Vala, or The Four Zoas/Night the Fifth

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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 dreary Earth Felt her immortal limbs freeze stiffning pale inflexible His feet shrink withring from the deep shrinking & withering And Enitharmon shrunk up all their fibres withring beneath As plants witherd by winter leaves & stems & roots decaying Melt into thin air while the seed drivn by the furious wind Rests on the distant Mountains top. So Los & Enitharmon Shrunk into fixed space stood trembling on a Rocky cliff Yet mighty bulk & majesty & beauty remaind but unexpansive As far as highest Zenith from the lowest Nadir. so far shrunk Los from the furnaces a Space immense & left the cold	15 Prince of Light bound in chains of intellect among the furnaces But all the furnaces were out & the bellows had ceast to blow He stood trembling & Enitharmon clung around his knees Their senses unexpansive in one stedfast bulk remain The night blew cold & Enitharmon shriekd on the dismal wind	20

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Her pale hands cling around her husband & over her weak head Shadows of Eternal death sit in the leaden air But the soft pipe the flute the viol organ harp & cymbal And the sweet sound of silver voices calm the weary couch Of Enitharmon but her groans drown the immortal harps Loud & more loud the living music floats upon the air Faint & more faint the daylight wanes. The wheels of turning darkness Began in solemn revolutions. Earth convulsd with rending pangs Rockd to & fro & cried sore at the groans of Enitharmon Still the faint harps & silver voices calm the weary couch But from the caves of deepest night ascending in clouds of mist The winter spread his wide black wings across from pole to pole Grim frost beneath & terrible snow linkd in a marriage chain Began a dismal dance. The winds around on pointed rocks Settled like bats innumerable ready to fly abroad The groans of Enitharmon shake the skies the labring Earth Till from her heart rending his way a terrible Child sprang forth In thunder smoke & sullen flames & howlings & fury & blood Soon as his burning Eyes were opend on the Abyss The horrid trumpets of the deep bellowd with bitter blasts The Enormous Demons woke & howld around the new born king Crying Luvah King of Love thou art the King of rage & death Urizen cast deep darkness round him raging Luvah pourdt The spears of Urizen from Chariots round the Eternal tent Discord began then yells & cries shook the wide firma[m]ent

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Where is Sweet Vala gloomy prophet where the lovely form That drew the body of Man from heaven into this dark Abysselds Shew thy soul Vala shew thy bow & quiver of secret fires Draw thy bow Vala from the depths of hell thy black bow drawt And twang the bow string to our howlings let thine arrows black Sing in the Sky as once they sang upon the hills of Light When dark Urthona wept in torment of the secret pain He wept & he divided & he laid his gloomy head Down on the Rock of Eternity on darkness of the deep Torn by black storms & ceaseless torrents of consuming fire Within his breast his fiery sons chaind down & filld with cursings And breathing terrible blood & vengeance gnashing his teeth with pain Let loose the Enormous Spirit in the darkness of the deep And his dark wife that once fair crystal form divinely clear Within his ribs producing serpents whose souls are flames of fire But now the times return upon thee Enitharmons womb Now holds thee soon to issue forth. Sound Clarions of war Call Vala from her close recess in all her dark deceit Then rage on rage shall fierce redound out of her crystal quiver So sung the Demons round red Orc & round faint Enitharmon Sweat & blood stood on the limbs of Los in globes. his fiery Eyelids Faded. he rouzd he siezd the wonder in his hands & went Shuddring & weeping thro the Gloom & down into the deeps Enitharmon nursd her fiery child in the dark deeps Sitting in darkness. over her Los mournd in anguish fierce Coverd with gloom. the fiery boy grew fed by the milk Of Enitharmon. Los around her builded pillars of iron

