The Complete Poems

by William Blake

  Terrified Los stood in the Abyss & his immortal limbs

  Grew deadly pale; he became what he beheld: for a red

  30 Round Globe sunk down from his Bosom into the Deep in pangs

  He hoverd over it trembling & weeping. suspended it shook

  The nether Abyss in tremblings, he wept over it, he cherish’d it

  In deadly sickening pain: till separated into a Female pale

  As the cloud that brings the snow: all the while from his Back

  A blue fluid exuded in Sinews hardening in the Abyss

  Till it separated into a Male Form howling in Jealousy

  Within labouring. beholding Without: from Particulars to Generals

  Subduing his Spectre, they Builded the Looms of Generation

  They Builded Great Golgonooza Times on Times Ages on Ages

  40 First Orc was Born then the Shadowy Female: then All Los’s Family

  At last Enitharmon brought forth Satan Refusing Form, in vain

  The Miller of Eternity made subservient to the Great Harvest

  That he may go to his own Place Prince of the Starry Wheels

  PLATE 4

  Beneath the Plow of Rintrah & the Harrow of the Almighty

  In the hands of Palamabron. Where the Starry Mills of Satan

  Are built beneath the Earth & Waters of the Mundane Shell

  Here the Three Classes of Men take their Sexual texture Woven

  The Sexual is Threefold: the Human is Fourfold.

  If you account it Wisdom when you are angry to be silent, and

  Not to shew it: I do not account that Wisdom but Folly.

  Every Mans Wisdom is peculiar to his own Individ[u]ality

  O Satan my youngest born, art thou not Prince of the Starry Hosts

  10 And of the Wheels of Heaven, to turn the Mills day & night?

  Art thou not Newtons Pantocrator weaving the Woof of Locke

  To Mortals thy Mills seem every thing & the Harrow of Shaddai

  A scheme of Human conduct invisible & incomprehensible

  Get to thy Labours at the Mills & leave me to my wrath.

  Satan was going to reply, but Los roll’d his loud thunders.

  Anger me not! thou canst not drive the Harrow in pitys paths.

  Thy Work is Eternal Death, with Mills & Ovens & Cauldrons.

  Trouble me no more. thou canst not have Eternal Life

  So Los spoke! Satan trembling obeyd weeping along the way.

  20 Mark well my words, they are of your eternal Salvation

  Between South Molton Street & Stratford Place: Calvarys foot

  Where the Victims were preparing for Sacrifice their Cherubim

  Around their loins pourd forth their arrows & their bosoms beam

  With all colours of precious stones, & their inmost palaces

  Resounded with preparation of animals wild & tame

  (Mark well my words! Corporeal Friends are Spiritual Enemies)

  Mocking Druidical Mathematical Proportion of Length Bredth Highth

  Displaying Naked Beauty! with Flute & Harp & Song

  PLATE 5

  Palamabron with the fiery Harrow in morning returning

  From breathing fields. Satan fainted beneath the artillery

  Christ took on Sin in the Virgins Womb, & put it off on the Cross

  All pitied the piteous & was wrath with the wrathful & Los heard it.

  And this is the manner of the Daughters of Albion in their beauty

  Every one is threefold in Head & Heart & Reins, & every one

  Has three Gates into the Three Heavens of Beulah which shine

  Translucent in their Foreheads & their Bosoms & their Loins

  Surrounded with fires unapproachable: but whom they please

  10 They take up into their Heavens in intoxicating delight

  For the Elect cannot be Redeemd, but Created continually

  By Offering & Atonement in the crue[l]ties of Moral Law

  Hence the three Classes of Men take their fix’d destinations

  They are the Two Contraries & the Reasoning Negative.

