The Complete Poems

by William Blake

  O Lovely terrible Los wonder of Eternity O Los my defence & guide

  Thy works are all my joy. & in thy fires my soul delights

  If mild they burn in just proportion & in secret night

  And silence build their day in shadow of soft clouds & dews

  20 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 [sweet] 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 & Los his hands divine inspired began

  [To hew the cavernd rocks of Dranthon into forms of beauty]

  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

  30 From out the ranks of Urizens war & 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

  40 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 & Lovely

  In youth & beauty in the arms of Enitharmon mild reposing

  First Rintrah & 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 [second] fathers image So Orc became

  As Los a father to his brethren & he joyd in the dark lake

  50 Tho bound with chains of Jealousy & in scales of iron & brass

  But Los loved them & refusd to Sacrifice their infant limbs

  And Enitharmons smiles & tears prevaild over self protection

  They rather chose to meet Eternal death than to destroy

  The offspring of their Care & 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 & not as Enitharmon without a covering veil

  First his immortal spirit drew Urizen[s] [Spectre] Shadow away

  60 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 & not hate

  His whole soul loved him he beheld him an infant

  Lovely breathd from Enitharmon he trembled within himself

  PAGE 91 (FIRST PORTION)

  VALA

  NIGHT THE SEVENTH [b]

  PAGE 95 (SECOND PORTION)

  But in the deeps beneath the [tree] roots of Mystery in darkest night

  Where Urizen sat on his rock the Shadow brooded [dismal]

  Urizen saw & triumphd & he cried to [the Shadowy Female] his warriors

  The time of Prophecy is now revolvd & all

  This Universal Ornament is mine & in my hands

  20 The ends of heaven like a Garment will I fold them round me

  Consuming what must be consumd then in power & majesty

  I will walk forth thro those wide fields of endless Eternity

  A God & not a Man a Conqueror in triumphant glory

  And all the Sons of Everlasting shall bow down at my feet

  [The shadowy voice answerd O urizen Prince of Light]

  First Trades & Commerce ships & armed vessels he builded laborious

  To swim the deep & on the Land children are sold to trades

  Of dire necessity still laboring day & night till all

  Their life extinct they took the spectre form in dark despair

  30 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 & all his myriads

  Builded a temple in the image of the human heart

  PAGE 96

  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 & mumbling prayer The priests

  He ordaind & Priestesses clothd in disguises beastial

  Inspiring secrecy & lamps they bore intoxicating fumes

  Roll round the Temple & they took the Sun that glowd oer Los

  10 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 & the terrific howlings of wild beasts

  That dragd the wheels of the Suns chariot & 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 & night in different orderd portions

  The day for war the night for secret religion in his temple

  [Urizen namd it Pande]

  20 Los reard his mighty [forehead] 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 & the Vultures laugh saying

  Now comes the night of Carnage now the flesh of Kings & Princes

  Pamperd in palaces for our food the blood of Captains nurturd

  With lust & murder for our drink the drunken Raven shall wander

  All night among the slain & mock the wounded that groan in the field

  Tharmas laughd. furious among the Banners clothd in blood

  30 Crying As I will 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 & they shall scatter them or call

  PAGE 97

  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 & I saw them beaten

  With whips along the sultry [roads] sands. I heard those whom I lovd


  Crying in secret tents at night & in the morn compelld

  To labour & behold my heart sunk down beneath

  10 In sighs & sobbings all dividing till I was divided

  In twain & lo my Crystal form that lived in my bosom

  Followd her daughters to the fields of blood they left me naked

  Alone & 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 & thou O my King

  Shalt gather them from out their graves & 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 & tempests

  20 Beat round her head all night all day she riots in Excess

  But [day by] night or day Los follows War & 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 & in fear utterd these words

  I put not any trust in thee nor in thy glittering scales

  Thy eyelids are a terror to me & the flaming of thy crest

  30 The rushing of thy Scales confound me thy hoarse rushing scales

  And if that Los had not 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 & 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

  PAGE 98

  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 & 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

  10 Terrific into the paind heavens The fruit trees humanizing

  Shewd their immortal energies in warlike desperation

  Rending the heavens & earths & drinking blood in the hot battle

  To feed their fruit to gratify their hidden sons & daughters

  That far within the close recesses of their secret palaces

  Viewd the vast war & 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 & fierce the Bull his rage

  Propagates thro the warring Earth The Lion raging in flames

  20 The Tyger in redounding smoke The Serpent of the woods

  And of the waters & 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 & guide my battles. like the jointed spine

  Of Man I made thee when I blotted Man from life & light

  Take thou the seven Diseases of Man store them for times to come

  In store houses in secret places that I will tell the[e] of

  To be my great & awful curses at the time appointed

  30 The Prester Serpent ceasd the War song sounded loud & strong

  Thro all the heavens Urizens Web vibrated torment on torment

  Then I heard the earthquake &c.

  PAGE 91 (SECOND PORTION)

  Now in the Caverns of the Grave & Places of human seed

  The nameless shadowy Vortex stood before the face of Orc

  The Shadow reard her dismal head over the flaming youth

  With sighs & howling & 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 crumb[l]ing Mountain. Silence waits around him

  A moment then astounding horror belches from the Center

  The fiery dogs arise the shoulders huge appear

  10 So Orc rolld round his clouds upon the deeps of dark Urthona

  Knowing the arts of Urizen were Pity & Meek [love] affection

  And that by these arts the Serpent form exuded from his limbs

  Silent as despairing love & strong as Jealousy

  Jealous that she was Vala now become Urizens harlot

  And the Harlot of Los & 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

  20 And running their immortal course thro solid darkness borne

  Loud Sounds the war song round red Orc in his [?triumphant] 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 trappings stains the vault of night

  30 Stop we the rising of the glorious King. spur spur your [steeds] clouds

  PAGE 92

  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 & valleys of despair

  Now sound the clarions of Victory now strip the slain

  10 [Now] 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 & they naild him to the tree

  They piercd him with a spear & laid him in a sepulcher

  To die a death of Six thousand years bound round with desolation

  The sun was black & the moon rolld a useless globe thro heaven

  Then left the Sons of Urizen the plow & harrow the loom

  The hammer & the Chisel & the rule & compasses

  They forgd the sword the chariot of war the battle ax

  20 The trumpet fitted to the battle & 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 & the water wheel

  That raises water into Cisterns broken & burnd in fire
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  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 & to bind to labours

  Of day & night the myriads of Eternity. that they might file

  And polish brass & iron hour after hour laborious workmanship

  30 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 & 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 & the broken bone delightful

  Wilt thou now smile among the slain when the wounded groan in the field

  PAGE 93

  Lift up thy blue eyes Vala & 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 & 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 harps

  Gift as a Sower with his seed to scatter life abroad

  10 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 & wounds & dismal cries & clarions of war

  And hearts laid open to the light by the broad grizly sword

  And bowels hidden [in darkness are] in hammerd steel rippd forth upon the ground

  Call forth thy smiles of soft deceit call forth thy cloudy tears

  We hear thy sighs in trumpets shrill when Morn shall blood renew

  20 So sung the demons of the deep the Clarions of war blew loud

  Orc rent her & his human form consumd in his own fires

  Mingled with her dolorous members strewn thro the Abyss

  She joyd in all the Conflict Gratified & ?dropping 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