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And brass & silver & gold fourfold in dark prophetic fear For now he feard Eternal Death & uttermost Extinction He builded Golgonooza on the Lake of Udan Adan Upon the Limit of Translucence then he builded Luban Tharmas laid the Foundations & Los finishd it in howling woe But when fourteen summers & winters had revolved over Their solemn habitation Los beheld the ruddy boy Embracing his bright mother & beheld malignant fires In his young eyes discerning plain that Orc plotted his death Grief rose upon his ruddy brows. a tightening girdle grew Around his bosom like a bloody cord. in secret sobs He burst it, but next morn another girdle succeeds Around his bosom. Every day he viewd the fiery youth With silent fear & his immortal cheeks grew deadly pale Till many a morn & many a night passd over in dire woe Forming a girdle in the day & bursting it at night The girdle was formd by day by night was burst in twain Falling down on the rock an iron chain link by link lockd Enitharmon beheld the bloody chain of nights & days Depending from the bosom of Los & how with griding pain He went each morning to his labours. with the spectre dark Calld it the chain of jealousy. Now Los began to speak His woes aloud to Enitharmon. since he could not hide His uncouth plague. He siezd the boy in his immortal hands While Enitharmon followd him weeping in dismal woe Up to the iron mountains top & there the Jealous chain Fell from his bosom on the mountain. The Spectre dark Held the fierce boy Los naild him down binding around his limbs The accursed chain O how bright Enitharmon howld & cried Over her son. Obdurate Los bound down her loved joy

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The hammer of Urthona smote the rivets in terror. of brass Tenfold. the Demons rage flamd tenfold forth rending Roaring redounding. Loud Loud Louder & Louder & fird The darkness warring With the waves of Tharmas & Snows of Urizen Crackling the flames went up with fury from the immortal demon Surrounded with flames the Demon grew loud howling in his fires Los folded Enitharmon in a cold white cloud in fear Then led her down into the deeps & into his labyrinth Giving the Spectre sternest charge over the howling fiend Concenterd into Love of Parent Storgous Appetite Craving His limbs bound down mock at his chains for over them a flame Of circling fire unceasing plays to feed them with life & bring The virtues of the Eternal worlds ten thousand thousand spirits Of life lament around the Demon going forth & returningt At his enormous call they flee into the heavens of heavens And back return with wine & food. Or dive into the deeps To bring the thrilling joys of sense to quell his ceaseless rage His eyes the lights of his large soul contract or else expand Contracted they behold the secrets of the infinite mountains The veins of gold & silver & the hidden things of Vala Whatever grows from its pure bud or breathes a fragrant soul Expanded they behold the terrors of the Sun & Moon The Elemental Planets & the orbs of eccentric fire His nostrils breathe a fiery flame. his locks are like the forestst Of wild beasts there the lion glares the tyger & wolf howl there And there the Eagle hides her young in cliffs & precipices His bosom is like starry heaven expanded all the stars rings Flow into rivers of delight. there the spontaneous flowers Drink laugh & sing. the grasshopper the Emmet & the Fly The golden Moth builds there a house & spreads her silken bed

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His loins inwove with silken fires are like a furnace fierce As the strong Bull in summer time when bees sing round the heath Where the herds low after the shadow & after the water spring The numrous flocks cover the mountain & shine along the valley His knees are rocks of adamant & rubie & emerald Spirits of strength in Palaces rejoice in golden armour Armed with spear & shield they drink & rejoice over the slain Such is the Demon such his terror in the nether deep But when returnd to Golgonooza Los & Enitharmon Felt all the sorrow Parents feel. they wept toward one another And Los repented that he bad chaind Orc upon the mountain And Enitharmons tears prevaild parental love returnd Tho terrible his dread of that infernal chain They rose At midnight hasting to their much beloved care Nine days they traveld thro the Gloom of Entuthon Benithon Los taking Enitharmon by the hand led her along The dismal vales & up to the iron mountains top where Orc Howld in the furious wind he thought to give to Enitharmon Her son in tenfold joy & to compensate for her tears Even if his own death resulted so much pity him paind But when they came to the dark rock & to the spectrous cave Lo the young limbs had strucken root into the rock & strong Fibres had from the Chain of Jealousy inwove themselves In a swift vegetation round the rock & round the Cave And over the immortal limbs of the terrible fiery boy In vain they strove now to unchain. In vain with bitter tears To melt the chain of Jealousy. not Enitharmons death Nor the Consummation of Los could ever melt the chain Nor unroot the infernal fibres from their rocky bed Nor all Urthonas strength nor all the power of Luvahs Bulls Tho they each morning drag the unwilling Sun out of the deep Could uproot the infernal chain. for it had taken root [ page 63 ]

