Title;
E3| THE BOOK of
THEL t3
Thelcolophon;
E3| The Author & Printer
Willm Blake, 1789.
Thelmotto;
E3| THEL'S Motto,
Thelmotto1;
E3| Does the Eagle know what is
in the pit?
Thelmotto2;
E3| Or wilt thou go ask the
Mole:
Thelmotto3;
E3| Can Wisdom be put in a
silver rod?
Thelmotto4;
E3| Or Love in a golden bowl?
Title;
E3| THEL
Thelchap;
E3| I
Thel1.1;
E3| The daughters of Mne
Seraphim led round their sunny flocks. t4
Thel1.2;
E3| All but the youngest; she
in paleness sought the secret air.
Thel1.3;
E3| To fade away like morning
beauty from her mortal day:
Thel1.4;
E3| Down by the river of Adona
her soft voice is heard:
Thel1.5;
E3| And thus her gentle
lamentation falls like morning dew.
Thel1.6;
E3| O life of this our spring!
why fades the lotus of the water?
Thel1.7;
E3| Why fade these children of
the spring? born but to smile & fall.
Thel1.8;
E3| Ah! Thel is like a watry
bow. and like a parting cloud.
Thel1.9;
E3| Like a reflection in a
glass. like shadows in the water.
Thel1.10;
E3| Like dreams of infants.
like a smile upon an infants face,
Thel1.11;
E3| Like the doves voice, like
transient day, like music in the air;
Thel1.12;
E3| Ah! gentle may I lay me
down, and gentle rest my head.
Thel1.13;
E3| And gentle sleep the sleep
of death. and gentle hear the voice t5
Thel1.14;
E3| Of him that walketh in the
garden in the evening time.
Thel1.15;
E4| The Lilly of the valley
breathing in the humble grass
Thel1.16;
E4| Answer'd the lovely maid
and said; I am a watry weed,
Thel1.17;
E4| And I am very small, and
love to dwell in lowly vales;
Thel1.18;
E4| So weak, the gilded
butterfly scarce perches on my head.
Thel1.19;
E4| Yet I am visited from
heaven and he that smiles on all.
Thel1.20;
E4| Walks in the valley. and
each morn over me spreads his hand
Thel1.21;
E4| Saying, rejoice thou humble
grass, thou new-born lilly flower,
Thel1.22;
E4| Thou gentle maid of silent
valleys. and of modest brooks;
Thel1.23;
E4| For thou shalt be clothed
in light, and fed with morning manna:
Thel1.24;
E4| Till summers heat melts
thee beside the fountains and the springs
Thel1.25;
E4| To flourish in eternal
vales: then why should Thel complain,
Thel2.1;
E4| Why should the mistress of
the vales of Har, utter a sigh.
Thel2.2;
E4| She ceasd & smild in
tears, then sat down in her silver shrine.
Thel2.3;
E4| Thel answerd. O thou little
virgin of the peaceful valley.
Thel2.4;
E4| Giving to those that cannot
crave, the voiceless, the o'ertired. t6
Thel2.5;
E4| Thy breath doth nourish the
innocent lamb, he smells thy milky garments,
Thel2.6;
E4| He crops thy flowers. while
thou sittest smiling in his face,
Thel2.7;
E4| Wiping his mild and meekin
mouth from all contagious taints.
Thel2.8;
E4| Thy wine doth purify the
golden honey, thy perfume,
Thel2.9;
E4| Which thou dost scatter on
every little blade of grass that springs
Thel2.10;
E4| Revives the milked cow,
& tames the fire-breathing steed.
Thel2.11;
E4| But Thel is like a faint
cloud kindled at the rising sun:
Thel2.12;
E4| I vanish from my pearly
throne, and who shall find my place.
Thel2.13;
E4| Queen of the vales the
Lilly answerd, ask the tender cloud,
Thel2.14;
E4| And it shall tell thee why
it glitters in the morning sky,
Thel2.15;
E4| And why it scatters its
bright beauty thro' the humid air.
Thel2.16;
E4| Descend O little cloud
& hover before the eyes of Thel.
Thel2.17;
E4| The Cloud descended, and
the Lilly bowd her modest head:
Thel2.18;
E4| And went to mind her
numerous charge among the verdant grass.
Thelchap;
E4| II.
Thel3.1;
E4| O little Cloud the virgin
said, I charge thee tell to me,
Thel3.2;
E4| Why thou complainest not
when in one hour thou fade away:
Thel3.3;
E4| Then we shall seek thee but
not find; ah Thel is like to thee.
Thel3.4;
E4| I pass away. yet I
complain, and no one hears my voice.
Thel3.5;
E4| The Cloud then shew'd his
golden head & his bright form emerg'd,
Thel3.6;
E4| Hovering and glittering on
the air before the face of Thel.
Thel3.7;
E4| O virgin know'st thou not.
our steeds drink of the golden springs
Thel3.8;
E4| Where Luvah doth renew his
horses: look'st thou on my youth,
Thel3.9;
E5| And fearest thou because I
vanish and am seen no more.
Thel3.10;
E5| Nothing remains; O maid I
tell thee, when I pass away,
Thel3.11;
E5| It is to tenfold life, to
love, to peace, and raptures holy:
Thel3.12;
E5| Unseen descending, weigh my
light wings upon balmy flowers;
Thel3.13;
E5| And court the fair eyed
dew. to take me to her shining tent;
Thel3.14;
E5| The weeping virgin,
trembling kneels before the risen sun,
Thel3.15;
E5| Till we arise link'd in a
golden band, and never part;
Thel3.16;
E5| But walk united, bearing
food to all our tender flowers
Thel3.17;
E5| Dost thou O little Cloud? I
fear that I am not like thee;
Thel3.18;
E5| For I walk through the
vales of Har. and smell the sweetest flowers;
Thel3.19;
E5| But I feed not the little
flowers: I hear the warbling birds,
Thel3.20;
E5| But I feed not the warbling
birds. they fly and seek their food;
Thel3.21;
E5| But Thel delights in these
no more because I fade away,
Thel3.22;
E5| And all shall say, without
a use this shining woman liv'd,
Thel3.23;
E5| Or did she only live. to be
at death the food of worms.
