over the Sons and daughters of Luvah in the horrible Abyss For Urizen lamented over them in a selfish lamentation Till a white woof coverd his cold limbs from head to feet Hair white as snow coverd him in flaky locks terrific Overspreading his limbs. in pride he wanderd weeping Clothed in aged venerableness obstinately resolvd Travelling thro darkness and whereever he traveld a dire Web Followd behind him as the Web of a Spider dusky and cold Shivering across from Vortex to Vortex drawn out from his mantle of years A living Mantle adjoind to his life and growing from his Soul And the Web of Urizen stretchd direful shivring in clouds And uttering such woes such bursts such thunderings The eyelids expansive as morning and the Ears As a golden ascent winding round to the heavens of heavens Within the dark horrors of the Abysses lion or tyger or scorpion For every one opend within into Eternity at will But they refusd because their outward forms were in the Abyss And the wing like tent of the Universe beautiful surrounding all Or drawn up or let down at the will of the immortal man Vibrated in such anguish the eyelids quiverd Weak and Weaker their expansive orbs began shrinking Pangs smote thro the brain and a universal shriek Ran thro the Abysses rending the web torment on torment Thus Urizen in sorrows wanderd many a dreary way Warring with monsters of the Deeps in his most hideous pilgrimage Till his bright hair scatterd in snows his skin barkd oer with wrinkles Four Caverns rooting downwards their foundations thrusting forth The metal rock and stone in ever painful throes of vegetation The Cave of Orc stood to the South a furnace of dire flames Quenchless unceasing. In the west the Cave of Urizen For Urizen fell as the Midday sun falls down into the West North stood Urthonas stedfast throne a World of Solid darkness Shut up in stifling obstruction rooted in dumb despair The East was Void. But Tharmas rolld his billows in ceaseless eddies Void pathless beat with Snows eternal and iron hail and raint All thro the caverns of fire and air and Earth, Seeking For Enions limbs nought finding but the black sea weed and sickning slime Flying away from Urizen that he might not give him food Above beneath on all sides round in the vast deep of immensity That he might starve the sons and daughters of Urizen on the winds Making between horrible chasms into the vast unknown All these around the world of Los cast forth their monstrous births But in Eternal times the Seat of Urizen is in the South Urthona in the North Luvah in East Tharmas in West And now he came into the Abhorred world of Dark Urthona By Providence divine conducted not bent from his own will Lest death Eternal should be the result for the Will cannot be violated Into the doleful vales where no tree grew nor river flowd Nor man nor beast nor creeping thing nor sun nor cloud nor star Still he with his globe of fire immense in his venturous hand Bore on thro the Affrighted vales ascending and descending Oerwearied or in cumbrous flight he venturd oer dark rifts Or down dark precipices or climbd with pain and labour huge Till he beheld the world of Los from the Peaked rock of Urthona And heard the howling of red Orc distincter and distincter Redoubling his immortal efforts thro the narrow vales With difficulty down descending guided by his Ear And by his globe of fire he went down the Vale of Urthona Between the enormous iron walls built by the Spectre dark Dark grew his globe reddning with mists and full before his path Striding across the narrow vale the Shadow of Urthona A spectre Vast appeard whose feet and legs with iron scaled Stampd the hard rocks expectant of the unknown wanderer Whom he had seen wandring his nether world when distant far And watchd his swift approach collected dark the Spectre stood Beside him Tharmas stayd his flight and stood in stern defiance Communing with the Spectre who rejoicd along the vale Round his loins a girdle glowd with many colourd fires In his hand a knotted Club whose knots like mountains frownd Desart among the Stars them withering with its ridges cold Black scales of iron arm the dread visage iron spikes instead Of hair shoot from his orbed scull. his glowing eyes Burn like two furnaces. he calld with Voice of Thunder Four winged heralds mount the furious blasts and blow their trumps Gold Silver Brass and iron clangors clamoring rend the shores Like white clouds rising from the Vales his fifty two armies From the four Cliffs of Urthona rise glowing around the Spectre Four sons of Urizen the Squadrons of Urthona led in arms Of gold and silver brass and iron he knew his mighty sons Then Urizen arose upon the wind back many a mile Retiring into his dire Web scattering fleecy snows As he ascended howling loud the Web vibrated strong From heaven to heaven from globe to globe. In vast excentric paths Compulsive rolld the Comets at his dread command the dreary way Falling with wheel impetuous down among Urthonas vales And round red Orc returning back to Urizen gorgd with bloodt Slow roll the massy Globes at his command and slow oerwheel The dismal squadrons of Urthona. weaving the dire Web In their progressions and preparing Urizens path before him [End of Night the Sixth] Night the Seventh Then Urizen arose The Spectre fled and Tharmas fled The darkning Spectre of Urthona hid beneath a rock Tharmas threw his impetuous flight thro the deeps of immensity Revolving round in whirlpools fierce all round the cavernd worlds But Urizen silent descended to the Caves of Orc and saw A Cavernd Universe of flaming fire the horses of Urizen Here bound to fiery mangers furious dash their golden hoofs Striking fierce sparkles from their brazen fetters. fierce his lions Howl in the burning dens his tygers roam ill the redounding smoke In forests of affliction. the adamantine scales of justice Consuming in the raging lamps of mercy pourd in rivers The holy oil rages thro all the cavernd rocks fierce flames Dance on the rivers and the rocks howling and drunk with fury The plow of ages and the golden harrow wade thro fields Of goary blood the immortal seed is nourishd for the slaughter The bulls of Luvah breathing fire bellow on burning pastures Round howling Orc whose awful limbs cast forth red smoke and fire That Urizen approachd not near but took his seat on a rock And rangd his books around him brooding Envious over Orc Howling and rending his dark caves the awful Demon lay Pulse after pulse beat on his fetters pulse after pulse his spirit Darted and darted higher and higher to the shrine of Enitharmon As when the thunder folds himself in thickest clouds The watry nations couch and hide in the profoundest deeps Then bursting from his troubled head with terrible visages and flaming hair His swift wingd daughters sweep across the vast black ocean Los felt the Envy in his limbs like to a blighted tree For Urizen fixd in Envy sat brooding and coverd with snow His book of iron on his knees he tracd the dreadful letters While his snows fell and his storms beat to cool the flames of Orc Age after Age till underneath his heel a deadly root Struck thro the rock the root of Mystery accursed shooting up Branches into the heaven of Los they pipe formd bending down Take root again whereever they touch again branching forth In intricate labyrinths oerspreading many a grizly deep Amazd started Urizen when he found himself compassd round And high roofed over with trees. he arose but the stems Stood so thick he with difficulty and great pain brought His books out of the dismal shade. all but the book of iron Again he took his seat and rangd his Books aroundt On a rock of iron frowning over the foaming fires of Orc And Urizen hung over Ore and viewd his terrible wrath Sitting upon an iron Crag at length his words broke forth Image of dread whence art thou whence is this most woful place Whence these fierce fires but from thyself No other living thing In all this Chasm I behold. No other living thing Dare thy most terrible wrath abide Bound here to waste in pain Thy vital substance in these fires that issue new and new Around thee sometimes like a flood and sometimes like a rock Of living pangs thy horrible bed glowing with ceaseless fires Beneath thee and around Above a Shower of fire now beats Moulded to globes and arrowy wedges rending thy bleeding limbs And now a whirling pillar of burning sands to overwhelm thee Steeping thy wounds in salts infernal and in bitter anguish And now a rock moves on the surface of this lake of fire To bear thee down beneath the waves in stifling despair Pity for thee movd me to break my dark and long repose And to reveal myself before thee in a form of wisdom Yet thou dost laugh at all these tortures and this horrible place Yet throw thy limbs these fires abroad that back return upon thee While thou reposest throwing rage on rage feeding thyself With visions of sweet bliss far other than this burning clime Sure thou art bathd in rivers of delight on verdant fields Walking in joy in bright Expanses sleeping on bright clouds With visions of delight so lovely that they urge thy rage Tenfold with fierce desire to rend thy chain and howl in fury And dim oblivion of all woe and desperate repose Or is thy joy founded on torment which others bear for thee Orc answer'd Curse thy hoary brows. What dost thou in this deep Thy Pity I contemn scatter thy snows elsewhere I rage in the deep for Lo my feet and hands are naild to the burning rock Yet my fierce fires are better than thy snows Shuddring thou sittest Thou art not chaind Why shouldst thou sit cold grovelling demon of woe In tortures of dire coldness now a Lake of waters deep Sweeps over thee freezing to solid still thou sitst closd up In that transparent rock as if in joy of thy bright prison Till overburdend with its own weight drawn out thro immensity With a crash breaking across the horrible mass comes down Thundring and hail and frozen iron haild from the Element Rends thy white hair yet thou dost fixd obdurate brooding sit Writing thy books. Anon a cloud filld with a waste of snows Covers thee still obdurate still resolvd and writing still Tho rocks roll oer thee tho floods pour tho winds black as the Seat Cut thee in gashes tho the blood pours down around thy ankles Freezing thy feet to the hard rock still thy pen obdurate Traces the wonders of Futurity in horrible fear of the future I rage furious in the deep for lo my feet and hands are naild To the hard rock or thou shouldst feel my enmity and hate In all the diseases of man falling upon thy grey accursed front Urizen answerd Read my books explore my Constellations Enquire of my Sons and they shall teach thee how to War Enquire of my Daughters who accursd in the dark depths Knead bread of Sorrow by my stern command for I am God Of all this dreadful ruin Rise O daughters at my Stern command Rending the Rocks Eleth and Uveth rose and Ona rose Terrific with their iron vessels driving them across In the dim air they took the book of iron and placd above On clouds of death and sang their songs Kneading the bread of Orc Orc listend to the song compelld hungring on the cold wind That swaggd heavy with the accursed dough. the hoar frost ragd Thro Onas sieve the torrent rain pourd from the iron pail Of Eleth and the icy hands of Uveth kneaded the bread The heavens bow with terror underneath their iron hands Singing at their dire work the words of Urizens book of iron While the enormous scrolls rolld dreadful in the heavens above And still the burden of their song in tears was poured forth The bread is Kneaded let us rest O cruel father of children But Urizen remitted not their labours upon his rock And Urizen Read in his book of brass in sounding tonest Listen O Daughters to my voice. Listen to the Words of Wisdom So shall ye govern over all let Moral Duty tune your tongue But be your hearts harder than the nether millstone To bring the shadow of Enitharmon beneath our wondrous tree That Los may Evaporate like smoke and be no more Draw down Enitharmon to the Spectre of Urthona And let him have dominion over Los the terrible shade Compell the poor to live upon a Crust of bread by soft mild arts Smile when they frown frown when they smile and when a man looks pale With labour and abstinence say he looks healthy and happy And when his children Sicken let them die there are enough Born even too many and our Earth will be overrun Without these arts If you would make the poor live with temper With pomp give every crust of bread you give with gracious cunning Magnify small gifts reduce the man to want a gift and then give with pomp Say he smiles if you hear him sigh If pale say he is ruddy Preach temperance say he is overgorgd and drowns his wit In strong drink tho you know that bread and water are all He can afford Flatter his wife pity his children till we can Reduce all to our will as spaniels are taught with art Lo how the heart and brain are formed in the breeding womb Of Enitharmon how it buds with life and forms the bones The little heart the liver and the red blood in its labyrinths By gratified desire by strong devouring appetite she fills Los with ambitious fury that his race shall all devour Then Orc cried Curse thy Cold hypocrisy. already round thy Tree In scales that shine with gold and rubies thou beginnest to weaken My divided Spirit Like a worm I rise in peace unbound From wrath Now When I rage my fetters bind me more O torment O torment A Worm compelld. Am I a worm Is it in strong deceit that man is born. In strong deceit Thou dost restrain my fury that the worm may fold the tree Avaunt Cold hypocrite I am chaind or thou couldst not use me thus The Man shall rage bound with this Chain the worm in silence creep Thou wilt not cease from rage Grey Demon silence all thy storms Give me example of thy mildness King of furious hail storms Art thou the cold attractive power that holds me in this chain I well remember how I stole thy light and it became fire Consuming. Thou Knowst me now O Urizen Prince of Light And I know thee is this the triumph this the Godlike State That lies beyond the bounds of Science in the Grey obscure Terrified Urizen heard Orc now certain that he was Luvah And Orc began to Organize a Serpent body Despising Urizens light and turning it into flaming fire Recieving as a poisond Cup Recieves the heavenly wine And turning affection into fury and thought into abstractiont A Self consuming dark devourer rising into the heavens Urizen envious brooding sat and saw the secret terror Flame high in pride and laugh to scorn the source of his deceit Nor knew the source of his own but thought himself the Sole author Of all his wandering Experiments in the horrible Abyss He knew that weakness stretches out in breadth and length he knew That wisdom reaches high and deep and therefore he made Orc In Serpent form compelld stretch out and up the mysterious tree He sufferd him to Climb that he might draw all human forms Into submission to his will nor knew the dread result Los sat in showers of Urizen watching cold Enitharmon His broodings rush down to his feet producing Eggs that hatching Burst forth upon the winds above the tree of Mystery Enitharmon lay on his knees. Urizen tracd his Verses In the dark deep the dark tree grew. her shadow was drawn down Down to the roots it wept over Orc. the Shadow of Enitharmon Los saw her stretchd the image of death upon his witherd valleys Her Shadow went forth and returnd Now she was pale as Snow When the mountains and hills are coverd over and the paths of Men shut up But when her spirit returnd as ruddy as a morning when The ripe fruit blushes into joy in heavens eternal halls Sorrow shot thro him from his feet it shot up to his head Like a cold night that nips the root and shatters off the leaves Silent he stood oer Enitharmon watching her pale face He spoke not he was Silent till he felt the cold disease Then Los mournd on the dismal wind in his jealous lamentation Why can I not Enjoy thy beauty Lovely Enitharmon When I return from clouds of Grief in the wandring Elements Where thou in thrilling joy in beaming summer loveliness Delectable reposest ruddy in my absence flaming with beauty Cold pale in sorrow at my approach trembling at my terrific Forehead and eyes thy lips decay like roses in the spring How art thou Shrunk thy grapes that burst in summers vast Excess Shut up in little purple covering faintly bud and die Thy olive trees that pourd down oil upon a thousand hills Sickly look forth and scarcely stretch their branches to the plain Thy roses that expanded in the face of glowing morn Hid in a little silken veil scarce breathe and faintly shine Thy lilies that gave light what time the morning looked forth Hid in the Vales faintly lament and no one hears their voice All things beside the woful Los enjoy the delights of beauty Once how I sang and calld the beasts and birds to their delights Nor knew that I alone exempted from the joys of love Must war with secret monsters of the animating worlds O that I had not seen the day then should I be at rest Nor felt the stingings of desire nor longings after life For life is Sweet to Los the wretched to his winged woes Is given a craving cry that they may sit at night on barren rocks And whet their beaks and snuff the air and watch the opening dawn And Shriek till at the smells of blood they stretch their boney wings And cut the winds like arrows shot by troops of Destiny Thus Los lamented in the night unheard by Enitharmon For the Shadow of Enitharmon descended down the tree of Mystery The Spectre saw the Shade Shivering over his gloomy rocks Beneath the tree of Mystery which in the dismal Abyss Began to blossom in fierce pain shooting its writhing buds In throes of birth and now the blossoms falling shining fruit Appeard of many colours and of various poisonous qualities Of Plagues hidden in shining globes that grew on the living tree The Spectre of Urthona saw the Shadow of Enitharmon Beneath the Tree of Mystery among the leaves and fruit Reddning the Demon strong prepard the poison of sweet Love He turnd from side to side in tears he wept and he embracd The fleeting image and in whispers mild wood the faint shade Loveliest delight of Men. Enitharmon shady hiding In secret places where no eye can trace thy watry way Have I found thee have I found thee tremblest thou in fear Because of Orc because he rent his discordant way From thy sweet loins of bliss. red flowd thy blood Pale grew thy face lightnings playd around thee thunders hoverd Over thee, and the terrible Orc rent his discordant wayt But the next joy of thine shall be in sweet delusion And its birth in fainting and sleep and Sweet delusions of Vala The Shadow of Enitharmon answerd Art thou terrible Shade Set over this sweet boy of mine to guard him lest he rend His mother to the winds of heaven Intoxicated with The fruit of this delightful tree. I cannot flee away From thy embrace else be assurd so horrible a form Should never in my arms repose. now listen I will tell Thee Secrets of Eternity which neer before unlockd My golden lips nor took the bar from Enitharmons breast Among the Flowers of Beulah walkd the Eternal Man and Saw Vala the lilly of the desart. melting in high noon Upon her bosom in sweet bliss he fainted Wonder siezd All heaven they saw him dark. they built a golden wall Round Beulah There he reveld in delight among the Flowers Vala was pregnant and brought forth Urizen Prince of Light First born of Generation. Then behold a wonder to the Eyes Of the now fallen Man a double form Vala appeard. A Male And female shuddring pale the Fallen Man recoild From the Enormity and calld them Luvah and Vala. turning down The vales to find his way back into Heaven but found none For his frail eyes were faded and his ears heavy and dull Urizen grew up in the plains of Beulah Many Sons And many daughters flourishd round the holy Tent of Man Till he forgot Eternity delighted in his sweet joy Among his family his flocks and herds and tents and pastures But Luvah close conferrd with Urizen in darksom night To bind the father and enslave the brethren Nought he knew Of sweet Eternity the blood flowd round the holy tent and rivn From its hinges uttering its final groan all Beulah fell In dark confusion mean time Los was born and Enitharmon But how I know not then forgetfulness quite wrapd me up A period nor do I more remember till I stood Beside Los in the Cavern dark enslavd to vegetative forms According to the Will of Luvah who assumd the Place Of the Eternal Man and smote him. But thou Spectre dark Maist find a way to punish Vala in thy fiery South To bring her down subjected to the rage of my fierce boy The Spectre said. Thou lovely Vision this delightful Tree Is given us for a Shelter from the tempests of Void and Solid Till once again the morn of ages shall renew upon us To reunite in those mild fields of happy Eternity Where thou and I in undivided Essence walkd about Imbodied. thou my garden of delight and I the spirit in the garden Mutual there we dwelt in one anothers joy revolving Days of Eternity with Tharmas mild and Luvah sweet melodious Upon our waters. This thou well rememberest listen I will tell What thou forgettest. They in us and we in them alternate Livd Drinking the joys of Universal Manhood. One dread morn Listen O vision of Delight One dread morn of goary blood The manhood was divided for the gentle passions making way Thro the infinite labyrinths of the heart and thro the nostrils issuing In odorous stupefaction stood before the Eyes of Man A female bright. I stood beside my anvil dark a mass Of iron glowd bright prepard for spades and plowshares. sudden down I sunk with cries of blood issuing downward in the veins Which now my rivers were become rolling in tubelike formst Shut up within themselves descending down I sunk along The goary tide even to the place of seed and there dividing I was divided in darkness and oblivion thou an infant woe And I an infant terror in the womb of Enion My masculine spirit scorning the frail body issud forth From Enions brain In this deformed form leaving thee there Till times passd over thee but still my spirit returning hoverd And formd a Male to be a counterpart to thee O Love Darkend and Lost In due time issuing forth from Enions womb Thou and that demon Los wert born Ah jealousy and woe Ah poor divided dark Urthona now a Spectre wandering The deeps of Los the Slave of that Creation I created I labour night and day for Los but listen thou my vision I view futurity in thee I will bring down soft Vala To the embraces of this terror and I will destroy That body I created then shall we unite again in bliss Thou knowest that the Spectre is in Every Man insane brutish Deformd that I am thus a ravening devouring lust continually Craving and devouring but my Eyes are always upon thee O lovely Delusion and I cannot crave for any thing but thee not so The spectres of the Dead for I am as the Spectre of the Living For till these terrors planted round the Gates of Eternal life Are driven away and annihilated we never can repass the Gates Astonishd filld with tears the spirit of Enitharmon beheld And heard the Spectre bitterly she wept Embracing ferventt Her once lovd Lord now but a Shade herself also a shade Conferring times on times among the branches of that Tree Thus they conferrd among the intoxicating fumes of Mystery Till Enitharmons shadow pregnant in the deeps beneath Brought forth a wonder horrible. While Enitharmon shriekd And trembled thro the Worlds above Los wept his fierce soul was terrifid At the shrieks of Enitharmon at her tossings nor could his eyes percieve The cause of her dire anguish for she lay the image of Death Movd by strong shudders till her shadow was deliverd then she ran Raving about the upper Elements in maddning fury She burst the Gates of Enitharmons heart with direful Crash Nor could they ever be closd again the golden hinges were broken And the gates broke in sunder and their ornaments defacd Beneath the tree of Mystery for the immortal shadow shuddering Brought forth this wonder horrible a Cloud she grew and grew Till many of the dead burst forth from the bottoms of their tombs In male forms without female counterparts or Emanations Cruel and ravening with Enmity and Hatred and War In dreams of Ulro dark delusive drawn by the lovely shadowt The Spectre terrified gave her Charge over the howling Orc But in the deeps beneath the Roots of Mystery in darkest night Where Urizen sat on his rock the Shadow brooded Urizen saw and triumphd and he cried to his warriors The time of Prophecy is now revolvd and all This Universal Ornament is mine and in my hands The ends of heaven like a Garment will I fold them round me Consuming what must be consumd then in power and majesty I will walk forth thro those wide fields of endless Eternity A God and not a Man a Conqueror in triumphant glory And all the Sons of Everlasting shall bow down at my feet First Trades and Commerce ships and armed vessels he builded laborious To swim the deep and on the Land children are sold to trades Of dire necessity still laboring day and night till all Their life extinct they took the spectre form in dark despair And slaves in myriads in ship loads burden the hoarse sounding deep Rattling with clanking chains the Universal Empire groans And he commanded his Sons found a Center in the Deep And Urizen laid the first Stone and all his myriads Builded a temple in the image of the human heart And in the inner part of the Temple wondrous workmanship They formd the Secret place reversing all the order of delight That whosoever enterd into the temple might not behold The hidden wonders allegoric of the Generations Of secret lust when hid in chambers dark the nightly harlot Plays in Disguise in whisperd hymn and mumbling prayer The priests He ordaind and Priestesses clothd in disguises beastial Inspiring secrecy and lamps they bore intoxicating fumes Roll round the Temple and they took the Sun that glowd oer Los And with immense machines down rolling. the terrific orb Compell'd. The Sun reddning like a fierce lion in his chains Descended to the sound of instruments that drownd the noise Of the hoarse wheels and the terrific howlings of wild beasts That dragd the wheels of the Suns chariot and they put the Sun Into the temple of Urizen to give light to the Abyss To light the War by day to hide his secret beams by night For he divided day and night in different orderd portions The day for war the night for secret religion in his templet Los reard his mighty stature on Earth stood his feet. Above The moon his furious forehead circled with black bursting thunders His naked limbs glittring upon the dark blue sky his knees Bathed in bloody clouds. his loins in fires of war where spears And swords rage where the Eagles cry and the Vultures laugh saying Now comes the night of Carnage now the flesh of Kings and Princes Pamperd in palaces for our food the blood of Captains nurturd With lust and murder for our drink the drunken Raven shall wander All night among the slain and mock the wounded that groan in the field Tharmas laughd furious among the Banners clothd in blood Crying As I will I rend the Nations all asunder rending The People, vain their combinations I will scatter them But thou O Son whom I have crowned and inthrond thee Strong I will preserve tho Enemies arise around thee numberless I will command my winds and they shall scatter them or call My Waters like a flood around thee fear not trust in me And I will give thee all the ends of heaven for thy possession In war shalt thou bear rule in blood shalt thou triumph for me Because in times of Everlasting I was rent in sunder And what I loved best was divided among my Enemies My little daughters were made captives and I saw them beaten With whips along the sultry sands. I heard those whom I lovdt Crying in secret tents at night and in the morn compelld To labour and behold my heart sunk down beneath In sighs and sobbings all dividing till I was divided In twain and lo my Crystal form that lived in my bosom Followd her daughters to the fields of blood they left me naked Alone and they refusd to return from the fields of the mighty Therefore I will reward them as they have rewarded me I will divide them in my anger and thou O my King Shalt gather them from out their graves and put thy fetter on them And bind them to thee that my crystal form may come to me So cried the Demon of the Waters in the Clouds of Los Outstretchd upon the hills lay Enitharmon clouds and tempests Beat round her head all night all day she riots in Excess But night or day Los follows War and the dismal moon rolls over her That when Los warrd upon the South reflected the fierce fires Of his immortal head into the North upon faint Enitharmon Red rage the furies of fierce Orc black thunders roll round Los Flaming his head like the bright sun seen thro a mist that magnifies His disk into a terrible vision to the Eyes of trembling mortals And Enitharmon trembling and in fear utterd these words I put not any trust in thee nor in thy glittering scales Thy eyelids are a terror to me and the flaming of thy crest The rushing of thy Scales confound me thy hoarse rushing scales And if that Los had Dot built me a tower upon a rock I must have died in the dark desart among noxious worms How shall I flee how shall I flee into the tower of Los My feet are turned backward and my footsteps slide in clay And clouds are closd around my tower my arms labour in vain Does not the God of waters in the wracking Elements Love those who hate rewarding with hate the Loving Soul And must not I obey the God thou Shadow of Jealousy I cry the watchman heareth not I pour my voice in roarings Watchman the night is thick and darkness cheats my rayie sight Lift up Lift up O Los awake my watchman for he sleepeth Lift up Lift up Shine forth O Light watchman thy light is out O Los unless thou keep my tower the Watchman will be slain So Enitharmon cried upon her terrible Earthy bed While the broad Oak wreathd his roots round her forcing his dark way Thro caves of death into Existence The Beech long limbd advancd Terrific into the paind heavens The fruit trees humanizing Shewd their immortal energies in warlike desperation Rending the heavens and earths and drinking blood in the hot battle To feed their fruit to gratify their hidden sons and daughters That far within the close recesses of their secret palaces Viewd the vast war and joyd wishing to vegetate Into the Worlds of Enitharmon Loud the roaring winds Burdend with clouds howl round the Couch sullen the wooly sheep Walks thro the battle Dark and fierce the Bull his rage Propagates thro the warring Earth The Lion raging in flames The Tyger in redounding smoke The Serpent of the woods And of the waters and the scorpion of the desart irritate With harsh songs every living soul. The Prester Serpent runs Along the ranks crying Listen to the Priest of God ye warriors This Cowl upon my head he placd in times of Everlasting And said Go forth and guide my battles. like the jointed spine Of Man I made thee when I blotted Man from life and light Take thou the seven Diseases of Man store them for times to come In store houses in secret places that I will tell thee of To be my great and awful curses at the time appointed The Prester Serpent ceasd the War song sounded loud and strong Thro all the heavens Urizens Web vibrated torment on torment Thus in the Caverns of the Grave and Places of human seedt The nameless shadowy Vortex stood before the face of Orc The Shadow reard her dismal head over the flaming youth With sighs and howling and deep sobs that he might lose his rage And with it lose himself in meekness she embracd his fire As when the Earthquake rouzes from his den his shoulders huge Appear above the crumbling Mountain. Silence waits around him A moment then astounding horror belches from the Center The fiery dogs arise the shoulders huge appear So Orc rolld round his clouds upon the deeps of dark Urthona 1 Knowing the arts of Urizen were Pity and Meek affection t And that by these arts the Serpent form exuded from his limbs Silent as despairing love and strong as Jealousy Jealous that she was Vala now become Urizens harlot And the Harlot of Los and the deluded harlot of the Kings of Earth His soul was gnawn in sunder The hairy shoulders rend the links free are the wrists of fire Red rage redounds he rouzd his lions from his forests black They howl around the flaming youth rending the nameless shadow And running their immortal course thro solid darkness borne Loud sounds the war song round red Orc in his fury And round the nameless shadowy Female in her howling terror When all the Elemental Gods joind in the wondrous Song Sound the War trumpet terrific Souls clad in attractive steel Sound the shrill fife serpents of war. I hear the northern drum Awake, I hear the flappings of the folding banners The dragons of the North put on their armour Upon the Eastern sea direct they take their course The glittring of their horses trapping stains the vault of night Stop we the rising of the glorious King. spur spur your clouds Of death O northern drum awake O hand of iron sound The northern drum. Now give the charge! bravely obscurd! With darts of wintry hail. Again the black bow draw Again the Elemental Strings to your right breasts draw And let the thundring drum speed on the arrows black The arrows flew from cloudy bow all day. till blood From east to west flowd like the human veins in rivers Of life upon the plains of death and valleys of despair Now sound the clarions of Victory now strip the slain clothe yourselves in golden arms brothers of war They sound the clarions strong they chain the howling captives they give the Oath of blood They cast the lots into the helmet, They vote the death of Luvah and they naild him to the tree They piercd him with a spear and laid him in a sepulcher To die a death of Six thousand years bound round with desolation The sun was black and the moon rolld a useless globe thro heaven Then left the Sons of Urizen the plow and harrow the loom The hammer and the Chisel and the rule and compasses They forgd the sword the chariot of war the battle ax The trumpet fitted to the battle and the flute of summer And all the arts of life they changd into the arts of death The hour glass contemnd because its simple workmanship Was as the workmanship of the plowman and the water wheel That raises water into Cisterns broken and burnd in fire Because its workmanship was like the workmanship of the Shepherd And in their stead intricate wheels invented Wheel without wheel To perplex youth in their outgoings and to bind to labours Of day and night the myriads of Eternity. that they might file And polish brass and iron hour after hour laborious workmanship Kept ignorant of the use that they might spend the days of wisdom In sorrowful drudgery to obtain a scanty pittance of bread In ignorance to view a small portion and think that All And call it Demonstration blind to all the simple rules of life Now now the Battle rages round thy tender limbs O Vala Now smile among thy bitter tears now put on all thy beauty Is not the wound of the sword Sweet and the broken bone delightful Wilt thou now smile among the slain when the wounded groan in the field Life up thy blue eyes Vala and put on thy sapphire shoes O Melancholy Magdalen behold the morning breaks Gird on thy flaming Zone. descend into the Sepulcher Scatter the blood from thy golden brow the tears from thy silver locks Shake off the waters from thy wings and the dust from thy white garments Remember all thy feigned terrors on the secret Couch When the sun rose in glowing morn with arms of mighty hosts Marching to battle who was wont to rise with Urizens harpst Girt as a Sower with his seed to scatter life abroad Arise O Vala bring the bow of Urizen bring the swift arrows of light How ragd the golden horses of Urizen bound to the chariot of Love Compelld to leave the plow to the Ox to snuff up the winds of desolation To trample the corn fields in boastful neighings. this is no gentle harp This is no warbling brook nor Shadow of a Myrtle tree But blood and wounds and dismal cries and clarions of war And hearts laid open to the light by the broad grizly sword And bowels hidden in hammerd steel rippd forth upon the Groundt Call forth thy Smiles of soft deceit call forth thy cloudy tears We hear thy sighs in trumpets shrill when Morn shall blood renew So sung the demons of the deep the Clarions of war blew loud Orc rent her and his human form consumd in his own fires Mingled with her dolorous members strewn thro the Abyss She joyd in all the Conflict Gratified and drinking tears of woe No more remaind of Orc but the Serpent round the tree of Mystery The form of Orc was gone he reard his serpent bulk among The stars of Urizen in Power rending the form of lifet Into a formless indefinite and strewing her on the Abyss Like clouds upon the winter sky broken with winds and thunders This was to her Supreme delight The Warriors mournd disappointed They go out to war with Strong Shouts and loud Clarions O Pity They return with lamentations mourning and weeping Invisible or visible drawn out in length or stretchd in breadth The Shadowy Female varied in the War in her delight Howling in discontent black and heavy uttering brute sounds Wading thro fens among the slimy weeds making Lamentations To decieve Tharmas in his rage to soothe his furious soul To stay him in his flight that Urizen might live tho in pain He said Art thou bright Enion is the Shadow of hope returnd And She said Tharmas I am Vala bless thy innocent face Doth Enion avoid the sight of thy blue watry eyes Be not perswaded that the air knows this or the falling dew Tharmas replid O Vala once I livd in a garden of delight I wakend Enion in the Morning and she turnd away Among the apple trees and all the gardens of delight Swam like a dream before my eyes I went to seek the steps Of Enion in the gardens and the shadows compassd me And closd me in a watry world of woe where Enion stood Trembling before me like a shadow like a mist like air And she is gone and here alone I war with darkness and death I hear thy voice but not thy form see. thou and all delight And life appear and vanish mocking me with shadows of false hope Hast thou forgot that the air listens thro all its districts telling The subtlest thoughts shut up from light in chambers of the Moon Tharmas. The Moon has chambers where the babes of love lie hid And whence they never can be brought in all Eternity Unless exposd by their vain parents. Lo him whom I love Is hidden from me and I never in all Eternity Shall see him Enitharmon and Ahania combind with Enion Hid him in that Outrageous form of Orc which torments me for Sin For all my Secret faults which he brings forth upon the light Of day in jealousy and blood my Children are led to Urizens war Before my eyes and for every one of these I am condemnd To Eternal torment in these flames for tho I have the power To rise on high Yet love here binds me down and never never Will I arise till him I love is loosd from this dark chain Tharmas replied Vala thy Sins have lost us heaven and bliss Thou art our Curse and till I can bring love into the light I never will depart from my great wrath So Tharmas waild wrathful then rode upon the Stormy Deep Cursing the Voice that mockd him with false hope in furious mood Then She returns swift as a blight upon the infant bud Howling in all the notes of woe to stay his furious rage Stamping the hills wading or swimming flying furious or falling Or like an Earthquake rumbling in the bowels of the earth Or like a cloud beneath and like a fire flaming in high Walking in pleasure of the hills or murmuring in the dales Like to a rushing torrent beneath and a falling rock above A thunder cloud in the south and a lulling voice heard in the north And she went forth and saw the forms of Life and of delight Walking on Mountains or flying in the open expanse of heaven She heard sweet voices in the winds and in the voices of birds That rose from waters for the waters were as the voice of Luvah Not seen to her like waters or like this dark world of death Tho all those fair perfections which men know only by name In beautiful substantial forms appeard and served her As food or drink or ornament or in delightful works To build her bowers for the Elements brought forth abundantly The living soul in glorious forms and every one came forth Walking before her Shadowy face and bowing at her feet But in vain delights were poured forth on the howling melancholy For her delight the horse his proud neck bowd and his white mane And the Strong Lion deignd in his mouth to wear the golden bit While the far beaming Peacock waited on the fragrant wind To bring her fruits of sweet delight from trees of richest wonders And the strong piniond Eagle bore the fire of heaven in the night season Wood and subdud into Eternal Death the Demon Lay In rage against the dark despair. the howling Melancholy For far and wide she stretchd thro all the worlds of Urizens journey And was Ajoind to Beulah as the Polypus to the Rock Mourning the daughters of Beulah saw nor could they have sustaind The horrid sight of death and torment But the Eternal Promise They wrote on all their tombs and pillars and on every Urn These words If ye will believe your Brother shall rise again In golden letters ornamented with sweet labours of Love Waiting with Patience for the fulfilment of the Promise Divinet And all the Songs of Beulah sounded comfortable notes Not suffring doubt to rise up from the Clouds of the Shadowy Female Then myriads of the Dead burst thro the bottoms of their tombs Descending on the shadowy females clouds in Spectrous terror Beyond the Limit of Translucence on the Lake of Udan Adan These they namd Satans and in the Aggregate they namd them Satan Then took the tree of Mystery root in the World of Los Its topmost boughs shooting a fibre beneath Enitharmons couch The double rooted Labyrinth soon wavd around their heads But then the Spectre enterd Los's bosom Every sigh and groan Of Enitharmon bore Urthonas Spectre on its wings Obdurate Los felt Pity Enitharmon told the tale Of Urthona. Los embracd the Spectre first as a brother Then as another Self; astonishd humanizing and in tears In Self abasement Giving up his Domineering lust Thou never canst embrace sweet Enitharmon terrible Demon. Till Thou art united with thy Spectre Consummating by pains and labours That mortal body and by Self annihilation back returningt To Life Eternal be assurd I am thy real Self Tho thus divided from thee and the Slave of Every passion Of thy fierce Soul Unbar the Gates of Memory look upon me Not as another but as thy real Self I am thy Spectre Thou didst subdue me in old times by thy Immortal Strength When I was