English

VALA

NIGHT THE NINTH

BEING THE LAST JUDGMENT

And Los & Enitharmon builded Jerusalem weeping
Over the Sepulcher & over the Crucified body
Which to their Phantom Eyes appear'd Still in the Sepulcher
But Jesus stood beside them in the Spirit Separating
Their Spirit from their body. Terrified at Non Existence
For such they deemd the death of the body. Los his vegetable hands
Outstretchd his right hand branching out in fibrous strength
Siezd the Sun. His left hand like dark roots coverd the Moon

VALA

NIGHT THE EIGHTH

Then All in Great Eternity [ which is called ] Met in the Council of God
[ Met ] as one Man Even Jesus upon Gilead & Hermon
Upon the Limit of Contraction to create the fallen Man
The [ Eternal ] Fallen Man stretchd like a Corse upon the oozy Rock
Washd with the tides Pale overgrown with weeds
That movd with horrible dreams hovring high over his head
Two winged immortal shapes one standing at his feet
Toward the East one standing at his head toward the west

VALA

NIGHT THE SEVENTH [a]

Then Urizen arose The Spectre fled & Tharmas fled
The darkening Spectre of Urthona hid beneath a rock
Tharmas threw his impetuous flight thro the deeps of immensity
Revolving round in whirlpools fierce all round the cavernd worlds

But Urizen silent descended to the Caves of Orc & saw
A Cavernd Universe of flaming fire the horses of Urizen
Here bound to fiery mangers furious dash their golden hoofs
Striking fierce sparkles from their brazen fetters. fierce his lions

VALA

NIGHT THE SIXTH

So Urizen arose & leaning on his Spear explord his dens
He threw his flight thro the dark air to where a river flowd
And taking off his silver helmet filled it & drank
But when unsatiated his thirst he assayd to gather more
Lo three terrific women at the verge of the bright flood
Who would not suffer him to approach. but drove him back with storms.

Urizen knew them not & thus addressd the spirits of darkness.

Who art thou Eldest Woman sitting in thy clouds

VALA

[ BOOK ] NIGHT THE FIFTH

Infected Mad he dancd on his mountains high & dark as heaven
Now fixd into one stedfast bulk his features stonify
From his mouth curses & from his eyes sparks of blighting
Beside the anvil cold he dancd with the hammer of Urthona
Terrific pale. Enitharmon stretchd on the [ dismal ] dreary Earth
Felt her immortal limbs freeze stiffning pale inflexible
His feet shr[u]nk withring from the deep shrinking & withering
And Enitharmon shrunk up all their fibres withring beneath

VALA

NIGHT THE FOURTH

But Tharmas rode on the dark Abyss. the voice of Tharmas rolld
Over the heaving deluge. he saw Los & Enitharmon Emerge
In strength & brightness from the Abyss his bowels yearnd over them
They rose in strength above the heaving deluge. in mighty scorn
Red as the Sun in the hot morning of the bloody day
Tharmas beheld them his bowels yearnd over them.

And he said Wherefore do I feel such love & pity
Ah Enion Ah Enion Ah lovely lovely Enion

VALA

NIGHT THE [? First ? Third ] THIRD

Now sat the King of Light on high upon his starry throne
And bright Ahania bow'd herself before his splendid feet

O Urizen look on [ thy wife that ] Me. like a mournful stream
I Embrace[ s ] round thy knees & wet [ s her ] My bright hair with [ her ] My tears.
Why sighs my Lord! are not the morning stars thy obedient Sons
Do they not bow their bright heads at thy voice? at thy command
Do they not fly into their stations & return their light to thee

VALA

NIGHT THE [ SECOND ] [ FIRST/THIRD ]

Rising upon his Couch of Death Albion beheld his Sons
Turning his Eyes outward to Self. losing the Divine Vision
[ The Man ] Albion calld Urizen & said. Behold these sickning Spheres
Whence is this Voice of Enion that soundeth in my [ Ears ] Porches
Take thou possession! take this Scepter! go forth in my might
For I am weary, & must sleep in the dark sleep of Death
Thy brother Luvah hath smitten me but pity thou his youth
Tho thou hast not pitid my Age O Urizen Prince of Light.

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

If you have leisure, glance at this quatrain;
You busy men shirk labour when you can,
So skip the rest and I shall not complain;
You skip this too? That is the wiser plan.