The Complete Poems Read online

  Thirty of Tiriels sons remaind. to wither in the palace

  Desolate. Loathed. Dumb Astonishd waiting for black death

  6

  And Hela led her father thro the silent of the night

  Astonishd silent. till the morning beams began to spring

  Now Hela I can go with pleasure & dwell with Har & Heva

  Now that the curse shall clean devour all those guilty sons

  This is the right & ready way I know it by the sound

  That our feet make. Remember Hela I have savd thee from death

  Then be obedient to thy father for the curse is taken off thee

  I dwelt with Myratana five years in the desolate rock

  And all that time we waited for the fire to fall from heaven

  10 Or for the torrents of the sea to overwhelm you all

  But now my wife is dead & all the time of grace is past

  You see the parents curse. Now lead me where I have commanded

  O Leagued with evil spirits thou accursed man of sin

  True I was born thy [child] slave who askd thee to save me from death –

  Twas for thy self thou cruel man because thou wantest eyes

  True Hela this is the desert of all those cruel ones

  Is Tiriel cruel look. his daughter & his youngest daughter

  Laughs at affection glories in rebellion. scoffs at Love:–

  I have not eat these two days lead me to Har & Hevas tent

  20 Or I will wrap the[e] up in such a terrible fathers curse

  That thou shalt feel worms in thy marrow creeping thro thy bones

  Yet thou shalt lead me. Lead me I command to Har & Heva

  O cruel O destroyer O consumer. O avenger

  To Har & Heva I will lead thee then would that they would curse

  Then would they curse as thou hast cursed but they are not like thee

  O they are holy. & forgiving filld with loving mercy

  Forgetting the offences of their most rebellious children

  Or else thou wouldest not have livd to curse thy helpless children

  Look on my eyes Hela & see for thou hast eyes to see

  30 The tears swell from my stony fountains wherefore do I weep

  Wherefore from my blind orbs art thou not siezd with poisnous stings

  Laugh serpent youngest venomous reptile of the flesh of Tiriel

  Laugh. for thy father Tiriel shall give the[e] cause to laugh

  Unless thou lead me to the tent of Har child of the curse

  Silence thy evil tongue thou murderer of thy helpless children

  I lead thee to the tent of Har not that I mind thy curse

  But that I feel they will curse thee & hang upon thy bones

  Fell shaking agonies. & in each wrinkle of that face

  Plant worms of death to feast upon the tongue of terrible curses

  40 Hela my daughter listen. thou [child] art the daughter of Tiriel

  Thy father calls. Thy father lifts his hand unto the [air] heavens

  For thou hast laughed at my tears. & curst thy aged father

  Let snakes rise from thy bedded locks & laugh among thy curls

  He ceast her dark hair upright stood while snakes infolded round

  Her madding brows. her shrieks appalld the soul of Tiriel

  What have I done Hela my daughter fearst thou now the curse

  Or wherefore dost thou cry Ah wretch to curse thy aged father

  Lead me to Har & Heva & the curse of Tiriel

  Shall (fall) fail. If thou refuse howl in the desolate mountains

  7

  She howling led him over mountains & thro frighted vales

  Till to the caves of Zazel they approachd at even tide

  Forth from their caves [the sons of Zazel] old Zazel & his sons ran. [&] when they saw

  Their tyrant prince blind & his daughter howling & leading him

  They laughd & mocked some threw dirt & stones as they passd by

  But when Tiriel turnd around & raisd his awful voice

  [They fled away (& hid themselves) but some stood still & thus scoffing began]

  Some fled away but Zazel stood still & thus began

  Bald tyrant, wrinkled cunning [wretch] listen to Zazels chains

  10 Twas thou that chaind thy brother Zazel where are now

  thine eyes

  Shout beautiful daughter of Tiriel. thou singest a sweet song

  Where are you going. come & eat some roots & drink some water

  Thy crown is bald old man. the sun will dry thy brains away

  And thou wilt be as foolish as thy foolish brother Zazel

  The blind man heard. & smote his breast & trembling passed on

  They threw dirt after them. till to the covert of a wood

  [They] The howling maiden led her father where wild beasts resort

  Hoping to end her [life] woes. but from her cries the tygers fled

  All night they wanderd thro the wood & when the sun arose

  20 They enterd on the mountains of Har at Noon the happy tents

  Were frighted by the dismal cries of Hela on the mountains

  But Har & Heva slept fearless as babes. on loving breasts

  Mnetha awoke she ran & stood at the tent door [in]& saw

  The aged wanderer led towards the tents she took her bow

  And ehose her arrows then advancd to meet the terrible pair

  8

  And Mnetha hasted & met them at the gate of the lower garden

  Stand still or from my bow recieve a sharp & winged death

  Then Tiriel stood. saying what soft voice threatens such bitter things

  Lead me to Har & Heva I am Tiriel King of the west

  And Mnetha led them to the tent of Har. and Har & Heva

  Ran to the door. when Tiriel felt the ankles of aged Har

  He said. O weak mistaken father of a lawless race

  Thy laws O Har & Tiriels wisdom end together in a curse

  [Thy God of love thy heaven of joy]