a ravning hungring and thirsting cruel lust and murder Tho horrible and Ghastly to thine Eyes tho buried beneath The ruins of the Universe. hear what inspird I speak and be silent If we unite in one, another better world will bet Opend within your heart and loins and wondrous brain Threefold as it was in Eternity and this the fourth Universe Will be Renewd by the three and consummated in Mental fires But if thou dost refuse Another body will be prepared For me and thou annihilate evaporate and be no more For thou art but a form and organ of life and of thyself Art nothing being Created Continually by Mercy and Love divine Los furious answerd. Spectre horrible thy words astound my Ear With irresistible conviction I feel I am not one of those Who when convincd can still persist. tho furious.controllable By Reasons power. Even I already feel a World within Opening its gates and in it all the real substances Of which these in the outward World are shadows which pass away Come then into my Bosom and in thy shadowy arms bring with thee My lovely Enitharmon. I will quell my fury and teach Peace to the Soul of dark revenge and repentance to Cruelty So spoke Los and Embracing Enitharmon and the Spectre Clouds would have folded round in Extacy and Love uniting But Enitharmon trembling fled and hid beneath Urizens tree But mingling together with his Spectre the Spectre of Urthona Wondering beheld the Center opend by Divine Mercy inspired He in his turn Gave Tasks to Los Enormous to destroyt That body he created but in vain for Los performd Wonders of labour They Builded Golgonooza Los labouring builded pillars hight And Domes terrific in the nether heavens for beneath Was opend new heavens and a new Earth beneath and within Threefold within the brain within the heart within the loins A Threefold Atmosphere Sublime continuous from Urthonas worldt But yet having a Limit Twofold named Satan and Adam But Los stood on the Limit of Translucence weeping and trembling Filled with doubts in self accusation beheld the fruitt Of Urizens Mysterious tree For Enitharmon thus spake When In the Deeps beneath I gatherd of this ruddy fruit It was by that I knew that I had Sinnd and then I knew That without a ransom I could not be savd from Eternal death That Life lives upon Death and by devouring appetite All things subsist on one another thenceforth in Despair I spend my glowing time but thou art strong and mighty To bear this Self conviction take then Eat thou also of The fruit and give me proof of life Eternal or I die Then Los plucked the fruit and Eat and sat down in Despair And must have given himself to death Eternal But Urthonas spectre in part mingling with him comforted him Being a medium between him and Enitharmon But This Union Was not to be Effected without Cares and Sorrows and Troubles Of six thousand Years of self denial and of bitter Contrition Urthonas Spectre terrified beheld the Spectres of the Dead Each Male formd without a counterpart without a concentering vision The Spectre of Urthona wept before Los Saying I am the cause That this dire state commences I began the dreadful state Of Separation and on my dark head the curse and punishment Must fall unless a way be found to Ransom and Redeemt But I have thee my Counterpart Vegetating miraculoust These Spectres have not, therefore they ravin Without the food of life Let us Create them For without a Created body the Spectre is Eternal Death Los trembling answerd Now I feel the weight of stern repentance Tremble not so my Enitharmon at the awful gates Of thy poor broken Heart I see thee like a shadow withering As on the outside of Existence but look! behold! take comfort! Turn inwardly thine Eyes and there behold the Lamb of God Clothed in Luvahs robes of blood descending to redeem O Spectre of Urthona take comfort O Enitharmon Couldst thou but cease from terror and trembling and affright When I appear before thee in forgiveness of ancient injuries Why shouldst thou remember and be afraid. I surely have died in pain Often enough to convince thy jealousy and fear and terrort Come hither be patient let us converse together because I also tremble at myself and at all my former life Enitharmon answerd I behold the Lamb of God descending To Meet these Spectres of the Dead I therefore fear that he Will give us to Eternal Death fit punishment for such Hideous offenders Uttermost extinction in eternal pain An ever dying life of stifling and obstruction shut out Of existence to be a sign and terror to all who behold Lest any should in futurity do as we have done in heaven Such is our state nor will the Son of God redeem us but destroy So Enitharmon spoke trembling and in torrents of tears Los sat in Golgonooza in the Gate of Luban wheret He had erected many porches where branchd the Mysterious Tree Where the Spectrous dead wail and sighing thus he spoke to Enitharmon Lovely delight of Men Enitharmon shady refuge from furious war Thy bosom translucent is a soft repose for the weeping souls Of those piteous victims of battle there they sleep in happy obscurity They feed upon our life we are their victims. Stern desire I feel to fabricate embodied semblances in which the dead May live before us in our palaces and in our gardens of labour Which now opend within the Center we behold spread abroad To form a world of Sacrifice of brothers and sons and daughters To comfort Orc in his dire sufferings; look! my fires enlume afresh Before my face ascending with delight as in ancient times Enitharmon spread her beaming locks upon the wind and said O Lovely terrible Los wonder of Eternity O Los my defence and guide Thy works are all my joy. and in thy fires my soul delights If mild they burn in just proportion and in secret night And silence build their day in shadow of soft clouds and dews Then I can sigh forth on the winds of Golgonooza piteous forms That vanish again into my bosom but if thou my Los Wilt in sweet moderated fury. fabricate forms sublime Such as the piteous spectres may assimilate themselves into They shall be ransoms for our Souls that we may live So Enitharmon spoke and Los his hands divine inspired began To modulate his fires studious the loud roaring flames He vanquishd with the strength of Art bending their iron points And drawing them forth delighted upon the winds of Golgonooza From out the ranks of Urizens war and from the fiery lake Of Orc bending down as the binder of the Sheaves follows The reaper in both arms embracing the furious raging flames Los drew them forth out of the deeps planting his right foot firm Upon the Iron crag of Urizen thence springing up aloft Into the heavens of Enitharmon in a mighty circle And first he drew a line upon the walls of shining heaven And Enitharmon tincturd it with beams of blushing love It remaind permanent a lovely form inspird divinely human Dividing into just proportions Los unwearied labourd The immortal lines upon the heavens till with sighs of love Sweet Enitharmon mild Entrancd breathd forth upon the wind The spectrous dead Weeping the Spectres viewd the immortal works Of Los Assimilating to those forms Embodied and Lovely In youth and beauty in the arms of Enitharmon mild reposing First Rintrah and then Palamabron drawn from out the ranks of war In infant innocence reposd on Enitharmons bosom Orc was comforted in the deeps his soul revivd in them As the Eldest brother is the fathers image So Orc became As Los a father to his brethren and he joyd in the dark lake Tho bound with chains of Jealousy and in scales of iron and brass But Los loved them and refusd to Sacrifice their infant limbs And Enitharmons smiles and tears prevaild over self protection They rather chose to meet Eternal death than to destroy The offspring of their Care and Pity Urthonas spectre was comforted But Tharmas most rejoicd in hope of Enions return For he beheld new Female forms born forth upon the air Who wove soft silken veils of covering in sweet rapturd trance Mortal and not as Enitharmon without a covering veil First his immortal spirit drew Urizen’s Shadow away From out the ranks of war separating him in sunder Leaving his Spectrous form which could not be drawn away Then he divided Thiriel the Eldest of Urizens sons Urizen became Rintrah Thiriel became Palamabron Thus dividing the powers of Every Warrior Startled was Los he found his Enemy Urizen now In his hands. he wonderd that he felt love and not hate His whole soul loved him he beheld him an infant Lovely breathd from Enitharmon he trembled within himself [End of Night the Seventh] Night the Eighth Then All in Great Eternity Met in the Council of God as one Man Even Jesus upon Gilead and Hermon Upon the Limit of Contraction to create the fallen Man The Fallen Man stretchd like a Corse upon the oozy Rock t Washd with the tides Pale overgrown with weeds That movd with horrible dreams hovring high over his head Two winged immortal shapes one standing at his feet Toward the East one standing at his head toward the west Their wings joind in the Zenith over head t Such is a Vision of All Beulah hovring over the Sleeper The limit of Contraction now was fixd and Man began To wake upon the Couch of Death he sneezed seven times A tear of blood dropped from either eye again he reposd In the saviours arms, in the arms of tender mercy and loving kindness Then Los said I behold the Divine Vision thro the broken Gates t Of thy poor broken heart astonishd melted into Compassion and Love And Enitharmon said I see the Lamb of God upon Mount Zion t Wondring with love and Awe they felt the divine hand upon them t For nothing could restrain the dead in Beulah from descending Unto Ulros night tempted by the Shadowy females sweet Delusive cruelty they descend away from the Daughters of Beulah And Enter Urizens temple Enitharmon pitying and her heart Gates broken down. they descend thro the Gate of Pity The broken heart Gate of Enitharmon She sighs them forth upon the wind t Of Golgonooza Los stood recieving them t For Los could enter into Enitharmons bosom and explore Its intricate Labyrinths now the Obdurate heart was broken From out the War of Urizen and Tharmas recieving them t Into his hands. Then Enitharmon erected Looms in Lubans Gate And calld the Looms Cathedron in these Looms She wove the Spectres Bodies of Vegetation Singing lulling Cadences to drive away Despair from the poor wandering spectres and Los loved them With a parental love for the Divine hand was upon him And upon Enitharmon and the Divine Countenance shone In Golgonooza Looking down the Daughters of Beulah saw With joy the bright Light and in it a Human form And knew he was the Saviour Even Jesus and they worshipped Astonishd Comforted Delighted in notes of Rapturous Extacy t All Beulah stood astonishd Looking down to Eternal Death They saw the Saviour beyond the Pit of death and destruction For whether they lookd upward they saw the Divine Vision Or whether they lookd downward still they saw the Divine Vision Surrounding them on all sides beyond sin and death and hell Enitharmon wove in tears singing Songs of Lamentation And pitying comfort as she sighd forth on the wind the Spectres Also the Vegetated bodies which Enitharmon wove Opend within their hearts and in their loins and in their brain To Beulah and the Dead in Ulro descended from the War Of Urizen and Tharmas and from the Shadowy females clouds And some were woven single and some two fold and some three fold t In Head or Heart or Reins according to the fittest order Of most merciful pity and compassion to the Spectrous dead t When Urizen saw the Lamb of God clothed in Luvahs robes Perplexd and terrifid he Stood tho well he knew that Orc Was Luvah But he now beheld a new Luvah. Or One Who assumed Luvahs form and stood before him opposite But he saw Orc a Serpent form augmenting times on times In the fierce battle and he saw the Lamb of God and the World of Los Surrounded by his dark machines for Orc augmented swift In fury a Serpent wondrous among the Constellations of Urizen A crest of fire rose on his forehead red as the carbuncle Beneath down to his eyelids scales of pearl then gold and silver Immingled with the ruby overspread his Visage down His furious neck writhing contortive in dire budding pains The scaly armour shot out. Stubborn down his back and bosom The Emerald Onyx Sapphire jasper beryl amethyst Strove in terrific emulation which should gain a place Upon the mighty Fiend the fruit of the mysterious tree t Kneaded in Uveths kneading trough. Still Orc devourd the food In raging hunger Still the pestilential food in gems and gold Exuded round his awful limbs Stretching to serpent length His human bulk While the dark shadowy female brooding over t Measurd his food morning and evening in cups and baskets of iron With tears of sorrow incessant she labourd the food of Orc Compelld by the iron hearted sisters Daughters of Urizen Gathring the fruit of that mysterious tree circling its roo t She spread herself thro all the branches in the power of Orc Thus Urizen in self deciet his warlike preparations fabricated And when all things were finishd sudden wavd among the Stars t His hurtling hand gave the dire signal thunderous Clarions blow t And all the hollow deep rebellowd with the wonderous war t But Urizen his mighty rage let loose in the mid deep t Sparkles of Dire affliction issud round his frozen limbs t Horrible hooks and nets he formd twisting the cords of iron And brass and molten metals cast in hollow globes and bor'd Tubes in petrific steel and rammd combustibles and wheels And chains and pullies fabricated all round the heavens of Los Communing with the Serpent of Orc in dark dissimulation And with the Synagogue of Satan in dark Sanhedrim t To undermine the World of Los and tear bright Enitharmon To the four winds hopeless of future. All futurity Seems teeming with Endless Destruction never to be repelld t Desperate remorse swallows the present in a quenchless rage Terrified and astonishd Urizen beheld the battle take a form t Which he intended not a Shadowy hermaphrodite black and opake t The Soldiers namd it Satan but he was yet unformd and vast Hermaphroditic it at length became hiding the Male Within as in a Tabernacle Abominable Deadly The battle howls the terrors fird rage in the work of death Enormous Works Los Contemplated inspird by the holy Spirit Los builds the Walls of Golgonooza against the stirring battle That only thro the Gates of Death they can enter to Enitharmon Raging they take the human visage and the human form Feeling the hand of Los in Golgonooza and the force Attractive of his hammers beating and the Silver looms Of Enitharmon singing lulling cadences on the wind They humanize in the fierce battle where in direful pain Troop by troop the beastial droves rend one another sounding loud The instruments of sound and troop by troop in human forms they urge The dire confusion till the battle faints those that remain Return in pangs and horrible convulsions to their beastial state For the monsters of the Elements Lions or Tygers or Wolves Sound loud the howling music inspird by Los and Enitharmon Sounding loud terrific men They seem to one another laughing terrible among the banners And when the revolution of their day of battles over Relapsing in dire torment they return to forms of woe t To moping visages returning inanimate tho furious No more erect tho strong drawn out in length they ravin For senseless gratification and their visages thrust forth Flatten above and beneath and stretch out into beastial length Weakend they stretch beyond their power in dire droves till war begins Or Secret religion in their temples before secret shrines And Urizen gave life and sense by his immortal power To all his Engines of deceit that linked chains might run Thro ranks of war spontaneous and that hooks and boring screws Might act according to their forms by innate cruelty He formed also harsh instruments of sound To grate the soul into destruction or to inflame with fury The spirits of life to pervert all the faculties of sense Into their own destruction if perhaps he might avert t His own despair even at the cost of every thing that breathes Thus in the temple of the Sun his books of iron and brass And silver and gold he consecrated reading incessantly To myriads of perturbed spirits thro the universe They propagated the deadly words the Shadowy Female absorbing t The enormous Sciences of Urizen ages after ages exploring The fell destruction. And she said O Urizen Prince of Light What words of Dread pierce my faint Ear what falling snows around My feeble limbs infold my destind misery I alone dare the lash abide to sit beneath the blast Unhurt and dare the inclement forehead of the King of Light From dark abysses of the times remote fated to be The sorrower of Eternity in love with tears submiss I rear My Eyes to thy Pavilions hear my prayer for Luvahs sake I see the murderer of my Luvah clothd in robes of blood He who assured my Luvahs throne in times of Everlasting Where hast thou hid him whom I love in what remote Abyss Resides that God of my delight O might my eyes behold My Luvah then could I deliver all the sons of God From Bondage of these terrors and with influences sweet t As once in those eternal fields in brotherhood and Love United we should live in bliss as those who sinned not The Eternal Man is seald by thee never to be deliverd We are all servants to thy will O King of Light relent Thy furious power be our father and our loved King But if my Luvah is no more If thou hast smitten him t And laid him in the Sepulcher Or if thou wilt revenge t His murder on another Silent I bow with dread But happiness can never come to thee O King nor me For he was source of every joy that this mysterious tree Unfolds in Allegoric fruit. When shall the dead revive Can that which has existed cease or can love and life Expire Urizen heard the Voice and saw the Shadow. underneath His woven darkness and in laws and deceitful religions Beginning at the tree of Mystery circling its root She spread herself thro all the branches in the power of Orc A shapeless and indefinite cloud in tears of sorrow incessant Steeping the Direful Web of Religion swagging heavy it fell From heaven to heavn thro all its meshes altering the Vortexes t Misplacing every Center hungry desire and lust began Gathering the fruit of that Mysterious tree till Urizen Sitting within his temple furious felt the numming stupor Himself tangled in his own net in sorrow lust repentance Enitharmon wove in tears Singing Songs of Lamentations And pitying comfort as she sighd forth on the wind the spectres And wove them bodies calling them her belovd sons and daughters Employing the daughters in her looms and Los employd the Sons In Golgonoozas Furnaces among the Anvils of time and space Thus forming a Vast family wondrous in beauty and love And they appeard a Universal female form created From those who were dead in Ulro from the Spectres of the dead And Enitharmon namd the Female Jerusalem the holy Wondring she saw the Lamb of God within Jerusalems Veil The divine Vision seen within the inmost deep recess Of fair Jerusalems bosom in a gently beaming fire Then sang the Sons of Eden round the Lamb of God and said Glory Glory Glory to the holy Lamb of God Who now beginneth to put off the dark Satanic body Now we behold redemption Now we know that life Eternal Depends alone upon the Universal hand and not in us Is aught but death In individual weakness sorrow and pain t We behold with wonder Enitharmons Looms and Los's Forges t And the Spindles of Tirzah and Rahab and the Mills of Satan and Beelzeboul t In Golgonooza Los's anvils stand and his Furnaces rage t Ten thousand demons labour at the forges Creating Continually The times and spaces of Mortal Life the Sun the Moon the Stars In periods of Pulsative furor beating into wedges and bars t Then drawing into wires the terrific Passions and Affections Of Spectrous dead. Thence to the Looms of Cathedron conveyd The Daughters of Enitharmon weave the ovarium and the integument In soft silk drawn from their own bowels in lascivious delight With songs of sweetest cadence to the turning spindle and reel Lulling the weeping spectres of the dead. Clothing their limbs With gifts and gold of Eden. Astonishd stupefied with delight The terrors put on their sweet clothing on the banks of Arnon t Whence they plunge into the river of space for a period till The dread Sleep of Ulro is past. But Satan Og and Sihon t Build Mills of resistless wheels to unwind the soft threads and reveal Naked of their clothing the poor spectres before the accusing heavens While Rahab and Tirzah far different mantles prepare webs of torture Mantles of despair girdles of bitter compunction shoes of indolence Veils of ignorance covering from head to feet with a cold web We look down into Ulro we behold the Wonders of the Grave Eastward of Golgonooza stands the Lake of Udan Adan In t Entuthon Benithon a Lake not of Waters but of Spaces t Perturbd black and deadly on its Islands and its Margins t The Mills of Satan and Beelzeboul stand round the roots of Urizens tree For this Lake is formd from the tears and sighs and death sweat of the Victims Of Urizens laws. to irrigate the roots of the tree of Mystery They unweave the soft threads then they weave them anew in the forms Of dark death and despair and none from Eternity to Eternity could Escape t But thou O Universal Humanity who is One Man blessed for Ever t Recievest the Integuments woven Rahab beholds the Lamb of God She smites with her knife of flint She destroys her own work Times upon times thinking to destroy the Lamb blessed for Ever He puts off the clothing of blood he redeems the spectres from their bonds He awakes the sleepers in Ulro the Daughters of Beulah praise him They anoint his feet with ointment they wipe them with the hair of their head [End of Night the Eighth] Night the Ninth and the Last Judgment And Los and Enitharmon builded Jerusalem weeping Over the Sepulcher and over the Crucified body Which to their Phantom Eyes appear'd Still in the Sepulcher But Jesus stood beside them in the Spirit Separating Their Spirit from their body. Terrified at Non Existence For such they deemd the death of the body. Los his vegetable hands Outstretchd his right hand branching out in fibrous strength Siezd the Sun. His left hand like dark roots coverd the Moon And tore them down cracking the heavens across from immense to immense Then fell the fires of Eternity with loud and shrill Sound of Loud Trumpet thundering along from heaven to heaven A mighty sound articulate Awake ye dead and come To Judgment from the four winds Awake and Come away Folding like scrolls of the Enormous volume of Heaven and Earth With thunderous noise and dreadful shakings rocking to and fro The heavens are shaken and the Earth removed from its place The foundations of the Eternal hills discoverd The thrones of Kings are shaken they have lost their robes and crowns The poor smite their opressors they awake up to the harvest The naked warriors rush together down to the sea shore Trembling before the multitudes of slaves now set at liberty They are become like wintry flocks like forests stripd of leaves The opressed pursue like the wind there is no room for escape The Spectre of Enitharmon let loose on the troubled deep Waild shrill in the confusion and the Spectre of Urthona Recievd her in the darkning South their bodies lost they stood Trembling and weak a faint embrace a fierce desire as when Two shadows mingle on a wall they wail and shadowy tears Fell down and shadowy forms of joy mixd with despair and grief Their bodies buried in the ruins of the Universe Mingled with the confusion. Who shall call them from the Grave. Rahab and Tirzah wail aloud in the wild flames they give up themselves to Consummation. The books of Urizen unroll with dreadful noise the folding Serpent Of Orc began to Consume in fierce raving fire his fierce flames Issud on all sides gathring strength in animating volumes Roaming abroad on all the winds raging intense reddening Into resistless pillars of fire rolling round and round gathering Strength from the Earths consumd and heavens and all hidden abysses Wherever the Eagle has Explord or Lion or Tyger trod Or where the Comets of the night or stars of asterial day Have shot their arrows or long beamed spears in wrath and fury. And all the while the trumpet sounds from the clotted gore and from the hollow den Start forth the trembling millions into flames of mental fire Bathing their limbs in the bright visions of Eternity. Then like the doves from pillars of Smoke the trembling families Of women and children throughout every nation under heaven Cling round the men in bands of twenties and of fifties pale As snow that falls around a leafless tree upon the green Their opressors are falln they have Stricken them they awake to life Yet pale the just man stands erect and looking up to heavn Trembling and strucken by the Universal stroke the trees unroot The rocks groan horrible and run about. The mountains and Their rivers cry with a dismal cry the cattle gather together Lowing they kneel before the heavens. the wild beasts of the forests Tremble the Lion shuddering asks the Leopard. Feelest thou The dread I feel unknown before My voice refuses to roar And in weak moans I speak to thee This night Before the mornings dawn the Eagle calld the Vulture The Raven calld the hawk I heard them from my forests black Saying Let us go up far for soon I smell upon the wind A terror coming from the South. The Eagle and Hawk fled away At dawn and Eer the sun arose the raven and Vulture followd Let us flee also to the north. They fled. The Sons of Men Saw them depart in dismal droves. The trumpet sounded loud And all the Sons of Eternity Descended into Beulah. In the fierce flames the limbs of Mystery lay consuming with howling And deep despair. Rattling go up the flames around the Synagogue Of Satan Loud the Serpent Orc ragd thro his twenty Seven Folds. The tree of Mystery went up in folding flames Blood issud out in mighty volumes pouring in whirlpools fierce From out the flood gates of the Sky The Gates are burst down pour The torrents black upon the Earth the blood pours down incessant Kings in their palaces lie drownd Shepherds their flocks their tents Roll down the mountains in black torrents Cities Villages High spires and Castles drownd in the black deluge Shoal on Shoal Float the dead carcases of Men and Beasts driven to and fro on waves Of foaming blood beneath the black incessant Sky till all Mysterys tyrants are cut off and not one left on Earth. And when all Tyranny was cut off from the face of Earth Around the Dragon form of Urizen and round his stony form The flames rolling intense thro the wide Universe Began to Enter the Holy City. Entring the dismal clouds In furrowd lightnings break their way the wild flames ?whirling up The Bloody Deluge living flames winged with intellect And Reason round the Earth they march in order flame by flame From the clotted gore and from the hollow den Start forth the trembling millions into flames of mental fire Bathing their Limbs in the bright visions of Eternity Beyond this Universal Confusion beyond the remotest Pole Where their vortexes begin to operate there stands A Horrible rock far in the South it was forsaken when Urizen gave the horses of Light into the hands of Luvah On this rock lay the faded head of the Eternal Man Enwrapped round with weeds of death pale cold in sorrow and woe He lifts the blue lamps of his Eyes and cries with heavenly voice Bowing his head over the consuming Universe he cried O weakness and O weariness O war within my members My sons exiled from my breast pass to and fro before me My birds are silent on my hills flocks die beneath my branches My tents are fallen my trumpets and the sweet sounds of my harp Is silent on my clouded hills that belch forth storms and fires My milk of cows and honey of bees and fruit of golden harvest Are gatherd in the scorching heat and in the driving rain My robe is turned to confusion and my bright gold to stones Where once I sat. I weary walk in misery and pain For from within my witherd breast grown narrow with my woes The Corn is turnd to thistles and the apples into poison The birds of song to murderous crows My joys to bitter groans The voices of children in my tents to cries of helpless infants And all exiled from the face of light and shine of morning In this dark world a narrow house I wander up and down I hear Mystery howling in these flames of Consummation When shall the Man of future times become as in days of old O weary life why sit I here and give up all my powers To indolence to the night of death when indolence and mourning Sit hovring over my dark threshold. tho I arise look out And scorn the war within my members yet my heart is weak And my head faint Yet will I look again unto the morning Whence is this sound of rage of Men drinking each others blood Drunk with the smoking gore and red but not with nourishing wine. The Eternal Man sat on the Rocks and cried with awful voice. O Prince of Light where art thou I behold thee not as once In those Eternal fields in clouds of morning stepping forth With harps and songs where bright Ahania sang before thy face And all thy sons and daughters gatherd round my ample table See you not all this wracking furious confusion Come forth from slumbers of thy cold abstraction come forth Arise to Eternal births shake off thy cold repose Schoolmaster of souls great opposer of change arise That the Eternal worlds may see thy face in peace and joy That thou dread form of Certainty maist sit in town and village While little children play around thy feet in gentle awe Fearing thy frown loving thy smile O Urizen Prince of light. He calld the deep buried his voice and answer none returnd Then wrath burst round the Eternal Man was wrath again he cried. Arise O stony form of death O dragon of the Deeps Lie down before my feet O Dragon let Urizen arise O how couldst thou deform those beautiful proportions Of life and person for as the Person so is his life proportiond Let Luvah rage in the dark deep even to Consummation For if thou feedest not his rage it will subside in peace But if thou darest obstinate refuse my stern behest Thy crown and scepter I will sieze and regulate all my members In stern severity and cast thee out into the indefinite Where nothing lives, there to wander. and if thou returnst weary Weeping at the threshold of Existence I will steel my heart Against thee to Eternity and never recieve thee more Thy self destroying beast formd Science shall be thy eternal lot My anger against thee is greater than against this Luvah For war is energy Enslavd but thy religion The first author of this war and the distracting of honest minds Into confused perturbation and strife and honour and pride Is a deceit so detestable that I will cast thee out If thou repentest not and leave thee as a rotten branch to be burnd With Mystery the Harlot and with Satan for Ever and Ever Error can never be redeemd in all Eternity But Sin Even Rahab is redeemd in blood and fury and jealousy That line of blood that stretchd across the windows of the morning Redeemd from Errors power. Wake thou dragon of the Deeps Urizen wept in the dark deep anxious his Scaly form To reassume the human and he wept in the dark deep. Saying O that I had never drank the wine nor eat the bread Of dark mortality nor cast my view into the futurity nor turnd My back darkning the present clouding with a cloud And building arches high and cities turrets and towers and domes Whose smoke destroyd the pleasant garden and whose running Kennels Chokd the bright rivers burdning with my Ships the angry deep Thro Chaos seeking for delight and in spaces remote Seeking the Eternal which is always present to the wise Seeking for pleasure which unsought falls round the infants path And on the fleeces of mild flocks who neither care nor labour But I the labourer of ages whose unwearied hands Are thus deformd with hardness with the sword and with the spear And with the Chisel and the mallet I whose labours vast Order the nations separating family by family Alone enjoy not. I alone in misery supreme Ungratified give all my joy unto this Luvah and Vala Then Go O dark futurity I will cast thee forth from these Heavens of my brain nor will I look upon futurity more I cast futurity away and turn my back upon that void Which I have made for lo futurity is in this moment Let Orc consume let Tharmas rage let dark Urthona give All strength to Los and Enitharmon and let Los self cursd Rend down this fabric as a wall ruind and family extinct Rage Orc Rage Tharmas Urizen no longer curbs your rage. So Urizen spoke he shook his snows from off his Shoulders and arose As on a Pyramid of mist his white robes scattering The fleecy white renewd he shook his aged mantles off Into the fires Then glorious bright Exulting in his joy He sounding rose into the heavens in naked majesty In radiant Youth. when Lo like garlands in the Eastern sky When vocal may comes dancing from the East Ahania came Exulting in her flight as when a bubble rises up On to the surface of a lake. Ahania rose in joy Excess of Joy is worse than grief — her heart beat high her blood Burst its bright Vessels She fell down dead at the feet of Urizen Outstretchd a Smiling corse they buried her in a silent cave Urizen dropt a tear the Eternal Man Darkend with sorrow. The three daughters of Urizen guard Ahanias Death couch Rising from the confusion in tears and howlings and despair Calling upon their fathers Name upon their Rivers dark. And the Eternal Man Said Hear my words O Prince of Light Behold Jerusalem in whose bosom the Lamb of God Is seen tho slain before her Gates he self renewd remains Eternal and I thro him awake from deaths dark vale The times revolve the time is coming when all these delights Shall be renewd and all these Elements that now consume Shall reflourish. Then bright Ahania shall awake from death A glorious Vision to thine Eyes a Self renewing Vision The spring. the summer to be thine then sleep the wintry days In silken garments spun by her own hands against her funeral The winter thou shalt plow and lay thy stores into thy barns Expecting to recieve Ahania in the spring with joy Immortal thou. Regenerate She and all the lovely Sex From her shall learn obedience and prepare for a wintry grave That spring may see them rise in tenfold joy and sweet delight Thus shall the male and female live the life of Eternity Because the Lamb of God Creates himself a bride and wife That we his Children evermore may live in Jerusalem Which now descendeth out of heaven a City yet a Woman Mother of myriads redeemd and born in her spiritual palaces By a New Spiritual birth Regenerated from Death. Urizen said. I have Erred and my Error remains with me What Chain encompasses in what Lock is the river of light confind That issues forth in the morning by measure and the evening by carefulness Where shall we take our stand to view the infinite and unbounded Or where are human feet for Lo our eyes are in the heavens. He ceasd for rivn link from link the bursting Universe explodes All things reversd flew from their centers rattling bones To bones Join, shaking convulsd the shivering clay breathes Each speck of dust to the Earths center nestles round and round In pangs of an Eternal Birth in torment and awe and fear All spirits deceasd let loose from reptile prisons come in shoals Wild furies from the tygers brain and from the lions Eyes And from the ox and ass come moping terrors. from the Eagle And raven numerous as the leaves of autumn every species Flock to the trumpet muttring over the sides of the grave and crying In the fierce wind round heaving rocks and mountains filld with groans On rifted rocks suspended in the air by inward fires Many a woful company and many on clouds and waters Fathers and friends Mothers and Infants Kings and Warriors Priests and chaind Captives met together in a horrible fear And every one of the dead appears as he had livd before And all the marks remain of the slaves scourge and tyrants Crown And of the Priests oergorged Abdomen and of the merchants thin Sinewy deception and of the warriors out braving and thoughtlessness In lineaments too extended and in bones too strait and long. They shew their wounds they accuse they sieze the opressor howlings began On the golden palace Songs and joy on the desart the Cold babe Stands in the furious air he cries the children of six thousand years Who died in infancy rage furious a mighty multitude rage furious Naked and pale standing on the expecting air to be deliverd Rend limb from limb the Warrior and the tyrant reuniting in pain The furious wind still rends around they flee in sluggish effort. They beg they intreat in vain now they Listend not to intreaty They view the flames red rolling on thro the wide universe From the dark jaws of death beneath and desolate shores remote These covering Vaults of heaven and these trembling globes of Earth One Planet calls to another and one star enquires of another What flames are these coming from the South what noise what dreadful rout As of a battle in the heavens hark heard you not the trumpet As of fierce battle While they spoke the flames come on intense roaring. They see him whom they have piercd they wail because of him They magnify themselves no more against Jerusalem Nor Against her little ones the innocent accused before the Judges Shines with immortal Glory trembling the Judge springs from his throne Hiding his face in the dust beneath the prisoners feet and saying Brother of Jesus what have I done intreat thy lord for me Perhaps I may be forgiven While he speaks the flames roll on. And after the flames appears the Cloud of the Son of Man Descending from Jerusalem with power and great Glory All nations look up to the Cloud and behold him who was Crucified. The Prisoner answers you scourgd my father to death before my face While I stood bound with cords and heavy chains. your hipocrisy Shall now avail you nought. So speaking he dashd him with his foot. The Cloud is Blood dazling upon the heavens and in the cloud Above upon its volumes is beheld a throne and a pavement Of precious stones. surrounded by twenty four venerable patriarchs And these again surrounded by four Wonders of the Almighty Incomprehensible. pervading all amidst and round about Fourfold each in the other reflected they are named Life's in Eternity Four Starry Universes going forward from Eternity to Eternity And the Falln Man who was arisen upon the Rock of Ages Beheld the Vision of God and he arose up from the Rock And Urizen arose up with him walking thro the flames To meet the Lord coming to Judgment but the flames repelld them Still to the Rock in vain they strove to Enter the Consummation Together for the Redeemd Man could not enter the Consummation. Then siezd the Sons of Urizen the Plow they polishd it From rust of ages all its ornaments of Gold and silver and ivory Reshone across the field immense where all the nations Darkend like Mould in the divided fallows where the weed Triumphs in its own destruction they took down the harness From the blue walls of heaven starry jingling ornamented With beautiful art the study of angels the workmanship of Demons When Heaven and Hell in Emulation strove in sports of Glory. The noise of rural work resounded thro the heavens of heavens The horses neigh from the battle, the wild bulls from the sultry waste The tygers from the forests and the lions from the sandy desarts They Sing they sieze the instruments of harmony they throw away. The spear the bow the gun the mortar they level the fortifications They beat the iron engines of destruction into wedges They give them to Urthonas Sons ringing the hammers sound In dens of death to forge the spade the mattock and the ax The heavy roller to break the clods to pass over the nations. The Sons of Urizen Shout Their father rose The Eternal horses Harnessd They calld to Urizen the heavens moved at their call The limbs of Urizen shone with ardor. He laid his hand on the Plow Thro dismal darkness drave the Plow of ages over Cities And all their Villages over Mountains and all their Vallies Over the graves and caverns of the dead. Over the Planets And over the void Spaces over Sun and moon and star and constellation. Then Urizen commanded and they brought the Seed of Men The trembling souls of All the Dead stood before Urizen Weak wailing in the troubled air East west and north and south He turnd the horses loose and laid his Plow in the northern corner Of the wide Universal field. then Stepd forth into the immense. Then he began to sow the seed he girded round his loins With a bright girdle and his skirt filld with immortal souls Howling and Wailing fly the souls from Urizens strong hand. For from the hand of Urizen the myriads fall like stars Into their own appointed places driven back by the winds The naked warriors rush together down to the sea shores They are become like wintry flocks like forests stripd of leaves The Kings and Princes of the Earth cry with a feeble cry Driven on the unproducing sands and on the hardend rocks And all the while the flames of Orc follow the ventrous feet Of Urizen and all the while the Trump of Tharmas sounds Weeping and wailing fly the souls from Urizens strong hand The daughters of Urizen stand with Cups and measures of foaming wine Immense upon the heavens with bread and delicate repasts. Then follows the golden harrow in the midst of Mental fires To ravishing melody of flutes and harps and softest voice The seed is harrowd in while flames heat the black mould and cause The human harvest to begin Towards the south first sprang The myriads and in silent fear they look out from their graves. Then Urizen sits down to rest and all his wearied Sons Take their repose on beds they drink they sing they view the flames Of Orc in joy they view the human harvest springing up A time they give to sweet repose till all the harvest is ripe. And Lo like the harvest Moon Ahania cast off her death clothes She folded them up in care in silence and her brightning limbs Bathd in the clear spring of the rock then from her darksom cave Issud in majesty divine. Urizen rose up from his couch On wings of tenfold joy clapping his hands his feet his radiant wings In the immense as when the Sun dances upon the mountains A shout of jubilee in lovely notes responding from daughter to daughter From son to Son as if the Stars beaming innumerable Thro night should sing soft warbling filling Earth and heaven And bright Ahania took her seat by Urizen in songs and joy. The Eternal Man also sat down upon the Couches of Beulah Sorrowful that he could not put off his new risen body In mental flames the flames refusd they drove him back