The Complete Poems

by William Blake

Between Satan and Palamabron in the terrible darkness.

  And Satan not having the Science of Wrath, but only of Pity:

  Rent them asunder, and wrath was left to wrath, & pity to pity.

  He sunk down a dreadful Death, unlike the slumbers of Beulah

  The Separation was terrible: the Dead was repos’d on his Couch

  50 Beneath the Couch of Albion, on the seven mou[n]tains of Rome

  In the whole place of the Covering Cherub, Rome Babylon & Tyre.

  His Spectre raging furious descended into its Space

  PLATE 10

  Then Los & Enitharmon knew that Satan is Urizen

  Drawn down by Orc & the Shadowy Female into Generation

  Oft Enitharmon enterd weeping into the Space, there appearing

  An aged Woman raving along the Streets (the Space is named

  Canaan) then she returnd to Los weary frighted as from dreams

  The nature of a Female Space is this: it shrinks the Organs

  Of Life till they become Finite & Itself seems Infinite

  And Satan vibrated in the immensity of the Space! Limited

  To those without but Infinite to those within: it fell down and

  10 Became Canaan: closing Los from Eternity in Albions Cliffs

  A mighty Fiend against the Divine Humanity mustring to War

  Satan! Ah me! is gone to his own place, said Los! their God

  I will not worship in their Churches, nor King in their Theatres

  Elynittria! whence is this Jealousy running along the mountains

  British women were not Jealous when Greek & Roman were Jealous

  Every thing in Eternity shines by its own Internal light: but thou

  Darkenest every Internal light with the arrows of thy quiver

  Bound up in the horns of Jealousy to a deadly fading Moon

  And Ocalythron binds the Sun into a Jealous Globe

  20 That every thing is fixd Opake without Internal light

  So Los lamented over Satan, who triumphant divided the Nations

  PLATE 11

  He set his face against Jerusalem to destroy the Eon of Albion

  But Los hid Enitharmon from the sight of all these things,

  Upon the Thames whose lulling harmony repos’d her soul:

  Where Beulah lovely terminates in rocky Albion:

  Terminating in Hyde Park, on Tyburns awful brook.

  And the Mills of Satan were separated into a moony Space

  Among the rocks of Albions Temples, and Satans Druid sons

  Offer the Human Victims throughout all the Earth, and Albions

  Dread Tomb immortal on his Rock, overshadowd the whole Earth:

  10 Where Satan making to himself Laws from his own identity,

  Compell’d others to serve him in moral gratitude & submission

  Being call’d God: setting himself above all that is called God.

  And all the Spectres of the Dead calling themselves Sons of God

  In his Synagogues worship Satan under the Unutterable Name

  And it was enquir’d: Why in a Great Solemn Assembly

  The Innocent should be condemn’d for the Guilty? Then an Eternal rose

  Saying. If the Guilty should be condemn’d, he must be an Eternal Death

  And one must die for another throughout all Eternity.

  Satan is fall’n from his station & never can be redeem’d

  20 But must be new Created continually moment by moment

  And therefore the Class of Satan shall be calld the Elect, & those

  Of Rintrah, the Reprobate, & those of Palamabron the Redeem’d

  For he is redeem’d from Satans Law, the wrath falling on Rintrah,

  And therefore Palamabron dared not to call a solemn Assembly

  Till Satan had assum’d Rintrahs wrath in the day of mourning

  In a feminine delusion of false pride self-deciev’d.

  So spake the Eternal and confirm’d it with a thunderous oath.

  But when Leutha (a Daughter of Beulah) beheld Satans condemnation

  She down descended into the midst of the Great Solemn Assembly

  30 Offering herself a Ransom for Satan, taking on her, his Sin.

  Mark well my words, they are of your eternal salvation!

  And Leutha stood glowing with varying colours immortal, heart-piercing

  And lovely: & her moth-like elegance shone over the Assembly

  At length standing upon the golden floor of Palamabron

  She spake: I am the Author of this Sin! by my suggestion

  My Parent power Satan has committed this transgression.

