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(Four Zoas, Night V, ll. 190–241.)
AH! how shall Urizen the King submit to this dark mansion? | |
| Ah! how is this? Once on the heights I stretch’d 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. | |
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| My fountains, once the haunt of swans, now breed the scaly tortoise, | 5 |
| 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. | |
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| Once how I walkèd from my Palace in gardens of delight! | |
| The sons of wisdom stood around, the harpers follow’d with harps, | 10 |
| Nine virgins, cloth’d in light, compos’d the song to their immortal voices, | |
| And at my banquets of new wine my head was crown’d with joy. | |
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| Then in my ivory pavilions I slumber’d in the noon, | |
| And walkèd in the silent night among sweet-smelling flowers, | |
| Till on my silver bed I slept, and sweet dreams round me hover’d; | 15 |
| But now my land is darken’d and my wise men are departed. | |
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| My songs are turnèd to 1 cries of lamentation | |
| 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. | 20 |
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| O! did I keep the horses of the Day in silver pastures! | |
| O! I refus’d 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! | |
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| O fool! to think that I could hide from his all-piercing eyes | 25 |
| The gold and silver and costly stones, his holy workmanship. | |
| O fool! could I forget the light that fillèd my bright spheres | |
| Was a reflection of his face who call’d me from the deep! | |
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| I well remember, for I heard the mild and holy voice | |
| Saying: ‘O Light, spring up and shine,’ and I sprang up from the deep. | 30 |
| He gave to me a silver sceptre, and crown’d me with a golden crown, | |
| And said: 2 ‘Go forth and guide my Son who wanders on the ocean.’ | |
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| I went not forth: I hid myself in black clouds of my wrath: | |
| I call’d the stars around my feet in the night of councils dark; | |
| The stars threw down their spears, and fled naked away. | 35 |
| We fell: I seiz’d thee, dark Urthona, in my left hand, falling, | |
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| I seiz’d thee, beauteous Luvah; thou art faded like a flower, | |
| And like a lily thy wife 3 Vala, wither’d by winds. | |
| When thou didst bear the golden cup at the immortal tables, | |
| Thy children smote their fiery wings, crown’d with the gold of Heaven. | 40 |
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| Thy pure feet stept on the steps divine, too pure for other feet, | |
| And thy fair locks shadow’d thine eyes from the divine effulgence. | |
| Then thou didst keep with strong Urthona the living gates of Heaven; | |
| But now thou art bow’d down with him, even to the gates of Hell. | |
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| Because thou gavest Urizen the wine of the Almighty | 45 |
| For steeds of Light, that they might run in thy golden chariot of pride, | |
| I gave to thee the steeds. I pour’d the stolen wine, | |
| And, drunken with the immortal draught, fell from my throne sublime. | |
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| I will arise, explore these dens, and find that deep pulsation | |
| That shakes my caverns with strong shudders. Perhaps this is the Night | 50 |
| Of Prophecy, and Luvah hath burst his way from Enitharmon. | |
| When Thought is clos’d in Caves, then Love shall show its root in deepest Hell. | |