to Beulah His body was redeemd to be permanent thro Mercy Divine And now fierce Orc had quite consumd himself in Mental flames Expending all his energy against the fuel of fire The Regenerate Man stoopd his head over the Universe and in His holy hands recievd the flaming Demon and Demoness of Smoke And gave them to Urizens hands the Immortal frownd Saying. Luvah and Vala henceforth you are Servants obey and live You shall forget your former state return O Love in peace Into your place the place of seed not in the brain or heart If Gods combine against Man Setting their Dominion above The Human form Divine. Thrown down from their high Station In the Eternal heavens of Human Imagination: buried beneath In dark oblivion with incessant pangs ages on ages In Enmity and war first weakend then in stern repentance They must renew their brightness and their disorganizd functions Again reorganize till they resume the image of the human Cooperating in the bliss of Man obeying his Will Servants to the infinite and Eternal of the Human form. Luvah and Vala descended and enterd the Gates of Dark Urthona And walkd from the hands of Urizen in the shadows of Valas Garden Where the impressions of Despair and Hope for ever vegetate In flowers in fruits in fishes birds and beasts and clouds and waters The land of doubts and shadows sweet delusions unformd hopes They saw no more the terrible confusion of the wracking universe They heard not saw not felt not all the terrible confusion For in their orbed senses within closd up they wanderd at will And those upon the Couches viewd them in the dreams of Beulah As they reposd from the terrible wide universal harvest Invisible Luvah in bright clouds hoverd over Valas head And thus their ancient golden age renewd for Luvah spoke With voice mild from his golden Cloud upon the breath of morning Come forth O Vala from the grass and from the silent Dew Rise from the dews of death for the Eternal Man is Risen. She rises among flowers and looks toward the Eastern clearness She walks yea runs her feet are wingd on the tops of the bending grass Her garments rejoice in the vocal wind and her hair glistens with dew. She answerd thus Whose voice is this in the voice of the nourishing air In the spirit of the morning awaking the Soul from its grassy bed. Where dost thou dwell for it is thee I seek and but for thee I must have slept Eternally nor have felt the dew of thy morning Look how the opening dawn advances with vocal harmony Look how the beams foreshew the rising of some glorious power The sun is thine. He goeth forth in his majestic brightness O thou creating voice that callest and who shall answer thee. Where dost thou flee O fair one where dost thou seek thy happy place. To yonder brightness there I haste for sure I came from thence Or I must have slept eternally nor have felt the dew of morning. Eternally thou must have slept nor have felt the morning dew But for yon nourishing sun tis that by which thou art arisen The birds adore the sun the beasts rise up and play in his beams And every flower and every leaf rejoices in his light Then O thou fair one sit thee down for thou art as the grass Thou risest in the dew of morning and at night art folded up. Alas am I but as a flower then will I sit me down Then will I weep then Ill complain and sigh for immortality And chide my maker thee O Sun that raisedst me to fall. So saying she sat down and wept beneath the apple trees. O be thou blotted out thou Sun that raisedst me to trouble That gavest me a heart to crave and raisedst me thy phantom To feel thy heat and see thy light and wander here alone Hopeless if I am like the grass and so shall pass away. Rise sluggish Soul why sitst thou here why dost thou sit and weep Yon Sun shall wax old and decay but thou shalt ever flourish The fruit shall ripen and fall down and the flowers consume away But thou shalt still survive arise O dry thy dewy tears. Hah! Shall I still survive whence came that sweet and comforting voice And whence that voice of sorrow O sun thou art nothing now to me Go on thy course rejoicing and let us both rejoice together I walk among his flocks and hear the bleating of his lambs O that I could behold his face and follow his pure feet I walk by the footsteps of his flocks come hither tender flocks Can you converse with a pure Soul that seeketh for her maker You answer not then am I set your mistress in this garden Ill watch you and attend your footsteps you are not like the birds. That sing and fly in the bright air but you do lick my feet And let me touch your wooly backs follow me as I sing For in my bosom a new song arises to my Lord Rise up O Sun most glorious minister and light of day Flow on ye gentle airs and bear the voice of my rejoicing Wave freshly clear waters flowing around the tender grass And thou sweet smelling ground put forth thy life in fruits and flowers Follow me O my flocks and hear me sing my rapturous Song I will cause my voice to be heard on the clouds that glitter in the sun I will call and who shall answer me I will sing who shall reply For from my pleasant hills behold the living living springs Running among my green pastures delighting among my trees I am not here alone my flocks you are my brethren And you birds that sing and adorn the sky you are my sisters I sing and you reply to my Song I rejoice and you are glad Follow me O my flocks we will now descend into the valley O how delicious are the grapes flourishing in the Sun How clear the spring of the rock running among the golden sand How cool the breezes of the vally and the arms of the branching trees Cover us from the sun come and let us sit in the Shade My Luvah here hath placd me in a Sweet and pleasant Land And given me fruits and pleasant waters and warm hills and cool valleys Here will I build myself a house and here Ill call on his name Here Ill return when I am weary and take my pleasant rest. So spoke the Sinless Soul and laid her head on the downy fleece Of a curld Ram who stretchd himself in sleep beside his mistress And soft sleep fell upon her eyelids in the silent noon of day. Then Luvah passed by and saw the sinless Soul And said Let a pleasant house arise to be the dwelling place Of this immortal Spirit growing in lower Paradise He spoke and pillars were builded and walls as white as ivory The grass she slept upon was pavd with pavement as of pearl Beneath her rose a downy bed and a cieling coverd all. Vala awoke. When in the pleasant gates of sleep I enterd I saw my Luvah like a spirit stand in the bright air Round him stood spirits like me who reard me a bright house And here I see thee house remain in my most pleasant world. My Luvah smild I kneeled down he laid his hand on my head And when he laid his hand upon me from the gates of sleep I came Into this bodily house to tend my flocks in my pleasant garden. So saying she arose and walked round her beautiful house And then from her white door she lookd to see her bleating lambs But her flocks were gone up from beneath the trees into the hills. I see the hand that leadeth me doth also lead my flocks She went up to her flocks and turned oft to see her shining house She stopd to drink of the clear spring and eat the grapes and apples She bore the fruits in her lap she gatherd flowers for her bosom She called to her flocks saying follow me o my flocks. They followd her to the silent vally beneath the spreading trees And on the rivers margin she ungirded her golden girdle She stood in the river and viewd herself within the watry glass And her bright hair was wet with the waters She rose up from the river And as she rose her Eyes were opend to the world of waters She saw Tharmas sitting upon the rocks beside the wavy sea He strokd the water from his beard and mournd faint thro the summer vales. And Vala stood on the rocks of Tharmas and heard his mournful voice. O Enion my weary head is in the bed of death For weeds of death have wrapd around my limbs in the hoary deeps I sit in the place of shells and mourn and thou art closd in clouds When will the time of Clouds be past and the dismal night of Tharmas Arise O Enion Arise and smile upon my head As thou dost smile upon the barren mountains and they rejoice When wilt thou smile on Tharmas O thou bringer of golden day Arise O Enion arise for Lo I have calmd my seas. So saying his faint head he laid upon the Oozy rock And darkness coverd all the deep the light of Enion faded Like a faint flame quivering upon the surface of the darkness. Then Vala lifted up her hands to heaven to call on Enion She calld but none could answer her and the Eccho of her voice returnd. Where is the voice of God that calld me from the silent dew Where is the Lord of Vala dost thou hide in clefts of the rock Why shouldst thou hide thyself from Vala from the soul that wanders desolate. She ceas'd and light beamd round her like the glory of the morning And She arose out of the river and girded her golden girdle. And now her feet step on the grassy bosom of the ground Among her flocks and she turnd her eyes toward her pleasant house And saw in the door way beneath the trees two little children playing She drew near to her house and her flocks followd her footsteps The Children clung around her knees she embracd them and wept over them. Thou little Boy art Tharmas and thou bright Girl Enion How are ye thus renewd and brought into the Gardens of Vala She embracd them in tears. till the sun descended the western hills And then she enterd her bright house leading her mighty children And when night came the flocks laid round the house beneath the trees She laid the Children on the beds which she saw prepard in the house Then last herself laid down and closd her Eyelids in soft slumbers. And in the morning when the Sun arose in the crystal sky Vala awoke and calld the children from their gentle slumbers. Awake O Enion awake and let thine innocent Eyes Enlighten all the Crystal house of Vala awake awake Awake Tharmas awake awake thou child of dewy tears Open the orbs of thy blue eyes and smile upon my gardens. The Children woke and smild on Vala. she kneeld by the golden couch She presd them to her bosom and her pearly tears dropd down O my sweet Children Enion let Tharmas kiss thy Cheek Why dost thou turn thyself away from his sweet watry eyes Tharmas henceforth in Valas bosom thou shalt find sweet peace O bless the lovely eyes of Tharmas and the Eyes of Enion. They rose they went out wandring sometimes together sometimes alone Why weepest thou Tharmas Child of tears in the bright house of joy Doth Enion avoid the sight of thy blue heavenly Eyes And dost thou wander with my lambs and wet their innocent faces With thy bright tears because the steps of Enion are in the gardens Arise sweet boy and let us follow the path of Enion. So saying they went down into the garden among the fruits And Enion sang among the flowers that grew among the trees And Vala said Go Tharmas weep not Go to Enion. He said O Vala I am sick and all this garden of Pleasure Swims like a dream before my eyes but the sweet smelling fruit Revives me to new deaths I fade even like a water lilly In the suns heat till in the night on the couch of Enion I drink new life and feel the breath of sleeping Enion But in the morning she arises to avoid my Eyes Then my loins fade and in the house I sit me down and weep. Chear up thy Countenance bright boy and go to Enion Tell her that Vala waits her in the shadows of her garden. He went with timid steps and Enion like the ruddy morn When infant spring appears in swelling buds and opening flowers Behind her Veil withdraws so Enion turnd her modest head. But Tharmas spoke Vala seeks thee sweet Enion in the shades Follow the steps of Tharmas, O thou brightness of the gardens He took her hand reluctant she followd in infant doubts. Thus in Eternal Childhood straying among Valas flocks In infant sorrow and joy alternate Enion and Tharmas playd Round Vala in the Gardens of Vala and by her rivers margin They are the shadows of Tharmas and of Enion in Valas world And the sleepers who rested from their harvest work beheld these visions Thus were the sleepers entertaind upon the Couches of Beulah. When Luvah and Vala were closd up in their world of shadowy forms Darkness was all beneath the heavens only a little light Such as glows out from sleeping spirits appeard in the deeps beneath As when the wind sweeps over a Corn field the noise of souls Thro all the immense borne down by Clouds swagging in autumnal heat Muttering along from heaven to heaven hoarse roll the human forms Beneath thick clouds dreadful lightnings burst and thunders roll Down pour the torrent Floods of heaven on all the human harvest Then Urizen sitting at his repose on beds in the bright South Cried Times are Ended he Exulted he arose in joy he exulted He pourd his light and all his Sons and daughters pourd their light To exhale the spirits of Luvah and Vala thro the atmosphere And Luvah and Vala saw the Light their spirits were Exhald In all their ancient innocence the floods depart the clouds Dissipate or sink into the Seas of Tharmas Luvah sat Above on the bright heavens in peace. the Spirits of Men beneath Cried out to be deliverd and the Spirit of Luvah wept Over the human harvest and over Vala the sweet wanderer In pain the human harvest wavd in horrible groans of woe The Universal Groan went up the Eternal Man was Darkend. Then Urizen arose and took his Sickle in his hand There is a brazen sickle and a scythe of iron hid Deep in the South guarded by a few solitary stars This sickle Urizen took the scythe his sons embracd And went forth and began to reap and all his joyful sons Reapd the wide Universe and bound in Sheaves a wondrous harvest They took them into the wide barns with loud rejoicings and triumph Of flute and harp and drum and trumpet horn and clarion. The feast was spread in the bright South and the Regenerate Man Sat at the feast rejoicing and the wine of Eternity Was servd round by the flames of Luvah all Day and all the Night And when Morning began to dawn upon the distant hills a whirlwind rose up in the Center and in the Whirlwind a Shriek And in the Shriek a rattling of bones and in the rattling of bones A dolorous groan and from the dolorous groan in tears Rose Enion like a gentle light and Enion spoke saying. O Dreams of Death the human form dissolving companied By beasts and worms and creeping things and darkness and despair The clouds fall off from my wet brow the dust from my cold limbs Into the Sea of Tharmas Soon renewd a Golden Moth I shall cast off my death clothes and Embrace Tharmas again For Lo the winter melted away upon the distant hills And all the black mould sings. She speaks to her infant race her milk Descends down on the sand. the thirsty sand drinks and rejoices Wondering to behold the Emmet the Grasshopper the jointed worm The roots shoot thick thro the solid rocks bursting their way They cry out in joys of existence. the broad stems Rear on the mountains stem after stem the scaly newt creeps From the stone and the armed fly springs from the rocky crevice The spider. The bat burst from the hardend slime crying To one another What are we and whence is our joy and delight Lo the little moss begins to spring and the tender weed Creeps round our secret nest. Flocks brighten the Mountains Herds throng up the Valley wild beasts fill the forests. Joy thrilld thro all the Furious form of Tharmas humanizing Mild he Embracd her whom he sought he raisd her thro the heavens Sounding his trumpet to awake the dead on high he soard Over the ruind worlds the smoking tomb of the Eternal Prophet. The Eternal Man arose He welcomd them to the Feast The feast was spread in the bright South and the Eternal Man Sat at the feast rejoicing and the wine of Eternity Was servd round by the flames of Luvah all day and all the night And Many Eternal Men sat at the golden feast to see The female form now separate They shudderd at the horrible thing Not born for the sport and amusement of Man but born to drink up all his powers They wept to see their shadows they said to one another this is Sin This is the Generative world they rememberd the Days of old. And One of the Eternals spoke All was silent at the feast. Man is a Worm wearied with joy he seeks the caves of sleep Among the Flowers of Beulah in his selfish cold repose Forsaking Brotherhood and Universal love in selfish clay Folding the pure wings of his mind seeking the places dark Abstracted from the roots of Science then inclosd around In walls of Gold we cast him like a Seed into the Earth Till times and spaces have passd over him duly every morn We visit him covering with a Veil the immortal seed With windows from the inclement sky we cover him and with walls And hearths protect the Selfish terror till divided all In families we see our shadows born. and thence we know That Man subsists by Brotherhood and Universal Love We fall on one anothers necks more closely we embrace. Not for ourselves but for the Eternal family we live Man liveth not by Self alone but in his brothers face Each shall behold the Eternal Father and love and joy abound So spoke the Eternal at the Feast they embracd the New born Man Calling him Brother image of the Eternal Father. they sat down At the immortal tables sounding loud their instruments of joy Calling the Morning into Beulah the Eternal Man rejoicd When Morning dawnd The Eternals rose to labour at the Vintage Beneath they saw their sons and daughters wondering inconceivable At the dark myriads in Shadows in the worlds beneath The morning dawnd Urizen rose and in his hand the Flail Sounds on the Floor heard terrible by all beneath the heavens Dismal loud redounding the nether floor shakes with the sound And all Nations were threshed out and the stars threshd from their husks Then Tharmas took the Winnowing fan the winnowing wind furious Above veerd round by the violent whirlwind driven west and south Tossed the Nations like Chaff into the seas of Tharmas. O Mystery Fierce Tharmas cries Behold thy end is come Art thou she that made the nations drunk with the cup of Religion Go down ye Kings and Councillors and Giant Warriors Go down into the depths go down and hide yourselves beneath Go down with horse and Chariots and Trumpets of hoarse war. Lo how the Pomp of Mystery goes down into the Caves Her great men howl and throw the dust and rend their hoary hair Her delicate women and children shriek upon the bitter wind Spoild of their beauty their hair rent and their skin shriveld up Lo darkness covers the long pomp of banners on the wind And black horses and armed men and miserable bound captives Where shall the graves recieve them all and where shall be their place And who shall mourn for Mystery who never loosd her Captives Let the slave grinding at the mill run out into the field Let him look up into the heavens and laugh in the bright air Let the inchaind soul shut up in darkness and in sighing Whose face has never seen a smile in thirty weary years Rise and look out his chains are loose his dungeon doors are open And let his wife and children return from the opressors scourge They look behind at every step and believe it is a dream Are these the Slaves that groand along the streets of Mystery Where are your bonds and task masters are these the prisoners Where are your chains where are your tears why do you look around If you are thirsty there is the river go bathe your parched limbs The good of all the Land is before you for Mystery is no more. Then All the Slaves from every Earth in the wide Universe Sing a New Song drowning confusion in its happy notes While the flail of Urizen sounded long and the winnowing wind of Tharmas So loud so clear in the wide heavens and the song that they sung was this Composed by an African Black from the little Earth of Sotha Aha Aha how came I here so soon in my sweet native land How came I here Methinks I am as I was in my youth When in my fathers house I sat and heard his chearing voice Methinks I see his flocks and herds and feel my limbs renewd And Lo my Brethren in their tents and their little ones around them. The song arose to the Golden feast the Eternal Man rejoicd Then the Eternal Man said Luvah the Vintage is ripe arise The sons of Urizen shall gather the vintage with sharp hooks And all thy sons O Luvah bear away the families of Earth I hear the flail of Urizen his barns are full no room Remains and in the Vineyards stand the abounding sheaves beneath The falling Grapes that odorous burst upon the winds. Arise My flocks and herds trample the Corn my cattle browze upon The ripe Clusters The shepherds shout for Luvah prince of Love Let the Bulls of Luvah tread the Corn and draw the loaded waggon Into the Barn while children glean the Ears around the door Then shall they lift their innocent hands and stroke his furious nose And he shall lick the little girls white neck and on her head Scatter the perfume of his breath while from his mountains high The lion of terror shall come down and bending his bright mane And couching at their side shall eat from the curld boys white lap His golden food and in the evening sleep before the door. Attempting to be more than Man We become less said Luvah As he arose from the bright feast drunk with the wine of ages His crown of thorns fell from his head he hung his living Lyre Behind the seat of the Eternal Man and took his way Sounding the Song of Los descending to the Vineyards bright His sons arising from the feast with golden baskets follow A fiery train as when the Sun sings in the ripe vineyards Then Luvah stood before the wine press all his fiery sons Brought up the loaded Waggons with shoutings ramping tygers play In the jingling traces furious lions sound the song of joy To the golden wheels circling upon the pavement of heaven and all The Villages of Luvah ring the golden tiles of the villages Reply to violins and tabors to the pipe flute lyre and cymbal Then fell the Legions of Mystery in maddning confusion Down Down thro the immense with outcry fury and despair Into the wine presses of Luvah howling fell the Clusters Of human families thro the deep. the wine presses were filld The blood of life flowd plentiful Odors of life arose All round the heavenly arches and the Odors rose singing this song. O terrible wine presses of Luvah O caverns of the Grave How lovely the delights of those risen again from death O trembling joy excess of joy is like Excess of grief. So sang the Human Odors round the wine presses of Luvah. But in the Wine presses is wailing terror and despair Forsaken of their Elements they vanish and are no more No more but a desire of Being a distracted ravening desire Desiring like the hungry worm and like the gaping grave They plunge into the Elements the Elements cast them forth Or else consume their shadowy semblance Yet they obstinate Tho pained to distraction Cry O let us Exist for This dreadful Non Existence is worse than pains of Eternal Birth Eternal Death who can Endure. let us consume in fires In waters stifling or in air corroding or in earth shut up The Pangs of Eternal birth are better than the Pangs of Eternal Death How red the Sons and daughters of Luvah how they tread the Grapes Laughing and shouting drunk with odors many fall oerwearied Drownd in the wine is many a youth and maiden those around Lay them on skins of tygers or the spotted Leopard or wild Ass Till they revive or bury them in cool Grots making lamentation But in the Wine Presses the Human Grapes Sing not nor dance They howl and writhe in shoals of torment in fierce flames consuming In chains of iron and in dungeons circled with ceaseless fires In pits and dens and shades of death in shapes of torment and woe The Plates the Screws and Racks and Saws and cords and fires and floods The cruel joy of Luvahs daughters lacerating with knives And whip their Victims and the deadly sports of Luvahs sons. Timbrels and Violins sport round the Wine Presses The little Seed The Sportive root the Earthworm the small beetle the wise Emmet Dance round the Wine Presses of Luvah. the Centipede is there The ground Spider with many Eyes the Mole clothed in Velvet The Earwig armd the tender maggot emblem of Immortality The Slow Slug the grasshopper that sings and laughs and drinks The winter comes he folds his slender bones without a murmur There is the Nettle that stings with soft down and there The indignant Thistle whose bitterness is bred in his milk And who lives on the contempt of his neighbour there all the idle weeds That creep about the obscure places shew their various limbs Naked in all their beauty dancing round the Wine Presses They Dance around the Dying and they Drink the howl and groan They catch the Shrieks in cups of gold they hand them to one another These are the sports of love and these the sweet delights of amorous play Tears of the grapes the death sweat of the Cluster the last sigh Of the mild youth who listens to the luring songs of Luvah. The Eternal Man darkend with Sorrow and a wintry mantle Coverd the Hills He said O Tharmas rise and O Urthona. Then Tharmas and Urthona rose from the Golden feast satiated With Mirth and Joy Urthona limping from his fall on Tharmas leand In his right hand his hammer Tharmas held his Shepherds crook Beset with gold gold were the ornaments formd by sons of Urizen. Then Enion and Ahania and Vala and the wife of Dark Urthona Rose from the feast in joy ascending to their Golden Looms There the wingd shuttle Sang the spindle and the distaff and the Reel Rang sweet the praise of industry. Thro all the golden rooms Heaven rang with winged Exultation All beneath howld loud With tenfold rout and desolation roard the Chasms beneath Where the wide woof flowd down and where the Nations are gatherd together. Tharmas went down to the Wine presses and beheld the sons and daughters Of Luvah quite exhausted with the Labour and quite filld With new wine. that they began to torment one another and to tread The weak. Luvah and Vala slept on the floor o'erwearied Urthona calld his Sons around him Tharmas calld his sons Numrous. they took the wine they separated the Lees And Luvah was put for dung on the ground by the Sons of Tharmas and Urthona They formed heavens of sweetest wood of gold and silver and ivory Of glass and precious stones They loaded all the waggons of heaven And took away the wine of ages with solemn songs and joy. Luvah and Vala woke and all the sons and daughters of Luvah Awoke they wept to one another and they reascended To the Eternal Man in woe he cast them wailing into The world of shadows thro the air till winter is over and gone. But the Human Wine stood wondering in all their delightful Expanses The Elements subside the heavens rolld on with vocal harmony. Then Los who is Urthona rose in all his regenerate power The Sea that rolld and foamd with darkness and the shadows of death Vomited out and gave up all the floods lift up their hands Singing and shouting to the Man they bow their hoary heads And murmuring in their channels flow and circle round his feet Then Dark Urthona took the Corn out of the Stores of Urizen He ground it in his rumbling Mills Terrible the distress Of all the Nations of Earth ground in the Mills of Urthona In his hand Tharmas takes the Storms. he turns the whirlwind Loose Upon the wheels the stormy seas howl at his dread command And Eddying fierce rejoice in the fierce agitation of the wheels Of Dark Urthona Thunders Earthquakes Fires Water floods Rejoice to one another loud their voices shake the Abyss Their dread forms tending the dire mills The grey hoar frost was there And his pale wife the aged Snow they watch over the fires They build the Ovens of Urthona Nature in darkness groans And Men are bound to sullen contemplations in the night Restless they turn on beds of sorrow. in their inmost brain Feeling the crushing Wheels they rise they write the bitter words Of Stern Philosophy and knead the bread of knowledge with tears and groans. Such are the works of Dark Urthona Tharmas sifted the corn Urthona made the Bread of Ages and he placed it In golden and in silver baskets in heavens of precious stone And then took his repose in Winter in the night of Time. The Sun has left his blackness and has found a fresher morning And the mild moon rejoices in the clear and cloudless night And Man walks forth from midst of the fires the evil is all consumd His eyes behold the Angelic spheres arising night and day The stars consumd like a lamp blown out and in their stead behold The Expanding Eyes of Man behold the depths of wondrous worlds One Earth one sea beneath nor Erring Globes wander but Stars Of fire rise up nightly from the Ocean and one Sun Each morning like a New born Man issues with songs and Joy Calling the Plowman to his Labour and the Shepherd to his rest He walks upon the Eternal Mountains raising his heavenly voice Conversing with the Animal forms of wisdom night and day That risen from the Sea of fire renewd walk oer the Earth. For Tharmas brought his flocks upon the hills and in the Vales Around the Eternal Mans bright tent the little Children play Among the wooly flocks The hammer of Urthona sounds In the deep caves beneath his limbs renewd his Lions roar Around the Furnaces and in the Evening sport upon the plains They raise their faces from the Earth conversing with the Man. How is it we have walkd thro fires and yet are not consumd How is it that all things are changd even as in ancient times The Sun arises from his dewy bed and the fresh airs Play in his smiling beams giving the seeds of life to grow And the fresh Earth beams forth ten thousand thousand springs of life Urthona is arisen in his strength no longer now Divided from Enitharmon no longer the Spectre Los Where is the Spectre of Prophecy where the delusive Phantom. Departed and Urthona rises from the ruinous walls In all his ancient strength to form the golden armour of science For intellectual War The war of swords departed now The dark Religions are departed and sweet Science reigns [End of Night the Ninth and the Last Judgment] VALA AND THE FOUR ZOAS The torments of Love and Jealousy in The Death and Judgement of Albion the Ancient Man A Dream of Nine Nights by William Blake [William Blake begins this epic poem with two Epigrams.] "Rest before Labour." "That we wrestle not before flesh and blood, but to authorities, to principalities, to the world emperor of darkness of this age, to the spirits of wickedness in the heavens." [End of Epigrams.] [William Blake also references these two Passages from the Gospel According to Saint John.] "That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me." "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth." [End of Passages.] Night the First The Song of the Aged Mother which shook the heavens with wrath Hearing the march of long resounding strong heroic Verse Marshalld in order for the day of Intellectual Battle Four Mighty Ones are in every Man; a Perfect Unity Cannot Exist. but from the Universal Brotherhood of Eden The Universal Man. To Whom be Glory Evermore Amen Are the Natures of those Living Creatures the Heavenly Father only No Individual Can know in all Eternity Los was the fourth immortal starry one, and in the Earth Of a bright Universe Empery attended day and night Days and nights of revolving joy, Urthona was his name In Eden; in the Auricular Nerves of Human life Which is the Earth of Eden, he his Emanations propagated Fairies of Albion afterwards Gods of the Heathen, Daughter of Beulah Sing His fall into Division and his Resurrection to Unity His fall into the Generation of Decay and Death and his Regeneration by the Resurrection from the dead Begin with Tharmas Parent power. darkning in the West Lost! Lost! Lost! are my Emanations Enion O Enion We are become a Victim to the Living We hide in secret I have hidden Jerusalem in Silent Contrition O Pity Me I will build thee a Labyrinth also O pity me O Enion Why hast thou taken sweet Jerusalem from my inmost Soul Let her Lay secret in the Soft recess of darkness and silence It is not Love I bear to. It is Pity She hath taken refuge in my bosom and I cannot cast her out. The Men have recieved their death wounds and their Emanations are fled To me for refuge and I cannot turn them out for Pitys sake Enion said—Thy fear has made me tremble thy terrors have surrounded me All Love is lost Terror succeeds and Hatred instead of Love And stern demands of Right and Duty instead of Liberty. Once thou wast to Me the loveliest son of heaven—But now Why art thou Terrible and yet I love thee in thy terror till I am almost Extinct and soon shall be a Shadow in Oblivion Unless some way can be found that I may look upon thee and live Hide me some Shadowy semblance. secret whispring in my Ear In secret of soft wings. in mazes of delusive beauty I have lookd into the secret soul of him I lovd And in the Dark recesses found Sin and cannot return Trembling and pale sat Tharmas weeping in his clouds Why wilt thou Examine every little fibre of my soul Spreading them out before the Sun like Stalks of flax to dry The infant joy is beautiful but its anatomy Horrible Ghast and Deadly nought shalt thou find in it But Death Despair and Everlasting brooding Melancholy Thou wilt go mad with horror if thou dost Examine thus Every moment of my secret hours Yea I know That I have sinnd and that my Emanations are become harlots I am already distracted at their deeds and if I look Upon them more Despair will bring self murder on my soul O Enion thou art thyself a root growing in hell Tho thus heavenly beautiful to draw me to destruction Sometimes I think thou art a flower expanding Sometimes I think thou art fruit breaking from its bud In dreadful dolor and pain and I am like an atom A Nothing left in darkness yet I am an identity I wish and feel and weep and groan Ah terrible terrible In Eden, Females sleep the winter in soft silken veils Woven by their own hands to hide them in the darksom grave But Males immortal live renewd by female deaths. in soft Delight they die and they revive in spring with music and songs Enion said Farewell I die I hide. from thy searching eyes So saying—From her bosom weaving soft in Sinewy threads A tabernacle for Jerusalem she sat among the Rocks Singing her lamentation. Tharmas groand among his Clouds Weeping, then bending from his Clouds he stoopd his innocent head And stretching out his holy hand in the vast Deep sublime Turnd round the circle of Destiny with tears and bitter sighs And said. Return O Wanderer when the Day of Clouds is oer So saying he sunk down into the sea a pale white corse In torment he sunk down and flowd among her filmy Woof His Spectre issuing from his feet in flames of fire In gnawing pain drawn out by her lovd fingers every nerve She counted. every vein and lacteal threading them among Her woof of terror. Terrified and drinking tears of woe Shuddring she wove—nine days and nights Sleepless her food was tears Wondring she saw her woof begin to animate. and not As Garments woven subservient to her hands but having a will Of its own perverse and wayward Enion lovd and wept Nine days she labourd at her work. and nine dark sleepless nights But on the tenth trembling morn the Circle of Destiny Complete Round rolld the Sea Englobing in a watry Globe self balancd A Frowning Continent appeard Where Enion in the Desart Terrified in her own Creation viewing her woven shadow Sat in a dread intoxication of Repentance and Contritiont There is from Great Eternity a mild and pleasant rest Namd Beulah a Soft Moony Universe feminine lovely Pure mild and Gentle given in Mercy to those who sleep Eternally. Created by the Lamb of God around On all sides within and without the Universal Man The Daughters of Beulah follow sleepers in all their Dreams Creating Spaces lest they fall into Eternal Death The Circle of Destiny complete they gave to it a Space And namd the Space Ulro and brooded over it in care and love They said The Spectre is in every man insane and most Deformd Thro the three heavens descending in fury and fire We meet it with our Songs and loving blandishments and give To it a form of vegetation But this Spectre of Tharmas Is Eternal Death What shall we do O God pity and help So spoke they and closd the Gate of the Tongue in trembling fear What have I done! said Enion accursed wretch! What deed. Is this a deed of Love I know what I have done. I know Too late now to repent. Love is changd to deadly Hate A life is blotted out and I alone remain possessd with Fears I see the Shadow of the dead within my Soul wandering In darkness and solitude forming Seas of Doubt and rocks of Repentance Already are my Eyes reverted. all that I behold Within my Soul has lost its splendor and a brooding Fear Shadows me oer and drives me outward to a world of woe So waild she trembling before her own Created Phantasm She drew the Spectre forth from Tharmas in her shining loom Of Vegetation weeping in wayward infancy and sullen youth Listning to her soft lamentations soon his tongue began To Lisp out words and soon in masculine strength augmenting he Reard up a form of gold and stood upon the glittering rock A shadowy human form winged and in his depths The dazzlings as of gems shone clear, rapturous in fury Glorying in his own eyes Exalted in terrific Pride The Spectre thus spoke. Who art thou Diminutive husk and shell If thou hast sinnd and art polluted know that I am pure And unpolluted and will bring to rigid strict account All thy past deeds hear what I tell thee! mark it well! remember! This world is Thine in which thou dwellest that within thy soul That dark and dismal infinite where Thought roams up and down Is Mine and there thou goest when with one Sting of my tongue Envenomd thou rolist inwards to the place whence I emergd She trembling answerd Wherefore was I born and what am It I thought to weave a Covering for my Sins from wrath of Tharmas I thought Tharmas a Sinner and I murderd his Emanationst His secret loves and Graces Ah me wretched What have I done For now I find that all those Emanations were my Childrens Souls And I have murderd them with Cruelty above atonementt Those that remain have fled from my cruelty into the desarts And thou the delusive tempter to these deeds sittest before me In this thy world not mine tho dark I feel my world withint Mingling his horrible brightness with her tender limbs then high she soardt Above the ocean; a bright wonder that Nature shudder'd at Half Woman and half Spectre, all his lovely changing colours mixt With her fair crystal clearness; in her lips and cheeks his poisons roset In blushes like the morning, and his scaly armour softening A monster lovely in the heavens or wandering on the earth, Till with fierce pain she brought forth on the rocks her sorrow and woe Behold two little Infants wept upon the desolate wind. The first state weeping they began and helpless as a wave Beaten along its sightless way growing enormous in its motion to Its utmost goal, till strength from Enion like richest summer shining Raisd the bright boy and girl with glories from their heads out beaming Drawing forth drooping mothers pity drooping mothers sorrow They sulk upon her breast her hair became like snow on mountains Weaker and weaker, weeping woful, wearier and wearier Faded and her bright Eyes decayd melted with pity and love And then they wanderd far away she sought for them in vain In weeping blindness stumbling she followd them oer rocks and mountains Rehumanizing from the Spectre in pangs of maternal love Ingrate they wanderd scorning her drawing her Spectrous Life Repelling her away and away by a dread repulsive power Into Non Entity revolving round in dark despair. And drawing in the Spectrous life in pride and haughty joy Thus Enion gave them all her spectrous life Then Eno a daughter of Beulah took a Moment of Time And drew it out to Seven thousand years with much care and afflictiont And many tears and in Every year made windows into Eden She also took an atom of space and opend its center Into Infinitude and ornamented it with wondrous art Astonishd sat her Sisters of Beulah to see her soft affections To Enion and her children and they ponderd these things wondring And they Alternate kept watch over the Youthful terrors They saw not yet the Hand Divine for it was not yet reveald But they went on in Silent Hope and Feminine repose But Los and Enitharmon delighted in the Moony spaces of Eno Nine Times they livd among the forests, feeding on sweet fruits And nine bright Spaces wanderd weaving mazes of delight Snaring the wild Goats for their milk they eat the flesh of Lambs A male and female naked and ruddy as the pride of summer Alternate Love and Hate his breast; hers Scorn and Jealousy In embryon passions. they kiss'd not nor embrac'd for shame and fear His head beamd light and in his vigorous voice was prophecy He could controll the times and seasons, and the days and years She could controll the spaces, regions, desart, flood and forest But had no power to weave a Veil of covering for her Sins She drave the Females all away from Los And Los drave all the Males from her away They wanderd long, till they sat down upon the margind sea. Conversing with the visions of Beulah in dark slumberous bliss But the two youthful wonders wanderd in the world of Tharmas Thy name is Enitharmon; said the fierce prophetic boy While thy mild voice fills all these Caverns with sweet harmony O how our Parents sit and mourn in their silent secret bowers But Enitharmon answerd with a dropping tear and frowningt Dark as a dewy morning when the crimson light appears To make us happy let them weary their immortal powers While we draw in their sweet delights while we return them scornt On scorn to feed our discontent; for if we grateful prove They will withhold sweet love, whose food is thorns and bitter roots. We hear the warlike clarions we view the turning spheres Yet Thou in indolence reposest holding me in bonds Hear! I will sing a Song of Death! it is a Song of Vala! The Fallen Man takes his repose: Urizen sleeps in the porcht Luvah and Vala woke and flew up from the Human Heart Into the Brain; from thence upon the pillow Vala slumber'd. And Luvah siez'd the Horses of Light, and rose into the Chariot of Day Sweet laughter siezd me in my sleep! silent and close I laughd For in the visions of Vala I walkd with the mighty Fallen One I heard his voice among the branches, and among sweet flowers. Why is the light of Enitharmon darken'd in dewy mornt Why is the silence of Enitharmon a terror and her smile a whirlwind Uttering this darkness in my halls, in the pillars of my Holy-ones Why dost thou weep as Vala? and wet thy veil with dewy tears, In slumbers of my night-repose, infusing a false morning? Driving the Female Emanations all away from Los I have refusd to look upon the Universal