Into the iron rock & grew a chain beneath the Earth Even to the Center wrapping round the Center & the limbs Of Orc entering with fibres. became one with him a living Chain Sustained by the Demons life. Despair & Terror & Woe & Rage Inwrap the Parents in cold clouds as they bend howling over The terrible boy till fainting by his side the Parents fell Not long they lay Urthonas spectre found herbs of the pit Rubbing their temples he reviv'd them. all their lamentations I write not here but all their after life was lamentation When satiated with grief they returnd back to Golgonooza Enitharmon on the road of Dranthon felt the inmost gate Of her bright heart burst open & again close with a deadly paint Within her heart Vala began to reanimate in bursting sobs And when the Gate was open she beheld that dreary Deept Where bright Ahania wept. She also saw the infernal roots Of the chain of Jealousy & felt the rendings of fierce howling Orc Rending the Caverns like a mighty wind pent in the Earth Tho wide apart as furthest north is from the furthest south Urizen trembled where he lay to hear the howling terror The rocks shook the Eternal bars tuggd to & fro were rifted Outstretchd upon the stones of ice the ruins of his throne Urizen shuddring heard his trembling limbs shook the strong caves The Woes of Urizen shut up in the deep dens of Urthona Ah how shall Urizen the King submit to this dark mansion Ah how is this! Once on the heights I stretchd 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 My fountains once the haunt of Swans now breed the scaly tortoise 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 & water them in vain

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Once how I walked from my palace in gardens of delight The sons of wisdom stood around the harpers followd with harps Nine virgins clothd in light composd the song to their immortal voices And at my banquets of new wine my head was crownd with joy Then in my ivory pavilions I slumberd in the noon And walked in the silent night among sweet smelling flowers Till on my silver bed I slept & sweet dreams round me hoverd But now my land is darkend & my wise men are departed My songs are turned to cries of Lamentationt Heard on my Mountains & deep sighs under my palace roofs Because the Steeds of Urizen once swifter than the light Were kept back from my Lord & from his chariot of mercies O did I keep the horses of the day in silver pastures O I refusd 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 & hate O Fool to think that I could hide from his all piercing eyes The gold & silver & costly stones his holy workmanship O Fool could I forget the light that filled my bright spheres Was a reflection of his face who calld me from the deep I well remember for I heard the mild & holy voice Saying O light spring up & shine & I sprang up from the deept He gave to me a silver scepter & crownd me with a golden crown & said Go forth & guide my Son who wanders on the ocean I went not forth. I hid myself in black clouds of my wrath I calld the stars around my feet in the night of councils dark The stars threw down their spears & fled naked away We fell. I siezd thee dark Urthona In my left hand falling I siezd thee beauteous Luvah thou art faded like a flower And like a lilly is thy wife Vala witherd by winds When thou didst bear the golden cup at the immortal tables Thy children smote their fiery wings crownd with the gold of heaven

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Thy pure feet stepd on the steps divine. too pure for other feet And thy fair locks shadowd thine eyes from the divine effulgence Then thou didst keep with Strong Urthona the living gates of heaven But now thou art bound down with him even to the gates of hell Because thou gavest Urizen the wine of the Almighty For steeds of Light that they might run in thy golden chariot of pride I gave to thee the Steeds I pourd the stolen wine And drunken with the immortal draught fell from my throne sublime I will arise Explore these dens & find that deep pulsation That shakes my caverns with strong shudders. perhaps this is the night Of Prophecy & Luvah hath burst his way from Enitharmon When Thought is closd in Caves. Then love shall shew its root in deepest Hell

End of the Fifth Night