  While the Females prepare the Victims, the Males at Furnaces

  And Anvils dance the dance of tears & pain: loud lightnings

  Lash on their limbs as they turn the whirlwinds loose upon

  The Furnaces, lamenting around the Anvils & this their Song

  Ah weak & wide astray: Ah shut in narrow doleful form

  20 Creeping in reptile flesh upon the bosom of the ground

  The Eye of Man a little narrow orb closd up & dark

  Scarcely beholding the great light conversing with the Void

  The Ear, a little shell in small volutions shutting out

  All melodies & comprehending only Discord and Harmony

  The Tongue a little moisture fills, a little food it cloys

  A little sound it utters & its cries are faintly heard

  Then brings forth Moral Virtue the cruel Virgin Babylon

  Can such an Eye judge of the stars? & looking thro its tubes

  Measure the sunny rays that point their spears on Udanadan

  30 Can such an Ear filld with the vapours of the yawning pit.

  Judge of the pure melodious harp struck by a hand divine?

  Can such closed Nostrils feel a joy? or tell of autumn fruits

  When grapes & figs burst their covering to the joyful air

  Can such a Tongue boast of the living waters? or take in

  Ought but the Vegetable Ratio & loathe the faint delight

  Can such gross Lips percieve? alas! folded within themselves

  They touch not ought but pallid turn & tremble at every wind

  Thus they sing Creating the Three Classes among Druid Rocks

  Charles calls on Milton for Atonement. Cromwell is ready

  40 James calls for fires in Golgonooza. for heaps of smoking ruins

  In the night of prosperity and wantonness which he himself Created

  Among the Daughters of Albion among the Rocks of the Druids

  When Satan fainted beneath the arrows of Elynittria

  And Mathematic Proportion was subdued by Living Proportion

  PLATE 6

  From Golgonooza the spiritual Four-fold London eternal

  In immense labours & sorrows, ever building, ever falling,

  Thro Albions four Forests which overspread all the Earth,

  From London Stone to Blackheath east: to Hounslow west:

  To Finchley north: to Norwood south: and the weights

  Of Enitharmons Loom play lulling cadences on the winds of Albion

  From Caithness in the north, to Lizard-point & Dover in the south

  Loud sounds the Hammer of Los, & loud his Bellows is heard

  Before London to Hampsteads breadths & Highgates heights To

  10 Stratford & old Bow: & across to the Gardens of Kensington

  On Tyburns Brook: loud groans Thames beneath the iron Forge

  Of Rintrah & Palamabron of Theotorm[on] & Bromion, to forge the instruments

  Of Harvest: the Plow & Harrow to pass over the Nations

  The Surrey hills glow like the clinkers of the furnace: Lambeths Vale

  Where Jerusalems foundations began; where they were laid in ruins

  Where they were laid in ruins from every Nation & Oak Groves rooted

  Dark gleams before the Furnace-mouth a heap of burning ashes

  When shall Jerusalem return & overspread all the Nations

  Return: return to Lambeths Vale O building of human souls

  20 Thence stony Druid Temples overspread the Island white

  And thence from Jerusalem ruins. from her walls of salvation

  And praise: thro the whole Earth were reard from Ireland

  To Mexico & Peru west, & east to China & Japan; till Babel

  The Spectre of Albion frownd over the Nations in glory & war

  All things begin & end in Albions ancient Druid rocky shore

  But now the Sta
rry Heavens are fled from the mighty limbs of Albion

  Loud sounds the Hammer of Los, loud turn the Wheels of Enitharmon

  Her Looms vibrate with soft affections, weaving the Web of Life

  Out from the ashes of the Dead; Los lifts his iron Ladles

  30 With molten ore: he heaves the iron cliffs in his rattling chains

  From Hyde Park to the Alms-houses of Mile-end & old Bow

  Here the Three Classes of Mortal Men take their fixd destinations

  And hence they overspread the Nations of the whole Earth & hence

  The Web of Life is woven: & the tender sinews of life created

  And the Three Classes of Men regulated by Los’s Hammer.