Vision And wilt thou slay with death him who devotes himself to thee Once born for the sport and amusement of Man now born to drink up all his Powers I heard the sounding sea; I heard the voice weaker and weaker; The voice came and went like a dream, I awoke in my sweet bliss. Then Los smote her upon the Earth twas long eer she revivd He answer'd, darkning more with indignation hid in smiles I die not Enitharmon tho thou singst thy Song of Death Nor shalt thou me torment For I behold the Fallen Man Seeking to comfort Vala, she will not be comfortedt She rises from his throne and seeks the shadows of her garden Weeping for Luvah lost, in the bloody beams of your false morning Sickning lies the Fallen Man his head sick his heart faint Mighty atchievement of your power! Beware the punishment I see, invisible descend into the Gardens of Vala Luvah walking on the winds, I see the invisible knife I see the shower of blood: I see the swords and spears of futurity Tho in the Brain of Man we live, and in his circling Nerves. Tho' this bright world of all our joy is in the Human Brain. Where Urizen and all his Hosts hang their immortal lamps Thou neer shalt leave this cold expanse where watry Tharmas mourns So spoke Los. Scorn and Indignation rose upon Enitharmon Then Enitharmon reddning fierce stretchd her immortal hands Descend O Urizen descend with horse and chariots Threaten not me O visionary thine the punishment The Human Nature shall no more remain nor Human acts Form the rebellious Spirits of Heaven. but War and Princedom and Victory and Blood Night darkend as she spoke! a shuddring ran from East to Westt A Groan was heard on high. The warlike clarions ceast. the Spirits Of Luvah and Vala shudderd in their Orb: an orb of blood! Eternity groand and was troubled at the Image of Eternal Death The Wandering Man bow'd his faint head and Urizen descended And the one must have murderd the other if he had not descended Indignant muttering low thunders; Urizen descended Gloomy sounding, Now I am God from Eternity to Eternity Sullen sat Los plotting Revenge. Silent he eye'd the Prince Of Light. Silent the prince of Light viewd Los. at length a broodedt Smile broke from Urizen for Enitharmon brightend more and more Sullen he lowerd on Enitharmon but he smild on Los Saying Thou art the Lord of Luvah into thine hands I give The prince of Love the murderer his soul is in thine hands Pity not Vala for she pitied not the Eternal Man Nor pity thou the cries of Luvah. Lo these starry hosts They are thy servants if thou wilt obey my awful Law Los answerd furious art thou one of those who when most complacent Mean mischief most. If you are such Lo! I am also such One must be master. try thy Arts I also will try mine For I percieve Thou hast Abundance which I claim as mine Urizen startled stood but not Long soon he cried Obey my voice young Demon I am God from Eternity to Eternity Thus Urizen spoke collected in himself in awful pride Art thou a visionary of Jesus the soft delusion of Eternity Lo I am God the terrible destroyer and not the Saviour Why should the Divine Vision compell the sons of Eden to forego each his own delight to war against his Spectre The Spectre is the Man the rest is only delusion and fancy So spoke the Prince of Light and sat beside the Seat of Los Upon the sandy shore rested his chariot of fire Ten thousand thousand were his hosts of spirits on the wind: Ten thousand thousand glittering Chariots shining in the sky: They pour upon the golden shore beside the silent ocean. Rejoicing in the Victory and the heavens were filld with blood The Earth spread forth her table wide. the Night a silver cup Fill'd with the wine of anguish waited at the golden feast But the bright Sun was not as yet; he filling all the expanse Slept as a bird in the blue shell that soon shall burst away Los saw the wound of his blow he saw he pitied he weptt Los now repented that he had smitten Enitharmon he felt love Arise in all his Veins he threw his arms around her loins To heal the wound of his smiting They eat the fleshly bread, they drank the nervous wine They listend to the Elemental Harps and Sphery Song They view'd the dancing Hours, quick sporting thro' the sky With winged radiance scattering joys thro the ever changing light But Luvah and Vala standing in the bloody sky On high remaind alone forsaken in fierce jealousy They stood above the heavens forsaken desolate suspended in blood Descend they could not. nor from Each other avert their eyes Eternity appeard above them as One Man infolded In Luvah robes of blood and bearing all his afflictions As the sun shines down on the misty earth Such was the Vision But purple night and crimson morning and golden day descending Thro' the clear changing atmosphere display'd green fields among The varying clouds, like paradises stretch'd in the expanse With towns and villages and temples, tents sheep-folds and pastures Where dwell the children of the elemental worlds in harmony, Not long in harmony they dwell, their life is drawn away And wintry woes succeed; successive driven into the Void Where Enion craves: successive drawn into the golden feast And Los and Enitharmon sat in discontent and scornt The Nuptial Song arose from all the thousand thousand spiritst Over the joyful Earth and Sea, and ascended into the Heavens For Elemental Gods their thunderous Organs blew; creating Delicious Viands. Demons of Waves their watry Eccho's woke! Bright Souls of vegetative life, budding and blossoming Stretch their immortal hands to smite the gold and silver Wires And with immortal Voice soft warbling fill all Earth and Heaven. With doubling Voices and loud Horns wound round sounding Cavernous dwellers fill'd the enormous Revelry, Responsing! And Spirits of Flaming fire on high, govern'd the mighty Song. And This the Song! sung at The Feast of Los and Enitharmon Ephraim calld out to Zion: Awake O Brother Mountain Let us refuse the Plow and Spade, the heavy Roller and spiked Harrow. burn all these Corn fields. throw down all these fences Fattend on Human blood and drunk with wine of life is better far Than all these labours of the harvest and the vintage. See the river Red with the blood of Men. swells lustful round my rocky knees My clouds are not the clouds of verdant fields and groves of fruit But Clouds of Human Souls. my nostrils drink the lives of Men The Villages Lament. they faint outstretchd upon the plain Wailing runs round the Valleys from the Mill and from the Barn But most the polishd Palaces dark silent bow with dread Hiding their books and pictures. underneath the dens of Earth The Cities send to one another saying My sons are Mad With wine of cruelty. Let us plat a Scourge O Sister City Children are nourishd for the Slaughter; once the Child was fed With Milk; but wherefore now are Children fed with bloodt The Horse is of more value than the Man. The Tyger fierce Laughs at the Human form. the Lion mocks and thirsts for blood They cry O Spider spread thy web! Enlarge thy bones and fill'd With marrow. sinews and flesh Exalt thyself attain a voice Call to thy dark armd hosts, for all the sons of Men muster together To desolate their cities! Man shall be no more! Awake O Hosts The bow string sang upon the hills! Luvah and Vala ride Triumphant in the bloody sky. and the Human form is no more The listning Stars heard, and the first beam of the morning started back He cried out to his Father, depart! depart! but sudden Siez'd And clad in steel. and his Horse proudly neighd; he smelt the battle Afar off, Rushing back, reddning with rage the Mighty Father Siezd his bright Sheephook studded with gems and gold, he Swung it round His head shrill sounding in the sky, down rushd the Sun with noise Of war, The Mountains fled away they sought a place beneath Vala remaind in desarts of dark solitude. nor Sun nor Moon By night nor day to comfort her, she labourd in thick smoke Tharmas endurd not, he fled howling. then a barren waste sunk> Conglobing in the dark confusion, Mean time Los was born And Thou O Enitharmon! Hark I hear the hammers of Los They melt the bones of Vala, and the bones of Luvah into wedges The innumerable sons and daughters of Luvah closd in furnaces Melt into furrows. winter blows his bellows: ice and Snow Tend the dire anvils. Mountains mourn and Rivers faint and fail There is no City nor Corn-field nor Orchard! all is Rock and Sand There is no Sun nor Moon nor Star. but rugged wintry rocks Justling together in the void suspended by inward fires Impatience now no longer can endure. Distracted Luvah Bursting forth from the loins of Enitharmon, Thou fierce Terror Go howl in vain, Smite Smite his fetters Smite O wintry hammers Smite Spectre of Urthona, mock the fiend who drew us down From heavens of joy into this Deep. Now rage but rage in vain Thus Sang the Demons of the Deep. the Clarions of War blew loud The Feast redounds and Crownd with roses and the circling vine The Enormous Bride and Bridegroom sat, beside them Urizen With faded radiance sighd, forgetful of the flowing wine And of Ahania his Pure Bride but She was distant far But Los and Enitharmon sat in discontent and scorn Craving the more the more enjoying, drawing out sweet bliss From all the turning wheels of heaven and the chariots of the Slain At distance Far in Night repelld. in direful hunger craving Summers and Winters round revolving in the frightful deep. Enion blind and age-bent wept upon the desolate wind Why does the Raven cry aloud and no eye pities her? Why fall the Sparrow and the Robin in the foodless winter? Faint! shivering they sit on leafless bush, or frozen stone Wearied with seeking food across the snowy waste; the little Heart, cold; and the little tongue consum'd, that once in thoughtless joy Gave songs of gratitude to waving corn fields round their nest. Why howl the Lion and the Wolf? why do they roam abroad? Deluded by summers heat they sport in enormous love And cast their young out to the hungry wilds and sandy desarts Why is the Sheep given to the knife? the Lamb plays in the Sun He starts! he hears the foot of Man! he says, Take thou my wool But spare my life, but he knows not that winter cometh fast. The Spider sits in his labourd Web, eager watching for the Fly Presently comes a famishd Bird and takes away the Spider His Web is left all desolate, that his little anxious heart So careful wove; and spread it out with sighs and weariness. This was the Lamentation of Enion round the golden Feast Eternity groand and was troubled at the image of Eternal Death Without the body of Man an Exudation from his sickning limbs Now Man was come to the Palm tree and to the Oak of Weeping Which stand upon the Edge of Beulah and he sunk down From the Supporting arms of the Eternal Saviour; who disposd The pale limbs of his Eternal Individuality Upon The Rock of Ages. Watching over him with Love and Care Then those in Great Eternity met in the Council of God As one Man for contracting their Exalted Senses They behold Multitude or Expanding they behold as one As One Man all the Universal family and that one Mant They call Jesus the Christ and they in him and he in them Live in Perfect harmony in Eden the land of life Consulting as One Man above the Mountain of Snowdon Sublime For messengers from Beulah come in tears and darkning clouds Saying Shiloh is in ruins our brother is sick Albion Het Whom thou lovest is sick he wanders from his house of Eternity The daughters of Beulah terrified have closd the Gate of the Tongue Luvah and Urizen contend in war around the holy tent So spoke the Ambassadors from Beulah and with solemn mourningt They were introducd to the divine presence and they kneeled down In Conways Vale thus recounting the Wars of Death Eternal The Eternal Man wept in the holy tent Our Brother in Eternity Even Albion whom thou lovest wept in pain his family Slept round on hills and valleys in the regions of his love But Urizen awoke and Luvah woke and thus conferrd Thou Luvah said the Prince of Light behold our sons and daughters Reposd on beds. let them sleep on. do thou alone depar Into thy wished Kingdom where in Majesty and Power We may erect a throne. deep in the North I place my lot Thou in the South listen attentive. In silent of this night I will infold the Eternal tent in clouds opake while thou Siezing the chariots of the morning. Go outfleeting ride Afar into the Zenith high bending thy furious course Southward with half the tents of men inclosd in clouds> Will lay my scepter on Jerusalem the Emanation On all her sons and on thy sons O Luvah and on mine Till dawn was wont to wake them then my trumpet sounding loud Ravishd away in night my strong command shall be obeyd For I have placd my centinels in stations each tenth man Is bought and sold and in dim night my Word shall be their law Luvah replied Dictate to thy Equals. am not I The Prince of all the hosts of Men nor Equal know in Heaven If I arise into the Zenith leaving thee to watch The Emanation and her Sons the Satan and the Anak Sihon and Og. wilt thou not rebel to my laws remain In darkness building thy strong throne and in my ancient night Daring my power wilt arm my sons against me in the Atlantict My deep My night which thou assuming hast assumed my Crown I will remain as well as thou and here with hands of blood Smite this dark sleeper in his tent then try my strength with thee While thus he spoke his fires reddend oer the holy tent Urizen cast deep darkness round him silent brooding death Eternal death to Luvah. raging Luvah pourd The Lances of Urizen from chariots. round the holy tent Discord began and yells and cries shook the wide firmament Beside his anvil stood Urthona dark. a mass of iron Glowd furious on the anvil prepard for spades and coulters All His sons fled from his side to join the conflict pale he heard The Eternal voice he stood the sweat chilld on his mighty limbs He dropd his hammer. dividing from his aking bosom fled A portion of his life shrieking upon the wind she fled And Tharmas took her in pitying Then Enion in jealous fear Murderd her and hid her in her bosom embalming her for fear She should arise again to life Embalmd in Enions bosom Enitharmon remains a corse such thing was never known In Eden that one died a death never to be revivd Urthona stood in terror but not long his spectre fled To Enion and his body fell. Tharmas beheld him fall Endlong a raging serpent rolling round the holy tent The sons of war astonishd at the Glittring monster drove Him far into the world of Tharmas into a cavernd rock But Urizen with darkness overspreading all the armies Sent round his heralds secretly commanding to depart Into the north Sudden with thunders sound his multitudes Retreat from the fierce conflict all the sons of Urizen at once Mustring together in thick clouds leaving the rage of Luvah To pour its fury on himself and on the Eternal Man Sudden down fell they all together into an unknown Space Deep horrible without End. Separated from Beulah far beneath The Mans exteriors are become indefinite opend to pain In a fierce hungring void and none can visit his regions Jerusalem his Emanation is become a ruint Her little ones are slain on the top of every streett And she herself led captive and scatterd into the indefinite Gird on thy sword O thou most mighty in glory and majesty Destroy these opressors of Jerusalem and those who ruin Shiloh So spoke the Messengers of Beulah. Silently removing The Family Divine drew up the Universal tent Above High Snowdon and closd the Messengers in clouds aroundt Till the time of the End. Then they Elected Seven. called the Seven Eyes of God and the Seven lamps of the Almighty The Seven are one within the other the Seventh is named Jesus The Lamb of God blessed for ever and he followd the Man Who wanderd in mount Ephraim seeking a Sepulcher His inward eyes closing from the Divine vision and all His children wandering outside from his bosom fleeing away The Daughters of Beulah beheld the Emanation they pitiedt They wept before the Inner gates of Enitharmons bosom And of her fine wrought brain and of her bowels within her loins Three gates within Glorious and bright open into Beulah From Enitharmons inward parts but the bright female terror Refusd to open the bright gates she closd and barrd them fast Lest Los should enter into Beulah thro her beautiful gates The Emanation stood before the Gates of Enitharmont Weeping. the Daughters of Beulah silent in the Porches Spread her a couch unknown to Enitharmon here reposd Jerusalem in slumbers soft lulld into silent rest Terrific ragd the Eternal Wheels of intellect terrific ragd The living creatures of the wheels in the Wars of Eternal life But perverse rolld the wheels of Urizen and Luvah back reversd Downwards and outwards consuming in the wars of Eternal Death [End of Night the First] Night the Second Rising upon his Couch of Death Albion beheld his Sons Turning his Eyes outward to Self. losing the Divine Vision Albion calld Urizen and said. Behold these sickning Spheres Whence is this Voice of Enion that soundeth in my Porches Take thou possession! take this Scepter! go forth in my might For I am weary, and must sleep in the dark sleep of Deatht Thy brother Luvah hath smitten me but pity thou his youth Tho thou hast not pitid my Age O Urizen Prince of Light Urizen rose from the bright Feast like a star thro' the evening sky Exulting at the voice that calld him from the Feast of envy First he beheld the body of Man pale, cold, the horrors of death Beneath his feet shot thro' him as he stood in the Human Brain And all its golden porches grew pale with his sickening light No more Exulting for he saw Eternal Death beneath Pale he beheld futurity; pale he beheld the Abyss Where Enion blind and age bent wept in direful hunger craving All rav'ning like the hungry worm, and like the silent grave Mighty was the draught of Voidness to draw Existence in Terrific Urizen strode above, in fear and pale dismay He saw the indefinite space beneath and his soul shrunk with horror His feet upon the verge of Non Existence; his voice went forth Luvah and Vala trembling and shrinking, beheld the great Work master And heard his Word! Divide ye bands influence by influence Build we a Bower for heavens darling in the grizly deep Build we the Mundane Shell around the Rock of Albion The Bands of Heaven flew thro the air singing and shouting to Urizen Some fix'd the anvil, some the loom erected, some the plow And harrow formd and framd the harness of silver and ivory The golden compasses, the quadrant and the rule and balance They erected the furnaces, they formd the anvils of gold beaten in mills Where winter beats incessant, fixing them firm on their base The bellows began to blow and the Lions of Urizen stood round the anvil And the leopards coverd with skins of beasts tended the roaring fires Sublime distinct their lineaments divine of human beautyt The tygers of wrath called the horses of instruction from their mangers They unloos'd them and put on the harness of gold and silver and ivory In human forms distinct they stood round Urizen prince of Light Petrifying all the Human Imagination into rock and sand Groans ran along Tyburns brook and along the River of Oxford Among the Druid Temples. Albion groand on Tyburns brook Albion gave his loud death groan The Atlantic Mountains trembled Aloft the Moon fled with a cry the Sun with streams of blood From Albions Loins fled all Peoples and Nations of the Earth Fled with the noise of Slaughter and the stars of heaven Fled Jerusalem came down in a dire ruin over all the Earth She fell cold from Lambeths Vales in groans and Dewy death The dew of anxious souls the death-sweat of the dying In every pillard hall and arched roof of Albions skies The brother and the brother bathe in blood upon the Severn The Maiden weeping by. The father and the mother with The Maidens father and her mother fainting over the body And the Young Man the Murderer fleeing over the mountains Reuben slept on Penmaenmawr and Levi slept on Snowdon Their eyes their ears nostrils and tongues roll outward they behold What is within now seen without they are raw to the hungry wind They become Nations far remote in a little and dark Land The Daughters of Albion girded around their garments of Needlework Stripping Jerusalems curtains from mild demons of the hills Across Europe and Asia to China and Japan like lightenings They go forth and return to Albion on his rocky couch Gwendolen Ragan Sabrina Gonorill Mehetabel Cordella Boadicea Conwenna Estrild Gwinefrid Ignoge Cambel Binding Jerusalems Children in the dungeons of Babylon They play before the Armies before the hounds of Nimrod While The Prince of Light on Salisbury plain among the druid stone Rattling the adamantine chains and hooks heave up the ore In mountainous masses, plung'd in furnaces, and they shut and seald The furnaces a time and times; all the while blew the North His cloudy bellows and the South and East and dismal West And all the while the plow of iron cut the dreadful furrows In Ulro beneath Beulah where the Dead wail Night and Day Luvah was cast into the Furnaces of affliction and sealed And Vala fed in cruel delight, the furnaces with fire Stern Urizen beheld urg'd by necessity to keep The evil day afar, and if perchance with iron power He might avert his own despair; in woe and fear he saw Vala incircle round the furnaces where Luvah was clos'd In joy she heard his howlings, and forgot he was her Luvah With whom she walkd in bliss, in times of innocence and youth Hear ye the voice of Luvah from the furnaces of Urizen If I indeed am Valas King and ye O sons of Ment The workmanship of Luvahs hands; in times of Everlasting When I calld forth the Earth-worm from the cold and dark obscure I nurturd her I fed her with my rains and dews, she grew A scaled Serpent, yet I fed her tho' she hated me Day after day she fed upon the mountains in Luvahs sight I brought her thro' the Wilderness, a dry and thirsty land And I commanded springs to rise for her in the black desart Till she became a Dragon winged bright and poisonoust I opend all the floodgates of the heavens to quench her thirst And I commanded the Great deep to hide her in his hand Till she became a little weeping Infant a span long I carried her in my bosom as a man carries a lamb I loved her I gave her all my soul and my delight I hid her in soft gardens and in secret bowers of Summer Weaving mazes of delight along the sunny Paradise Inextricable labyrinths, She bore me sons and daughters And they have taken her away and hid her from my sight They have surrounded me with walls of iron and brass, O Lambt Of God clothed in Luvahs garments little knowest thout Of death Eternal that we all go to Eternal Death To our Primeval Chaos in fortuitous concourse of incoherent Discordant principles of Love and Hate I suffer affliction Because I love. for I was love but hatred awakes in met And Urizen who was Faith and Certainty is changd to Doubt The hand of Urizen is upon me because I blotted out That Human delusion to deliver all the sons of Godt From bondage of the Human form, O first born Son of Light O Urizen my enemy I weep for thy stern ambition But weep in vain O when will you return Vala the Wanderer These were the words of Luvah patient in afflictions Reasoning from the loins in the unreal forms of Ulros night And when Luvah age after age was quite melted with woe The fires of Vala faded like a shadow cold and pale An evanescent shadow. last she fell a heap of Ashes Beneath the furnaces a woful heap in living death Then were the furnaces unscald with spades and pickaxes Roaring let out the fluid, the molten metal ran in channels Cut by the plow of ages held in Urizens strong hand In many a valley, for the Bulls of Luvah dragd the Plow With trembling horror pale aghast the Children of Mant Stood on the infinite Earth and saw these visions in the air In waters and in Earth beneath they cried to one another What are we terrors to one another. Come O brethren wherefore Was this wide Earth spread all abroad. not for wild beasts to roam But many stood silent and busied in their families And many said We see no Visions in the darksom air Measure the course of that sulphur orb that lights the darksom day Set stations on this breeding Earth and let us buy and sell Others arose and schools Erected forming Instruments To measure out the course of heaven. Stern Urizen beheld In woe his brethren and his Sons in darkning woe lamenting Upon the winds in clouds involvd Uttering his voice in thunders Commanding all the work with care and power and severity Then siezd the Lions of Urizen their work, and heated in the forge Roar the bright masses, thund'ring beat the hammers, many a pyramid Is form'd and thrown down thund'ring into the deeps of Non Entity Heated red hot they hizzing rend their way down many a league Till resting, each his center finds; suspended there they stand Casting their sparkles dire abroad into the dismal deep For measurd out in orderd spaces the Sons of Urizen With compasses divide the deep; they the strong scales erect That Luvah rent from the faint Heart of the Fallen Man And weigh the massy Cubes, then fix them in their awful stationst And all the time in Caverns shut, the golden Looms erected First spun, then wove the Atmospheres, there the Spider and Worm Plied the wingd shuttle piping shrill thro' all the list'ning threads Beneath the Caverns roll the weights of lead and spindles of iron The enormous warp and woof rage direful in the affrighted deep While far into the vast unknown, the strong wing'd Eagles bend Their venturous flight, in Human forms distinct; thro darkness deep They bear the woven draperies; on golden hooks they hang abroad The universal curtains and spread out from Sun to Sun The vehicles of light, they separate the furious particles Into mild currents as the water mingles with the wine. While thus the Spirits of strongest wing enlighten the dark deep The threads are spun and the cords twisted and drawn out; then the weak Begin their work; and many a net is netted; many a net Spread and many a Spirit caught, innumerable the nets Innumerable the gins and traps; and many a soothing flute Is form'd and many a corded lyre, outspread over the immense In cruel delight they trap the listeners, and in cruel delight Bind them, condensing the strong energies into little compass Some became seed of every plant that shall be planted; some The bulbous roots, thrown up together into barns and garners Then rose the Builders; First the Architect divine his plan Unfolds, The wondrous scaffold reard all round the infinite Quadrangular the building rose the heavens squared by a line. Trigon and cubes divide the elements in finite bonds Multitudes without number work incessant: the hewn stone Is placd in beds of mortar mingled with the ashes of Vala Severe the labour, female slaves the mortar trod oppressed Twelve halls after the names of his twelve sons composd The wondrous building and three Central Domes after the Names Of his three daughters were encompassd by the twelve bright halls Every hall surrounded by bright Paradises of Delight In which are towns and Cities Nations Seas Mountains and Riverst Each Dome opend toward four halls and the Three Domes Encompassd The Golden Hall of Urizen whose western side glowd bright With ever streaming fires beaming from his awful limbs His Shadowy Feminine Semblance here reposd on a White Couch Or hoverd oer his Starry head and when he smild she brightend Like a bright Cloud in harvest. but when Urizen frownd She wept In mists over his carved throne and when he turnd his back Upon his Golden hall and sought the Labyrinthine porches Of his wide heaven Trembling, cold in paling fears she sat A Shadow of Despair therefore toward the West Urizen formd A recess in the wall for fires to glow upon the pale Females limbs in his absence and her Daughters oft upon A Golden Altar burnt perfumes with Art Celestial formd Foursquare sculpturd and sweetly Engravd to please their shadowy mothert Ascending into her misty garments the blue smoke rolld to revive Her cold limbs in the absence of her Lord. Also her sons With lives of Victims sacrificed upon an altar of brass On the East side. Revivd her Soul with lives of beasts and birds Slain on the Altar up ascending into her cloudy bosom Of terrible workmanship the Altar labour of ten thousand Slaves One thousand Men of wondrous power spent their lives in its formation It stood on twelve steps namd after the names of her twelve sons And was Erected at the chief entrance of Urizens hall When Urizen returnd from his immense labours and travels Descending She reposd beside him folding him around In her bright skirts. Astonishd and Confounded he beheld Her shadowy form now Separate he shudderd and was silent Till her caresses and her tears revivd him to life and joy Two wills they had two intellects and not as in times of old This Urizen percievd and silent brooded in darkning Clouds To him his Labour was but Sorrow and his Kingdom was Repentance He drave the Male Spirits all away from Ahania And she drave all the Females from him away Los joyd and Enitharmon laughd, saying Let us go down And see this labour and sorrow; They went down to see the woes Of Vala and the woes of Luvah, to draw in their delights And Vala like a shadow oft appeard to Urizen The King of Light beheld her mourning among the Brick kilns compelld To labour night and day among the fires, her lamenting voice Is heard when silent night returns and the labourers take their rest O Lord wilt thou not look upon our sore afflictions Among these flames incessant labouring, our hard masters laugh At all our sorrow. We are made to turn the wheel for water To carry the heavy basket on our scorched shoulders, to sift The sand and ashes, and to mix the clay with tears and repentance I see not Luvah as of old I only see his feet Like pillars of fire travelling thro darkness and non entity The times are now returnd upon us, we have given ourselves To scorn and now are scorned by the slaves of our enemies Our beauty is coverd over with clay and ashes, and our backs Furrowd with whips, and our flesh bruised with the heavy basket Forgive us O thou piteous one whom we have offended, forgive The weak remaining shadow of Vala that returns in sorrow to thee. Thus she lamented day and night, compelld to labour and sorrow Luvah in vain her lamentations heard; in vain his love Brought him in various forms before her still she knew him not Still she despisd him, calling on his name and knowing him not Still hating still professing love, still labouring in the smoke And Los and Enitharmon joyd, they drank in tenfold joy From all the sorrow of Luvah and the labour of Urizen And Enitharmon joyd Plotting to rend the secret cloud To plant divisions in the Soul of Urizen and Ahania But infinitely beautiful the wondrous work arose In sorrow and care. a Golden World whose porches round the heavens And pillard halls and rooms recievd the eternal wandering stars A wondrous golden Building; many a window many a door And many a division let in and out into the vast unknown Cubed in window square immoveable, within its walls and cielings The heavens were closd and spirits mournd their bondage night and day And the Divine Vision appeard in Luvahs robes of blood Thus was the Mundane shell builded by Urizens strong power Sorrowing went the Planters forth to plant, the Sowers to sow They dug the channels for the rivers and they pourd abroad The seas and lakes, they reard the mountains and the rocks and hills On broad pavilions, on pillard roofs and porches and high towers In beauteous order, thence arose soft clouds and exhalations Wandering even to the sunny Cubes of light and heat For many a window ornamented with sweet ornaments Lookd out into the World of Tharmas, where in ceaseless torrents His billows roll where monsters wander in the foamy paths On clouds the Sons of Urizen beheld Heaven walled round They weighd and orderd all and Urizen comforted saw The wondrous work flow forth like visible out of the invisible For the Divine Lamb Even Jesus who is the Divine Vision Permitted all lest Man should fall into Eternal Death For when Luvah sunk down himself put on the robes of blood Lest the state calld Luvah should cease. and the Divine Vision Walked in robes of blood till he who slept should awake Thus were the stars of heaven created like a golden chain To bind the Body of Man to heaven from failing into the Abyss Each took his station, and his course began with sorrow and caret In sevens and tens and fifties, hundreds, thousands, numberd all According to their various powers. Subordinate to Urizen And to his sons in their degrees and to his beauteous daughters Travelling in silent majesty along their orderd ways In right lined paths outmeasurd by proportions of number weight And measure. mathematic motion wondrous. along the deep In fiery pyramid. or Cube. or unornamented pillar Of fire far shining. travelling along even to its destind end Then falling down. a terrible space recovring in winter dire Its wasted strength. it back returns upon a nether course Till fired with ardour fresh recruited in its humble season It rises up on high all summer till its wearied course Turns into autumn. such the period of many worlds Others triangular right angled course maintain. others obtuse Acute Scalene, in simple paths. but others move In intricate ways biquadrate. Trapeziums Rhombs Rhomboids Paralellograms. triple and quadruple. polygonic In their amazing hard subdued course in the vast deep And Los and Enitharmon were drawn down by their desires Descending sweet upon the wind among soft harps and voicest To plant divisions in the Soul of Urizen and Ahania To conduct the Voice of Enion to Ahanias midnight pillow Urizen saw and envied and his imagination was filled Repining he contemplated the past in his bright sphere Terrified with his heart and spirit at the visions of futurity That his dread fancy formd before him in the unformd void For Los and Enitharmon walkd forth on the dewy Earth Contracting or expanding their all flexible senses At will to murmur in the flowers small as the honey bee At will to stretch across the heavens and step from star to star Or standing on the Earth erect, or on the stormy waves Driving the storms before them or delighting in sunny beams While round their heads the Elemental Gods kept harmony And Los said. Lo the Lilly pale and the rose reddning fierce Reproach thee and the beamy gardens sicken at thy beauty I grasp thy vest in my strong hand in vain. like water springs In the bright sands of Los. evading my embrace. then I alone Wander among the virgins of the summer Look they cry The poor forsaken Los mockd by the worm the shelly snail The Emmet and the beetle hark they laugh and mock at Los Enitharmon answerd Secure now from the smitings of thy Power Demon of fury If the God enrapturd me infolds In clouds of sweet obscurity my beauteous form dissolving Howl thou over the body of death tis thine But if among the virginst Of summer I have seen thee sleep and turn thy cheek delighted Upon the rose or lilly pale. or on a bank where sleep The beamy daughters of the light starting they rise they flee From thy fierce love for tho I am dissolvd in the bright God My spirit still pursues thy false love over rocks and valleys Los answerd Therefore fade I thus dissolvd in rapturd trance Thou canst repose on clouds of secrecy while oer my limbs Cold dews and hoary frost creeps thro I lie on banks of summer Among the beauties of the World Cold and repining Los Still dies for Enitharmon nor a spirit springs from my dead corse Then I am dead till thou revivest me with thy sweet song Now taking on Ahanias form and now the form of Enion I know thee not as once I knew thee in those blessed fields Where memory wishes to repose among the flocks of Tharmas Enitharmon answerd Wherefore didst thou throw thine arms around Ahanias Image I decievd thee and will still decieve Urizen saw thy sin and hid his beams in darkning Clouds I still keep watch altho I tremble and wither across the heavens In strong vibrations of fierce jealousy for thou art mine Created for my will my slave tho strong tho I am weak Farewell the God calls me away I depart in my sweet bliss She fled vanishing on the wind And left a dead cold corse In Los's arms howlings began over the body of death Los spoke. Thy God in vain shall call thee if by my strong power I can infuse my dear revenge into his glowing breast Then jealousy shall shadow all his mountains and Ahania Curse thee thou plague of woful Los and seek revenge on thee So saying in deep sobs he languishd till dead he also fell Night passd and Enitharmon eer the dawn returnd in bliss She sang Oer Los reviving him to Life his groans were terrible But thus she sang. I sieze the sphery harp I strike the strings At the first Sound the Golden sun arises from the Deep And shakes his awful hair The Eccho wakes the moon to unbind her silver locks The golden sun bears on my song And nine bright spheres of harmony rise round the fiery King The joy of woman is the Death of her most best beloved Who dies for Love of her In torments of fierce jealousy and pangs of adoration. The Lovers night bears on my song And the nine Spheres rejoice beneath my powerful controll They sing unceasing to the notes of my immortal hand The solemn silent moon Reverberates the living harmony upon my limbs The birds and beasts rejoice and play And every one seeks for his mate to prove his inmost joy Furious and terrible they sport and rend the nether deeps The deep lifts up his rugged head And lost in infinite humming wings vanishes with a cry The fading cry is ever dying The living voice is ever living in its inmost joy Arise you little glancing wings and sing your infant joy Arise and drink your bliss For every thing that lives is holy for the source of life Descends to be a weeping babe For the Earthworm renews the moisture of the sandy plain Now my left hand I stretch to earth beneath And strike the terrible string I wake sweet joy in dens of sorrow and I plant a smile In forests of affliction And wake the bubbling springs of life in regions of dark death O I am weary lay thine hand upon me or I faint I faint beneath these beams of thine For thou hast touchd my five senses and they answerd thee Now I am nothing and I sink And on the bed of silence sleep till thou awakest me Thus sang the Lovely one in Rapturous delusive trance Los heard reviving he siezd her in his arms delusive hopes Kindling She led him into Shadows and thence fled outstretchd Upon the immense like a bright rainbow weeping and smiling and fading Thus livd Los driving Enion far into the deathful infinite That he may also draw Ahania's spirit into her Vortex Ah happy blindness Enion sees not the terrors of the uncertaint Thus Enion wails from the dark deep, the golden heavens tremble I am made to sow the thistle for wheat; the nettle for a nourishing dainty I have planted a false oath in the earth, it has brought forth a poison tree I have chosen the serpent for a councellor and the dog For a schoolmaster to my children I have blotted out from light and living the dove and nightingale And I have caused the earth worm to beg from door to door I have taught the thief a secret path into the house of the just I have taught pale artifice to spread his nets upon the morning My heavens are brass my earth is iron my moon a clod of clay My sun a pestilence burning at noon and a vapour of death in night What is the price of Experience do men buy it for a song Or wisdom for a dance in the street? No it is bought with the price Of all that a man hath his house his wife his children Wisdom is sold in the desolate market where none come to buy And in the witherd field where the farmer plows for bread in vain It is an easy thing to triumph in the summers sun And in the vintage and to sing on the waggon loaded with corn It is an easy thing to talk of patience to the afflicted To speak the laws of prudence to the houseless wanderer To listen to the hungry ravens cry in wintry season When the red blood is filld with wine and with the marrow of lambs It is an easy thing to laugh at wrathful elements To hear the dog howl at the wintry door, the ox in the slaughter house moan To see a god on every wind and a blessing on every blast To hear sounds of love in the thunder storm that destroys our enemies house To rejoice in the blight that covers his field, and the sickness that cuts off his children While our olive and vine sing and laugh round our door and our children bring fruits and flowers Then the groan and the dolor are quite forgotten and the slave grinding at the mill And the captive in chains and the poor in the prison, and the soldier in the field When the shatterd bone hath laid him groaning among the happier dead It is an easy thing to rejoice in the tents of prosperity Thus could I sing and thus rejoice, but it is not so with me! Ahania heard the Lamentation and a swift Vibration Spread thro her Golden frame. She rose up eer the dawn of day When Urizen slept on his couch. drawn thro unbounded space Onto the margin of Non Entity the bright Female came There she beheld the Spectrous form of Enion in the Void And never from that moment could she rest upon her pillow [End of Night the Second] Night the Third Now sat the King of Light on high upon his starry throne And bright Ahania bow'd herself before his splendid feet O Urizen look on Me. like a mournful stream I Embrace round thy knees and wet My bright hair with my tears: Why sighs my Lord! are not the morning stars thy obedient Sons Do they not bow their bright heads at thy voice? at thy command Do they not fly into their stations and return their light to thee The immortal Atmospheres are thine, there thou art seen in glory Surrounded by the ever changing Daughters of the Light Why wilt thou look upon futurity darkning present joy She ceas'd the Prince his light obscurd and the splendors of his crown Infolded in thick clouds, from whence his mighty voice burst forth O bright Ahania, a Boy is born of the dark Ocean Whom Urizen doth serve, with Light replenishing his darkness I am set here a King of trouble commanded here to serve And do my ministry to those who eat of my wide table All this is mine yet I must serve and that Prophetic boy Must grow up to command his Prince but hear my determind Decree Vala shall become a Worm in Enitharmons Wombt Laying her seed upon the fibres soon to issue forth And Luvah in the loins of Los a dark and furious death Alas for me! what will become of me at that dread time? Ahania bow'd her head and wept seven days before the King And on the eighth day when his clouds unfolded from his throne She rais'd her bright head sweet perfumd and thus with heavenly