  I loved Palamabron & I sought to approach his Tent,

  But beautiful Elynittria with her silver arrows repelld me.

  PLATE 12

  For her light is terrible to me. I fade before her immortal beauty.

  O wherefore doth a Dragon-form forth issue from my limbs

  To sieze her new born son? Ah me! the wretched Leutha!

  This to prevent, entering the doors of Satans brain night after night

  Like sweet perfumes I stupified the masculine perceptions

  And kept only the feminine awake. hence rose his soft Delusory

  love to Palamabron: admiration join’d with envy

  Cupidity unconquerable! my fault, when at noon of day

  The Horses of Palamabron call’d for rest and pleasant death:

  10 I sprang out of the breast of Satan, over the Harrow beaming

  In all my beauty: that I might unloose the flaming steeds

  As Elynittria use’d to do; but too well those living creatures

  Knew that I was not Elynittria, and they brake the traces

  But me, the servants of the Harrow saw not: but as a bow

  Of varying colours on the hills; terribly rag’d the horses.

  Satan astonishd, and with power above his own controll

  Compell’d the Gnomes to curb the horses, & to throw banks of sand

  Around the fiery flaming Harrow in labyrinthine forms.

  And brooks between to intersect the meadows in their course.

  20 The Harrow cast thick flames: Jehovah thunderd above:

  Chaos & ancient night fled from beneath the fiery Harrow:

  The Harrow cast thick flames & orb’d us round in concave fires

  A Hell of our own making. see, its flames still gird me round[.]

  Jehovah thunder’d above: Satan in pride of heart

  Drove the fierce Harrow among the constellations of Jehovah

  Drawing a third part in the fires as stubble north & south

  To devour Albion and Jerusalem the Emanation of Albion

  Driving the Harrow in Pitys paths. ’twas then, with our dark fires

  Which now gird round us (O eternal torment) I form’d the Serpent

  30 Of precious stones & gold turn’d poisons on the sultry wastes

  The Gnomes in all that day spar’d not; they curs’d Satan bitterly.

  To do unkind things in kindness! with power armd, to say

  The most irritating things in the midst of tears and love

  These are the stings of the Serpent! thus did we by them; till thus

  They in return retaliated, and the Living Creatures maddend.

  The Gnomes labourd. I weeping hid in Satans inmost brain;

  But when the Gnomes refus’d to labour more, with blandishments

  I came forth from the head of Satan: back the Gnomes recoil’d.

  And call’d me Sin, and for a sign portentous held me. Soon

  40 Day sunk and Palamabron return’d, trembling I hid myself

  In Satans inmost Palace of his nervous fine wrought Brain:

  For Elynittria met Satan with all her singing women.

  Terrific in their joy & pouring wine of wildest power

  They gave Satan their wine: indignant at the burning wrath.

  Wild with prophetic fury his former life became like a dream

  Cloth’d in the
Serpents folds, in selfish holiness demanding purity

  Being most impure, self-condemn’d to eternal tears, he drove

  Me from his inmost Brain & the doors clos’d with thunders sound

  O Divine Vision who didst create the Female: to repose

  The Sleepers of Beulah: pity the repentant Leutha. My

  PLATE 13

  Sick Couch bears the dark shades of Eternal Death infolding

  The Spectre of Satan. he furious refuses to repose in sleep.

  I humbly bow in all my Sin before the Throne Divine.

  Not so the Sick-one; Alas what shall be done him to restore?

  Who calls the Individual Law, Holy: and despises the Saviour

  Glorying to involve Albions Body in fires of eternal War –

  Now Leutha ceas’d: tears flow’d: but the Divine Pity supported her.

  All is my fault! We are the Spectre of Luvah the murderer

  Of Albion: O Vala! O Luvah! O Albion! O lovely Jerusalem

  10 The Sin was begun in Eternity, and will not rest to Eternity

  Till two Eternitys meet together, Ah! lost! lost! lost! for ever!

  So Leutha spoke. But when she saw that Enitharmon had

  Created a New Space to protect Satan from punishment;

  She fled to Enitharmons Tent & hid herself. Loud raging

  Thunderd the Assembly dark & clouded, and they ratify’d

  The kind decision of Enitharmon & gave a Time to the Space,

  Even Six Thousand years; and sent Lucifer for its Guard.