  10 Why is one law given to the lion & the [Ox] patient Ox

  [Dost thou not see that men cannot be formed all alike

  Some nostrild wide breathing out blood. Some close shut up

  In silent deceit, poisons inhaling from the morning rose

  With daggers hid beneath their lips & poison in their tongue

  Or eyed with little sparks of Hell or with infernal brands

  Flinging flames of discontent & plagues of dark despair

  Or those whose mouths are graves whose teeth the gates of eternal death

  Can wisdom be put in a silver rod or love in a golden bowl

  Is the son of a king warmed without wool or does he cry with a voice

  20 Of thunder does he look upon the sun & laugh or stretch

  His little hands into the depths of the sea, to bring forth

  The deadly cunning of the (scaly tribe) flatterer & spread it to the morning]

  And why men bound beneath the heavens in a reptile form

  A worm of sixty winters creeping on the dusky ground

  The child springs from the womb. the father ready stands to form

  The infant head while the mother idle plays with her dog on her couch

  The young bosom is cold for lack of mothers nourishment & milk

  Is cut off from the weeping mouth with difficulty & pain

  The little lids are lifted & the little nostrils opend

  The father forms a whip to rouze the sluggish senses to act

  And scourges off all youthful fancies from the new-born 30 man

  Then walks the weak infant in sorrow compelld to number footsteps

  Upon the sand. &c

  And when the [foolish crawling] drone has reachd his crawling length

  Black berries appear that poison all around him. Such [is] was Tiriel

  [Hypocrisy the idiots wisdom & the wise mans folly]

  Compelld to pray repugnant & to humble the immortal spirit

  Till
I am subtil as a serpent in a paradise

  Consuming all both flowers & fruits insects & warbling birds

  And now my paradise is falln & a drear sandy plain

  40 Returns my thirsty hissings in a curse on thee O Har

  Mistaken father of a lawless race my voice is past

  He ceast outstretchd at Har & Hevas feet in awful death

  SONGS OF INNOCENCE AND OF EXPERIENCE

  Shewing the Two Contrary States of the Human Soul

  Songs of Innocence

  INTRODUCTION

  Piping down the valleys wild

  Piping songs of pleasant glee

  On a cloud I saw a child.

  And he laughing said to me.

  Pipe a song about a Lamb;

  So I piped with merry chear,

  Piper pipe that song again –

  So I piped, he wept to hear.

  Drop thy pipe thy happy pipe

  10 Sing thy songs of happy chear,

  So I sung the same again

  While he wept with joy to hear

  Piper sit thee down and write

  In a book that all may read –

  So he vanish’d from my sight.

  And I pluck’d a hollow reed.

  And I made a rural pen,

  And I stain’d the water clear,

  And I wrote my happy songs

  20 Every child may joy to hear

  THE SHEPHERD

  How sweet is the Shepherds sweet lot,

  From the morn to the evening he strays:

  He shall follow his sheep all the day

  And his tongue shall be filled with praise.

  For he hears the lambs innocent call.

  And he hears the ewes tender reply.

  He is watchful while they are in peace.

  For they know when their Shepherd is nigh.

  THE ECCHOING GREEN

  The Sun does arise,

  And make happy the skies.

  The merry bells ring

  To welcome the Spring.

  The sky-lark and thrush,

  The birds of the bush,

  Sing louder around.

  To the bells chearful sound.

  While our sports shall be seen

  10 On the Ecchoing Green.

  Old John with white hair

  Does laugh away care,

  Sitting under the oak,

  Among the old folk,

  They laugh at our play,

  And soon they all say.

  Such such were the joys.

  When we all girls & boys,

  In our youth-time were seen,

  20 On the Ecchoing Green.

  Till the little ones weary

  No more can be merry

  The sun does descend.

  And our sports have an end:

  Round the laps of their mothers,

  Many sisters and brothers,

  Like birds in their nest,

  Are ready for rest;

  And sport no more seen,

  30 On the darkening Green.

  THE LAMB

  Little Lamb who made thee

  Dost thou know who made thee

  Gave thee life & bid thee feed.

  By the stream & o’er the mead;

  Gave thee clothing of delight,

  Softest clothing wooly bright;

  Gave thee such a tender voice,

  Making all the vales rejoice:

  Little Lamb who made thee

  10 Dost thou know who made thee

  Little Lamb I’ll tell thee,

  Little Lamb I’ll tell thee:

  He is called by thy name,

  For he calls himself a Lamb:

  He is meek & he is mild,

  He became a little child:

  I a child & thou a lamb,

  We are called by his name.

  Little Lamb God bless thee.

  20 Little Lamb God bless thee.

  THE LITTLE BLACK BOY

  My mother bore me in the southern wild,

  And I am black, but O! my soul is white;

  White as an angel is the English child:

  But I am black as if bereav’d of light.

  My mother taught me underneath a tree

  And sitting down before the heat of day,

  She took me on her lap and kissed me,

  And pointing to the east began to say.

  Look on the rising sun: there God does live

  10 And gives his light, and gives his heat away.

  And flowers and trees and beasts and men recieve

  Comfort in morning joy in the noon day.