voice O Prince the Eternal One hath set thee leader of his hosts Leave all futurity to him Resume thy fields of Lightt Why didst thou listen to the voice of Luvah that dread morn To give the immortal steeds of light to his deceitful hands No longer now obedient to thy will thou art compell'd To forge the curbs of iron and brass to build the iron mangers To feed them with intoxication from the wine presses of Luvah Till the Divine Vision and Fruition is quite obliterated They call thy lions to the fields of blood, they rowze thy tygers Out of the halls of justice, till these dens thy wisdom framd Golden and beautiful but O how unlike those sweet fields of bliss Where liberty was justice and eternal science was mercy Then O my dear lord listen to Ahania, listen to the vision The vision of Ahania in the slumbers of Urizen When Urizen slept in the porch and the Ancient Man was smittent The Darkning Man walkd on the steps of fire before his halls And Vala walkd with him in dreams of soft deluding slumber He looked up and saw thee Prince of Light thy splendor faded But saw not Los nor Enitharmon for Luvah hid them in shadow In a soft cloud Outstretch'd across, and Luvah dwelt in the cloud Then Man ascended mourning into the splendors of his palace Above him rose a Shadow from his wearied intellect Of living gold, pure, perfect, holy; in white linen pure he hover'd A sweet entrancing self delusion, a watry vision of Man Soft exulting in existence all the Man absorbing Man fell upon his face prostrate before the watry shadow Saying O Lord whence is this change thou knowest I am nothing And Vala trembled and coverd her face, and her locks. were spread on the pavement I heard astonishd at the Vision and my heart trembled within me I heard the voice of the Slumberous Man and thus he spoke Idolatrous to his own Shadow words of Eternity uttering O I am nothing when I enter into judgment with thee If thou withdraw thy breath I die and vanish into Hades If thou dost lay thine hand upon me behold I am silent If thou withhold thine hand I perish like a fallen leaf O I am nothing and to nothing must return again If thou withdraw thy breath, behold I am oblivion He ceasd: the shadowy voice was silent; but the cloud hoverd over their heads In golden wreathes, the sorrow of Man and the balmy drops fell down And Lo that Son of Man, that shadowy Spirit of the Fallen One Luvah, descended from the cloud; In terror Albion rose- Indignant rose the Awful Man and turnd his back on Vala Why roll thy clouds in sick'ning mists. I can no longer hide The dismal vision of mine Eyes, O love and life and light! Prophetic dreads urge me to speak. futurity is before me Like a dark lamp. Eternal death haunts all my expectation Rent from Eternal Brotherhood we die and are no more I heard the Voice of Albion starting from his sleep “Whence is this voice crying Enion that soundeth in my ears O cruel pity! O dark deceit! can Love seek for dominion And Luvah strove to gain dominion over the mighty Albion They strove together above the Body where Vala was inclos'd And the dark Body of Albion left prostrate upon the crystal pavement Coverd with boils from head to foot. the terrible smitings of Luvah Then frownd the Fallen Man and put forth Luvah from his presence (I heard him: frown not Urizen: but listen to my Vision) Saying, Go and die the Death of Man for Vala the sweet wanderer I will turn the volutions of your Ears outward; and bend your Nostrils Downward; and your fluxile Eyes englob'd, roll round in fear Your withring Lips and Tongue shrink up into a narrow circle Till into narrow forms you creep. Go take your fiery way And learn what 'tis to absorb the Man you Spirits of Pity and Love O Urizen why art thou pale at the visions of Ahania Listen to her who loves thee lest we also are driven away. They heard the Voice and fled swift as the winters setting sun And now the Human Blood foamd high, I saw that Luvah and Vala Went down the Human Heart where Paradise and its joys abounded In jealous fears in fury and rage, and flames roll'd round their fervid feet And the vast form of Nature like a Serpent play'd before them And as they went in folding fires and thunders of the deep Vala shrunk in like the dark sea that leaves its slimy banks And from her bosom Luvah fell far as the east and west And the vast form of Nature like a Serpent roll'd between. She ended, for his wrathful throne burst forth the black hail storm Am I not God said Urizen. Who is Equal to me Do I not stretch the heavens abroad or fold them up like a garment He spoke mustering his heavy clouds around him black opake Then thunders rolld around and lightnings darted to and fro His visage changd to darkness and his strong right hand came forth To cast Ahania to the Earth be siezd her by the hair And threw her from the steps of ice that froze around his throne Saying Art thou also become like Vala. thus I cast thee out Shall the feminine indolent bliss. the indulgent self of weariness The passive idle sleep the enormous night and darkness of Death Set herself up to give her laws to the active masculine virtue Thou little diminutive portion that darst be a counterpart Thy passivity thy laws of obedience and insincerity Are my abhorrence. Wherefore hast thou taken that fair form Whence is this power given to thee! once thou wast in my breast A sluggish current of dim waters. on whose verdant margin A cavern shaggd with horrid shades. dark cool and deadly, where I laid my head in the hot noon after the broken clods Had wearied me, there I laid my plow and there my horses fed And thou hast risen with thy moist locks into a watry image Reflecting all my indolence my weakness and my death To weigh me down beneath the grave into non Entity Where Luvah strives scorned by Vala age after age wandering Shrinking and shrinking from her Lord and calling him the Tempter And art thou also become like Vala thus I cast thee out. So loud in thunders spoke the King folded in dark despair And threw Ahania from his bosom obdurate She fell like lightning Then fled the sons of Urizen from his thunderous throne petrific They fled to East and West and left the North and South of Heaven A crash ran thro the immense The bounds of Destiny were broken The bounds of Destiny crashd direful and the swelling Sea Burst from its bonds in whirlpools fierce roaring with Human voice Triumphing even to the Stars at bright Ahanias fall Down from the dismal North the Prince in thunders and thick clouds As when the thunderbolt down falleth on the appointed place Fell down down rushing ruining thundering shuddering Into the Caverns of the Grave and places of Human Seed Where the impressions of Despair and Hope enroot forever A world of Darkness. Ahania fell far into Non Entity She Continued falling. Loud the Crash continud loud and Hoarse From the Crash roared a flame of blue sulphureous fire from the flame A dolorous groan that struck with dumbness all confusion Swallowing up the horrible din in agony on agony Thro the Confusion like a crack across from immense to immense Loud strong a universal groan of death louder Than all the wracking elements deafend and rended worse Than Urizen and all his hosts in curst despair down rushing But from the Dolorous Groan one like a shadow of smoke appeard And human bones rattling together in the smoke and stamping The nether Abyss and gnasshing in fierce despair. panting in sobs Thick short incessant bursting sobbing. deep despairing stamping struggling Struggling to utter the voice of Man struggling to take the features of Man. Struggling To take the limbs of Man at length emerging from the smoke Of Urizen dashed in pieces from his precipitant fall Tharms reard up his hands and stood on the affrighted Ocean The dead reard up his Voice and stood on the resounding shore Crying. Fury in my limbs. destruction in my bones and marrow My skull riven into filaments. my eyes into sea jellies Floating upon the tide wander bubbling and bubbling Uttering my lamentations and begetting little monsters Who sit mocking upon the little pebbles of the tide In all my rivers and on dried shells that the fish Have quite forsaken. O fool fool to lose my sweetest bliss Where art thou Enion ah too near to cunning too far off And yet too near. Dashd down I send thee into distant darkness Far as my strength can hurl thee wander there and laugh and play Among the frozen arrows they will tear thy tender flesh Fall off afar from Tharmas come not too near my strong fury Scream and fall off and laugh at Tharmas lovely summer beauty Till winter rends thee into Shivers as thou hast rended me So Tharmas bellowd oer the ocean thundring sobbing bursting The bounds of Destiny were broken and hatred now began Instead of love to Enion. Enion blind and age bent Plungd into the cold billows living a life in midst of waters In terrors she witherd away to Entuthon Benithon A world of deep darkness where all things in horrors are rooted These are the words of Enion heard from the cold waves of despair O Tharmas I had lost thee. and when I hoped I had found thee O Tharmas do not thou destroy me quite but let A little shadow. but a little showery form of Enion Be near thee loved Terror. let me still remain and then do thou Thy righteous doom upon me. only let me hear thy voice Driven by thy rage I wander like a cloud into the deep Where never yet Existence came, there losing all my life I back return weaker and weaker, consume me not away In thy great wrath. tho I have sinned. tho I have rebelld Make me not like the things forgotten as they had not been Make not the thing that loveth thee. a tear wiped away Tharmas replied riding on storms his voice of Thunder rolld Image of grief thy fading lineaments make my eyelids fail What have I done! both rage and mercy are alike to me Looking upon thee Image of faint waters. I recoil From my fierce rage into thy semblance. Enion return Why does thy piteous face Evanish like a rainy cloud Melting. a shower of falling tears. nothing but tears! Enion: Substanceless. voiceless, weeping. vanishd. nothing but tears! Enion Art thou for ever vanishd from the watry eyes of Tharmas Rage Rage shall never from my bosom. winds and waters of woe Consuming all to the end consuming Love and Hope are ended For now no more remaind of Enion in the dismal air Only a voice eternal wailing in the Elements Where Enion, blind and age bent wanderd Ahania wanders now She wanders in Eternal fear of falling into the indefinite For her bright eyes behold the Abyss. sometimes a little sleep Weighs down her eyelids then she falls then starting wakes in fears Sleepless to wander round repelld on the margin of Non Entity [End of Nigh the Third] Night the Fourth But Tharmas rode on the dark Abyss. the voice of Tharmas rolld Over the heaving deluge. he saw Los and Enitharmon Emerge In strength and brightness from the Abyss his bowels yearnd over them They rose in strength above the heaving deluge. in mighty scorn Red as the Sun in the hot morning of the bloody day Tharmas beheld them his bowels yearnd over them And he said Wherefore do I feel such love and pity Ah Enion Ah Enion Ah lovely lovely Enion How is this All my hope is gone for ever fled Like a famishd Eagle Eyeless raging in the vast expanse Incessant tears are now my food. incessant rage and tears Deathless for ever now I wander seeking oblivion In torrents of despair in vain. for if I plunge beneath Stifling I live. If dashd in pieces from a rocky height I reunite in endless torment. would I had never risen From deaths cold sleep beneath the bottom of the raging Ocean And cannot those who once have lovd. ever forget their Love? Are love and rage the same passion? they are the same in me Are those who love. like those who died. risen again from death Immortal. in immortal torment. never to be deliverd Is it not possible that one risen again from Death Can die! When dark despair comes over, can I not Flow down into the sea and slumber in oblivion. Ah Enion Deformd I see these lineaments of ungratified Desire The all powerful curse of an honest man be upon Urizen and Luvah But thou My Son Glorious in brightness comforter of Tharmas Go forth Rebuild this Universe beneath my indignant power A Universe of Death and Decay. Let Enitharmons hands Weave soft delusive forms of Man above my watry world Renew these ruind souls of Men thro Earth Sea Air and Fire To waste in endless corruption. renew thou I will destroy Perhaps Enion may resume some little semblance To ease my pangs of heart and to restore some peace to Tharmas Los answerd in his furious pride sparks issuing from his hair Hitherto shalt thou come. no further. here thy proud waves cease We have drunk up the Eternal Man by our unbounded power Beware lest we also drink up thee rough demon of the waters Our God is Urizen the King. King of the Heavenly hosts We have no other God but he thou father of worms and clay And he is falln into the Deep rough Demon of the waters And Los remains God over all, weak father of worms and clay I know I was Urthona keeper of the gates of heaven But now I am all powerful Los and Urthona is but my shadow Doubting stood Tharmas in the solemn darkness. his dim Eyest Swam in red tears. he reard his waves above the head of Los In wrath. but pitying back withdrew with many a sigh Now he resolvd to destroy Los and now his tears flowd down In scorn stood Los red sparks of blighting from his furious head Flew over the waves of Tharmas. pitying Tharmas stayd his Waves For Enitharmon shriekd amain crying O my sweet world Built by the Architect divine whose love to Los and Enitharmon Thou rash abhorred Demon in thy fury hast oerthrown What Sovereign Architect said Tharmas dare my will controll For if I will I urge these waters. If I will they sleep In peace beneath my awful frown my will shall be my Law So Saying in a Wave he rap'd bright Enitharmon far Apart from Los. but coverd her with softest brooding care On a broad wave in the warm west. balming her bleeding wound O how Los howld at the rending asunder all the fibres rent Where Enitharmon joind to his left side in griding pain He falling on the rocks bellowd his Dolor. till the blood Stanch'd, then in ululation waild his woes upon the wind And Tharmas calld to the Dark Spectre who upon the Shores With dislocated Limbs had falln. The Spectre rose in pain A Shadow blue obscure and dismal. like a statue of lead Bent by its fall from a high tower the dolorous shadow rose Go forth said Tharmas works of joy are thine obey and live So shall the spungy marrow issuing from thy splinterd bones Bonify. and thou shalt have rest when this thy labour is done Go forth bear Enitharmon back to the Eternal Prophet Build her a bower in the midst of all my dashing waves Make first a resting place for Los and Enitharmon. then Thou shalt have rest. If thou refusest dashd abroad on all My waves. thy limbs shall separate in stench and rotting and thou Become a prey to all my demons of despair and hope The Spectre of Urthona seeing Enitharmon writhdt His cloudy form in jealous fear and muttering thunders hoarse And casting round thick glooms. thus utterd his fierce pangs of heart Tharmas I know thee. how are we alterd our beauty decayd But still I know thee tho in this horrible ruin whelmd Thou once the mildest son of heaven art now become a Rage A terror to all living things. think not that I am ignorant That thou art risen from the dead or that my power forgot I slumber here in weak repose. I well remember the Day The day of terror and abhorrencet When fleeing from the battle thou fleeting like the raven Of dawn outstretching an expanse where neer expanse had been Drewst all the Sons of Beulah into thy dread vortex following Thy Eddying spirit down the hills of Beulah. All my sons Stood round me at the anvil where new heated the wedge Of iron glowd furious prepard for spades and mattocks Hearing the symphonies of war loud sounding All my sons Fled from my side then pangs smote me unknown before. I saw My loins begin to break forth into veiny pipes and writhe Before me in the wind englobing trembling with strong vibrations The bloody mass began to animate. I bending over Wept bitter tears incessant. Still beholding how the piteous form Dividing and dividing from my loins a weak and piteous Soft cloud of snow a female pale and weak I soft embracd My counter part and calld it Love I named her Enitharmon But found myself and her together issuing down the tide Which now our rivers were become delving thro caverns huge Of goary blood struggling to be deliverd from our bonds She strove in vain not so Urthona strove for breaking forth, A shadow blue obscure and dismal from the breathing Nostrils Of Enion I issued into the air divided from Enitharmon I howld in sorrow I beheld thee rotting upon the Rocks I pitying hoverd over thee I protected thy ghastly corse From Vultures of the deep then wherefore shouldst thou rage Against me who thee guarded in the night of death from harm Tharmas replied. Art thou Urthona My friend my old companion, With whom I livd in happiness before that deadly night When Urizen gave the horses of Light into the hands of Luvah Thou knowest not what Tharmas knows. O I could tell thee tales That would enrage thee as it has Enraged me even From Death in wrath and fury. But now come bear back Thy loved Enitharmon. For thou hast her here before thine Eyes But my sweet Enion is vanishd and I never more Shall see her unless thou O Shadow. wilt protect this Son Of Enion and him assist. to bind the fallen King Lest he should rise again from death in all his dreary power Bind him, take Enitharmon for thy sweet reward while I In vain am driven on false hope. hope sister of despair Groaning the terror rose and drave his solid rocks before Upon the tide till underneath the feet of Los a World Dark dreadful rose and Enitharmon lay at Los's feet The dolorous shadow joyd. weak hope appeard around his head Tharmas before Los stood and thus the Voice of Tharmas rolld Now all comes into the power of Tharmas. Urizen is falln And Luvah hidden in the Elemental forms of Life and Death Urthona is My Son O Los thou art Urthona and Tharmas Is God. The Eternal Man is seald never to be deliverd I roll my floods over his body my billows and waves pass over him The Sea encompasses him and monsters of the deep are his companions Dreamer of furious oceans cold sleeper of weeds and shells Thy Eternal form shall never renew my uncertain prevails against thee Yet tho I rage God over all. A portion of my Life That in Eternal fields in comfort wanderd with my flocks At noon and laid her head upon my wearied bosom at night She is divided She is vanishd even like Luvah and Valat O why did foul ambition sieze thee Urizen Prince of Light And thee O Luvah prince of Love till Tharmas was divided And I what can I now behold but an Eternal Death Before my Eyes and an Eternal weary work to strive Against the monstrous forms that breed among my silent waves Is this to be A God far rather would I be a Man To know sweet Science and to do with simple companions Sitting beneath a tent and viewing sheepfolds and soft pastures Take thou the hammer of Urthona rebuild these furnaces Dost thou refuse mind I the sparks that issue from thy hair I will compell thee to rebuild by these my furious waves Death choose or life thou strugglest in my waters, now choose life And all the Elements shall serve thee to their soothing flutes Their sweet inspiriting lyres thy labours shall administer And they to thee only remit not faint not thou my son Now thou dost know what tis to strive against the God of waters So saying Tharmas on his furious chariots of the Deep Departed far into the Unknown and left a wondrous void Round Los. afar his waters bore on all sides round. with noise Of wheels and horses hoofs and Trumpets Horns and Clarions Terrified Los beheld the ruins of Urizen beneath A horrible Chaos to his eyes. a formless unmeasurable Death Whirling up broken rocks on high into the dismal air And fluctuating all beneath in Eddies of molten fluid Then Los with terrible hands siezd on the Ruind Furnaces Of Urizen. Enormous work: he builded them anew Labour of Ages in the Darkness and the war of Tharmas And Los formd Anvils of Iron petrific. for his blows Petrify with incessant beating many a rock. many a planet But Urizen slept in a stoned stupor in the nether Abyss A dreamful horrible State in tossings on his icy bed Freezing to solid all beneath, his grey oblivious form Stretchd over the immense heaves in strong shudders. silent his voice In brooding contemplation stretching out from North to South In mighty power. Round him Los rolld furious His thunderous wheels from furnace to furnace. tending diligent The contemplative terror. frightend in his scornful sphere Frightend with cold infectious madness. in his hand the thundering Hammer of Urthona. forming under his heavy hand the hours The days and years. in chains of iron round the limbs of Urizen Linkd hour to hour and day to night and night to day and year to year In periods of pulsative furor. mills he formd and works Of many wheels resistless in the power of dark Urthona But Enitharmon wrapd in clouds waild loud. for as Los beat The anvils of Urthona link by link the chains of sorrow Warping upon the winds and whirling round in the dark deep Lashd on the limbs of Enitharmon and the sulphur fires Belchd from the furnaces wreathd round her. chaind in ceaseless fire The lovely female howld and Urizen beneath deep groand Deadly between the hammers beating grateful to the Ears Of Los. absorbd in dire revenge he drank with joy the cries Of Enitharmon and the groans of Urizen fuel for his wrath And for his pity secret feeding on thoughts of cruelty The Spectre wept at his dire labours when from Ladles huge He pourd the molten iron round the limbs of Enitharmon But when he pourd it round the bones of Urizen he laughd Hollow upon the hollow wind. his shadowy form obeying The voice of Los compelld he labourd round the Furnaces And thus began the binding of Urizen day and night in fear Circling round the dark Demon with howlings dismay and sharp blightings The Prophet of Eternity beat on his iron links and links of brass And as he beat round the hurtling Demon. terrified at the Shapes Enslavd humanity put on he became what he beheld Raging against Tharmas his God and uttering Ambiguous words blasphemous filld with envy firm resolvd On hate Eternal in his vast disdain he labourd beating The Links of fate link after link an endless chain of sorrows The Eternal Mind bounded began to roll eddies of wrath ceaseless Round and round and the sulphureous foam surgeing thick Settled a Lake bright and shining clear. White as the snow Forgetfulness dumbness necessity in chains of the mind lockd up In fetters of ice shrinking. disorganizd rent from Eternity Los beat on his fetters and heated his furnaces And pourd iron sodor and sodor of brass Restless the immortal inchaind heaving dolorous Anguished unbearable till a roof shaggy wild inclosd In an orb his fountain of thought In a horrible dreamful slumber like the linked chain A vast spine writhd in torment upon the wind Shooting paind. ribbs like a bending Cavern And bones of solidness froze over all his nerves of joy A first age passed. a state of dismal woe From the Caverns of his jointed spine down sunk with fright A red round globe. hot burning. deep deep down into the Abyss Panting Conglobing trembling Shooting out ten thousand branches Around his solid bones and a Second Age passed over In harrowing fear rolling his nervous brain shot branches On high into two little orbs hiding in two little caves Hiding carefully from the wind his eyes beheld the deep And a third age passed a State of dismal woe The pangs of hope began in heavy pain striving struggling Two Ears in close volutions from beneath his orbs of vision Shot spiring out and petrified as they grew. And a Fourtht Age passed over and a State of dismal woe In ghastly torment sick hanging upon the wind Two nostrils bent down to the deeps— And a fifth age passed and a state of dismal woe In ghastly torment sick. within his ribs bloated round A craving hungry cavern. Thence arose his channeld Throat. then like a red flame a tongue of hunger And thirst appeard and a sixth age passed of dismal woe Enraged,and stifled with torment he threw his right arm to the north His left arm to the south shooting out in anguish deep And his feet stampd the nether abyss in trembling howling and dismay And a seventh age passed over and a state of dismal woe The Council of God on high watching over the Body Of Man clothd in Luvahs robes of blood saw and wept Descending over Beulahs mild moon coverd regions The daughters of Beulah saw the Divine Vision they were comforted And as a Double female form loveliness and perfection of beauty They bowd the head and worshippd and with mild voice spoke these words Lord. Saviour if thou hadst been here our brother had not died And now we know that whatsoever thou wilt ask of God He will give it thee for we are weak women and dare not lift Our eyes to the Divine pavilions. therefore in mercy thou Appearest clothd in Luvahs garments that we may behold thee And live. Behold Eternal Death is in Beulah Behold We perish and shall not be found unless thou grant a place In which we may be hidden under the Shadow of wings For if we who are but for a time and who pass away in winter Behold these wonders of Eternity we shall consume Such were the words of Beulah of the Feminine Emanation The Empyrean groand throughout All Eden was darkend The Corse of Albion lay on the Rock the sea of Time and Spacet Beat round the Rock in mighty waves and as a Polypus That vegetates beneath the Sea the limbs of Man vegetated In monstrous forms of Death a Human polypus of Death The Saviour mild and gentle bent over the corse of Death Saying If ye will Believe your Brother shall rise again And first he found the Limit of Opacity and namd it Satan In Albions bosom for in every human bosom these limits stand And next he found the Limit of Contraction and namd it Adam While yet those beings were not born nor knew of good or Evil Then wondrously the Starry Wheels felt the divine hand. Limit Was put to Eternal Death Los felt the Limit and saw The Finger of God touch the Seventh furnace in terror And Los beheld the hand of God over his furnaces Beneath the Deeps in dismal Darkness beneath immensity In terrors Los shrunk from his task. his great hammer Fell from his hand his fires hid their strong limbs in smoke For with noises ruinous hurtlings and clashings and groans The immortal endur'd. tho bound in a deadly sleep Pale terror siezd the Eyes of Los as he beat round The hurtling Demon. terrifid at the shapes Enslavd humanity put on he became what he beheld He became what he was doing he was himself transformd The globe of life blood trembled Branching out into roots; Fibrous, writhing upon the winds; Fibres of blood, milk and tears; In pangs, eternity on eternity. At length in tears and cries imbodied A female form trembling and pale Waves before his deathy face Spasms siezd his muscular fibres writhing to and fro his pallid lips Unwilling movd as Urizen howld his loins wavd like the sea At Enitharmons shriek his knees each other smote and then he lookd With stony Eyes on Urizen and then swift writhd his neckt Involuntary to the Couch where Enitharmon lay The bones of Urizen hurtle on the wind the bones of Los Twinge and his iron sinews bend like lead and fold Into unusual forms dancing and howling stamping the Abyss [End of Night the Fourth] Night the Fifth Infected Mad he dancd on his mountains high and dark as heaven Now fixd into one stedfast bulk his features stonify From his mouth curses and from his eyes sparks of blighting Beside the anvil cold he dancd with the hammer of Urthona Terrific pale. Enitharmon stretchd on the dreary Earth Felt her immortal limbs freeze stiffning pale inflexible His feet shrink withring from the deep shrinking and withering And Enitharmon shrunk up all their fibres withring beneath As plants witherd by winter leaves and stems and roots decaying Melt into thin air while the seed drivn by the furious wind Rests on the distant Mountains top. So Los and Enitharmon Shrunk into fixed space stood trembling on a Rocky cliff Yet mighty bulk and majesty and beauty remaind but unexpansive As far as highest Zenith from the lowest Nadir. so far shrunk Los from the furnaces a Space immense and left the cold Prince of Light bound in chains of intellect among the furnaces But all the furnaces were out and the bellows had ceast to blow He stood trembling and Enitharmon clung around his knees Their senses unexpansive in one stedfast bulk remain The night blew cold and Enitharmon shriekd on the dismal wind Her pale hands cling around her husband and over her weak head Shadows of Eternal death sit in the leaden air But the soft pipe the flute the viol organ harp and cymbal And the sweet sound of silver voices calm the weary couch Of Enitharmon but her groans drown the immortal harps Loud and more loud the living music floats upon the air Faint and more faint the daylight wanes. The wheels of turning darkness Began in solemn revolutions. Earth convulsd with rending pangs Rockd to and fro and cried sore at the groans of Enitharmon Still the faint harps and silver voices calm the weary couch But from the caves of deepest night ascending in clouds of mist The winter spread his wide black wings across from pole to pole Grim frost beneath and terrible snow linkd in a marriage chain Began a dismal dance. The winds around on pointed rocks Settled like bats innumerable ready to fly abroad The groans of Enitharmon shake the skies the labring Earth Till from her heart rending his way a terrible Child sprang forth In thunder smoke and sullen flames and howlings and fury and blood Soon as his burning Eyes were opend on the Abyss The horrid trumpets of the deep bellowd with bitter blasts The Enormous Demons woke and howld around the new born king Crying Luvah King of Love thou art the King of rage and death Urizen cast deep darkness round him raging Luvah pourdt The spears of Urizen from Chariots round the Eternal tent Discord began then yells and cries shook the wide firmament Where is Sweet Vala gloomy prophet where the lovely form That drew the body of Man from heaven into this dark Abysselds Shew thy soul Vala shew thy bow and quiver of secret fires Draw thy bow Vala from the depths of hell thy black bow drawt And twang the bow string to our howlings let thine arrows black Sing in the Sky as once they sang upon the hills of Light When dark Urthona wept in torment of the secret pain He wept and he divided and he laid his gloomy head Down on the Rock of Eternity on darkness of the deep Torn by black storms and ceaseless torrents of consuming fire Within his breast his fiery sons chaind down and filld with cursings And breathing terrible blood and vengeance gnashing his teeth with pain Let loose the Enormous Spirit in the darkness of the deep And his dark wife that once fair crystal form divinely clear Within his ribs producing serpents whose souls are flames of fire But now the times return upon thee Enitharmons womb Now holds thee soon to issue forth. Sound Clarions of war Call Vala from her close recess in all her dark deceit Then rage on rage shall fierce redound out of her crystal quiver So sung the Demons round red Orc and round faint Enitharmon Sweat and blood stood on the limbs of Los in globes. his fiery Eyelids Faded. he rouzd he siezd the wonder in his hands and went Shuddring and weeping thro the Gloom and down into the deeps Enitharmon nursd her fiery child in the dark deeps Sitting in darkness. over her Los mournd in anguish fierce Coverd with gloom. the fiery boy grew fed by the milk Of Enitharmon. Los around her builded pillars of iron And brass and silver and gold fourfold in dark prophetic fear For now he feard Eternal Death and uttermost Extinction He builded Golgonooza on the Lake of Udan Adan Upon the Limit of Translucence then he builded Luban Tharmas laid the Foundations and Los finishd it in howling woe But when fourteen summers and winters had revolved over Their solemn habitation Los beheld the ruddy boy Embracing his bright mother and beheld malignant fires In his young eyes discerning plain that Orc plotted his death Grief rose upon his ruddy brows. a tightening girdle grew Around his bosom like a bloody cord. in secret sobs He burst it, but next morn another girdle succeeds Around his bosom. Every day he viewd the fiery youth With silent fear and his immortal cheeks grew deadly pale Till many a morn and many a night passd over in dire woe Forming a girdle in the day and bursting it at night The girdle was formd by day by night was burst in twain Falling down on the rock an iron chain link by link lockd Enitharmon beheld the bloody chain of nights and days Depending from the bosom of Los and how with griding pain He went each morning to his labours. with the spectre dark Calld it the chain of jealousy. Now Los began to speak His woes aloud to Enitharmon. since he could not hide His uncouth plague. He siezd the boy in his immortal hands While Enitharmon followd him weeping in dismal woe Up to the iron mountains top and there the Jealous chain Fell from his bosom on the mountain. The Spectre dark Held the fierce boy Los naild him down binding around his limbs The accursed chain O how bright Enitharmon howld and cried Over her son. Obdurate Los bound down her loved joy The hammer of Urthona smote the rivets in terror. of brass Tenfold. the Demons rage flamd tenfold forth rending Roaring redounding. Loud Loud Louder and Louder and fird The darkness warring With the waves of Tharmas and Snows of Urizen Crackling the flames went up with fury from the immortal demon Surrounded with flames the Demon grew loud howling in his fires Los folded Enitharmon in a cold white cloud in fear Then led her down into the deeps and into his labyrinth Giving the Spectre sternest charge over the howling fiend Concenterd into Love of Parent Storgous Appetite Craving His limbs bound down mock at his chains for over them a flame Of circling fire unceasing plays to feed them with life and bring The virtues of the Eternal worlds ten thousand thousand spirits Of life lament around the Demon going forth and returningt At his enormous call they flee into the heavens of heavens And back return with wine and food. Or dive into the deeps To bring the thrilling joys of sense to quell his ceaseless rage His eyes the lights of his large soul contract or else expand Contracted they behold the secrets of the infinite mountains The veins of gold and silver and the hidden things of Vala Whatever grows from its pure bud or breathes a fragrant soul Expanded they behold the terrors of the Sun and Moon The Elemental Planets and the orbs of eccentric fire His nostrils breathe a fiery flame. his locks are like the forestst Of wild beasts there the lion glares the tyger and wolf howl there And there the Eagle hides her young in cliffs and precipices His bosom is like starry heaven expanded all the stars rings Flow into rivers of delight. there the spontaneous flowers Drink laugh and sing. the grasshopper the Emmet and the Fly The golden Moth builds there a house and spreads her silken bed His loins inwove with silken fires are like a furnace fierce As the strong Bull in summer time when bees sing round the heath Where the herds low after the shadow and after the water spring The numrous flocks cover the mountain and shine along the valley His knees are rocks of adamant and rubie and emerald Spirits of strength in Palaces rejoice in golden armour Armed with spear and shield they drink and rejoice over the slain Such is the Demon such his terror in the nether deep But when returnd to Golgonooza Los and Enitharmon Felt all the sorrow Parents feel. they wept toward one another And Los repented that he bad chaind Orc upon the mountain And Enitharmons tears prevaild parental love returnd Tho terrible his dread of that infernal chain They rose At midnight hasting to their much beloved care Nine days they traveld thro the Gloom of Entuthon Benithon Los taking Enitharmon by the hand led her along The dismal vales and up to the iron mountains top where Orc Howld in the furious wind he thought to give to Enitharmon Her son in tenfold joy and to compensate for her tears Even if his own death resulted so much pity him paind But when they came to the dark rock and to the spectrous cave Lo the young limbs had strucken root into the rock and strong Fibres had from the Chain of Jealousy inwove themselves In a swift vegetation round the rock and round the Cave And over the immortal limbs of the terrible fiery boy In vain they strove now to unchain. In vain with bitter tears To melt the chain of Jealousy. not Enitharmons death Nor the Consummation of Los could ever melt the chain Nor unroot the infernal fibres from their rocky bed Nor all Urthonas strength nor all the power of Luvahs Bulls Tho they each morning drag the unwilling Sun out of the deep Could uproot the infernal chain. for it had taken root Into the iron rock and grew a chain beneath the Earth Even to the Center wrapping round the Center and the limbs Of Orc entering with fibres. became one with him a living Chain Sustained by the Demons life. Despair and Terror and Woe and Rage Inwrap the Parents in cold clouds as they bend howling over The terrible boy till fainting by his side the Parents fell Not long they lay Urthonas spectre found herbs of the pit Rubbing their temples he reviv'd them. all their lamentations I write not here but all their after life was lamentation When satiated with grief they returnd back to Golgonooza Enitharmon on the road of Dranthon felt the inmost gate Of her bright heart burst open and again close with a deadly paint Within her heart Vala began to reanimate in bursting sobs And when the Gate was open she beheld that dreary Deept Where bright Ahania wept. She also saw the infernal roots Of the chain of Jealousy and felt the rendings of fierce howling Orc Rending the Caverns like a mighty wind pent in the Earth Tho wide apart as furthest north is from the furthest south Urizen trembled where he lay to hear the howling terror The rocks shook the Eternal bars tuggd to and fro were rifted Outstretchd upon the stones of ice the ruins of his throne Urizen shuddring heard his trembling limbs shook the strong caves The Woes of Urizen shut up in the deep dens of Urthona Ah how shall Urizen the King submit to this dark mansion Ah how is this! Once on the heights I stretchd my throne sublime The mountains of Urizen once of silver where the sons of wisdom dwelt And on whose tops the Virgins sang are rocks of Desolation My fountains once the haunt of Swans now breed the scaly tortoise The houses of my harpers are become a haunt of crows The gardens of wisdom are become a field of horrid graves And on the bones I drop my tears and water them in vain Once how I walked from my palace in gardens of delight The sons of wisdom stood around the harpers followd with harps Nine virgins clothd in light composd the song to their immortal voices And at my banquets of new wine my head was crownd with joy Then in my ivory pavilions I slumberd in the noon And walked in the silent night among sweet smelling flowers Till on my silver bed I slept and sweet dreams round me hoverd But now my land is darkend and my wise men are departed My songs are turned to cries of Lamentationt Heard on my Mountains and deep sighs under my palace roofs Because the Steeds of Urizen once swifter than the light Were kept back from my Lord and from his chariot of mercies O did I keep the horses of the day in silver pastures O I refusd the Lord of day the horses of his prince O did I close my treasuries with roofs of solid stone And darken all my Palace walls with envyings and hate O Fool to think that I could hide from his all piercing eyes The gold and silver and costly stones his holy workmanship O Fool could I forget the light that filled my bright spheres Was a reflection of his face who calld me from the deep I well remember for I heard the mild and holy voice Saying O light spring up and shine and I sprang up from the deept He gave to me a silver scepter and crownd me with a golden crown and said Go forth and guide my Son who wanders on the ocean I went not forth. I hid myself in black clouds of my wrath I calld the stars around my feet in the night of councils dark The stars threw down their spears and fled naked away We fell. I siezd thee dark Urthona In my left hand falling I siezd thee beauteous Luvah thou art faded like a flower And like a lilly is thy wife Vala witherd by winds When thou didst bear the golden cup at the immortal tables Thy children smote their fiery wings crownd with the gold of heaven Thy pure feet stepd on the steps divine. too pure for other feet And thy fair locks shadowd thine eyes from the divine effulgence Then thou didst keep with Strong Urthona the living gates of heaven But now thou art bound down with him even to the gates of hell Because thou gavest Urizen the wine of the Almighty For steeds of Light that they might run in thy golden chariot of pride I gave to thee the Steeds I pourd the stolen wine And drunken with the immortal draught fell from my throne sublime I will arise Explore these dens and find that deep pulsation That shakes my caverns with strong shudders. perhaps this is the night Of Prophecy and Luvah hath burst his way from Enitharmon When Thought is closd in Caves. Then love shall shew its root in deepest Hell [End of Night the Fifth] Night the Sixth So Urizen arose and leaning on his Spear explord his dens He threw his flight thro the dark air to where a river flowd And taking off his silver helmet filled it and drank But when Unsatiated his thirst he assayd to gather more Lo three terrific women at the verge of the bright flood Who would not suffer him to approach. but drove him back with storms Urizen knew them not and thus addressd the spirits of darkness Who art thou Eldest Woman sitting in thy clouds What is that name written on thy forehead? what art thou? And wherefore dost thou pour this water forth in sighs and care She answerd not but filld her urn and pourd it forth abroad Answerest thou not said Urizen. then thou maist answer me Thou terrible woman clad in blue, whose strong attractive power Draws all into a fountain at the rock of thy attraction With frowning brow thou sittest mistress of these mighty waters She answerd not but stretchd her arms and threw her limbs abroad Or wilt thou answer youngest Woman clad in shining greent With labour and care thou dost divide the current into fourt Queen of these dreadful rivers speak and let me hear thy voice They reard up a wall of rocks and Urizen raisd