Thel3.24;
E5| The Cloud reclind upon his
airy throne and answer'd thus.
Thel3.25;
E5| Then if thou art the food
of worms. O virgin of the skies,
Thel3.26;
E5| How great thy use. how
great thy blessing; every thing that lives,
Thel3.27;
E5| Lives not alone, nor for
itself: fear not and I will call
Thel3.28;
E5| The weak worm from its
lowly bed, and thou shalt hear its voice.
Thel3.29;
E5| Come forth worm of the
silent valley, to thy pensive queen.
Thel3.30;
E5| The helpless worm arose,
and sat upon the Lillys leaf,
Thel3.31;
E5| And the bright Cloud saild
on, to find his partner in the vale.
Thelchap;
E5| III.
Thel4.1;
E5| Then Thel astonish'd view'd
the Worm upon its dewy bed.
Thel4.2;
E5| Art thou a Worm? image of
weakness. art thou but a Worm?
Thel4.3;
E5| I see thee like an infant
wrapped in the Lillys leaf:
Thel4.4;
E5| Ah weep not little voice,
thou can'st not speak. but thou can'st weep;
Thel4.5;
E5| Is this a Worm? I see thee
lay helpless & naked: weeping,
Thel4.6;
E5| And none to answer, none to
cherish thee with mothers smiles.
Thel4.7;
E5| The Clod of Clay heard the
Worms voice, & raisd her pitying head;
Thel4.8;
E5| She bowd over the weeping
infant, and her life exhal'd
Thel4.9;
E5| In milky fondness, then on
Thel she fix'd her humble eyes.
Thel4.10;
E5| O beauty of the vales of
Har. we live not for ourselves,
Thel4.11;
E5| Thou seest me the meanest
thing, and so I am indeed;
Thel4.12;
E5| My bosom of itself is cold.
and of itself is dark,
Thel5.1;
E5| But he that loves the
lowly, pours his oil upon my head.
Thel5.2;
E5| And kisses me, and binds
his nuptial bands around my breast.
Thel5.3;
E6| And says; Thou mother of my
children, I have loved thee.
Thel5.4;
E6| And I have given thee a
crown that none can take away
Thel5.5;
E6| But how this is sweet maid,
I know not, and I cannot know,
Thel5.6;
E6| I ponder, and I cannot
ponder; yet I live and love.
Thel5.7;
E6| The daughter of beauty
wip'd her pitying tears with her white veil,
Thel5.8;
E6| And said. Alas! I knew not
this, and therefore did I weep:
Thel5.9;
E6| That God would love a Worm
I knew, and punish the evil foot
Thel5.10;
E6| That wilful, bruis'd its
helpless form: but that he cherish'd it
Thel5.11;
E6| With milk and oil, I never
knew; and therefore did I weep,
Thel5.12;
E6| And I complaind in the mild
air, because I fade away,
Thel5.13;
E6| And lay me down in thy cold
bed, and leave my shining lot.
Thel5.14;
E6| Queen of the vales, the
matron Clay answerd; I heard thy sighs.
Thel5.15;
E6| And all thy moans flew o'er
my roof. but I have call'd them down:
Thel5.16;
E6| Wilt thou O Queen enter my
house. 'tis given thee to enter,
Thel5.17;
E6| And to return; fear
nothing. enter with thy virgin feet.
Thelchap;
E6| IV.
Thel6.1;
E6| The eternal gates terrific
porter lifted the northern bar:
Thel6.2;
E6| Thel enter'd in & saw
the secrets of the land unknown;
Thel6.3;
E6| She saw the couches of the
dead, & where the fibrous roots
Thel6.4;
E6| Of every heart on earth
infixes deep its restless twists:
Thel6.5;
E6| A land of sorrows & of
tears where never smile was seen.
Thel6.6;
E6| She wanderd in the land of
clouds thro' valleys dark, listning
Thel6.7;
E6| Dolours & lamentations:
waiting oft beside a dewy grave
Thel6.8;
E6| She stood in silence.
listning to the voices of the ground,
Thel6.9;
E6| Till to her own grave plot
she came, & there she sat down.
Thel6.10;
E6| And heard this voice of
sorrow breathed from the hollow pit.
Thel6.11;
E6| Why cannot the Ear be
closed to its own destruction?
Thel6.12;
E6| Or the glistning Eye to the
poison of a smile!
Thel6.13;
E6| Why are Eyelids stord with
arrows ready drawn,
Thel6.14;
E6| Where a thousand fighting
men in ambush lie?
Thel6.15;
E6| Or an Eye of gifts &
graces, show'ring fruits & coined gold!
Thel6.16;
E6| Why a Tongue impress'd with
honey from every wind?
Thel6.17;
E6| Why an Ear, a whirlpool
fierce to draw creations in?
Thel6.18;
E6| Why a Nostril wide inhaling
terror trembling & affright.
Thel6.19;
E6| Why a tender curb upon the
youthful burning boy! t7
Thel6.20; E6|
Why a little curtain of flesh on the bed of our desire?
Thel6.21;
E6| The Virgin started from her
seat, & with a shriek.
Thel6.22;
E6| Fled back unhinderd till
she came into the vales of Har
Thelend;
E6| The End