  But Lucifer refus’d to die & in pride he forsook his charge

  And they elected Molech, and when Molech was impatient

  20 The Divine hand found the Two Limits: first of Opacity, then of Contraction

  Opacity was named Satan, Contraction was named Adam.

  Triple Elohim came: Elohim wearied fainted: they elected Shaddai.

  Shaddai angry, Pahad descended: Pahad terrified, they sent Jehovah

  And Jehovah was leprous; loud he call’d, stretching his hand to Eternity

  For then the Body of Death was perfected in hypocritic holiness,

  Around the Lamb, a Female Tabernacle woven in Cathedrons Looms

  He died as a Reprobate. he was Punish’d as a Transgressor!

  Glory! Glory! Glory! to the Holy Lamb of God

  I touch the heavens as an instrument to glorify the Lord!

  30 The Elect shall meet the Redeem’d. on Albions rocks they shall meet

  Astonish’d at the Transgressor, in him beholding the Saviour.

  And the Elect shall say to the Redeemd. We behold it is of Divine

  Mercy alone! of Free Gift and Election that we live.

  Our Virtues & Cruel Goodnesses, have deserv’d Eternal Death.

  Thus they weep upon the fatal Brook of Albions River.

  But Elynittria met Leutha in the place where she was hidden.

  And threw aside her arrows, and laid down her sounding Bow;

  She sooth’d her with soft words & brought her to Palamabrons bed

  In moments new created for delusion, interwoven round about,

  40 In dreams she bore the shadowy Spectre of Sleep, & namd him Death.

  In dreams she bore Rahab the mother of Tirzah & her sisters

  In Lambeths vales; in Cambridge & in Oxford, places of Thought

  Intricate labyrinths of Times and Spaces unknown, that Leutha lived

  In Palamabrons Tent, and Oothoon was her charming guard.

  The Bard ceas’d. All consider’d and a loud resounding murmur

  Continu’d round the Halls; and much they questiond the immortal

  Loud voicd Bard. and many condemn’d the high tone’d Song

  Saying Pity and Love are too venerable for the imputation

  Of Guilt. Others said. If it is true! if the acts have been perform’d

  50 Let the Bard himself witness. Where hadst thou this terrible Song

  The Bard replied. I am Inspired! I know it is Truth! for I Sing

  PLATE 14

  According to the inspiration of the Poetic Genius

  Who is the eternal all-protecting Divine Humanity

  To whom be Glory & Power & Dominion Evermore Amen

  Then there was great murmuring in the Heavens of Albion

  Concerning Generation & the Vegetative power & concerning

  The Lamb the Saviour: Albion trembled to Italy Greece & Egypt

  To Tartary & Hindostan & China & to Great America

  Shaking the roots & fast foundations of the Earth in doubtfulness

  The loud voic’d Bard terrify’d took refuge in Miltons bosom

  10 Then Milton rose up from the heavens of Albion ardorous!

  The whole Assembly wept prophetic, seeing in Miltons face

  And in his lineaments divine the shades of Death & Ulro

  He took off the robe of the promise, & ungirded himself from the oath of God

  And Milton said, I go to Eternal Death! The Nations still

  Follow after the detestable Gods of Priam; in pomp

  Of warlike selfhood, contradicting and blaspheming.

  When will the Resurrection come; to deliver the sleeping body

  From corruptibility: O when Lord Jesus wilt thou come?

  Tarry no longer; for my soul lies at the gates of death.

  20 I will arise and look forth for the morning of the grave.

  I will go down to the sepulcher to see if morning breaks!

  I will go down to self annihilation and eternal death,

  Lest the Last Judgment come & find me unannihilate

  And I be siez’d & giv’n into the hands of my own Selfhood.

  The Lamb of God is seen thro’ mists & shadows, hov’ring

  Over the sepulchers in clouds of Jehovah & winds of Elohim

  A disk of blood, distant; & heav’ns & earth’s roll dark between

  What do I here before the Judgment? without my Emanation?