his spear. They gave a scream, they knew their father Urizen knew his daughters They shrunk into their channels. dry the rocky strand beneath his feet Hiding themselves in rocky forms from the Eyes of Urizen Then Urizen wept and thus his lamentation poured forth O horrible O dreadful state! those whom I loved best On whom I pourd the beauties of my light adorning them With jewels and precious ornament labourd with art divine Vests of the radiant colours of heaven and crowns of golden fire I gave sweet lillies to their breasts and roses to their hair I taught them songs of sweet delight, I gave their tender voices Into the blue expanse and I invented with laborious art Sweet instruments of sound. in pride encompassing my Knees They pourd their radiance above all. the daughters of Luvah Envied At their exceeding brightness and the sons of eternity sent them gifts Now will I pour my fury on them and I will reverse The precious benediction. for their colours of loveliness I will give blackness for jewels hoary frost for ornament deformity For crowns wreathd Serpents for sweet odors stinking corruptibility For voices of delight hoarse croakings inarticulate thro frost For labourd fatherly care and sweet instruction. I will give Chains of dark ignorance and cords of twisted self conceit And whips of stern repentance and food of stubborn obstinacy That they may curse Tharmas their God and Los his adopted son That they may curse and worship the obscure Demon of destruction That they may worship terrors and obey the violent Go forth sons of my curse Go forth daughters of my abhorrence Tharmas heard the deadly scream across his watry world And Urizens loud sounding voice lamenting on the wind And he came riding in his fury. froze to solid were his waves Silent in ridges he beheld them stand round Urizen A dreary waste of solid waters for the King of Light Darkend his brows with his cold helmet and his gloomy spear Darkend before him. Silent on the ridgy waves he took His gloomy way before him Tharmas fled and flying fought Crying. What and who art thou Cold Demon. art thou Urizen Art thou like me risen again from death or art thou deathless If thou art he my desperate purpose hear and give me death For death to me is better far than life. death my desire That I in vain in various paths have sought but still I live The Body of Man is given to me I seek in vain to destroy For still it surges forth in fish and monsters of the deeps And in these monstrous forms I Live in an Eternal woet And thou O Urizen art falln never to be deliverd Withhold thy light from me for ever and I will withhold From thee thy food so shall we cease to be and all our sorrows End and the Eternal Man no more renew beneath our power If thou refusest in eternal flight thy beams in vain Shall pursue Tharmas and in vain shalt crave for food I will Pour down my flight thro dark immensity Eternal falling Thou shalt pursue me but in vain till starvd upon the void Thou hangst a dried skin shrunk up weak wailing in the wind So Tharmas spoke but Urizen replied not. On his way He took. high bounding over hills and desarts floods and horrible chasms Infinite was his labour without end his travel he strove In vain for hideous monsters of the deeps annoyd him sore Scaled and finnd with iron and brass they devourd the path before him Incessant was the conflict. On he bent his weary steps Making a path toward the dark world of Urthona. he rose With pain upon the dreary mountains and with pain descended And saw their grizly fears and his eyes sickend at the sight The howlings gnashings groanings shriekings shudderings sobbings burstings Mingle together to create a world for Los. In cruel delight Los brooded on the darkness. nor saw Urizen with a Globe of fire Lighting his dismal journey thro the pathless world of death Writing in bitter tears and groans in books of iron and brass The enormous wonders of the Abysses once his brightest joy For Urizen beheld the terrors of the Abyss wandring among The ruind spirits once his children and the children of Luvah Scard at the sound of their own sigh that seems to shake the immense They wander Moping in their heart a Sun a Dreary moon A Universe of fiery constellations in their brain An Earth of wintry woe beneath their feet and round their loinst Waters or winds or clouds or brooding lightnings and pestilential plagues Beyond the bounds of their own self their senses cannot penetrate As the tree knows not what is outside of its leaves and bark And yet it drinks the summer joy and fears the winter sorrow So in the regions of the grave none knows his dark compeer Tho he partakes of his dire woes and mutual returns the pang The throb the dolor the convulsion in soul sickening woes The horrid shapes and sights of torment in burning dungeons and in Fetters of red hot iron some with crowns of serpents and some With monsters girding round their bosoms, Some lying on beds of sulphur On racks and wheels he beheld women marching oer burning wastes Of Sand in bands of hundreds and of fifties and of thousands strucken with Lightnings which blazed after them upon their shoulders in their march In successive vollies with loud thunders swift flew the King of Light Over the burning desarts Then the desarts passd. involvd in clouds Of smoke with myriads moping in the stifling vapours. Swift Flew the King tho flagd his powers labring. till over rocks And Mountains faint weary he wanderd. where multitudes were shut Up in the solid mountains and in rocks which heaved with their torments Then came he among fiery cities and castles built of burning steel Then he beheld the forms of tygers and of Lions dishumanizd men Many in serpents and in worms stretchd out enormous length Over the sullen mould and slimy tracks obstruct his way Drawn out from deep to deep woven by ribbd And scaled monsters or armd in iron shell or shell of brass Or gold a glittering torment shining and hissing in eternal pain Some as columns of fire or of water sometimes stretchd out in heighth Sometimes in length sometimes englobing wandering in vain seeking for easet His voice to them was but an inarticulate thunder for their Ears Were heavy and dull and their eyes and nostrils closed up Oft he stood by a howling victim Questioning in words Soothing or Furious no one answerd every one wrapd up In his own sorrow howld regardless of his words, nor voice Of sweet response could he obtain tho oft assayd with tears He knew they were his Children ruind in his ruind world Oft would he stand and question a fierce scorpion glowing with gold In vain the terror heard not. then a lion he would Sieze By the fierce mane staying his howling course in vain the voicet Of Urizen vain the Eloquent tongue. A Rock a Cloud a Mountain Were now not Vocal as in Climes of happy Eternity Where the lamb replies to the infant voice and the lion to the man of years Giving them sweet instructions Where the Cloud the River and the Field Talk with the husbandman and shepherd. But these attackd him sore Siezing upon his feet and rending the Sinews that in Caves He hid to recure his obstructed powers with rest and oblivion Here he had time enough to repent of his rashly threatend curse He saw them cursd beyond his Curse his soul melted with fear He could not take their fetters off for they grew from the soul Nor could he quench the fires for they flamd out from the heart Nor could he calm the Elements because himself was Subject So he threw his flight in terror and pain and in repentant tears When he had passd these southern terrors he approachd the East Void pathless beaten With iron sleet and eternal hail and raint No form was there no living thing and yet his way lay thro This dismal world. he stood a while and lookd back oer his former Terrific voyage. Hills and Vales of torment and despair Sighing and Wiping a fresh tear. then turning round he threw Himself into the dismal void. falling he fell and fell Whirling in unresistible revolutions down and down In the horrid bottomless vacuity falling failing falling Into the Eastern vacuity the empty world of Luvah The ever pitying one who seeth all things saw his fall And in the dark vacuity created a bosom of clayt When wearied dead he fell his limbs reposd in the bosom of slime As the seed falls from the sowers hand so Urizen fell and death Shut up his powers in oblivion. then as the seed shoots forth In pain and sorrow. So the slimy bed his limbs renewd At first an infant weakness. periods passd he gatherd strength But still in solitude he sat then rising threw his flight Onward tho falling thro the waste of night and ending in death And in another resurrection to sorrow and weary travel But still his books he bore in his strong hands and his iron pen For when he died they lay beside his grave and when he rose He siezd them with a gloomy smile for wrapd in his death clothes He hid them when he slept in death when he revivd the clothes Were rotted by the winds the books remaind still unconsumd Still to be written and interleavd with brass and iron and gold Time after time for such a journey none but iron pens Can write And adamantine leaves recieve nor can the man who goes The journey obstinate refuse to write time after time Endless had been his travel but the Divine hand him led For infinite the distance and obscurd by Combustions dire By rocky masses frowning in the abysses revolving erratic Round Lakes of fire in the dark deep the ruins of Urizens world Oft would he sit in a dark rift and regulate his books Or sleep such sleep as spirits eternal wearied in his dark Tearful and sorrowful state. then rise look out and ponder His dismal voyage eyeing the next sphere tho far remote Then darting into the Abyss of night his venturous limbs Thro lightnings thunders earthquakes and concussions fires and floods Stemming his downward fall labouring up against futurity Creating many a Vortex fixing many a Science in the deep And thence throwing his venturous limbs into the Vast unknown Swift Swift from Chaos to chaos from void to void a road immense For when he came to where a Vortex ceasd to operate Nor down nor up remaind then if he turnd and lookd back From whence he came twas upward all. and if he turnd and viewd The unpassd void upward was still his mighty wandring The midst between an Equilibrium grey of air serene Where he might live in peace and where his life might meet repose But Urizen said Can I not leave this world of Cumbrous wheels Circle oer Circle nor on high attain a void Where self sustaining I may view all things beneath my feet Or sinking thro these Elemental wonders swift to fall I thought perhaps to find an End a world beneath of voidness Whence I might travel round the outside of this Dark confusion When I bend downward bending my bead downward into the deep Tis upward all which way soever I my course begin But when A Vortex formd on high by labour and sorrow and care And weariness begins on all my limbs then sleep revives My wearied spirits waking then tis downward all which way So ever I my spirits turn no end I find of all O what a world is here unlike those climes of bliss Where my sons gatherd round my knees O thou poor ruind world Thou horrible ruin once like me thou wast all glorious And now like me partaking desolate thy masters lot Art thou O ruin the once glorious heaven are these thy rocks Where joy sang in the trees and pleasure sported on the rivers And laughter sat beneath the Oaks and innocence sported round Upon the green plains and sweet friendship met in palaces And books and instruments of song and pictures of delight Where are they whelmd beneath these ruins in horrible destruction And if Eternal falling I repose on the dark bosom Of winds and waters or thence fall into a Void where air Is not down falling thro immensity ever and ever I lose my powers weakend every revolution till a death Shuts up my powers then a seed in the vast womb of darkness I dwell in dim oblivion. brooding over me the Enormous worlds Reorganize me shooting forth in bones and flesh and blood I am regenerated to fall or rise at will or to remain A labourer of ages a dire discontent a living woe Wandring in vain. Here will I fix my foot and here rebuild Here Mountains of Brass promise much riches in their dreadful bosoms So he began to dig, forming of gold silver and iron And brass vast instruments to measure out the immense and fix The whole into another world better suited to obey His will where none should dare oppose his will himself being King Of All and all futurity be bound in his vast chain And the Sciences were fixd and the Vortexes began to operate On all the sons of men and every human soul terrified At the turning wheels of heaven shrunk away inward withring away Gaining a New Dominion over all his sons and Daughters and over the Sons and daughters of Luvah in the horrible Abyss For Urizen lamented over them in a selfish lamentation Till a white woof coverd his cold limbs from head to feet Hair white as snow coverd him in flaky locks terrific Overspreading his limbs. in pride he wanderd weeping Clothed in aged venerableness obstinately resolvd Travelling thro darkness and whereever he traveld a dire Web Followd behind him as the Web of a Spider dusky and cold Shivering across from Vortex to Vortex drawn out from his mantle of years A living Mantle adjoind to his life and growing from his Soul And the Web of Urizen stretchd direful shivring in clouds And uttering such woes such bursts such thunderings The eyelids expansive as morning and the Ears As a golden ascent winding round to the heavens of heavens Within the dark horrors of the Abysses lion or tyger or scorpion For every one opend within into Eternity at will But they refusd because their outward forms were in the Abyss And the wing like tent of the Universe beautiful surrounding all Or drawn up or let down at the will of the immortal man Vibrated in such anguish the eyelids quiverd Weak and Weaker their expansive orbs began shrinking Pangs smote thro the brain and a universal shriek Ran thro the Abysses rending the web torment on torment Thus Urizen in sorrows wanderd many a dreary way Warring with monsters of the Deeps in his most hideous pilgrimage Till his bright hair scatterd in snows his skin barkd oer with wrinkles Four Caverns rooting downwards their foundations thrusting forth The metal rock and stone in ever painful throes of vegetation The Cave of Orc stood to the South a furnace of dire flames Quenchless unceasing. In the west the Cave of Urizen For Urizen fell as the Midday sun falls down into the West North stood Urthonas stedfast throne a World of Solid darkness Shut up in stifling obstruction rooted in dumb despair The East was Void. But Tharmas rolld his billows in ceaseless eddies Void pathless beat with Snows eternal and iron hail and raint All thro the caverns of fire and air and Earth, Seeking For Enions limbs nought finding but the black sea weed and sickning slime Flying away from Urizen that he might not give him food Above beneath on all sides round in the vast deep of immensity That he might starve the sons and daughters of Urizen on the winds Making between horrible chasms into the vast unknown All these around the world of Los cast forth their monstrous births But in Eternal times the Seat of Urizen is in the South Urthona in the North Luvah in East Tharmas in West And now he came into the Abhorred world of Dark Urthona By Providence divine conducted not bent from his own will Lest death Eternal should be the result for the Will cannot be violated Into the doleful vales where no tree grew nor river flowd Nor man nor beast nor creeping thing nor sun nor cloud nor star Still he with his globe of fire immense in his venturous hand Bore on thro the Affrighted vales ascending and descending Oerwearied or in cumbrous flight he venturd oer dark rifts Or down dark precipices or climbd with pain and labour huge Till he beheld the world of Los from the Peaked rock of Urthona And heard the howling of red Orc distincter and distincter Redoubling his immortal efforts thro the narrow vales With difficulty down descending guided by his Ear And by his globe of fire he went down the Vale of Urthona Between the enormous iron walls built by the Spectre dark Dark grew his globe reddning with mists and full before his path Striding across the narrow vale the Shadow of Urthona A spectre Vast appeard whose feet and legs with iron scaled Stampd the hard rocks expectant of the unknown wanderer Whom he had seen wandring his nether world when distant far And watchd his swift approach collected dark the Spectre stood Beside him Tharmas stayd his flight and stood in stern defiance Communing with the Spectre who rejoicd along the vale Round his loins a girdle glowd with many colourd fires In his hand a knotted Club whose knots like mountains frownd Desart among the Stars them withering with its ridges cold Black scales of iron arm the dread visage iron spikes instead Of hair shoot from his orbed scull. his glowing eyes Burn like two furnaces. he calld with Voice of Thunder Four winged heralds mount the furious blasts and blow their trumps Gold Silver Brass and iron clangors clamoring rend the shores Like white clouds rising from the Vales his fifty two armies From the four Cliffs of Urthona rise glowing around the Spectre Four sons of Urizen the Squadrons of Urthona led in arms Of gold and silver brass and iron he knew his mighty sons Then Urizen arose upon the wind back many a mile Retiring into his dire Web scattering fleecy snows As he ascended howling loud the Web vibrated strong From heaven to heaven from globe to globe. In vast excentric paths Compulsive rolld the Comets at his dread command the dreary way Falling with wheel impetuous down among Urthonas vales And round red Orc returning back to Urizen gorgd with bloodt Slow roll the massy Globes at his command and slow oerwheel The dismal squadrons of Urthona. weaving the dire Web In their progressions and preparing Urizens path before him [End of Night the Sixth] Night the Seventh Then Urizen arose The Spectre fled and Tharmas fled The darkning Spectre of Urthona hid beneath a rock Tharmas threw his impetuous flight thro the deeps of immensity Revolving round in whirlpools fierce all round the cavernd worlds But Urizen silent descended to the Caves of Orc and saw A Cavernd Universe of flaming fire the horses of Urizen Here bound to fiery mangers furious dash their golden hoofs Striking fierce sparkles from their brazen fetters. fierce his lions Howl in the burning dens his tygers roam ill the redounding smoke In forests of affliction. the adamantine scales of justice Consuming in the raging lamps of mercy pourd in rivers The holy oil rages thro all the cavernd rocks fierce flames Dance on the rivers and the rocks howling and drunk with fury The plow of ages and the golden harrow wade thro fields Of goary blood the immortal seed is nourishd for the slaughter The bulls of Luvah breathing fire bellow on burning pastures Round howling Orc whose awful limbs cast forth red smoke and fire That Urizen approachd not near but took his seat on a rock And rangd his books around him brooding Envious over Orc Howling and rending his dark caves the awful Demon lay Pulse after pulse beat on his fetters pulse after pulse his spirit Darted and darted higher and higher to the shrine of Enitharmon As when the thunder folds himself in thickest clouds The watry nations couch and hide in the profoundest deeps Then bursting from his troubled head with terrible visages and flaming hair His swift wingd daughters sweep across the vast black ocean Los felt the Envy in his limbs like to a blighted tree For Urizen fixd in Envy sat brooding and coverd with snow His book of iron on his knees he tracd the dreadful letters While his snows fell and his storms beat to cool the flames of Orc Age after Age till underneath his heel a deadly root Struck thro the rock the root of Mystery accursed shooting up Branches into the heaven of Los they pipe formd bending down Take root again whereever they touch again branching forth In intricate labyrinths oerspreading many a grizly deep Amazd started Urizen when he found himself compassd round And high roofed over with trees. he arose but the stems Stood so thick he with difficulty and great pain brought His books out of the dismal shade. all but the book of iron Again he took his seat and rangd his Books aroundt On a rock of iron frowning over the foaming fires of Orc And Urizen hung over Ore and viewd his terrible wrath Sitting upon an iron Crag at length his words broke forth Image of dread whence art thou whence is this most woful place Whence these fierce fires but from thyself No other living thing In all this Chasm I behold. No other living thing Dare thy most terrible wrath abide Bound here to waste in pain Thy vital substance in these fires that issue new and new Around thee sometimes like a flood and sometimes like a rock Of living pangs thy horrible bed glowing with ceaseless fires Beneath thee and around Above a Shower of fire now beats Moulded to globes and arrowy wedges rending thy bleeding limbs And now a whirling pillar of burning sands to overwhelm thee Steeping thy wounds in salts infernal and in bitter anguish And now a rock moves on the surface of this lake of fire To bear thee down beneath the waves in stifling despair Pity for thee movd me to break my dark and long repose And to reveal myself before thee in a form of wisdom Yet thou dost laugh at all these tortures and this horrible place Yet throw thy limbs these fires abroad that back return upon thee While thou reposest throwing rage on rage feeding thyself With visions of sweet bliss far other than this burning clime Sure thou art bathd in rivers of delight on verdant fields Walking in joy in bright Expanses sleeping on bright clouds With visions of delight so lovely that they urge thy rage Tenfold with fierce desire to rend thy chain and howl in fury And dim oblivion of all woe and desperate repose Or is thy joy founded on torment which others bear for thee Orc answer'd Curse thy hoary brows. What dost thou in this deep Thy Pity I contemn scatter thy snows elsewhere I rage in the deep for Lo my feet and hands are naild to the burning rock Yet my fierce fires are better than thy snows Shuddring thou sittest Thou art not chaind Why shouldst thou sit cold grovelling demon of woe In tortures of dire coldness now a Lake of waters deep Sweeps over thee freezing to solid still thou sitst closd up In that transparent rock as if in joy of thy bright prison Till overburdend with its own weight drawn out thro immensity With a crash breaking across the horrible mass comes down Thundring and hail and frozen iron haild from the Element Rends thy white hair yet thou dost fixd obdurate brooding sit Writing thy books. Anon a cloud filld with a waste of snows Covers thee still obdurate still resolvd and writing still Tho rocks roll oer thee tho floods pour tho winds black as the Seat Cut thee in gashes tho the blood pours down around thy ankles Freezing thy feet to the hard rock still thy pen obdurate Traces the wonders of Futurity in horrible fear of the future I rage furious in the deep for lo my feet and hands are naild To the hard rock or thou shouldst feel my enmity and hate In all the diseases of man falling upon thy grey accursed front Urizen answerd Read my books explore my Constellations Enquire of my Sons and they shall teach thee how to War Enquire of my Daughters who accursd in the dark depths Knead bread of Sorrow by my stern command for I am God Of all this dreadful ruin Rise O daughters at my Stern command Rending the Rocks Eleth and Uveth rose and Ona rose Terrific with their iron vessels driving them across In the dim air they took the book of iron and placd above On clouds of death and sang their songs Kneading the bread of Orc Orc listend to the song compelld hungring on the cold wind That swaggd heavy with the accursed dough. the hoar frost ragd Thro Onas sieve the torrent rain pourd from the iron pail Of Eleth and the icy hands of Uveth kneaded the bread The heavens bow with terror underneath their iron hands Singing at their dire work the words of Urizens book of iron While the enormous scrolls rolld dreadful in the heavens above And still the burden of their song in tears was poured forth The bread is Kneaded let us rest O cruel father of children But Urizen remitted not their labours upon his rock And Urizen Read in his book of brass in sounding tonest Listen O Daughters to my voice. Listen to the Words of Wisdom So shall ye govern over all let Moral Duty tune your tongue But be your hearts harder than the nether millstone To bring the shadow of Enitharmon beneath our wondrous tree That Los may Evaporate like smoke and be no more Draw down Enitharmon to the Spectre of Urthona And let him have dominion over Los the terrible shade Compell the poor to live upon a Crust of bread by soft mild arts Smile when they frown frown when they smile and when a man looks pale With labour and abstinence say he looks healthy and happy And when his children Sicken let them die there are enough Born even too many and our Earth will be overrun Without these arts If you would make the poor live with temper With pomp give every crust of bread you give with gracious cunning Magnify small gifts reduce the man to want a gift and then give with pomp Say he smiles if you hear him sigh If pale say he is ruddy Preach temperance say he is overgorgd and drowns his wit In strong drink tho you know that bread and water are all He can afford Flatter his wife pity his children till we can Reduce all to our will as spaniels are taught with art Lo how the heart and brain are formed in the breeding womb Of Enitharmon how it buds with life and forms the bones The little heart the liver and the red blood in its labyrinths By gratified desire by strong devouring appetite she fills Los with ambitious fury that his race shall all devour Then Orc cried Curse thy Cold hypocrisy. already round thy Tree In scales that shine with gold and rubies thou beginnest to weaken My divided Spirit Like a worm I rise in peace unbound From wrath Now When I rage my fetters bind me more O torment O torment A Worm compelld. Am I a worm Is it in strong deceit that man is born. In strong deceit Thou dost restrain my fury that the worm may fold the tree Avaunt Cold hypocrite I am chaind or thou couldst not use me thus The Man shall rage bound with this Chain the worm in silence creep Thou wilt not cease from rage Grey Demon silence all thy storms Give me example of thy mildness King of furious hail storms Art thou the cold attractive power that holds me in this chain I well remember how I stole thy light and it became fire Consuming. Thou Knowst me now O Urizen Prince of Light And I know thee is this the triumph this the Godlike State That lies beyond the bounds of Science in the Grey obscure Terrified Urizen heard Orc now certain that he was Luvah And Orc began to Organize a Serpent body Despising Urizens light and turning it into flaming fire Recieving as a poisond Cup Recieves the heavenly wine And turning affection into fury and thought into abstractiont A Self consuming dark devourer rising into the heavens Urizen envious brooding sat and saw the secret terror Flame high in pride and laugh to scorn the source of his deceit Nor knew the source of his own but thought himself the Sole author Of all his wandering Experiments in the horrible Abyss He knew that weakness stretches out in breadth and length he knew That wisdom reaches high and deep and therefore he made Orc In Serpent form compelld stretch out and up the mysterious tree He sufferd him to Climb that he might draw all human forms Into submission to his will nor knew the dread result Los sat in showers of Urizen watching cold Enitharmon His broodings rush down to his feet producing Eggs that hatching Burst forth upon the winds above the tree of Mystery Enitharmon lay on his knees. Urizen tracd his Verses In the dark deep the dark tree grew. her shadow was drawn down Down to the roots it wept over Orc. the Shadow of Enitharmon Los saw her stretchd the image of death upon his witherd valleys Her Shadow went forth and returnd Now she was pale as Snow When the mountains and hills are coverd over and the paths of Men shut up But when her spirit returnd as ruddy as a morning when The ripe fruit blushes into joy in heavens eternal halls Sorrow shot thro him from his feet it shot up to his head Like a cold night that nips the root and shatters off the leaves Silent he stood oer Enitharmon watching her pale face He spoke not he was Silent till he felt the cold disease Then Los mournd on the dismal wind in his jealous lamentation Why can I not Enjoy thy beauty Lovely Enitharmon When I return from clouds of Grief in the wandring Elements Where thou in thrilling joy in beaming summer loveliness Delectable reposest ruddy in my absence flaming with beauty Cold pale in sorrow at my approach trembling at my terrific Forehead and eyes thy lips decay like roses in the spring How art thou Shrunk thy grapes that burst in summers vast Excess Shut up in little purple covering faintly bud and die Thy olive trees that pourd down oil upon a thousand hills Sickly look forth and scarcely stretch their branches to the plain Thy roses that expanded in the face of glowing morn Hid in a little silken veil scarce breathe and faintly shine Thy lilies that gave light what time the morning looked forth Hid in the Vales faintly lament and no one hears their voice All things beside the woful Los enjoy the delights of beauty Once how I sang and calld the beasts and birds to their delights Nor knew that I alone exempted from the joys of love Must war with secret monsters of the animating worlds O that I had not seen the day then should I be at rest Nor felt the stingings of desire nor longings after life For life is Sweet to Los the wretched to his winged woes Is given a craving cry that they may sit at night on barren rocks And whet their beaks and snuff the air and watch the opening dawn And Shriek till at the smells of blood they stretch their boney wings And cut the winds like arrows shot by troops of Destiny Thus Los lamented in the night unheard by Enitharmon For the Shadow of Enitharmon descended down the tree of Mystery The Spectre saw the Shade Shivering over his gloomy rocks Beneath the tree of Mystery which in the dismal Abyss Began to blossom in fierce pain shooting its writhing buds In throes of birth and now the blossoms falling shining fruit Appeard of many colours and of various poisonous qualities Of Plagues hidden in shining globes that grew on the living tree The Spectre of Urthona saw the Shadow of Enitharmon Beneath the Tree of Mystery among the leaves and fruit Reddning the Demon strong prepard the poison of sweet Love He turnd from side to side in tears he wept and he embracd The fleeting image and in whispers mild wood the faint shade Loveliest delight of Men. Enitharmon shady hiding In secret places where no eye can trace thy watry way Have I found thee have I found thee tremblest thou in fear Because of Orc because he rent his discordant way From thy sweet loins of bliss. red flowd thy blood Pale grew thy face lightnings playd around thee thunders hoverd Over thee, and the terrible Orc rent his discordant wayt But the next joy of thine shall be in sweet delusion And its birth in fainting and sleep and Sweet delusions of Vala The Shadow of Enitharmon answerd Art thou terrible Shade Set over this sweet boy of mine to guard him lest he rend His mother to the winds of heaven Intoxicated with The fruit of this delightful tree. I cannot flee away From thy embrace else be assurd so horrible a form Should never in my arms repose. now listen I will tell Thee Secrets of Eternity which neer before unlockd My golden lips nor took the bar from Enitharmons breast Among the Flowers of Beulah walkd the Eternal Man and Saw Vala the lilly of the desart. melting in high noon Upon her bosom in sweet bliss he fainted Wonder siezd All heaven they saw him dark. they built a golden wall Round Beulah There he reveld in delight among the Flowers Vala was pregnant and brought forth Urizen Prince of Light First born of Generation. Then behold a wonder to the Eyes Of the now fallen Man a double form Vala appeard. A Male And female shuddring pale the Fallen Man recoild From the Enormity and calld them Luvah and Vala. turning down The vales to find his way back into Heaven but found none For his frail eyes were faded and his ears heavy and dull Urizen grew up in the plains of Beulah Many Sons And many daughters flourishd round the holy Tent of Man Till he forgot Eternity delighted in his sweet joy Among his family his flocks and herds and tents and pastures But Luvah close conferrd with Urizen in darksom night To bind the father and enslave the brethren Nought he knew Of sweet Eternity the blood flowd round the holy tent and rivn From its hinges uttering its final groan all Beulah fell In dark confusion mean time Los was born and Enitharmon But how I know not then forgetfulness quite wrapd me up A period nor do I more remember till I stood Beside Los in the Cavern dark enslavd to vegetative forms According to the Will of Luvah who assumd the Place Of the Eternal Man and smote him. But thou Spectre dark Maist find a way to punish Vala in thy fiery South To bring her down subjected to the rage of my fierce boy The Spectre said. Thou lovely Vision this delightful Tree Is given us for a Shelter from the tempests of Void and Solid Till once again the morn of ages shall renew upon us To reunite in those mild fields of happy Eternity Where thou and I in undivided Essence walkd about Imbodied. thou my garden of delight and I the spirit in the garden Mutual there we dwelt in one anothers joy revolving Days of Eternity with Tharmas mild and Luvah sweet melodious Upon our waters. This thou well rememberest listen I will tell What thou forgettest. They in us and we in them alternate Livd Drinking the joys of Universal Manhood. One dread morn Listen O vision of Delight One dread morn of goary blood The manhood was divided for the gentle passions making way Thro the infinite labyrinths of the heart and thro the nostrils issuing In odorous stupefaction stood before the Eyes of Man A female bright. I stood beside my anvil dark a mass Of iron glowd bright prepard for spades and plowshares. sudden down I sunk with cries of blood issuing downward in the veins Which now my rivers were become rolling in tubelike formst Shut up within themselves descending down I sunk along The goary tide even to the place of seed and there dividing I was divided in darkness and oblivion thou an infant woe And I an infant terror in the womb of Enion My masculine spirit scorning the frail body issud forth From Enions brain In this deformed form leaving thee there Till times passd over thee but still my spirit returning hoverd And formd a Male to be a counterpart to thee O Love Darkend and Lost In due time issuing forth from Enions womb Thou and that demon Los wert born Ah jealousy and woe Ah poor divided dark Urthona now a Spectre wandering The deeps of Los the Slave of that Creation I created I labour night and day for Los but listen thou my vision I view futurity in thee I will bring down soft Vala To the embraces of this terror and I will destroy That body I created then shall we unite again in bliss Thou knowest that the Spectre is in Every Man insane brutish Deformd that I am thus a ravening devouring lust continually Craving and devouring but my Eyes are always upon thee O lovely Delusion and I cannot crave for any thing but thee not so The spectres of the Dead for I am as the Spectre of the Living For till these terrors planted round the Gates of Eternal life Are driven away and annihilated we never can repass the Gates Astonishd filld with tears the spirit of Enitharmon beheld And heard the Spectre bitterly she wept Embracing ferventt Her once lovd Lord now but a Shade herself also a shade Conferring times on times among the branches of that Tree Thus they conferrd among the intoxicating fumes of Mystery Till Enitharmons shadow pregnant in the deeps beneath Brought forth a wonder horrible. While Enitharmon shriekd And trembled thro the Worlds above Los wept his fierce soul was terrifid At the shrieks of Enitharmon at her tossings nor could his eyes percieve The cause of her dire anguish for she lay the image of Death Movd by strong shudders till her shadow was deliverd then she ran Raving about the upper Elements in maddning fury She burst the Gates of Enitharmons heart with direful Crash Nor could they ever be closd again the golden hinges were broken And the gates broke in sunder and their ornaments defacd Beneath the tree of Mystery for the immortal shadow shuddering Brought forth this wonder horrible a Cloud she grew and grew Till many of the dead burst forth from the bottoms of their tombs In male forms without female counterparts or Emanations Cruel and ravening with Enmity and Hatred and War In dreams of Ulro dark delusive drawn by the lovely shadowt The Spectre terrified gave her Charge over the howling Orc But in the deeps beneath the Roots of Mystery in darkest night Where Urizen sat on his rock the Shadow brooded Urizen saw and triumphd and he cried to his warriors The time of Prophecy is now revolvd and all This Universal Ornament is mine and in my hands The ends of heaven like a Garment will I fold them round me Consuming what must be consumd then in power and majesty I will walk forth thro those wide fields of endless Eternity A God and not a Man a Conqueror in triumphant glory And all the Sons of Everlasting shall bow down at my feet First Trades and Commerce ships and armed vessels he builded laborious To swim the deep and on the Land children are sold to trades Of dire necessity still laboring day and night till all Their life extinct they took the spectre form in dark despair And slaves in myriads in ship loads burden the hoarse sounding deep Rattling with clanking chains the Universal Empire groans And he commanded his Sons found a Center in the Deep And Urizen laid the first Stone and all his myriads Builded a temple in the image of the human heart And in the inner part of the Temple wondrous workmanship They formd the Secret place reversing all the order of delight That whosoever enterd into the temple might not behold The hidden wonders allegoric of the Generations Of secret lust when hid in chambers dark the nightly harlot Plays in Disguise in whisperd hymn and mumbling prayer The priests He ordaind and Priestesses clothd in disguises beastial Inspiring secrecy and lamps they bore intoxicating fumes Roll round the Temple and they took the Sun that glowd oer Los And with immense machines down rolling. the terrific orb Compell'd. The Sun reddning like a fierce lion in his chains Descended to the sound of instruments that drownd the noise Of the hoarse wheels and the terrific howlings of wild beasts That dragd the wheels of the Suns chariot and they put the Sun Into the temple of Urizen to give light to the Abyss To light the War by day to hide his secret beams by night For he divided day and night in different orderd portions The day for war the night for secret religion in his templet Los reard his mighty stature on Earth stood his feet. Above The moon his furious forehead circled with black bursting thunders His naked limbs glittring upon the dark blue sky his knees Bathed in bloody clouds. his loins in fires of war where spears And swords rage where the Eagles cry and the Vultures laugh saying Now comes the night of Carnage now the flesh of Kings and Princes Pamperd in palaces for our food the blood of Captains nurturd With lust and murder for our drink the drunken Raven shall wander All night among the slain and mock the wounded that groan in the field Tharmas laughd furious among the Banners clothd in blood Crying As I will I rend the Nations all asunder rending The People, vain their combinations I will scatter them But thou O Son whom I have crowned and inthrond thee Strong I will preserve tho Enemies arise around thee numberless I will command my winds and they shall scatter them or call My Waters like a flood around thee fear not trust in me And I will give thee all the ends of heaven for thy possession In war shalt thou bear rule in blood shalt thou triumph for me Because in times of Everlasting I was rent in sunder And what I loved best was divided among my Enemies My little daughters were made captives and I saw them beaten With whips along the sultry sands. I heard those whom I lovdt Crying in secret tents at night and in the morn compelld To labour and behold my heart sunk down beneath In sighs and sobbings all dividing till I was divided In twain and lo my Crystal form that lived in my bosom Followd her daughters to the fields of blood they left me naked Alone and they refusd to return from the fields of the mighty Therefore I will reward them as they have rewarded me I will divide them in my anger and thou O my King Shalt gather them from out their graves and put thy fetter on them And bind them to thee that my crystal form may come to me So cried the Demon of the Waters in the Clouds of Los Outstretchd upon the hills lay Enitharmon clouds and tempests Beat round her head all night all day she riots in Excess But night or day Los follows War and the dismal moon rolls over her That when Los warrd upon the South reflected the fierce fires Of his immortal head into the North upon faint Enitharmon Red rage the furies of fierce Orc black thunders roll round Los Flaming his head like the bright sun seen thro a mist that magnifies His disk into a terrible vision to the Eyes of trembling mortals And Enitharmon trembling and in fear utterd these words I put not any trust in thee nor in thy glittering scales Thy eyelids are a terror to me and the flaming of thy crest The rushing of thy Scales confound me thy hoarse rushing scales And if that Los had Dot built me a tower upon a rock I must have died in the dark desart among noxious worms How shall I flee how shall I flee into the tower of Los My feet are turned backward and my footsteps slide in clay And clouds are closd around my tower my arms labour in vain Does not the God of waters in the wracking Elements Love those who hate rewarding with hate the Loving Soul And must not I obey the God thou Shadow of Jealousy I cry the watchman heareth not I pour my voice in roarings Watchman the night is thick and darkness cheats my rayie sight Lift up Lift up O Los awake my watchman for he sleepeth Lift up Lift up Shine forth O Light watchman thy light is out O Los unless thou keep my tower the Watchman will be slain So Enitharmon cried upon her terrible Earthy bed While the broad Oak wreathd his roots round her forcing his dark way Thro