The Complete Poems

by William Blake

  [But upon the nettly ground

  20 No delight was to be found]

  And I saw before me shine

  Clusters of the wandring vine

  [And beyond a mirtle tree]

  And many a lovely flower and tree

  Stretchd [its] their blossoms out to me

  [But a Priest/But many a] My father then with holy look

  In [his/their] hands a holy book

  Pronouncd curses on [his] my head

  [Who the fruit or blossoms shed]

  And bound me in a mirtle shade

  30 [I beheld the (Priest) Priests by night

  (He) They embracd (my mirtle) the blossoms bright

  Like a serpent in the] Like to holy men by day

  Underneath [my] the vines [he] they lay

  So I smote [him] them & [his] their gore

  Staind the roots my mirtle bore

  But the time of youth is fled

  And grey hairs are on my head

  *

  Silent Silent Night

  Quench the holy light

  Of thy torches bright

  For possessd of Day

  Thousand spirits stray

  That sweet joys betray

  Why should joys be sweet

  10 Used with deceit

  Nor with sorrows meet

  But an honest joy

  Does itself destroy

  For a harlot coy

  *

  O lapwing thou fliest around the heath

  Nor seest the net that is spread beneath

  Why dost thou not fly among the corn fields

  They cannot spread nets where a harvest yields

  *

  Thou hast a lap full of seed

  And this is a fine country

  Why dost thou not cast thy seed

  And live in it merrily

  [Oft Ive] Shall I cast it on the sand

  And [turnd] turn it into fruitful land

  [But] For on no other ground

  Can I sow my seed

  10 Without [pulling] tearing up

  Some stinking weed

  *

  [THE] EARTHS ANSWER

  Earth raisd up her head

  From the darkness dread & drear

  Her [eyes/orbs] [fled/dead] light fled

  Stony dread;

  And her locks coverd with grey despair:

  Prisond on watry shore

  Starry Jealousy does keep my den

  Cold & hoar

  Weeping oer

  10 I hear the [father of the] ancient [father of] men

  [(Cruel) Selfish father of men

  Cruel jealous (wintry) selfish fear

  Can delight

  (Closd) Chaind in night

  The virgins of youth & morning bear]

  Does spring hide its [delight] joy

  When buds & blossoms grow

  Does the sower [sow

  His seed] Sow by night

  20 Or the plowman in darkness plow

  Break this heavy chain

  That does [close]

  freeze my bones around

  Selfish vain

  [Thou my] Eternal bane

  [Hast my] That free love with bondage bound

  *

  IN A MIRTLE SHADE

  [To a lovely mirtle bound

  Blossoms showring all around]

  2 O how sick & weary I

  Underneath my mirtle lie

  Like to dung upon the ground

  Underneath my mirtle bound

  1 Why should I be bound to thee

  O my lovely mirtle tree

  Love free love cannot be bound

  10 To any tree that grows on ground

  3 Oft my mirtle sighd in vain

  To behold my heavy chain

  Oft [the priest beheld] my father saw us sigh

  And laughd at our simplicity

  So I smote him & his gore

  Staind the roots my mirtle bore

  But the time of youth is fled

  And grey hairs are on my head

  *

  LONDON

  I wander thro each dirty street

  Near where the dirty Thames does flow

  And [see] mark in every face I meet

  Marks of weakness marks of woe

  In every cry of every man

  In [every voice of every child] every infants cry of fear

  In every voice in every ban

  The [german forged links] mind forgd manacles I hear

  [But most] How the chimney sweepers cry

  10 [Blackens oer the churches walls]

  Every blackning church appalls

  And the hapless soldiers sigh

  Runs in blood down palace walls

  [But most the midnight harlots curse

  From every dismal street I hear

  Weaves around the marriage hearse

  And blasts the newborn infants tear]

