Read The Complete Poems Page 27

  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. & 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 & then do thou

  20 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 & 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 [the] his voice of

  [Tharmas] Thunder rolld

  Image of grief thy fading lineaments make my eyelids fail

  What have I done! both rage & mercy are alike to me

  30 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

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  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 & waters of woe

  Consuming all to the end consuming Love and [Joy]

  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 & age bent wanderd Ahania wanders now

  She wanders in Eternal fear of falling into the indefinite

  10 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

  The End of the Third Night

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  VALA

  NIGHT THE FOURTH

  But Tharmas rode on the dark Abyss, the voice of

  Tharmas rolld

  Over the heaving deluge. he saw Los & Enitharmon

  Emerge

  In strength & 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 & pity

  Ah Enion Ah Enion Ah lovely lovely Enion

  How is this All my hope is gone [Enion] for ever fled

  10 Like a famishd Eagle Eyeless raging in the vast expanse

  Incessant tears are now my food. incessant rage & 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 [upon] beneath the bottom of the

  raging Ocean

  And cannot those who once have lovd. ever forget their Love?

  Are love & rage the same passion? they are the same in me

  Are those who love. like those who died. risen again from death

  20 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 & slumber in oblivion. Ah Enion

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  Deformd I see these lineaments of ungratified Desire

  The all powerful curse of an honest man be upon Urizen & Luvah

  But thou My Son Glorious in brightness comforter of Tharmas

  Go forth Rebuild this Universe beneath my indignant power

  A Universe of Death & Decay. Let Enitharmons hands

  Weave soft delusive forms of Man above my watry world

  Renew these ruind souls of Men thro Earth Sea Air & Fire

  To waste in endless corruption. renew thou I will destroy

  Perhaps Enion may resume some little semblance

  10 To ease my pangs of heart & 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 & clay

  And he is falln into the Deep rough Demon of the waters

  And Los remains God over all. weak father of worms & clay

  I know I was Urthona keeper of the gates of heaven

  20 But now I am all powerful Los & Urthona is but my shadow

  Doubting stood Tharmas in the [dismal] solemn

  darkness. his dim Eyes

  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 & 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 & Enitharmon

  Thou rash abhorred Demon in thy fury hast oerthrown

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  What Sovereign Architect said Tharmas dare my will controll

  For if I will 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 [dismal] griding pain

  He falling on the rocks bellowd his Dolor. till the blood

  10 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 & 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 & live

  So shall the spungy marrow issuing from thy splinterd bones

  Bonify. & 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

  20 Make first a resting place for Los & Enitharmon. then

  Thou shalt have rest. If thou refusest dashd abroad on all

  My waves. thy limbs shall separate in stench & rotting & thou

  Become a prey to all my demons of despair & hope

  The Spectre of Urthona [answerd] seeing Enitharmon writhd

  His cloudy form in jealous fear & 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

  30 A terror to all living things. think not tha
t I am ignorant

  That thou art risen from the dead or that my power forgot

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  I slumber here in weak repose. I well remember the Day

  The day of terror & abhorrence [eternal]

  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 [great] 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 & mattocks

  Hearing the symphonies of war loud sounding All my sons

  10 Fled from my side then pangs smote me unknown before. I saw

  My loins begin to break forth into veiny pipes & 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 & dividing from my loins a weak & piteous

  Soft cloud of snow a female pale & weak I soft embracd

  My counter part & calld it Love I named her Enitharmon

  But found myself & her together issuing down the tide

  Which now our rivers were become delving thro caverns huge

  20 Of goary blood strugg[l]ing to be deliverd from our bonds

  She strove in vain not so Urthona strove for breaking forth,

  A shadow blue obscure & 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

  30 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 & fury. But now come bear back

  Thy loved Enitharmon. For thou hast her here before thine Eyes

  PAGE 51

  But my sweet Enion is vanishd & I never more

  Shall see her unless thou O Shadow. wilt protect this Son

  Of Enion & him assist. to bind the fallen King

  Lest he should rise again from death in all his [dismal] 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 & drave his solid rocks before

  Upon the tide till underneath the feet of Los a World

  Dark dreadful rose & Enitharmon lay at Los’s feet

  10 The dolorous shadow joyd. weak hope appeard around his head

  Tharmas before Los stood & 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 & Death

  Urthona is My Son O Los thou art Urthona & Tharmas

  Is God. The Eternal Man is seald never to be deliverd

  I roll my floods over his body my billows & waves pass over him

  The Sea encompasses him & monsters of the deep are his companions

  Dreamer of furious oceans cold sleeper of weeds & shells

  Thy Eternal form shall never renew my uncertain prevails against thee

  20 Yet tho I rage God over all. A portion of my Life

  That in Eternal fields in comfort wanderd with my flocks

  At noon & laid her head upon my wearied bosom at night

  She is divided She is vanishd even like Luvah & Vala

  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 & 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

  30 To know sweet Science & to do with simple companions

  Sitting beneath a tent & viewing sheepfolds & soft pastures

  Take thou the hammer of Urthona rebuild these furnaces

  Dost thou refuse mind I the sparks that issue from thy hair

  PAGE 52

  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 & left a wondrous void

  Round Los. afar his waters bore on all sides round. with noise

  10 Of wheels & horses hoofs & Trumpets Horns & 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 & the war of Tharmas

  And Los formd Anvils of Iron petrific. for his blows

  Petrify with incessant beating many a rock. many a planet

  20 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

  PAGE 53

  The days & years. in chains of iron round the limbs of Urizen

  Linkd hour to hour & day to night & night to day & year to year

  In periods of pulsative furor. mills he formd & 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 & whirling round in the dark deep

  Lashd on the limbs of Enitharmon & the sulphur fires

  Belchd from the furnaces wreathd round her. chaind in ceaseless fire

  10 The lovely female howld & 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 & 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

  20 And
thus began the binding of Urizen day & night in fear

  Circling round the dark Demon with howlings dismay & sharp blightings

  The Prophet of Eternity beat on his iron links & 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 & 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

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  The Eternal Mind bounded began to roll eddies of wrath ceaseless

  Round & round & the sulphureous foam surgeing thick

  Settled a Lake bright & 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 & [pourd] heated his furnaces

  And pourd iron sodor & sodor of brass

  Restless the immortal inchaind heaving dolorous

  Anguished unbearable till a roof shaggy wild inclosd

  10 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 & a Second age passed over

  20 In harrowing fear rolling his nervous brain shot branches

  [Round the branches of his heart]

  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 & petrified as they grew. And a Fourth

  Age passed over & a State of dismal woe

  In ghastly torment sick hanging upon the wind

  Two nostrils bent down to the deeps –

  PAGE 55 (FIRST PORTION)

  And a fifth age passed & 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