  PLATE 7

  The first, The Elect from before the foundation of the World:

  The second, The Redeem’d. The Third, The Reprobate & form’d

  To destruction from the mothers womb: follow with me my plow:

  Of the first class was Satan: with incomparable mildness;

  His primitive tyrannical attempts on Los: with most endearing love

  He soft intreated Los to give to him Palamabrons station;

  For Palamabron returnd with labour wearied every evening

  Palamabron oft refus’d; and as often Satan offer’d

  His service till by repeated offers and repeated intreaties

  10 Los gave to him the Harrow of the Almighty; alas blamable

  Palamabron fear’d to be angry lest Satan should accuse him of

  Ingratitude, & Los believe the accusation thro Satans extreme

  Mildness. Satan labour’d all day. it was a thousand years

  In the evening returning terrified overlabourd & astonish’d

  Embrac’d soft with a brothers tears Palamabron, who also wept

  Mark well my words! they are of your eternal salvation

  Next morning Palamabron rose: the horses of the Harrow

  Were maddend with tormenting fury, & the servants of the Harrow

  The Gnomes, accus’d Satan, with indignation fury and fire.

  20 Then Palamabron reddening like the Moon in an eclipse,

  Spoke saying, You know Satans mildness and his self-imposition,

  Seeming a brother, being a tyrant, even thinking himself a brother

  While he is murdering the just; prophetic I behold

  His future course thro’ darkness and despair to eternal death

  But we must not be tyrants also: he hath assum’d my place

  For one whole day, under pretence of pity and love to me:

  My horses hath he maddend: and my fellow servants injur’d:

  How should he[,] he[,] know the duties of another? O foolish for bearance

  Would I had told Los, all my heart! but patience O my friends,

  30 All may be well: silent remain, while I call Los and Satan.

  Loud as the wind of Beulah that unroots the rocks & hills

  Palamabron call’d: and Los & Satan came before him

  And Palamabron shew’d the horses & the servants. Satan wept,

  And mildly cursing Palamabron, him accus’d of crimes

  Himself had wrought. Los trembled; Satans blandishments almost

  Perswaded the Prophet of Eternity that Palamabron

  Was Satans enemy, & that the Gnomes being Palamabron’s friends

  Were leagued together against Satan thro’ ancient enmity.

  What could Los do? how could he judge, when Satans self, believ’d

  40 That he had not oppres’d the horses of the Harrow, nor the servants.

  So Los said, Henceforth Palamabron, let each his own station

  Keep: nor in pity false, nor in officious brotherhood, where

  None needs, be active. Mean time Palamabrons horses.

  Rag’d with thick flames redundant, & the Harrow maddend with fury.

  Trembling Palamabron stood, the strongest of Demons trembled:

  Curbing his living creatures; many of the strongest Gnomes,

  They bit in their wild fury, who also madden’d like wildest beasts

  Mark well my words; they are of your eternal salvation

  PLATE 8

  Mean while wept Satan before Los, accusing Palamabron;

  Himself exculpating with mildest speech. for himself believ’d

  That he had not opress’d nor injur’d the refractory servants.

  But Satan returning to his Mills (for Palamabron had serv’d

  The Mills of Satan as the easier task) found all confusion

  And back return’d to Los, not fill’d with vengeance but with tears,

  Himself convinc’d of Palamabrons turpitude. Los beheld

  The servants of the Mills drunken with wine and dancing wild

  With shouts and Palamabrons songs, rending the forests green

  10 With ecchoing confusion, tho’ the Sun was risen on high.

  Then Los took off his left sandal placing it on his head,

  Signal of solemn mourning: when the servants of the Mills

  Beheld the signal they in silence stood, tho’ drunk with wine.

  Los wept! But Rintrah also came, and Enitharmon on

  His arm lean’d tremblingly observing all these things

  And Los said. Ye Genii of the Mills! the Sun is on high

  Your labours call you! Palamabron is also in sad dilemma.

  His horses are mad! his Harrow confounded! his companions enrag’d.

  Mine is the fault! I should have remember’d that pity divides the soul

  20 And man, unmans: follow with me my Plow. this mournful day

  Must be a blank in Nature: follow with me, and tomorrow again

  Resume your labours, & this day shall be a mournful day

  Wildly they follow’d Los and Rintrah, & the Mills were silent

  They mourn’d all day, this mournful day of Satan & Palamabron:

  And all the Elect & all the Redeem’d mourn’d one toward another

  Upon the mountains of Albion among the cliffs of the Dead.

