The Complete Poems
When Love & Joy were adoration:
And none impure were deem’d.
10 Not Eyeless Covet
Nor Thin-lip’d Envy
Nor Bristled Wrath
Nor Curled Wantonness
4: But Covet was poured full:
Envy fed with fat of lambs:
Wrath with lions gore:
Wantonness lulld to sleep
With the virgins lute,
Or sated with her love.
20 5: Till Covet broke his locks & bars,
And slept with open doors:
Envy sung at the rich mans feast:
Wrath was follow’d up and down
By a little ewe lamb
And Wantonness on his own true love
Begot a giant race:
6: Raging furious the flames of desire
Ran thro’ heaven & earth, living flames
Intelligent, organiz’d: arm’d
30 With destruction & plagues. In the midst
The Eternal Prophet bound in a chain
Compell’d to watch Urizens shadow
7: Rag’d with curses & sparkles of fury
Round the flames roll as Los hurls his chains
Mounting up from his fury, condens’d
Rolling round & round, mounting on high
Into vacuum: into non-entity.
Where nothing was! dash’d wide apart
His feet stamp the eternal fierce-raging
40 Rivers of wide flame; they roll round
And round on all sides making their way
Into darkness and shadowy obscurity
8: Wide apart stood the fires: Los remain’d
In the void between fire and fire
In trembling and horror they beheld him
They stood wide apart, driv’n by his hands
And his feet which the nether abyss
Stamp’d in fury and hot indignation
9: But no light from the fires all was
PLATE 4
Darkness round Los: heat was not; for bound up
Into fiery spheres from his fury
The gigantic flames trembled and hid
10: Coldness, darkness, obstruction, a Solid
Without fluctuation, hard as adamant
Black as marble of Egypt; impenetrable
Bound in the fierce raging Immortal.
And the seperated fires froze in
A vast solid without fluctuation,
10 Bound in his expanding clear senses
CHAP: II
1: The Immortal stood frozen amidst
The vast rock of eternity; times
And times; a night of vast durance:
Impatient, stifled, stiffend, hardned.
2: Till impatience no longer could bear
The hard bondage, rent: rent, the vast solid
With a crash from immense to immense
3: Crack’d across into numberless fragments
The Prophetic wrath, strug’ling for vent
20 Hurls apart, stamping furious to dust
And crumbling with bursting sobs; heaves
The black marble on high into fragments
4: Hurl’d apart on all sides, as a falling
Rock: the innumerable fragments away
Fell asunder; and horrible vacuum
Beneath him & on all sides round.
5: Falling, falling! Los fell & fell
Sunk precipitant heavy down down
Times on times, night on night, day on day
30 Truth has bounds. Error none: falling, falling:
Years on years, and ages on ages
Still he fell thro’ the void, still a void
Found for falling day & night without end.
For tho’ day or night was not; their spaces
Were measurd by his incessant whirls
In the horrid vacuity bottomless.
6: The Immortal revolving; indignant
First in wrath threw his limbs, like the babe
New born into our world: wrath subsided
40 And contemplative thoughts first aros
Then aloft his head rear’d in the Abyss
And his downward-borne fall chang’d oblique
7: Many ages of groans: till there grew
Branchy forms: organizing the Human
Into finite inflexible organs.
8: Till in process from falling he bore
Sidelong on the purple air, wafting
The weak breeze in efforts oerwearied
9: Incessant the falling Mind labour’d
50 Organizing itself: till the Vacuum
Became element, pliant to rise,
Or to fall, or to swim, or to fly:
With ease searching the dire vacuity
CHAP: III
1: The Lungs heave incessant, dull and heavy
For as yet were all other parts formless
Shiv’ring: clinging around like a cloud
Dim & glutinous as the white Polypus
Driv’n by waves & englob’d on the tide.
2: And the unformed part crav’d repose
60 Sleep began: the Lungs heave on the wave
Weary overweigh’d, sinking beneath
In a stifling black fluid he woke
3: He arose on the waters, but soon
Heavy falling his organs like roots
Shooting out from the seed, shot beneath,
And a vast world of waters around him
In furious torrents began.
4: Then he sunk, & around his spent Lungs
Began intricate pipes that drew in
70 The spawn of the waters. Outbranching
PLATE 5
An immense Fibrous form, stretching out
Thro’ the bottoms of immensity raging.
5: He rose on the floods: then he smote
The wild deep with his terrible wrath,
Seperating the heavy and thin.
6: Down the heavy sunk; cleaving around
To the fragments of solid: up rose
The thin, flowing round the fierce fires
That glow’d furious in the expanse.
CHAP: IV
10 1: Then Light first began; from the fires
Beams, conducted by fluid so pure
Flow’d around the Immense: Los beheld
Forthwith, writhing upon the dark void
The Back bone of Urizen appear
Hurtling upon the wind
Like a serpent! like an iron chain
Whirling about in the Deep.