  But most [from every] thro wintry streets I hear

  20 How the midnight harlots curse

  Blasts the newborn infants tear

  And [hangs] smites with plagues the marriage hearse

  But most the shrieks of youth I hear

  But most thro midnight &c

  How the youthful

  *

  TO NOBODADDY

  Why art thou silent & invisible

  [Man] Father of Jealousy

  Why dost thou hide thyself in clouds

  From every searching Eye

  Why darkness & obscurity

  In all thy words & laws

  That none dare eat the fruit but from

  The wily serpents jaws

  Or is it because secresy gains [feminine] females loud applause

  *

  The [rose puts envious] [lustful] modest rose puts forth a thorn

  The [coward] humble sheep a threatning horn

  While the lilly white shall in love delight

  [And the lion increase freedom & peace]

  [The prist loves war & the soldier peace]

  Nor a thorn nor a threat stain her beauty bright

  *

  When the voices of children are heard on the green

  And whisprings are in the dale

  The [desires] days of my youth rise fresh in my mind

  My face turns green & pale

  Then come home my children the sun is gone down

  And the dews of night arise

  Your spring & your day are wasted in play

  And your winter & night in disguise

  *

  Are not the joys of morning sweeter

  Than the joys of night

  And are the vigrous joys of youth

  Ashamed of the light

  Let age & sickness silent rob

  The vineyards in the night

  But those who burn with vigrous youth

  Pluck fruits before the light

  *

  THE TYGER [FIRST VERSION]

  1 Tyger Tyger burning bright

  In the forests of the night

  What immortal hand [&] or eye

  [Could/Dare] frame thy fearful symmetry

  2 [In what/Burnt in] distant deeps or skies

  [Burnt the/The cruel] fire of thine eyes

  On what wings dare he aspire

  What the hand dare sieze the fire

  3 And what shoulder & what art

  10 Could twist the sinews of thy heart

  And when thy heart began to beat

  What dread hand & what dread feet

  [Could fetch it from the furnace deep

  And in (the) thy horrid ribs dare steep

  In the well of sanguine woe

  In what clay & in what mould

  Were thy eyes of fury rolld]

  4 [What/Where] the hammer [what/where] the chain

  In what furnace was thy brain

  What the anvil what [the arm/grasp/clasp] dread grasp 20

  [Could] Dare its deadly terrors [clasp/grasp] clasp

 
6 Tyger Tyger burning bright

  In thee forests of the night

  What immortal hand & eye

  Dare[form] frame thy fearful symmetry

  5 3 And [did he laugh] dare he [smile/laugh] his work to see

  [What the shoulder (ankle) what the knee]

  4 [Did] Dare he who made the lamb make thee

  30 1 When the stars threw down their spears

  2 And waterd heaven with their tears

  [SECOND VERSION]

  Tyger Tyger burning bright

  In the forests of the night

  What Immortal hand [or] & eye

  Dare frame thy fearful symmetry

  Burnt in distant deeps or skies

  The cruel fire of thine eyes

  Could heart descend or wings aspire

  What the hand dare sieze the fire

  And what shoulder & what art

  10 Could twist the sinews of thy heart

  And when thy heart began to beat

  What dread hand & what dread feet

  When the stars threw down their spears

  And waterd heaven with their tears

  Did he smile his work to see

  Did he who made the lamb make thee

  Tyger Tyger burning bright

  In the forests of the night

  What immortal hand & eye

  Dare frame thy fearful symmetry

  *

  [How came pride in Man

  From Mary it began

  How Contempt & Scorn

  What a world is Man

  His Earth]

  *

  THE HUMAN IMAGE

  [Mercy] Pity could be no more

  [If there was nobody poor]

  If we did not make somebody poor

  And Mercy no more could be

  If all were as happy as we

  And mutual fear brings Peace

  Till the selfish Loves increase

  Then Cruelty knits a snare

  And spreads his [nets] baits with care

  10 He sits down with holy fears

  And waters the ground with tears

  Then humility takes its root

  Underneath his foot

  Soon spreads the dismal shade

  Of Mystery over his head

  And the caterpillar & fly

  Feed on the Mystery

  And it bears the fruit of deceit

  Ruddy & sweet to eat

  And the raven his nest has made

  20 In its thickest shade

  The Gods of the Earth & Sea

  Sought thro nature to find this tree

  But their search was all in vain

  [Till they sought in the human brain]