  They Plow’d in tears! incessant pourd Jehovahs rain, & Molechs

  Thick fires contending with the rain, thunder’d above rolling

  Terrible over their heads; Satan wept over Palamabron

  Theotormon & Bromion contended on the side of Satan 30

  Pitying his youth and beauty; trembling at eternal death:

  Michael contended against Satan in the rolling thunder

  Thulloh the friend of Satan also reprovd him; faint their reproof.

  But Rintrah who is of the reprobate: of those form’d to destruction

  In indignation. for Satans soft dissimulation of friendship!

  Flam’d above all the plowed furrows, angry red and furious,

  Till Michael sat down in the furrow weary dissolv’d in tears[.]

  Satan who drave the team beside him, stood angry & red

  He smote Thulloh & slew him, & he stood terrible over Michael

  40 Urging him to arise: he wept! Enitharmon saw his tears

  But Los hid Thulloh from her sight, lest she should die of grief

  She wept: she trembled! she kissed Satan; she wept over Michael

  She form’d a Space for Satan & Michael & for the poor infected[.]

  Trembling she wept over the Space, & clos’d it with a tender Moon

  Los secret buried Thulloh, weeping disconsolate over the moony Space

  But Palamabron called down a Great Solemn Assembly,

  That he who will not defend Truth, may be compelled to

  Defend a Lie, that he may be snared & caught & taken

  PLATE 9

  And all Eden descended into Palamabrons tent

  Among Albions Druids & Bards, in the caves beneath Albions

  Death Couch, in the caverns of death, in the corner of the Atlantic.

  And in the midst of the Great Assembly Palamabron pray’d:

  O God, protect me from my friends, that they have not power over me

  Thou hast giv�
��n me power to protect myself from my bitterest enemies.

  Mark well my words, they are of your eternal salvation

  Then rose the Two Witnesses, Rintrah & Palamabron:

  And Palamabron appeal’d to all Eden, and recievd

  10 Judgment: and Lo! it fell on Rintrah and his rage:

  Which now flam’d high & furious in Satan against Palamabron

  Till it became a proverb in Eden. Satan is among the Reprobate.

  Los in his wrath curs’d heaven & earth, he rent up Nations,

  Standing on Albions rocks among high-reard Druid temples

  Which reach the stars of heaven & stretch from pole to pole.

  He displacd continents, the oceans fled before his face

  He alter’d the poles of the world, east, west & north & south

  But he clos’d up Enitharmon from the sight of all these things

  For Satan flaming with Rintrahs fury hidden beneath his own mildness

  20 Accus’d Palamabron before the Assembly of ingratitude! of malice:

  He created Seven deadly Sins drawing out his infernal scroll,

  Of Moral laws and cruel punishments upon the clouds of Jehovah

  To pervert the Divine voice in its entrance to the earth

  With thunder of war & trumpets sound, with armies of disease

  Punishments & deaths musterd & number’d; Saying I am God alone

  There is no other! let all obey my principles of moral individuality

  I have brought them from the uppermost innermost recesses

  Of my Eternal Mind. transgressors I will rend off for ever,

  As now I rend this accursed Family from my covering.

  30 Thus Satan rag’d amidst the Assembly! and his bosom grew

  Opake against the Divine Vision: the paved terraces of

  His bosom inwards shone with fires, but the stones becoming opake:

  Hid him from sight, in an extreme blackness and darkness,

  And there a World of deeper Ulro was open’d, in the midst

  Of the Assembly. In Satans bosom a vast unfathomable Abyss.

  Astonishment held the Assembly in an awful silence: and tears

  Fell down as dews of night, & a loud solemn universal groan

  Was utter’d from the east & from the west & from the south

  And from the north; and Satan stood opake immeasurable

  40 Covering the east with solid blackness, round his hidden heart,

  With thunders utterd from his hidden wheels: accusing loud

  The Divine Mercy, for protecting Palamabron in his tent.

  Rintrah rear’d up walls of rocks and pourd rivers & moats

  Of fire round the walls: columns of fire guard around