caves of death into Existence The Beech long limbd advancd Terrific into the paind heavens The fruit trees humanizing Shewd their immortal energies in warlike desperation Rending the heavens and earths and drinking blood in the hot battle To feed their fruit to gratify their hidden sons and daughters That far within the close recesses of their secret palaces Viewd the vast war and joyd wishing to vegetate Into the Worlds of Enitharmon Loud the roaring winds Burdend with clouds howl round the Couch sullen the wooly sheep Walks thro the battle Dark and fierce the Bull his rage Propagates thro the warring Earth The Lion raging in flames The Tyger in redounding smoke The Serpent of the woods And of the waters and the scorpion of the desart irritate With harsh songs every living soul. The Prester Serpent runs Along the ranks crying Listen to the Priest of God ye warriors This Cowl upon my head he placd in times of Everlasting And said Go forth and guide my battles. like the jointed spine Of Man I made thee when I blotted Man from life and light Take thou the seven Diseases of Man store them for times to come In store houses in secret places that I will tell thee of To be my great and awful curses at the time appointed The Prester Serpent ceasd the War song sounded loud and strong Thro all the heavens Urizens Web vibrated torment on torment Thus in the Caverns of the Grave and Places of human seedt The nameless shadowy Vortex stood before the face of Orc The Shadow reard her dismal head over the flaming youth With sighs and howling and deep sobs that he might lose his rage And with it lose himself in meekness she embracd his fire As when the Earthquake rouzes from his den his shoulders huge Appear above the crumbling Mountain. Silence waits around him A moment then astounding horror belches from the Center The fiery dogs arise the shoulders huge appear So Orc rolld round his clouds upon the deeps of dark Urthona 1 Knowing the arts of Urizen were Pity and Meek affection t And that by these arts the Serpent form exuded from his limbs Silent as despairing love and strong as Jealousy Jealous that she was Vala now become Urizens harlot And the Harlot of Los and the deluded harlot of the Kings of Earth His soul was gnawn in sunder The hairy shoulders rend the links free are the wrists of fire Red rage redounds he rouzd his lions from his forests black They howl around the flaming youth rending the nameless shadow And running their immortal course thro solid darkness borne Loud sounds the war song round red Orc in his fury And round the nameless shadowy Female in her howling terror When all the Elemental Gods joind in the wondrous Song Sound the War trumpet terrific Souls clad in attractive steel Sound the shrill fife serpents of war. I hear the northern drum Awake, I hear the flappings of the folding banners The dragons of the North put on their armour Upon the Eastern sea direct they take their course The glittring of their horses trapping stains the vault of night Stop we the rising of the glorious King. spur spur your clouds Of death O northern drum awake O hand of iron sound The northern drum. Now give the charge! bravely obscurd! With darts of wintry hail. Again the black bow draw Again the Elemental Strings to your right breasts draw And let the thundring drum speed on the arrows black The arrows flew from cloudy bow all day. till blood From east to west flowd like the human veins in rivers Of life upon the plains of death and valleys of despair Now sound the clarions of Victory now strip the slain clothe yourselves in golden arms brothers of war They sound the clarions strong they chain the howling captives they give the Oath of blood They cast the lots into the helmet, They vote the death of Luvah and they naild him to the tree They piercd him with a spear and laid him in a sepulcher To die a death of Six thousand years bound round with desolation The sun was black and the moon rolld a useless globe thro heaven Then left the Sons of Urizen the plow and harrow the loom The hammer and the Chisel and the rule and compasses They forgd the sword the chariot of war the battle ax The trumpet fitted to the battle and the flute of summer And all the arts of life they changd into the arts of death The hour glass contemnd because its simple workmanship Was as the workmanship of the plowman and the water wheel That raises water into Cisterns broken and burnd in fire Because its workmanship was like the workmanship of the Shepherd And in their stead intricate wheels invented Wheel without wheel To perplex youth in their outgoings and to bind to labours Of day and night the myriads of Eternity. that they might file And polish brass and iron hour after hour laborious workmanship Kept ignorant of the use that they might spend the days of wisdom In sorrowful drudgery to obtain a scanty pittance of bread In ignorance to view a small portion and think that All And call it Demonstration blind to all the simple rules of life Now now the Battle rages round thy tender limbs O Vala Now smile among thy bitter tears now put on all thy beauty Is not the wound of the sword Sweet and the broken bone delightful Wilt thou now smile among the slain when the wounded groan in the field Life up thy blue eyes Vala and put on thy sapphire shoes O Melancholy Magdalen behold the morning breaks Gird on thy flaming Zone. descend into the Sepulcher Scatter the blood from thy golden brow the tears from thy silver locks Shake off the waters from thy wings and the dust from thy white garments Remember all thy feigned terrors on the secret Couch When the sun rose in glowing morn with arms of mighty hosts Marching to battle who was wont to rise with Urizens harpst Girt as a Sower with his seed to scatter life abroad Arise O Vala bring the bow of Urizen bring the swift arrows of light How ragd the golden horses of Urizen bound to the chariot of Love Compelld to leave the plow to the Ox to snuff up the winds of desolation To trample the corn fields in boastful neighings. this is no gentle harp This is no warbling brook nor Shadow of a Myrtle tree But blood and wounds and dismal cries and clarions of war And hearts laid open to the light by the broad grizly sword And bowels hidden in hammerd steel rippd forth upon the Groundt Call forth thy Smiles of soft deceit call forth thy cloudy tears We hear thy sighs in trumpets shrill when Morn shall blood renew So sung the demons of the deep the Clarions of war blew loud Orc rent her and his human form consumd in his own fires Mingled with her dolorous members strewn thro the Abyss She joyd in all the Conflict Gratified and drinking tears of woe No more remaind of Orc but the Serpent round the tree of Mystery The form of Orc was gone he reard his serpent bulk among The stars of Urizen in Power rending the form of lifet Into a formless indefinite and strewing her on the Abyss Like clouds upon the winter sky broken with winds and thunders This was to her Supreme delight The Warriors mournd disappointed They go out to war with Strong Shouts and loud Clarions O Pity They return with lamentations mourning and weeping Invisible or visible drawn out in length or stretchd in breadth The Shadowy Female varied in the War in her delight Howling in discontent black and heavy uttering brute sounds Wading thro fens among the slimy weeds making Lamentations To decieve Tharmas in his rage to soothe his furious soul To stay him in his flight that Urizen might live tho in pain He said Art thou bright Enion is the Shadow of hope returnd And She said Tharmas I am Vala bless thy innocent face Doth Enion avoid the sight of thy blue watry eyes Be not perswaded that the air knows this or the falling dew Tharmas replid O Vala once I livd in a garden of delight I wakend Enion in the Morning and she turnd away Among the apple trees and all the gardens of delight Swam like a dream before my eyes I went to seek the steps Of Enion in the gardens and the shadows compassd me And closd me in a watry world of woe where Enion stood Trembling before me like a shadow like a mist like air And she is gone and here alone I war with darkness and death I hear thy voice but not thy form see. thou and all delight And life appear and vanish mocking me with shadows of false hope Hast thou forgot that the air listens thro all its districts telling The subtlest thoughts shut up from light in chambers of the Moon Tharmas. The Moon has chambers where the babes of love lie hid And whence they never can be brought in all Eternity Unless exposd by their vain parents. Lo him whom I love Is hidden from me and I never in all Eternity Shall see him Enitharmon and Ahania combind with Enion Hid him in that Outrageous form of Orc which torments me for Sin For all my Secret faults which he brings forth upon the light Of day in jealousy and blood my Children are led to Urizens war Before my eyes and for every one of these I am condemnd To Eternal torment in these flames for tho I have the power To rise on high Yet love here binds me down and never never Will I arise till him I love is loosd from this dark chain Tharmas replied Vala thy Sins have lost us heaven and bliss Thou art our Curse and till I can bring love into the light I never will depart from my great wrath So Tharmas waild wrathful then rode upon the Stormy Deep Cursing the Voice that mockd him with false hope in furious mood Then She returns swift as a blight upon the infant bud Howling in all the notes of woe to stay his furious rage Stamping the hills wading or swimming flying furious or falling Or like an Earthquake rumbling in the bowels of the earth Or like a cloud beneath and like a fire flaming in high Walking in pleasure of the hills or murmuring in the dales Like to a rushing torrent beneath and a falling rock above A thunder cloud in the south and a lulling voice heard in the north And she went forth and saw the forms of Life and of delight Walking on Mountains or flying in the open expanse of heaven She heard sweet voices in the winds and in the voices of birds That rose from waters for the waters were as the voice of Luvah Not seen to her like waters or like this dark world of death Tho all those fair perfections which men know only by name In beautiful substantial forms appeard and served her As food or drink or ornament or in delightful works To build her bowers for the Elements brought forth abundantly The living soul in glorious forms and every one came forth Walking before her Shadowy face and bowing at her feet But in vain delights were poured forth on the howling melancholy For her delight the horse his proud neck bowd and his white mane And the Strong Lion deignd in his mouth to wear the golden bit While the far beaming Peacock waited on the fragrant wind To bring her fruits of sweet delight from trees of richest wonders And the strong piniond Eagle bore the fire of heaven in the night season Wood and subdud into Eternal Death the Demon Lay In rage against the dark despair. the howling Melancholy For far and wide she stretchd thro all the worlds of Urizens journey And was Ajoind to Beulah as the Polypus to the Rock Mourning the daughters of Beulah saw nor could they have sustaind The horrid sight of death and torment But the Eternal Promise They wrote on all their tombs and pillars and on every Urn These words If ye will believe your Brother shall rise again In golden letters ornamented with sweet labours of Love Waiting with Patience for the fulfilment of the Promise Divinet And all the Songs of Beulah sounded comfortable notes Not suffring doubt to rise up from the Clouds of the Shadowy Female Then myriads of the Dead burst thro the bottoms of their tombs Descending on the shadowy females clouds in Spectrous terror Beyond the Limit of Translucence on the Lake of Udan Adan These they namd Satans and in the Aggregate they namd them Satan Then took the tree of Mystery root in the World of Los Its topmost boughs shooting a fibre beneath Enitharmons couch The double rooted Labyrinth soon wavd around their heads But then the Spectre enterd Los's bosom Every sigh and groan Of Enitharmon bore Urthonas Spectre on its wings Obdurate Los felt Pity Enitharmon told the tale Of Urthona. Los embracd the Spectre first as a brother Then as another Self; astonishd humanizing and in tears In Self abasement Giving up his Domineering lust Thou never canst embrace sweet Enitharmon terrible Demon. Till Thou art united with thy Spectre Consummating by pains and labours That mortal body and by Self annihilation back returningt To Life Eternal be assurd I am thy real Self Tho thus divided from thee and the Slave of Every passion Of thy fierce Soul Unbar the Gates of Memory look upon me Not as another but as thy real Self I am thy Spectre Thou didst subdue me in old times by thy Immortal Strength When I was a ravning hungring and thirsting cruel lust and murder Tho horrible and Ghastly to thine Eyes tho buried beneath The ruins of the Universe. hear what inspird I speak and be silent If we unite in one, another better world will bet Opend within your heart and loins and wondrous brain Threefold as it was in Eternity and this the fourth Universe Will be Renewd by the three and consummated in Mental fires But if thou dost refuse Another body will be prepared For me and thou annihilate evaporate and be no more For thou art but a form and organ of life and of thyself Art nothing being Created Continually by Mercy and Love divine Los furious answerd. Spectre horrible thy words astound my Ear With irresistible conviction I feel I am not one of those Who when convincd can still persist. tho furious.controllable By Reasons power. Even I already feel a World within Opening its gates and in it all the real substances Of which these in the outward World are shadows which pass away Come then into my Bosom and in thy shadowy arms bring with thee My lovely Enitharmon. I will quell my fury and teach Peace to the Soul of dark revenge and repentance to Cruelty So spoke Los and Embracing Enitharmon and the Spectre Clouds would have folded round in Extacy and Love uniting But Enitharmon trembling fled and hid beneath Urizens tree But mingling together with his Spectre the Spectre of Urthona Wondering beheld the Center opend by Divine Mercy inspired He in his turn Gave Tasks to Los Enormous to destroyt That body he created but in vain for Los performd Wonders of labour They Builded Golgonooza Los labouring builded pillars hight And Domes terrific in the nether heavens for beneath Was opend new heavens and a new Earth beneath and within Threefold within the brain within the heart within the loins A Threefold Atmosphere Sublime continuous from Urthonas worldt But yet having a Limit Twofold named Satan and Adam But Los stood on the Limit of Translucence weeping and trembling Filled with doubts in self accusation beheld the fruitt Of Urizens Mysterious tree For Enitharmon thus spake When In the Deeps beneath I gatherd of this ruddy fruit It was by that I knew that I had Sinnd and then I knew That without a ransom I could not be savd from Eternal death That Life lives upon Death and by devouring appetite All things subsist on one another thenceforth in Despair I spend my glowing time but thou art strong and mighty To bear this Self conviction take then Eat thou also of The fruit and give me proof of life Eternal or I die Then Los plucked the fruit and Eat and sat down in Despair And must have given himself to death Eternal But Urthonas spectre in part mingling with him comforted him Being a medium between him and Enitharmon But This Union Was not to be Effected without Cares and Sorrows and Troubles Of six thousand Years of self denial and of bitter Contrition Urthonas Spectre terrified beheld the Spectres of the Dead Each Male formd without a counterpart without a concentering vision The Spectre of Urthona wept before Los Saying I am the cause That this dire state commences I began the dreadful state Of Separation and on my dark head the curse and punishment Must fall unless a way be found to Ransom and Redeemt But I have thee my Counterpart Vegetating miraculoust These Spectres have not, therefore they ravin Without the food of life Let us Create them For without a Created body the Spectre is Eternal Death Los trembling answerd Now I feel the weight of stern repentance Tremble not so my Enitharmon at the awful gates Of thy poor broken Heart I see thee like a shadow withering As on the outside of Existence but look! behold! take comfort! Turn inwardly thine Eyes and there behold the Lamb of God Clothed in Luvahs robes of blood descending to redeem O Spectre of Urthona take comfort O Enitharmon Couldst thou but cease from terror and trembling and affright When I appear before thee in forgiveness of ancient injuries Why shouldst thou remember and be afraid. I surely have died in pain Often enough to convince thy jealousy and fear and terrort Come hither be patient let us converse together because I also tremble at myself and at all my former life Enitharmon answerd I behold the Lamb of God descending To Meet these Spectres of the Dead I therefore fear that he Will give us to Eternal Death fit punishment for such Hideous offenders Uttermost extinction in eternal pain An ever dying life of stifling and obstruction shut out Of existence to be a sign and terror to all who behold Lest any should in futurity do as we have done in heaven Such is our state nor will the Son of God redeem us but destroy So Enitharmon spoke trembling and in torrents of tears Los sat in Golgonooza in the Gate of Luban wheret He had erected many porches where branchd the Mysterious Tree Where the Spectrous dead wail and sighing thus he spoke to Enitharmon Lovely delight of Men Enitharmon shady refuge from furious war Thy bosom translucent is a soft repose for the weeping souls Of those piteous victims of battle there they sleep in happy obscurity They feed upon our life we are their victims. Stern desire I feel to fabricate embodied semblances in which the dead May live before us in our palaces and in our gardens of labour Which now opend within the Center we behold spread abroad To form a world of Sacrifice of brothers and sons and daughters To comfort Orc in his dire sufferings; look! my fires enlume afresh Before my face ascending with delight as in ancient times Enitharmon spread her beaming locks upon the wind and said O Lovely terrible Los wonder of Eternity O Los my defence and guide Thy works are all my joy. and in thy fires my soul delights If mild they burn in just proportion and in secret night And silence build their day in shadow of soft clouds and dews Then I can sigh forth on the winds of Golgonooza piteous forms That vanish again into my bosom but if thou my Los Wilt in sweet moderated fury. fabricate forms sublime Such as the piteous spectres may assimilate themselves into They shall be ransoms for our Souls that we may live So Enitharmon spoke and Los his hands divine inspired began To modulate his fires studious the loud roaring flames He vanquishd with the strength of Art bending their iron points And drawing them forth delighted upon the winds of Golgonooza From out the ranks of Urizens war and from the fiery lake Of Orc bending down as the binder of the Sheaves follows The reaper in both arms embracing the furious raging flames Los drew them forth out of the deeps planting his right foot firm Upon the Iron crag of Urizen thence springing up aloft Into the heavens of Enitharmon in a mighty circle And first he drew a line upon the walls of shining heaven And Enitharmon tincturd it with beams of blushing love It remaind permanent a lovely form inspird divinely human Dividing into just proportions Los unwearied labourd The immortal lines upon the heavens till with sighs of love Sweet Enitharmon mild Entrancd breathd forth upon the wind The spectrous dead Weeping the Spectres viewd the immortal works Of Los Assimilating to those forms Embodied and Lovely In youth and beauty in the arms of Enitharmon mild reposing First Rintrah and then Palamabron drawn from out the ranks of war In infant innocence reposd on Enitharmons bosom Orc was comforted in the deeps his soul revivd in them As the Eldest brother is the fathers image So Orc became As Los a father to his brethren and he joyd in the dark lake Tho bound with chains of Jealousy and in scales of iron and brass But Los loved them and refusd to Sacrifice their infant limbs And Enitharmons smiles and tears prevaild over self protection They rather chose to meet Eternal death than to destroy The offspring of their Care and Pity Urthonas spectre was comforted But Tharmas most rejoicd in hope of Enions return For he beheld new Female forms born forth upon the air Who wove soft silken veils of covering in sweet rapturd trance Mortal and not as Enitharmon without a covering veil First his immortal spirit drew Urizen’s Shadow away From out the ranks of war separating him in sunder Leaving his Spectrous form which could not be drawn away Then he divided Thiriel the Eldest of Urizens sons Urizen became Rintrah Thiriel became Palamabron Thus dividing the powers of Every Warrior Startled was Los he found his Enemy Urizen now In his hands. he wonderd that he felt love and not hate His whole soul loved him he beheld him an infant Lovely breathd from Enitharmon he trembled within himself [End of Night the Seventh] Night the Eighth Then All in Great Eternity Met in the Council of God as one Man Even Jesus upon Gilead and Hermon Upon the Limit of Contraction to create the fallen Man The Fallen Man stretchd like a Corse upon the oozy Rock t Washd with the tides Pale overgrown with weeds That movd with horrible dreams hovring high over his head Two winged immortal shapes one standing at his feet Toward the East one standing at his head toward the west Their wings joind in the Zenith over head t Such is a Vision of All Beulah hovring over the Sleeper The limit of Contraction now was fixd and Man began To wake upon the Couch of Death he sneezed seven times A tear of blood dropped from either eye again he reposd In the saviours arms, in the arms of tender mercy and loving kindness Then Los said I behold the Divine Vision thro the broken Gates t Of thy poor broken heart astonishd melted into Compassion and Love And Enitharmon said I see the Lamb of God upon Mount Zion t Wondring with love and Awe they felt the divine hand upon them t For nothing could restrain the dead in Beulah from descending Unto Ulros night tempted by the Shadowy females sweet Delusive cruelty they descend away from the Daughters of Beulah And Enter Urizens temple Enitharmon pitying and her heart Gates broken down. they descend thro the Gate of Pity The broken heart Gate of Enitharmon She sighs them forth upon the wind t Of Golgonooza Los stood recieving them t For Los could enter into Enitharmons bosom and explore Its intricate Labyrinths now the Obdurate heart was broken From out the War of Urizen and Tharmas recieving them t Into his hands. Then Enitharmon erected Looms in Lubans Gate And calld the Looms Cathedron in these Looms She wove the Spectres Bodies of Vegetation Singing lulling Cadences to drive away Despair from the poor wandering spectres and Los loved them With a parental love for the Divine hand was upon him And upon Enitharmon and the Divine Countenance shone In Golgonooza Looking down the Daughters of Beulah saw With joy the bright Light and in it a Human form And knew he was the Saviour Even Jesus and they worshipped Astonishd Comforted Delighted in notes of Rapturous Extacy t All Beulah stood astonishd Looking down to Eternal Death They saw the Saviour beyond the Pit of death and destruction For whether they lookd upward they saw the Divine Vision Or whether they lookd downward still they saw the Divine Vision Surrounding them on all sides beyond sin and death and hell Enitharmon wove in tears singing Songs of Lamentation And pitying comfort as she sighd forth on the wind the Spectres Also the Vegetated bodies which Enitharmon wove Opend within their hearts and in their loins and in their brain To Beulah and the Dead in Ulro descended from the War Of Urizen and Tharmas and from the Shadowy females clouds And some were woven single and some two fold and some three fold t In Head or Heart or Reins according to the fittest order Of most merciful pity and compassion to the Spectrous dead t When Urizen saw the Lamb of God clothed in Luvahs robes Perplexd and terrifid he Stood tho well he knew that Orc Was Luvah But he now beheld a new Luvah. Or One Who assumed Luvahs form and stood before him opposite But he saw Orc a Serpent form augmenting times on times In the fierce battle and he saw the Lamb of God and the World of Los Surrounded by his dark machines for Orc augmented swift In fury a Serpent wondrous among the Constellations of Urizen A crest of fire rose on his forehead red as the carbuncle Beneath down to his eyelids scales of pearl then gold and silver Immingled with the ruby overspread his Visage down His furious neck writhing contortive in dire budding pains The scaly armour shot out. Stubborn down his back and bosom The Emerald Onyx Sapphire jasper beryl amethyst Strove in terrific emulation which should gain a place Upon the mighty Fiend the fruit of the mysterious tree t Kneaded in Uveths kneading trough. Still Orc devourd the food In raging hunger Still the pestilential food in gems and gold Exuded round his awful limbs Stretching to serpent length His human bulk While the dark shadowy female brooding over t Measurd his food morning and evening in cups and baskets of iron With tears of sorrow incessant she labourd the food of Orc Compelld by the iron hearted sisters Daughters of Urizen Gathring the fruit of that mysterious tree circling its roo t She spread herself thro all the branches in the power of Orc Thus Urizen in self deciet his warlike preparations fabricated And when all things were finishd sudden wavd among the Stars t His hurtling hand gave the dire signal thunderous Clarions blow t And all the hollow deep rebellowd with the wonderous war t But Urizen his mighty rage let loose in the mid deep t Sparkles of Dire affliction issud round his frozen limbs t Horrible hooks and nets he formd twisting the cords of iron And brass and molten metals cast in hollow globes and bor'd Tubes in petrific steel and rammd combustibles and wheels And chains and pullies fabricated all round the heavens of Los Communing with the Serpent of Orc in dark dissimulation And with the Synagogue of Satan in dark Sanhedrim t To undermine the World of Los and tear bright Enitharmon To the four winds hopeless of future. All futurity Seems teeming with Endless Destruction never to be repelld t Desperate remorse swallows the present in a quenchless rage Terrified and astonishd Urizen beheld the battle take a form t Which he intended not a Shadowy hermaphrodite black and opake t The Soldiers namd it Satan but he was yet unformd and vast Hermaphroditic it at length became hiding the Male Within as in a Tabernacle Abominable Deadly The battle howls the terrors fird rage in the work of death Enormous Works Los Contemplated inspird by the holy Spirit Los builds the Walls of Golgonooza against the stirring battle That only thro the Gates of Death they can enter to Enitharmon Raging they take the human visage and the human form Feeling the hand of Los in Golgonooza and the force Attractive of his hammers beating and the Silver looms Of Enitharmon singing lulling cadences on the wind They humanize in the fierce battle where in direful pain Troop by troop the beastial droves rend one another sounding loud The instruments of sound and troop by troop in human forms they urge The dire confusion till the battle faints those that remain Return in pangs and horrible convulsions to their beastial state For the monsters of the Elements Lions or Tygers or Wolves Sound loud the howling music inspird by Los and Enitharmon Sounding loud terrific men They seem to one another laughing terrible among the banners And when the revolution of their day of battles over Relapsing in dire torment they return to forms of woe t To moping visages returning inanimate tho furious No more erect tho strong drawn out in length they ravin For senseless gratification and their visages thrust forth Flatten above and beneath and stretch out into beastial length Weakend they stretch beyond their power in dire droves till war begins Or Secret religion in their temples before secret shrines And Urizen gave life and sense by his immortal power To all his Engines of deceit that linked chains might run Thro ranks of war spontaneous and that hooks and boring screws Might act according to their forms by innate cruelty He formed also harsh instruments of sound To grate the soul into destruction or to inflame with fury The spirits of life to pervert all the faculties of sense Into their own destruction if perhaps he might avert t His own despair even at the cost of every thing that breathes Thus in the temple of the Sun his books of iron and brass And silver and gold he consecrated reading incessantly To myriads of perturbed spirits thro the universe They propagated the deadly words the Shadowy Female absorbing t The enormous Sciences of Urizen ages after ages exploring The fell destruction. And she said O Urizen Prince of Light What words of Dread pierce my faint Ear what falling snows around My feeble limbs infold my destind misery I alone dare the lash abide to sit beneath the blast Unhurt and dare the inclement forehead of the King of Light From dark abysses of the times remote fated to be The sorrower of Eternity in love with tears submiss I rear My Eyes to thy Pavilions hear my prayer for Luvahs sake I see the murderer of my Luvah clothd in robes of blood He who assured my Luvahs throne in times of Everlasting Where hast thou hid him whom I love in what remote Abyss Resides that God of my delight O might my eyes behold My Luvah then could I deliver all the sons of God From Bondage of these terrors and with influences sweet t As once in those eternal fields in brotherhood and Love United we should live in bliss as those who sinned not The Eternal Man is seald by thee never to be deliverd We are all servants to thy will O King of Light relent Thy furious power be our father and our loved King But if my Luvah is no more If thou hast smitten him t And laid him in the Sepulcher Or if thou wilt revenge t His murder on another Silent I bow with dread But happiness can never come to thee O King nor me For he was source of every joy that this mysterious tree Unfolds in Allegoric fruit. When shall the dead revive Can that which has existed cease or can love and life Expire Urizen heard the Voice and saw the Shadow. underneath His woven darkness and in laws and deceitful religions Beginning at the tree of Mystery circling its root She spread herself thro all the branches in the power of Orc A shapeless and indefinite cloud in tears of sorrow incessant Steeping the Direful Web of Religion swagging heavy it fell From heaven to heavn thro all its meshes altering the Vortexes t Misplacing every Center hungry desire and lust began Gathering the fruit of that Mysterious tree till Urizen Sitting within his temple furious felt the numming stupor Himself tangled in his own net in sorrow lust repentance Enitharmon wove in tears Singing Songs of Lamentations And pitying comfort as she sighd forth on the wind the spectres And wove them bodies calling them her belovd sons and daughters Employing the daughters in her looms and Los employd the Sons In Golgonoozas Furnaces among the Anvils of time and space Thus forming a Vast family wondrous in beauty and love And they appeard a Universal female form created From those who were dead in Ulro from the Spectres of the dead And Enitharmon namd the Female Jerusalem the holy Wondring she saw the Lamb of God within Jerusalems Veil The divine Vision seen within the inmost deep recess Of fair Jerusalems bosom in a gently beaming fire Then sang the Sons of Eden round the Lamb of God and said Glory Glory Glory to the holy Lamb of God Who now beginneth to put off the dark Satanic body Now we behold redemption Now we know that life Eternal Depends alone upon the Universal hand and not in us Is aught but death In individual weakness sorrow and pain t We behold with wonder Enitharmons Looms and Los's Forges t And the Spindles of Tirzah and Rahab and the Mills of Satan and Beelzeboul t In Golgonooza Los's anvils stand and his Furnaces rage t Ten thousand demons labour at the forges Creating Continually The times and spaces of Mortal Life the Sun the Moon the Stars In periods of Pulsative furor beating into wedges and bars t Then drawing into wires the terrific Passions and Affections Of Spectrous dead. Thence to the Looms of Cathedron conveyd The Daughters of Enitharmon weave the ovarium and the integument In soft silk drawn from their own bowels in lascivious delight With songs of sweetest cadence to the turning spindle and reel Lulling the weeping spectres of the dead. Clothing their limbs With gifts and gold of Eden. Astonishd stupefied with delight The terrors put on their sweet clothing on the banks of Arnon t Whence they plunge into the river of space for a period till The dread Sleep of Ulro is past. But Satan Og and Sihon t Build Mills of resistless wheels to unwind the soft threads and reveal Naked of their clothing the poor spectres before the accusing heavens While Rahab and Tirzah far different mantles prepare webs of torture Mantles of despair girdles of bitter compunction shoes of indolence Veils of ignorance covering from head to feet with a cold web We look down into Ulro we behold the Wonders of the Grave Eastward of Golgonooza stands the Lake of Udan Adan In t Entuthon Benithon a Lake not of Waters but of Spaces t Perturbd black and deadly on its Islands and its Margins t The Mills of Satan and Beelzeboul stand round the roots of Urizens tree For this Lake is formd from the tears and sighs and death sweat of the Victims Of Urizens laws. to irrigate the roots of the tree of Mystery They unweave the soft threads then they weave them anew in the forms Of dark death and despair and none from Eternity to Eternity could Escape t But thou O Universal Humanity who is One Man blessed for Ever t Recievest the Integuments woven Rahab beholds the Lamb of God She smites with her knife of flint She destroys her own work Times upon times thinking to destroy the Lamb blessed for Ever He puts off the clothing of blood he redeems the spectres from their bonds He awakes the sleepers in Ulro the Daughters of Beulah praise him They anoint his feet with ointment they wipe them with the hair of their head [End of Night the Eighth] Night the Ninth and the Last Judgment And Los and Enitharmon builded Jerusalem weeping Over the Sepulcher and over the Crucified body Which to their Phantom Eyes appear'd Still in the Sepulcher But Jesus stood beside them in the Spirit Separating Their Spirit from their body. Terrified at Non Existence For such they deemd the death of the body. Los his vegetable hands Outstretchd his right hand branching out in fibrous strength Siezd the Sun. His left hand like dark roots coverd the Moon And tore them down cracking the heavens across from immense to immense Then fell the fires of Eternity with loud and shrill Sound of Loud Trumpet thundering along from heaven to heaven A mighty sound articulate Awake ye dead and come To Judgment from the four winds Awake and Come away Folding like scrolls of the Enormous volume of Heaven and Earth With thunderous noise and dreadful shakings rocking to and fro The heavens are shaken and the Earth removed from its place The foundations of the Eternal hills discoverd The thrones of Kings are shaken they have lost their robes and crowns The poor smite their opressors they awake up to the harvest The naked warriors rush together down to the sea shore Trembling before the multitudes of slaves now set at liberty They are become like wintry flocks like forests stripd of leaves The opressed pursue like the wind there is no room for escape The Spectre of Enitharmon let loose on the troubled deep Waild shrill in the confusion and the Spectre of Urthona Recievd her in the darkning South their bodies lost they stood Trembling and weak a faint embrace a fierce desire as when Two shadows mingle on a wall they wail and shadowy tears Fell down and shadowy forms of joy mixd with despair and grief Their bodies buried in the ruins of the Universe Mingled with the confusion. Who shall call them from the Grave. Rahab and Tirzah wail aloud in the wild flames they give up themselves to Consummation. The books of Urizen unroll with dreadful noise the folding Serpent Of Orc began to Consume in fierce raving fire his fierce flames Issud on all sides gathring strength in animating volumes Roaming abroad on all the winds raging intense reddening Into resistless pillars of fire rolling round and round gathering Strength from the Earths consumd and heavens and all hidden abysses Wherever the Eagle has Explord or Lion or Tyger trod Or where the Comets of the night or stars of asterial day Have shot their arrows or long beamed spears in wrath and fury. And all the while the trumpet sounds from the clotted gore and from the hollow den Start forth the trembling millions into flames of mental fire Bathing their limbs in the bright visions of Eternity. Then like the doves from pillars of Smoke the trembling families Of women and children throughout every nation under heaven Cling round the men in bands of twenties and of fifties pale As snow that falls around a leafless tree upon the green Their opressors are falln they have Stricken them they awake to life Yet pale the just man stands erect and looking up to heavn Trembling and strucken by the Universal stroke the trees unroot The rocks groan horrible and run about. The mountains and Their rivers cry with a dismal cry the cattle gather together Lowing they kneel before the heavens. the wild beasts of the forests Tremble the Lion shuddering asks the Leopard. Feelest thou The dread I feel unknown before My voice refuses to roar And in weak moans I speak to thee This night Before the mornings dawn the Eagle calld the Vulture The Raven calld the hawk I heard them from my forests black Saying Let us go up far for soon I smell upon the wind A terror coming from the South. The Eagle and Hawk fled away At dawn and Eer the sun arose the raven and Vulture followd Let us flee also to the north. They fled. The Sons of Men Saw them depart in dismal droves. The trumpet sounded loud And all the Sons of Eternity Descended into Beulah. In the fierce flames the limbs of Mystery lay consuming with howling And deep despair. Rattling go up the flames around the Synagogue Of Satan Loud the Serpent Orc ragd thro his twenty Seven Folds. The tree of Mystery went up in folding flames Blood issud out in mighty volumes pouring in whirlpools fierce From out the flood gates of the Sky The Gates are burst down pour The torrents black upon the Earth the blood pours down incessant Kings in their palaces lie drownd Shepherds their flocks their tents Roll down the mountains in black torrents Cities Villages High spires and Castles drownd in the black deluge Shoal on Shoal Float the dead carcases of Men and Beasts driven to and fro on waves Of foaming blood beneath the black incessant Sky till all Mysterys tyrants are cut off and not one left on Earth. And when all Tyranny was cut off from the face of Earth Around the Dragon form of Urizen and round his stony form The flames rolling intense thro the wide Universe Began to Enter the Holy City. Entring the dismal clouds In furrowd lightnings break their way the wild flames ?whirling up The Bloody Deluge living flames winged with intellect And Reason round the Earth they march in order flame by flame From the clotted gore and from the hollow den Start forth the trembling millions into flames of mental fire Bathing their Limbs in the bright visions of Eternity Beyond this Universal Confusion beyond the remotest Pole Where their vortexes begin to operate there stands A Horrible rock far in the South it was forsaken when Urizen gave the horses of Light into the hands of Luvah On this rock lay the faded head of the Eternal Man Enwrapped round with weeds of death pale cold in sorrow and woe He lifts the blue lamps of his Eyes and cries with heavenly voice Bowing his head over the consuming Universe he cried O weakness and O weariness O war within my members My sons exiled from my breast pass to and fro before me My birds are silent on my hills flocks die beneath my branches My tents are fallen my trumpets and the sweet sounds of my harp Is silent on my clouded hills that belch forth storms and fires My milk of cows and honey of bees and fruit of golden harvest Are gatherd in the scorching heat and in the driving rain My robe is turned to confusion and my bright gold to stones Where once I sat. I weary walk in misery and pain For from within my witherd breast grown narrow with my woes The Corn is turnd to thistles and the apples into poison The birds of song to murderous crows My joys to bitter groans The voices of children in my tents to cries of helpless infants And all exiled from the face of light and shine of morning In this dark world a narrow house I wander up and down I hear Mystery howling in these flames of Consummation When shall the Man of future times become as in days of old O weary life why sit I here and give up all my powers To indolence to the night of death when indolence and mourning Sit hovring over my dark threshold. tho I arise look out And scorn the war within my members yet my heart is weak And my head faint Yet will I look again unto the morning Whence is this sound of rage of Men drinking each others blood Drunk with the smoking gore and red but not with nourishing wine. The Eternal Man sat on the Rocks and cried with awful voice. O Prince of Light where art thou I behold thee not as once In those Eternal fields in clouds of morning stepping forth With harps and songs where bright Ahania sang before thy face And all thy sons and daughters gatherd round my ample table See you not all this wracking furious confusion Come forth from slumbers of thy cold abstraction come forth Arise to Eternal births shake off thy cold repose Schoolmaster of souls great opposer of change arise That the Eternal worlds may see thy face in peace and joy That thou dread form of Certainty maist sit in town and village While little children play around thy feet in gentle awe Fearing thy frown loving thy smile O Urizen Prince of light. He calld the deep buried his voice and answer none returnd Then wrath burst round the Eternal Man was wrath again he cried. Arise O stony form of death O dragon of the Deeps Lie down before my feet O Dragon let Urizen arise O how couldst thou deform those beautiful proportions Of