  And we are put on earth a little space,

  That we may learn to bear the beams of love,

  And these black bodies and this sun-burnt face

  Is but a cloud, and like a shady grove.

  For when our souls have learn’d the heat to bear

  The cloud will vanish we shall hear his voice.

  Saying: come out from the grove my love & care,

  20 And round my golden tent like lambs rejoice.

  Thus did my mother say and kissed me,

  And thus I say to little English boy.

  When I from black and he from white cloud free,

  And round the tent of God like lambs we joy:

  Ill shade him from the heat till he can bear,

  To lean in joy upon our fathers knee.

  And then I’ll stand and stroke his silver hair,

  And be like him and he will then love me.

  THE BLOSSOM

  Merry Merry Sparrow

  Under leaves so green

  A happy Blossom

  Sees you swift as arrow

  Seek your cradle narrow

  Near my Bosom.

  Pretty Pretty Robin

  Under leaves so green

  A happy Blossom

  10 Hears you sobbing sobbing

  Pretty Pretty Robin

  Near my Bosom.

  THE CHIMNEY SWEEPER

  When my mother died I was very young,

  And my father sold me while yet my tongue,

  Could scarcely cry weep weep weep weep.

  So your chimneys I sweep & in soot I sleep.

  Theres little Tom Dacre, who cried when his head

  That curl’d like a lambs back, was shav’d, so I said.

  Hush Tom never mind it, for when your head’s bare,

  You know that the soot cannot spoil your white hair.

  And so he was quiet, & that very night,

  10 As Tom was a sleeping he had such a sight,

  That thousands of sweepers Dick, Joe Ned & Jack

  Were all of them lock’d up in coffins of black

  And by came an Angel who had a bright key,

  And he open’d the coffins & set them all free.

  Then down a green plain leaping laughing they run

  And wash in a river and shine in the Sun.

  Then naked & white, all their bags left behind,

  They rise upon clouds, and sport in the wind.

  And the Angel told Tom if he’d be a good boy,

  20 He’d have God for his father & never want joy.

  And so Tom awoke and we rose in the dark

  And got with our bags & our brushes to work.

  Tho’ the morning was cold, Tom was happy & warm,

  So if all do their duty, they need not fear harm.

  THE LITTLE BOY LOST

  Father, father, where are you going

  O do not walk so fast.

  Speak father, speak to your little boy

  Or else I shall be lost,

  The night was dark no father was there

  The child was wet with dew.

  The mire was deep, & the child did weep

  And away the vapour flew.

  THE LITTLE BOY FOUND

  The little boy lost in the lonely fen,

  Led by the wand’ring light,

  Began to cry, but God ever nigh,

  Appeard like his fa
ther in white.

  He kissed the child & by the hand led

  And to his mother brought,

  Who in sorrow pale, thro’ the lonely date

  Her little boy weeping sought.

  LAUGHING SONG

  When the green woods laugh, with the voice of joy

  And the dimpling stream runs laughing by,

  When the air does laugh with our merry wit,

  And the green hill laughs with the noise of it.

  When the meadows laugh with lively green

  And the grasshopper laughs in the merry scene,

  When Mary and Susan and Emily,

  With their sweet round mouths sing Ha, Ha, He.

  When the painted birds laugh in the shade

  10 Where our table with cherries and nuts is spread

  Come live & be merry and join with me,

  To sing the sweet chorus of Ha, Ha, He.

  A CRADLE SONG

  Sweet dreams form a shade,

  O’er my lovely infants head.

  Sweet dreams of pleasant streams.

  By happy silent moony beams.

  Sweet sleep with soft down,

  Weave thy brows an infant crown.

  Sweet sleep Angel mild,

  Hover o’er my happy child.

  Sweet smiles in the night,

  10 Hover over my delight.

  Sweet smiles Mothers smiles

  All the livelong night beguiles.

  Sweet moans, dovelike sighs,

  Chase not slumber from thy eyes.

  Sweet moans, sweeter smiles.

  All the dovelike moans beguiles.

  Sleep sleep happy child.

  All creation slept and smil’d.

  Sleep sleep happy sleep.

  20 While o’er thee thy mother weep

  Sweet babe in thy face,

  Holy image I can trace.

  Sweet babe once like thee,

  Thy maker lay and wept for me

  Wept for me for thee for all.

  When he was an infant small.

  Thou his image ever see.

  Heavenly face that smiles on thee.

  Smiles on thee on me on all,

  30 Who became an infant small,

  Infant smiles are his own smiles.

  Heaven & earth to peace beguiles.

  THE DIVINE IMAGE

  To Mercy Pity Peace and Love,

  All pray in their distress:

  And to these virtues of delight

  Return their thankfulness.

  For Mercy Pity Peace and Love,

  Is God our father dear:

  And Mercy Pity Peace and Love,

  Is Man his child and care.

  For Mercy has a human heart

  10 Pity, a human face:

  And Love, the human form divine,

  And Peace, the human dress.

  Then every man of every clime,

  That prays in his distress,