2: Upfolding his Fibres together
To a Form of impregnable strength
20 Los astonish’d and terrified, built
Furnaces; he formed an Anvil
A Hammer of adamant then began
The binding of Urizen day and night
3: Circling round the dark Demon, with howlings
Dismay & sharp blightings; the Prophet
Of Eternity beat on his iron links.
4: And first from those infinite fires
The light that flow’d down on the winds
He siez’d; beating incessant, condensing
30 The subtil particles in an Orb.
5: Roaring indignant the bright sparks
Endur’d the vast Hammer; but unwearied
Los beat on the Anvil; till glorious
An immense Orb of fire he fram’d
6: Oft he quench’d it beneath in the Deeps
Then survey’d the all-bright mass. Again
Siezing fires from the terrific Orbs
He heated the round Globe, then beat
While roaring his Furnaces endur’d
40 The chaind Orb in their infinite wombs
7: Nine ages completed their circles
When Los heated the glowing mass, casting
It down into the Deeps: the Deeps fled
Away in redounding smoke; the Sun
Stood self-balanc’d. And Los smild with joy.
He the vast Spi
ne of Urizen siez’d
And bound down to the glowing illusion
8: But no light, for the Deep fled away
On all sides, and left an unform’d
Dark vacuity: here Urizen lay
50 In fierce torments on his glowing bed
9: Till his Brain in a rock, & his Heart
In a fleshy slough formed four rivers
Obscuring the immense Orb of fire
Flowing down into night: till a Form
Was completed, a Human Illusion
In darkness and deep clouds involvd.
The End of the
Book of LOS
VALA, OR THE FOUR ZOAS
PAGE I[Title, first form]
VALA
or
The Death and
Judgement
of the
[Eternal] Ancient Man
A DREAM
of Nine Nights
[Revised Title]
THE FOUR ZOAS
The torments of Love & Jealousy in
The Death and
Judgement
of Albion the
Ancient Man
PAGE 2
Rest before Labour
PAGE 3
[For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. (King James version)]
VALA
NIGHT THE FIRST
The Song of the Aged Mother which shook the heavens with wrath
Hearing the march of long resounding strong heroic Verse
Marshalld in order for the day of Intellectual Battle
[The heavens quake, the earth was moved & shudderd & the mountains
With all their woods, the streams & valleys: waild in dismal fear]
Four Mighty Ones are in every Man: a Perfect Unity
Cannot Exist. but from the Universal Brotherhood of Eden
The Universal Man. To Whom be Glory Evermore Amen
John XVII c.21 & 22 & 23 v
John I c. 14 v
What are the Natures of those Living Creatures the Heavenly Father only
Knoweth [Individual Man knoweth not] No Individual
10 Knoweth nor Can know in all Eternity
Los was the fourth immortal starry one, & in the Earth
Of a bright Universe, Empery attended day & night
Days & nights of revolving joy, Urthona was his name
PAGE 4
In Eden; in the Auricular Nerves of Human Life,
Which is the Earth of Eden, he his Emanations propagated
Fairies of Albion afterwards Gods of the Heathen
[Like Sons & Daughters] Daughter of Beulah Sing
His fall into Division & his Resurrection to Unity
His fall into the Generation of decay & death & his
Regeneration by the Resurrection from the dead
Begin with Tharmas Parent power. darkning in the West
Lost! Lost! Lost! are my Emanations Enion [come forth] O Enion
10 [I am] We are become a Victim to the Living [I] We hide in secret
I have hidden [thee Enion in fealous Despair] Jerusalem
in Silent Contrition O Pity Me
I will build thee a Labyrinth [where we may remain for
ever alone] also O pity me O Enion
Why hast thou taken sweet Jerusalem from my inmost Soul
Let her Lay secret in the Soft recess of darkness & silence
It is not Love I bear to Enitharmon It is Pity
She hath taken refuge in my bosom & I cannot cast her out.