  With the daughters of memory, & not with the daughters of inspiration[?]

  30 I in my Selfhood am that Satan: I am that Evil One!

  He is my Spectre! in my obedience to loose him from my Hells

  To claim the Hells, my Furnaces, I go to Eternal Death.

  And Milton said. I go to Eternal Death! Eternity shudder’d

  For he took the outside course, among the graves of the dead

  A mournful shade. Eternity shudderd at the image of eternal death

  Then on the verge of Beulah he beheld his own Shadow;

  A mournful form double; hermaphroditic: male & female

  In one wonderful body. and he enterd into it

  In direful pain for the dread shadow, twenty-seven-fold

  Reachd to the depths of direst Hell, & thence to Albions land:

  Which is this earth of vegetation on which now I write.

  The Seven Angels of the Presence wept over Miltons Shadow!

  PLATE 15

  As when a man dreams, he reflects not that his body sleeps,

  Else he would wake; so seem’d he entering his Shadow: but

  With him the Spirits of the Seven Angels of the Presence

  Entering; they gave him still perceptions of his Sleeping Body;

  Which now arose and walk’d with them in Eden, as an Eighth

  Image Divine tho’ darken’d; and tho walking as one walks

  In sleep; and the Seven comforted and supported him.

  Like as a Polypus that vegetates beneath the deep!

  They saw his Shadow vegetated underneath the Couch

  10 Of death: for when he enterd into his Shadow: Himself:

  His real and immortal Self: was as appeard to those

  Who dwell in immortality, as One sleeping on a couch

  Of gold; and those in immortality gave forth their Emanations

  Like Females of sweet beauty, to guard round him & to feed

  His lips with food of Eden in his cold and dim repose:

  But to himself he s
eemd a wanderer lost in dreary night.

  Onwards his Shadow kept its course among the Spectres; call’d

  Satan, but swift as lightning passing them, startled the shades

  Of Hell beheld him in a trail of light as of a comet

  20 That travels into Chaos: so Milton went guarded within.

  The nature of infinity is this! That every thing has its

  Own Vortex; and when once a traveller thro’ Eternity

  Has passd that Vortex, he percieves it roll backward behind

  His path, into a globe itself infolding; like a sun:

  Or like a moon, or like a universe of starry majesty,

  While he keeps onwards in his wondrous journey on the earth

  Or like a human form, a friend with whom he livd benevolent.

  As the eye of man views both the east & west encompassing

  Its vortex; and the north & south, with all their starry host;

  30 Also the rising sun & setting moon he views surrounding

  His corn-fields and his valleys of five hundred acres square.

  Thus is the earth one infinite plane, and not as apparent

  To the weak traveller confin’d beneath the moony shade.

  Thus is the heaven a vortex passd already, and the earth

  A vortex not yet pass’d by the traveller thro’ Eternity.

  First Milton saw Albion upon the Rock of Ages,

  Deadly pale outstretchd and snowy cold, storm coverd;

  A Giant form of perfect beauty outstretchd on the rock

  In solemn death: the Sea of Time & Space thunderd aloud

  40 Against the rock, which was inwrapped with the weeds of death

  Hovering over the cold bosom, in its vortex Milton bent down

  To the bosom of death, what was underneath soon seemd above.

  A cloudy heaven mingled with stormy seas in loudest ruin;

  But as a wintry globe descends precipitant thro’ Beulah bursting,

  With thunders loud, and terrible: so Miltons shadow fell,

  Precipitant loud thundring into the Sea of Time & Space.

  Then first I saw him in the Zenith as a falling star,

  Descending perpendicular, swift as the swallow or swift;

  And on my left foot falling on the tarsus, enterd there;

  50 But from my left foot a black cloud redounding spread over Europe.

  Then Milton knew that the Three Heavens of Beulah were beheld

  By him on earth in his bright pilgrimage of sixty years

  PLATE 16

  [Full-page design. For caption see Textual Note.]

  PLATE 17

  In those three females whom his Wives, & those three whom his Daughters

  Had represented and containd, that they might be resum’d