life and person for as the Person so is his life proportiond Let Luvah rage in the dark deep even to Consummation For if thou feedest not his rage it will subside in peace But if thou darest obstinate refuse my stern behest Thy crown and scepter I will sieze and regulate all my members In stern severity and cast thee out into the indefinite Where nothing lives, there to wander. and if thou returnst weary Weeping at the threshold of Existence I will steel my heart Against thee to Eternity and never recieve thee more Thy self destroying beast formd Science shall be thy eternal lot My anger against thee is greater than against this Luvah For war is energy Enslavd but thy religion The first author of this war and the distracting of honest minds Into confused perturbation and strife and honour and pride Is a deceit so detestable that I will cast thee out If thou repentest not and leave thee as a rotten branch to be burnd With Mystery the Harlot and with Satan for Ever and Ever Error can never be redeemd in all Eternity But Sin Even Rahab is redeemd in blood and fury and jealousy That line of blood that stretchd across the windows of the morning Redeemd from Errors power. Wake thou dragon of the Deeps Urizen wept in the dark deep anxious his Scaly form To reassume the human and he wept in the dark deep. Saying O that I had never drank the wine nor eat the bread Of dark mortality nor cast my view into the futurity nor turnd My back darkning the present clouding with a cloud And building arches high and cities turrets and towers and domes Whose smoke destroyd the pleasant garden and whose running Kennels Chokd the bright rivers burdning with my Ships the angry deep Thro Chaos seeking for delight and in spaces remote Seeking the Eternal which is always present to the wise Seeking for pleasure which unsought falls round the infants path And on the fleeces of mild flocks who neither care nor labour But I the labourer of ages whose unwearied hands Are thus deformd with hardness with the sword and with the spear And with the Chisel and the mallet I whose labours vast Order the nations separating family by family Alone enjoy not. I alone in misery supreme Ungratified give all my joy unto this Luvah and Vala Then Go O dark futurity I will cast thee forth from these Heavens of my brain nor will I look upon futurity more I cast futurity away and turn my back upon that void Which I have made for lo futurity is in this moment Let Orc consume let Tharmas rage let dark Urthona give All strength to Los and Enitharmon and let Los self cursd Rend down this fabric as a wall ruind and family extinct Rage Orc Rage Tharmas Urizen no longer curbs your rage. So Urizen spoke he shook his snows from off his Shoulders and arose As on a Pyramid of mist his white robes scattering The fleecy white renewd he shook his aged mantles off Into the fires Then glorious bright Exulting in his joy He sounding rose into the heavens in naked majesty In radiant Youth. when Lo like garlands in the Eastern sky When vocal may comes dancing from the East Ahania came Exulting in her flight as when a bubble rises up On to the surface of a lake. Ahania rose in joy Excess of Joy is worse than grief — her heart beat high her blood Burst its bright Vessels She fell down dead at the feet of Urizen Outstretchd a Smiling corse they buried her in a silent cave Urizen dropt a tear the Eternal Man Darkend with sorrow. The three daughters of Urizen guard Ahanias Death couch Rising from the confusion in tears and howlings and despair Calling upon their fathers Name upon their Rivers dark. And the Eternal Man Said Hear my words O Prince of Light Behold Jerusalem in whose bosom the Lamb of God Is seen tho slain before her Gates he self renewd remains Eternal and I thro him awake from deaths dark vale The times revolve the time is coming when all these delights Shall be renewd and all these Elements that now consume Shall reflourish. Then bright Ahania shall awake from death A glorious Vision to thine Eyes a Self renewing Vision The spring. the summer to be thine then sleep the wintry days In silken garments spun by her own hands against her funeral The winter thou shalt plow and lay thy stores into thy barns Expecting to recieve Ahania in the spring with joy Immortal thou. Regenerate She and all the lovely Sex From her shall learn obedience and prepare for a wintry grave That spring may see them rise in tenfold joy and sweet delight Thus shall the male and female live the life of Eternity Because the Lamb of God Creates himself a bride and wife That we his Children evermore may live in Jerusalem Which now descendeth out of heaven a City yet a Woman Mother of myriads redeemd and born in her spiritual palaces By a New Spiritual birth Regenerated from Death. Urizen said. I have Erred and my Error remains with me What Chain encompasses in what Lock is the river of light confind That issues forth in the morning by measure and the evening by carefulness Where shall we take our stand to view the infinite and unbounded Or where are human feet for Lo our eyes are in the heavens. He ceasd for rivn link from link the bursting Universe explodes All things reversd flew from their centers rattling bones To bones Join, shaking convulsd the shivering clay breathes Each speck of dust to the Earths center nestles round and round In pangs of an Eternal Birth in torment and awe and fear All spirits deceasd let loose from reptile prisons come in shoals Wild furies from the tygers brain and from the lions Eyes And from the ox and ass come moping terrors. from the Eagle And raven numerous as the leaves of autumn every species Flock to the trumpet muttring over the sides of the grave and crying In the fierce wind round heaving rocks and mountains filld with groans On rifted rocks suspended in the air by inward fires Many a woful company and many on clouds and waters Fathers and friends Mothers and Infants Kings and Warriors Priests and chaind Captives met together in a horrible fear And every one of the dead appears as he had livd before And all the marks remain of the slaves scourge and tyrants Crown And of the Priests oergorged Abdomen and of the merchants thin Sinewy deception and of the warriors out braving and thoughtlessness In lineaments too extended and in bones too strait and long. They shew their wounds they accuse they sieze the opressor howlings began On the golden palace Songs and joy on the desart the Cold babe Stands in the furious air he cries the children of six thousand years Who died in infancy rage furious a mighty multitude rage furious Naked and pale standing on the expecting air to be deliverd Rend limb from limb the Warrior and the tyrant reuniting in pain The furious wind still rends around they flee in sluggish effort. They beg they intreat in vain now they Listend not to intreaty They view the flames red rolling on thro the wide universe From the dark jaws of death beneath and desolate shores remote These covering Vaults of heaven and these trembling globes of Earth One Planet calls to another and one star enquires of another What flames are these coming from the South what noise what dreadful rout As of a battle in the heavens hark heard you not the trumpet As of fierce battle While they spoke the flames come on intense roaring. They see him whom they have piercd they wail because of him They magnify themselves no more against Jerusalem Nor Against her little ones the innocent accused before the Judges Shines with immortal Glory trembling the Judge springs from his throne Hiding his face in the dust beneath the prisoners feet and saying Brother of Jesus what have I done intreat thy lord for me Perhaps I may be forgiven While he speaks the flames roll on. And after the flames appears the Cloud of the Son of Man Descending from Jerusalem with power and great Glory All nations look up to the Cloud and behold him who was Crucified. The Prisoner answers you scourgd my father to death before my face While I stood bound with cords and heavy chains. your hipocrisy Shall now avail you nought. So speaking he dashd him with his foot. The Cloud is Blood dazling upon the heavens and in the cloud Above upon its volumes is beheld a throne and a pavement Of precious stones. surrounded by twenty four venerable patriarchs And these again surrounded by four Wonders of the Almighty Incomprehensible. pervading all amidst and round about Fourfold each in the other reflected they are named Life's in Eternity Four Starry Universes going forward from Eternity to Eternity And the Falln Man who was arisen upon the Rock of Ages Beheld the Vision of God and he arose up from the Rock And Urizen arose up with him walking thro the flames To meet the Lord coming to Judgment but the flames repelld them Still to the Rock in vain they strove to Enter the Consummation Together for the Redeemd Man could not enter the Consummation. Then siezd the Sons of Urizen the Plow they polishd it From rust of ages all its ornaments of Gold and silver and ivory Reshone across the field immense where all the nations Darkend like Mould in the divided fallows where the weed Triumphs in its own destruction they took down the harness From the blue walls of heaven starry jingling ornamented With beautiful art the study of angels the workmanship of Demons When Heaven and Hell in Emulation strove in sports of Glory. The noise of rural work resounded thro the heavens of heavens The horses neigh from the battle, the wild bulls from the sultry waste The tygers from the forests and the lions from the sandy desarts They Sing they sieze the instruments of harmony they throw away. The spear the bow the gun the mortar they level the fortifications They beat the iron engines of destruction into wedges They give them to Urthonas Sons ringing the hammers sound In dens of death to forge the spade the mattock and the ax The heavy roller to break the clods to pass over the nations. The Sons of Urizen Shout Their father rose The Eternal horses Harnessd They calld to Urizen the heavens moved at their call The limbs of Urizen shone with ardor. He laid his hand on the Plow Thro dismal darkness drave the Plow of ages over Cities And all their Villages over Mountains and all their Vallies Over the graves and caverns of the dead. Over the Planets And over the void Spaces over Sun and moon and star and constellation. Then Urizen commanded and they brought the Seed of Men The trembling souls of All the Dead stood before Urizen Weak wailing in the troubled air East west and north and south He turnd the horses loose and laid his Plow in the northern corner Of the wide Universal field. then Stepd forth into the immense. Then he began to sow the seed he girded round his loins With a bright girdle and his skirt filld with immortal souls Howling and Wailing fly the souls from Urizens strong hand. For from the hand of Urizen the myriads fall like stars Into their own appointed places driven back by the winds The naked warriors rush together down to the sea shores They are become like wintry flocks like forests stripd of leaves The Kings and Princes of the Earth cry with a feeble cry Driven on the unproducing sands and on the hardend rocks And all the while the flames of Orc follow the ventrous feet Of Urizen and all the while the Trump of Tharmas sounds Weeping and wailing fly the souls from Urizens strong hand The daughters of Urizen stand with Cups and measures of foaming wine Immense upon the heavens with bread and delicate repasts. Then follows the golden harrow in the midst of Mental fires To ravishing melody of flutes and harps and softest voice The seed is harrowd in while flames heat the black mould and cause The human harvest to begin Towards the south first sprang The myriads and in silent fear they look out from their graves. Then Urizen sits down to rest and all his wearied Sons Take their repose on beds they drink they sing they view the flames Of Orc in joy they view the human harvest springing up A time they give to sweet repose till all the harvest is ripe. And Lo like the harvest Moon Ahania cast off her death clothes She folded them up in care in silence and her brightning limbs Bathd in the clear spring of the rock then from her darksom cave Issud in majesty divine. Urizen rose up from his couch On wings of tenfold joy clapping his hands his feet his radiant wings In the immense as when the Sun dances upon the mountains A shout of jubilee in lovely notes responding from daughter to daughter From son to Son as if the Stars beaming innumerable Thro night should sing soft warbling filling Earth and heaven And bright Ahania took her seat by Urizen in songs and joy. The Eternal Man also sat down upon the Couches of Beulah Sorrowful that he could not put off his new risen body In mental flames the flames refusd they drove him back to Beulah His body was redeemd to be permanent thro Mercy Divine And now fierce Orc had quite consumd himself in Mental flames Expending all his energy against the fuel of fire The Regenerate Man stoopd his head over the Universe and in His holy hands recievd the flaming Demon and Demoness of Smoke And gave them to Urizens hands the Immortal frownd Saying. Luvah and Vala henceforth you are Servants obey and live You shall forget your former state return O Love in peace Into your place the place of seed not in the brain or heart If Gods combine against Man Setting their Dominion above The Human form Divine. Thrown down from their high Station In the Eternal heavens of Human Imagination: buried beneath In dark oblivion with incessant pangs ages on ages In Enmity and war first weakend then in stern repentance They must renew their brightness and their disorganizd functions Again reorganize till they resume the image of the human Cooperating in the bliss of Man obeying his Will Servants to the infinite and Eternal of the Human form. Luvah and Vala descended and enterd the Gates of Dark Urthona And walkd from the hands of Urizen in the shadows of Valas Garden Where the impressions of Despair and Hope for ever vegetate In flowers in fruits in fishes birds and beasts and clouds and waters The land of doubts and shadows sweet delusions unformd hopes They saw no more the terrible confusion of the wracking universe They heard not saw not felt not all the terrible confusion For in their orbed senses within closd up they wanderd at will And those upon the Couches viewd them in the dreams of Beulah As they reposd from the terrible wide universal harvest Invisible Luvah in bright clouds hoverd over Valas head And thus their ancient golden age renewd for Luvah spoke With voice mild from his golden Cloud upon the breath of morning Come forth O Vala from the grass and from the silent Dew Rise from the dews of death for the Eternal Man is Risen. She rises among flowers and looks toward the Eastern clearness She walks yea runs her feet are wingd on the tops of the bending grass Her garments rejoice in the vocal wind and her hair glistens with dew. She answerd thus Whose voice is this in the voice of the nourishing air In the spirit of the morning awaking the Soul from its grassy bed. Where dost thou dwell for it is thee I seek and but for thee I must have slept Eternally nor have felt the dew of thy morning Look how the opening dawn advances with vocal harmony Look how the beams foreshew the rising of some glorious power The sun is thine. He goeth forth in his majestic brightness O thou creating voice that callest and who shall answer thee. Where dost thou flee O fair one where dost thou seek thy happy place. To yonder brightness there I haste for sure I came from thence Or I must have slept eternally nor have felt the dew of morning. Eternally thou must have slept nor have felt the morning dew But for yon nourishing sun tis that by which thou art arisen The birds adore the sun the beasts rise up and play in his beams And every flower and every leaf rejoices in his light Then O thou fair one sit thee down for thou art as the grass Thou risest in the dew of morning and at night art folded up. Alas am I but as a flower then will I sit me down Then will I weep then Ill complain and sigh for immortality And chide my maker thee O Sun that raisedst me to fall. So saying she sat down and wept beneath the apple trees. O be thou blotted out thou Sun that raisedst me to trouble That gavest me a heart to crave and raisedst me thy phantom To feel thy heat and see thy light and wander here alone Hopeless if I am like the grass and so shall pass away. Rise sluggish Soul why sitst thou here why dost thou sit and weep Yon Sun shall wax old and decay but thou shalt ever flourish The fruit shall ripen and fall down and the flowers consume away But thou shalt still survive arise O dry thy dewy tears. Hah! Shall I still survive whence came that sweet and comforting voice And whence that voice of sorrow O sun thou art nothing now to me Go on thy course rejoicing and let us both rejoice together I walk among his flocks and hear the bleating of his lambs O that I could behold his face and follow his pure feet I walk by the footsteps of his flocks come hither tender flocks Can you converse with a pure Soul that seeketh for her maker You answer not then am I set your mistress in this garden Ill watch you and attend your footsteps you are not like the birds. That sing and fly in the bright air but you do lick my feet And let me touch your wooly backs follow me as I sing For in my bosom a new song arises to my Lord Rise up O Sun most glorious minister and light of day Flow on ye gentle airs and bear the voice of my rejoicing Wave freshly clear waters flowing around the tender grass And thou sweet smelling ground put forth thy life in fruits and flowers Follow me O my flocks and hear me sing my rapturous Song I will cause my voice to be heard on the clouds that glitter in the sun I will call and who shall answer me I will sing who shall reply For from my pleasant hills behold the living living springs Running among my green pastures delighting among my trees I am not here alone my flocks you are my brethren And you birds that sing and adorn the sky you are my sisters I sing and you reply to my Song I rejoice and you are glad Follow me O my flocks we will now descend into the valley O how delicious are the grapes flourishing in the Sun How clear the spring of the rock running among the golden sand How cool the breezes of the vally and the arms of the branching trees Cover us from the sun come and let us sit in the Shade My Luvah here hath placd me in a Sweet and pleasant Land And given me fruits and pleasant waters and warm hills and cool valleys Here will I build myself a house and here Ill call on his name Here Ill return when I am weary and take my pleasant rest. So spoke the Sinless Soul and laid her head on the downy fleece Of a curld Ram who stretchd himself in sleep beside his mistress And soft sleep fell upon her eyelids in the silent noon of day. Then Luvah passed by and saw the sinless Soul And said Let a pleasant house arise to be the dwelling place Of this immortal Spirit growing in lower Paradise He spoke and pillars were builded and walls as white as ivory The grass she slept upon was pavd with pavement as of pearl Beneath her rose a downy bed and a cieling coverd all. Vala awoke. When in the pleasant gates of sleep I enterd I saw my Luvah like a spirit stand in the bright air Round him stood spirits like me who reard me a bright house And here I see thee house remain in my most pleasant world. My Luvah smild I kneeled down he laid his hand on my head And when he laid his hand upon me from the gates of sleep I came Into this bodily house to tend my flocks in my pleasant garden. So saying she arose and walked round her beautiful house And then from her white door she lookd to see her bleating lambs But her flocks were gone up from beneath the trees into the hills. I see the hand that leadeth me doth also lead my flocks She went up to her flocks and turned oft to see her shining house She stopd to drink of the clear spring and eat the grapes and apples She bore the fruits in her lap she gatherd flowers for her bosom She called to her flocks saying follow me o my flocks. They followd her to the silent vally beneath the spreading trees And on the rivers margin she ungirded her golden girdle She stood in the river and viewd herself within the watry glass And her bright hair was wet with the waters She rose up from the river And as she rose her Eyes were opend to the world of waters She saw Tharmas sitting upon the rocks beside the wavy sea He strokd the water from his beard and mournd faint thro the summer vales. And Vala stood on the rocks of Tharmas and heard his mournful voice. O Enion my weary head is in the bed of death For weeds of death have wrapd around my limbs in the hoary deeps I sit in the place of shells and mourn and thou art closd in clouds When will the time of Clouds be past and the dismal night of Tharmas Arise O Enion Arise and smile upon my head As thou dost smile upon the barren mountains and they rejoice When wilt thou smile on Tharmas O thou bringer of golden day Arise O Enion arise for Lo I have calmd my seas. So saying his faint head he laid upon the Oozy rock And darkness coverd all the deep the light of Enion faded Like a faint flame quivering upon the surface of the darkness. Then Vala lifted up her hands to heaven to call on Enion She calld but none could answer her and the Eccho of her voice returnd. Where is the voice of God that calld me from the silent dew Where is the Lord of Vala dost thou hide in clefts of the rock Why shouldst thou hide thyself from Vala from the soul that wanders desolate. She ceas'd and light beamd round her like the glory of the morning And She arose out of the river and girded her golden girdle. And now her feet step on the grassy bosom of the ground Among her flocks and she turnd her eyes toward her pleasant house And saw in the door way beneath the trees two little children playing She drew near to her house and her flocks followd her footsteps The Children clung around her knees she embracd them and wept over them. Thou little Boy art Tharmas and thou bright Girl Enion How are ye thus renewd and brought into the Gardens of Vala She embracd them in tears. till the sun descended the western hills And then she enterd her bright house leading her mighty children And when night came the flocks laid round the house beneath the trees She laid the Children on the beds which she saw prepard in the house Then last herself laid down and closd her Eyelids in soft slumbers. And in the morning when the Sun arose in the crystal sky Vala awoke and calld the children from their gentle slumbers. Awake O Enion awake and let thine innocent Eyes Enlighten all the Crystal house of Vala awake awake Awake Tharmas awake awake thou child of dewy tears Open the orbs of thy blue eyes and smile upon my gardens. The Children woke and smild on Vala. she kneeld by the golden couch She presd them to her bosom and her pearly tears dropd down O my sweet Children Enion let Tharmas kiss thy Cheek Why dost thou turn thyself away from his sweet watry eyes Tharmas henceforth in Valas bosom thou shalt find sweet peace O bless the lovely eyes of Tharmas and the Eyes of Enion. They rose they went out wandring sometimes together sometimes alone Why weepest thou Tharmas Child of tears in the bright house of joy Doth Enion avoid the sight of thy blue heavenly Eyes And dost thou wander with my lambs and wet their innocent faces With thy bright tears because the steps of Enion are in the gardens Arise sweet boy and let us follow the path of Enion. So saying they went down into the garden among the fruits And Enion sang among the flowers that grew among the trees And Vala said Go Tharmas weep not Go to Enion. He said O Vala I am sick and all this garden of Pleasure Swims like a dream before my eyes but the sweet smelling fruit Revives me to new deaths I fade even like a water lilly In the suns heat till in the night on the couch of Enion I drink new life and feel the breath of sleeping Enion But in the morning she arises to avoid my Eyes Then my loins fade and in the house I sit me down and weep. Chear up thy Countenance bright boy and go to Enion Tell her that Vala waits her in the shadows of her garden. He went with timid steps and Enion like the ruddy morn When infant spring appears in swelling buds and opening flowers Behind her Veil withdraws so Enion turnd her modest head. But Tharmas spoke Vala seeks thee sweet Enion in the shades Follow the steps of Tharmas, O thou brightness of the gardens He took her hand reluctant she followd in infant doubts. Thus in Eternal Childhood straying among Valas flocks In infant sorrow and joy alternate Enion and Tharmas playd Round Vala in the Gardens of Vala and by her rivers margin They are the shadows of Tharmas and of Enion in Valas world And the sleepers who rested from their harvest work beheld these visions Thus were the sleepers entertaind upon the Couches of Beulah. When Luvah and Vala were closd up in their world of shadowy forms Darkness was all beneath the heavens only a little light Such as glows out from sleeping spirits appeard in the deeps beneath As when the wind sweeps over a Corn field the noise of souls Thro all the immense borne down by Clouds swagging in autumnal heat Muttering along from heaven to heaven hoarse roll the human forms Beneath thick clouds dreadful lightnings burst and thunders roll Down pour the torrent Floods of heaven on all the human harvest Then Urizen sitting at his repose on beds in the bright South Cried Times are Ended he Exulted he arose in joy he exulted He pourd his light and all his Sons and daughters pourd their light To exhale the spirits of Luvah and Vala thro the atmosphere And Luvah and Vala saw the Light their spirits were Exhald In all their ancient innocence the floods depart the clouds Dissipate or sink into the Seas of Tharmas Luvah sat Above on the bright heavens in peace. the Spirits of Men beneath Cried out to be deliverd and the Spirit of Luvah wept Over the human harvest and over Vala the sweet wanderer In pain the human harvest wavd in horrible groans of woe The Universal Groan went up the Eternal Man was Darkend. Then Urizen arose and took his Sickle in his hand There is a brazen sickle and a scythe of iron hid Deep in the South guarded by a few solitary stars This sickle Urizen took the scythe his sons embracd And went forth and began to reap and all his joyful sons Reapd the wide Universe and bound in Sheaves a wondrous harvest They took them into the wide barns with loud rejoicings and triumph Of flute and harp and drum and trumpet horn and clarion. The feast was spread in the bright South and the Regenerate Man Sat at the feast rejoicing and the wine of Eternity Was servd round by the flames of Luvah all Day and all the Night And when Morning began to dawn upon the distant hills a whirlwind rose up in the Center and in the Whirlwind a Shriek And in the Shriek a rattling of bones and in the rattling of bones A dolorous groan and from the dolorous groan in tears Rose Enion like a gentle light and Enion spoke saying. O Dreams of Death the human form dissolving companied By beasts and worms and creeping things and darkness and despair The clouds fall off from my wet brow the dust from my cold limbs Into the Sea of Tharmas Soon renewd a Golden Moth I shall cast off my death clothes and Embrace Tharmas again For Lo the winter melted away upon the distant hills And all the black mould sings. She speaks to her infant race her milk Descends down on the sand. the thirsty sand drinks and rejoices Wondering to behold the Emmet the Grasshopper the jointed worm The roots shoot thick thro the solid rocks bursting their way They cry out in joys of existence. the broad stems Rear on the mountains stem after stem the scaly newt creeps From the stone and the armed fly springs from the rocky crevice The spider. The bat burst from the hardend slime crying To one another What are we and whence is our joy and delight Lo the little moss begins to spring and the tender weed Creeps round our secret nest. Flocks brighten the Mountains Herds throng up the Valley wild beasts fill the forests. Joy thrilld thro all the Furious form of Tharmas humanizing Mild he Embracd her whom he sought he raisd her thro the heavens Sounding his trumpet to awake the dead on high he soard Over the ruind worlds the smoking tomb of the Eternal Prophet. The Eternal Man arose He welcomd them to the Feast The feast was spread in the bright South and the Eternal Man Sat at the feast rejoicing and the wine of Eternity Was servd round by the flames of Luvah all day and all the night And Many Eternal Men sat at the golden feast to see The female form now separate They shudderd at the horrible thing Not born for the sport and amusement of Man but born to drink up all his powers They wept to see their shadows they said to one another this is Sin This is the Generative world they rememberd the Days of old. And One of the Eternals spoke All was silent at the feast. Man is a Worm wearied with joy he seeks the caves of sleep Among the Flowers of Beulah in his selfish cold repose Forsaking Brotherhood and Universal love in selfish clay Folding the pure wings of his mind seeking the places dark Abstracted from the roots of Science then inclosd around In walls of Gold we cast him like a Seed into the Earth Till times and spaces have passd over him duly every morn We visit him covering with a Veil the immortal seed With windows from the inclement sky we cover him and with walls And hearths protect the Selfish terror till divided all In families we see our shadows born. and thence we know That Man subsists by Brotherhood and Universal Love We fall on one anothers necks more closely we embrace. Not for ourselves but for the Eternal family we live Man liveth not by Self alone but in his brothers face Each shall behold the Eternal Father and love and joy abound So spoke the Eternal at the Feast they embracd the New born Man Calling him Brother image of the Eternal Father. they sat down At the immortal tables sounding loud their instruments of joy Calling the Morning into Beulah the Eternal Man rejoicd When Morning dawnd The Eternals rose to labour at the Vintage Beneath they saw their sons and daughters wondering inconceivable At the dark myriads in Shadows in the worlds beneath The morning dawnd Urizen rose and in his hand the Flail Sounds on the Floor heard terrible by all beneath the heavens Dismal loud redounding the nether floor shakes with the sound And all Nations were threshed out and the stars threshd from their husks Then Tharmas took the Winnowing fan the winnowing wind furious Above veerd round by the violent whirlwind driven west and south Tossed the Nations like Chaff into the seas of Tharmas. O Mystery Fierce Tharmas cries Behold thy end is come Art thou she that made the nations drunk with the cup of Religion Go down ye Kings and Councillors and Giant Warriors Go down into the depths go down and hide yourselves beneath Go down with horse and Chariots and Trumpets of hoarse war. Lo how the Pomp of Mystery goes down into the Caves Her great men howl and throw the dust and rend their hoary hair Her delicate women and children shriek upon the bitter wind Spoild of their beauty their hair rent and their skin shriveld up Lo darkness covers the long pomp of banners on the wind And black horses and armed men and miserable bound captives Where shall the graves recieve them all and where shall be their place And who shall mourn for Mystery who never loosd her Captives Let the slave grinding at the mill run out into the field Let him look up into the heavens and laugh in the bright air Let the inchaind soul shut up in darkness and in sighing Whose face has never seen a smile in thirty weary years Rise and look out his chains are loose his dungeon doors are open And let his wife and children return from the opressors scourge They look behind at every step and believe it is a dream Are these the Slaves that groand along the streets of Mystery Where are your bonds and task masters are these the prisoners Where are your chains where are your tears why do you look around If you are thirsty there is the river go bathe your parched limbs The good of all the Land is before you for Mystery is no more. Then All the Slaves from every Earth in the wide Universe Sing a New Song drowning confusion in its happy notes While the flail of Urizen sounded long and the winnowing wind of Tharmas So loud so clear in the wide heavens and the song that they sung was this Composed by an African Black from the little Earth of Sotha Aha Aha how came I here so soon in my sweet native land How came I here Methinks I am as I was in my youth When in my fathers house I sat and heard his chearing voice Methinks I see his flocks and herds and feel my limbs renewd And Lo my Brethren in their tents and their little ones around them. The song arose to the Golden feast the Eternal Man rejoicd Then the Eternal Man said Luvah the Vintage is ripe arise The sons of Urizen shall gather the vintage with sharp hooks And all thy sons O Luvah bear away the families of Earth I hear the flail of Urizen his barns are full no room Remains and in the Vineyards stand the abounding sheaves beneath The falling Grapes that odorous burst upon the winds. Arise My flocks and herds trample the Corn my cattle browze upon The ripe Clusters The shepherds shout for Luvah prince of Love Let the Bulls of Luvah tread the Corn and draw the loaded waggon Into the Barn while children glean the Ears around the door Then shall they lift their innocent hands and stroke his furious nose And he shall lick the little girls white neck and on her head Scatter the perfume of his breath while from his mountains high The lion of terror shall come down and bending his bright mane And couching at their side shall eat from the curld boys white lap His golden food and in the evening sleep before the door. Attempting to be more than Man We become less said Luvah As he arose from the bright feast drunk with the wine of ages His crown of thorns fell from his head he hung his living Lyre Behind the seat of the Eternal Man and took his way Sounding the Song of Los descending to the Vineyards bright His sons arising from the feast with golden baskets follow A fiery train as when the Sun sings in the ripe vineyards Then Luvah stood before the wine press all his fiery sons Brought up the loaded Waggons with shoutings ramping tygers play In the jingling traces furious lions sound the song of joy To the golden wheels circling upon the pavement of heaven and all The Villages of Luvah ring the golden tiles of the villages Reply to violins and tabors to the pipe flute lyre and cymbal Then fell the Legions of Mystery in maddning confusion Down Down thro the immense with outcry fury and despair Into the wine presses of Luvah howling fell the Clusters Of human families thro the deep. the wine presses were filld The blood of life flowd plentiful Odors of life arose All round the heavenly arches and the Odors rose singing this song. O terrible wine presses of Luvah O caverns of the Grave How lovely the delights of those risen again from death O trembling joy excess of joy is like Excess of grief. So sang the Human Odors round the wine presses of Luvah. But in the Wine presses is wailing terror and despair Forsaken of their Elements they vanish and are no more No more but a desire of Being a distracted ravening desire Desiring like the hungry worm and like the gaping grave They plunge into the Elements the Elements cast them forth Or else consume their shadowy semblance Yet they obstinate Tho pained to distraction Cry O let us Exist for This dreadful Non Existence is worse than pains of Eternal Birth Eternal Death who can Endure. let us consume in fires In waters stifling or in air corroding or in earth shut up The Pangs of Eternal birth are better than the Pangs of Eternal Death How red the Sons and daughters of Luvah how they tread the Grapes Laughing and shouting drunk with odors many fall oerwearied Drownd in the wine is many a youth and maiden those around Lay them on skins of tygers or the spotted Leopard or wild Ass Till they revive or bury them in cool Grots making lamentation But in the Wine Presses the Human Grapes Sing not nor dance They howl and writhe in shoals of torment in fierce flames consuming In chains of iron and in dungeons circled with ceaseless fires In pits and dens and shades of death in shapes of torment and woe The Plates the Screws and Racks and Saws and cords and fires and floods The cruel joy of Luvahs daughters lacerating with knives And whip their Victims and the deadly sports of Luvahs sons. Timbrels and Violins sport round the Wine Presses The little Seed The Sportive root the Earthworm the small beetle the wise Emmet Dance round the Wine Presses of Luvah. the Centipede is there The ground Spider with many Eyes the Mole clothed in Velvet The Earwig armd the tender maggot emblem of Immortality The Slow Slug the grasshopper that sings and laughs and drinks The winter comes he folds his slender bones without a murmur There is the Nettle that stings with soft down and there The indignant Thistle whose bitterness is bred in his milk And who lives on the contempt of his neighbour there all the idle weeds That creep about the obscure places shew their various limbs Naked in all their beauty dancing round the Wine Presses They Dance around the Dying and they Drink the howl and groan They catch the Shrieks in cups of gold they hand them to one another These are the sports of love and these the sweet delights of amorous play Tears of the grapes the death sweat of the Cluster the last sigh Of the mild youth who listens to the luring songs of Luvah. The Eternal Man darkend with Sorrow and a wintry mantle Coverd the Hills He said O Tharmas rise and O Urthona. Then Tharmas and Urthona rose from the Golden feast satiated With Mirth and Joy Urthona limping from his fall on Tharmas leand In his right hand his hammer Tharmas held his Shepherds crook Beset with gold gold were the ornaments formd by sons of Urizen. Then Enion and Ahania and Vala and the wife of Dark Urthona Rose from the feast in joy ascending to their Golden Looms There the wingd shuttle Sang the spindle and the distaff and the Reel Rang sweet the praise of industry. Thro all the golden rooms Heaven rang with winged Exultation All beneath howld loud With tenfold rout and desolation roard the Chasms beneath Where the wide woof flowd down and where the Nations are gatherd together. Tharmas went down to the Wine presses and beheld the sons and daughters Of Luvah quite exhausted with the Labour and quite filld With new wine. that they began to torment one another and to tread The weak. Luvah and Vala slept on the floor o'erwearied Urthona calld his Sons around him Tharmas calld his sons Numrous. they took the wine they separated the Lees And Luvah was put for dung on the ground by the Sons of Tharmas and Urthona They formed heavens of sweetest wood of gold and silver and ivory Of glass and precious stones They loaded all the waggons of heaven And took away the wine of ages with solemn songs and joy. Luvah and Vala woke and all the sons and daughters of Luvah Awoke they wept to one another and they reascended To the Eternal Man in woe he cast them wailing into The world of shadows thro the air till winter is over and gone. But the Human Wine stood wondering in all their delightful Expanses The Elements subside the heavens rolld on with vocal harmony. Then Los who is Urthona rose in all his regenerate power The Sea that rolld and foamd with darkness and the shadows of death Vomited out and gave up all the floods lift up their hands Singing and shouting to the Man they bow their hoary heads And murmuring in their channels flow and circle round his feet Then Dark Urthona took the Corn out of the Stores of Urizen He ground it in his rumbling Mills Terrible the distress Of all the Nations of Earth ground in the Mills of Urthona In his hand Tharmas takes the Storms. he turns the whirlwind Loose Upon the wheels the stormy seas howl at his dread command And Eddying fierce rejoice in the fierce agitation of the wheels Of Dark Urthona Thunders Earthquakes Fires Water floods Rejoice to one another loud their voices shake the Abyss Their dread forms tending the dire mills The grey hoar frost was there And his pale wife the aged Snow they watch over the fires They build the Ovens of Urthona Nature in darkness groans And Men are bound to sullen contemplations in the night Restless they turn on beds of sorrow. in their inmost brain Feeling the crushing Wheels they rise they write the bitter words Of Stern Philosophy and knead the bread of knowledge with tears and groans. Such are the works of Dark Urthona Tharmas sifted the corn Urthona made the Bread of Ages and he placed it In golden and in silver baskets in heavens of precious stone And then took his repose in Winter in the night of Time. The Sun has left his blackness and has found a fresher morning And the mild moon rejoices in the clear and cloudless night And Man walks forth from midst of the fires the evil is all consumd His eyes behold the Angelic spheres arising night and day The stars consumd like a lamp blown out and in their stead behold The Expanding Eyes of Man behold the depths of wondrous worlds One Earth one sea beneath nor Erring Globes wander but Stars Of fire rise up nightly from the Ocean and one Sun Each morning like a New born Man issues with songs and Joy Calling the Plowman to his Labour and the Shepherd to his rest He walks upon the Eternal Mountains raising his heavenly voice Conversing with the Animal forms of wisdom night and day That risen from the Sea of fire renewd walk oer the Earth. For Tharmas brought his flocks upon the hills and in the Vales Around the Eternal Mans bright tent the little Children play Among the wooly flocks The hammer of Urthona sounds In the deep caves beneath his limbs renewd his Lions roar Around the Furnaces and in the Evening sport upon the plains They raise their faces from the Earth conversing with the Man. How is it we have walkd thro fires and yet are not consumd How is it that all things are changd even as in ancient times The Sun arises from his dewy bed and the fresh airs Play in his smiling beams giving the seeds of life to grow And the fresh Earth beams forth ten thousand thousand springs of life Urthona is arisen in his strength no longer now Divided from Enitharmon no longer the Spectre Los Where is the Spectre of Prophecy where the delusive Phantom. Departed and Urthona rises from the ruinous walls In all his ancient strength to form the golden armour of science For intellectual War The war of swords departed now The dark Religions are departed and sweet Science reigns [End of Night the Ninth and the Last Judgment]