The Men have recieved their death wounds & their Emanations are fled
To me for refuge & I cannot turn them out for Pitys sake
Enion said – [His] Thy fear has made me tremble thy
terrors have surrounded me
20 All Love is lost Terror succeeds & Hatred instead of Love
And stern demands of Right & Duty instead of Liberty
Once thou wast to Me the loveliest son of heaven – But now
Why art thou Terrible and yet I love thee in thy terror till
I am almost Extinct & soon shall be a shadow in Oblivion
Unless some way can be found that I may look upon thee & live
Hide me some shadowy semblance. secret whispring in my Ear
In secret of Soft Wings. in mazes of delusive beauty
I have lookd into the secret soul of him I lovd,
And in the Dark recesses found Sin & cannot return
30 Trembling & pale sat Tharmas weeping in his clouds
Why wilt thou Examine every little fibre of my soul
Spreading them out before the Sun like Stalks of flax to dry
The infant joy is beautiful but its anatomy
Horrible Ghast & Deadly nought shalt thou find in it
But Death Despair & Everlasting brooding Melancholy
Thou wilt go mad with horror if thou dost Examine thus
Every moment of my secret hours Yea I know
That I have sinnd & that my Emanations are become harlots
I am already distracted at their deeds & if I look
40 Upon them more Despair will bring self murder on my soul
O Enion thou art thyself a root growing in hell
Tho thus heavenly beautiful to draw me to destruction
Sometimes I think thou art a flower expanding
Sometimes I think thou art fruit breaking from its bud
In dreadful dolor & pain & I am like an atom
A Nothing left in darkness yet I am an identity
I wish & feel & weep & groan Ah terrible terrible
PAGE 5
In [Beulah] Eden Females sleep the winter in soft silken veils
Woven by their own hands to hide them in the darksom grave
But Males immortal live renewd by female deaths. in soft
Delight they die & they revive in spring with music & songs
Enion said Farewell I die I hide from thy searching eyes
So saying – From her bosom weaving soft in Sinewy threads
A tabernacle [of delight/for Enitharmon] for Jerusalem
She sat among the Rocks
Singing her lamentation. Tharmas groand among his Clouds
Weeping, [and] then bending from his Clouds he stoopd
his innocent head
10 And stretching out his holy hand in the vast Deep sublime
Turnd round the circle of Destiny with tears & bitter sighs
And said. Return O Wanderer when the Day of Clouds is oer
So saying he sunk down into the sea a pale white corse
[So saying] In torment he sunk down & flowd among her filmy Woof
His Spectre issuing from his feet in flames of fire
In [dismal] gnawing pain drawn out by her lovd fingers every nerve
She counted. every vein & lacteal threading them among
Her woof of terror. Terrified & drinking tears of woe
Shuddring she wove. – nine days & night Sleepless her food was tears
20 Wondring she saw her woof begin to animate. & not
As Garments woven subservient to her hands but having a will
Of its own perverse & wayward Enion Lovd & wept
Nine days she labourd at her work & nine dark sleepless nights
But on the tenth [?dread] trembling morn the Circle of Destiny Complete
Round rolld the Sea Englobing in a watry Globe self balancd
A Frowning Continent appeard Where Enion in the desart
Terrified in her own Creation viewing her woven shadow
Sat in a [sweet] dread intoxication of [false woven bliss/
soft woven sorrow] Repentance & Contrition
There is from Great Eternity a mild & pleasant rest
30 Namd Beulah a Soft Moony Universe feminine lovely
Pure mild & Gentle given in Mercy to those who sleep
Eternally. Created by th
e Lamb of God around
On all sides within & without the Universal Man
The Daughters of Beaulah follow sleepers in all their
[wanderings] Dreams
Creating Spaces lest they fall into Eternal Death
The Circle of Destiny complete they gave to it a Space
And namd the Space Ulro & brooded over it in care & love
They said The Spectre is in every man insane & most
Deformd Thro the three heavens descending in fury & fire
40 We meet it with our Songs & loving blandishments & give
To it a form of vegetation But this Spectre of Tharmas
Is Eternal Death What shall we do O God [help] pity & help
So spoke they & closd the Gate of [Auricular power/
nerves] the Tongue in trembling fear
[He spurnd Enion with his foot he sprang aloft in Clouds
Alighting in his drunken joy in a far distant Grove]
[What have I done said Enion accursed wretch! What deed.
Is this a deed of Love I know what I have done. I know
Too late now to repent. Love is changd to deadly Hate,
A life is blotted out & I alone remain possessd with Fears
50 I see the (remembrance) shadow of the dead within my (eyes)
soul wandering
In darkness & solitude forming Seas of (Trouble) Doubt &
rocks of (sorrow) Repentance
Already are my Eyes reverted. all that I behold
Within my soul has lost its splendor & a brooding Fear
Shadows me oer & drives me outward to a world of woe
So waild she trembling before her own Created Phantasm]
[But standing on the Rocks her woven shadow glowing bright]
Who animating times on times by the force of her sweet song
PAGE 6
She drew the Spectre forth from Tharmas in [her silken] her shining loom
Of vegetation weeping in wayward infancy & sullen youth
Listning to her soft lamentations soon his tongue began
To Lisp out words & soon in masculine strength augmenting he
Reard up a form of gold & stood upon the glittering rock
A shadowy human form winged & in his depths
The dazzlings as of gems shone clear, rapturous in [joy] fury
Glorying in his own eyes Exalted in terrific Pride
[Searching for glory wishing that the heavens had eyes to See
10 And courting that the Earth would ope her Eyelids & behold
Such wondrous beauty repining in the midst of all his glory
That nought but Enion could be found to praise adore & love
Three days in self admiring raptures on the rocks he flamd
And three dark nights repind the solitude. but the third morn
Astonishd he found Enion hidden in the darksome Cave
She spoke What am I wherefore was I put forth on these rocks