  There grows one in the human brain

  They said this mystery never shall cease

  The prest [loves] promotes war and the soldier peace

  There souls of men are bought & sold

  30 And [cradled] milk fed infancy [is sold] for gold

  And youth[s] to slaughter houses led

  And [maidens] beauty for a bit of bread

  *

  [HOW TO KNOW LOVE FROM DECEIT]

  Love to faults is always blind

  Always is to joy inclind

  [Always] Lawless wingd & unconfind

  And breaks all chains from every mind

  Deceit to secresy [inclind] confind

  [Modest prudish & confind]

  Lawful cautious [changeful and] & refind

  [Never is to] To every thing but interest blind

  [And chains & fetters every mind]

  And forges fetters for the mind

  *

  THE WILD FLOWERS SONG

  As I wanderd the forest

  The green leaves among

  I heard a wild [thistle] flower

  Singing a song

  I [mas found] slept in the [dark] Earth

  In the silent night

  I murmurd my fears

  And I felt delight

  In the morning I went

  10 As rosy as morn

  To seek for new Joy

  But I met with scorn

  *

  THE SICK ROSE

  O Rose thou art sick

  The invisible worm

  That flies in the night

  In the howling storm

  Hath found out thy bed

  Of crimson joy

  [O dark secret love

  Doth life destroy]

  And [his] her dark secret love

  Does thy life destroy

  *

  SOFT SNOW

  I walked abroad in a snowy day

  I askd the soft snow with me to play

  She playd & she melted in all her prime

  [Ah that sweet love should be thought a crime]

  And the winter calld it a dreadful crime

  *

  AN ANCIENT PROVERB

  Remove away that blackning church

  Remove away that marriage hearse

  Remove away that [place] man of blood

  [Twill] Youll quite remove the ancient curse

  *

  TO MY MIRTLE

  5 Why should I be bound to thee

  6 O my lovely mirtle tree

  [Love free love cannot be bound

  To any tree that grows on ground]

  1 To a lovely mirtle bound

  2 Blossoms showring all around

  [Like to dung upon the ground

  Underneath my mirtle bound]

  3 O how sick & weary I

  10 4 Underneath my mirtle lie

  *

  Naught loves another as itself

  Nor venerates another so

  Nor is it possible to Thought

  A greater than itself to know

  [Then] And father [I cannot] how can I love you

  [Nor] Or any of my brothers more

  I love [myself so does the bird] you like the little bird

  That picks up crumbs around the door

  The Priest sat by and heard the child

  10 In trembling zeal he seizd his hair

  [The mother followed weeping loud

  O that I such a fiend should bear

  Then] He led him by the little coat

  [To show his zealous priestly care]

  And all admird his priestly care

  And standing on the altar high

  Lo what a fiend is here said he

  One who sets reason up for judge

  Of our most holy mystery

  20 The weeping child could not be heard

  The weeping parents wept in vain

  [They bound his little ivory limbs

  In a cruel Iron chain

  And] They strip’d him to his little shirt

  & bound him in an iron chain

  [They] And burnd him in a holy [fire] place

  Where many had been burnd before

  The weeping parents wept in vain

  Are Such things [are] done on Albions shore

  *

  THE CHIMNEY SWEEPER

  A little black thing among the snow

  Crying weep weep in notes of woe

  Where are thy father & mother say

  They are both gone up to Church to pray

  Because I was happy upon the heath

  And smild among the winters [wind] snow

  They clothd me in the clothes of death

  And taught me to sing the notes of woe

  And because I am happy and dance and sing

  10 They think they have done me no injury

  And are gone to praise God & his Priest & King

  [Who wrap themselves up in our misery]

  Who make up a heaven of our misery

  *

  MERLINS PROPHECY

  The harvest shall flourish in wintry weather

  When two virginities meet together

  The King & the Priest must be tied in a tether

  Before two virgins can meet together

  *

  DAY

&
nbsp; The [day] Sun arises in the East

  Clothd in robes of blood & gold

  Swords & spears & wrath increast

  All around his [ancles] bosom rolld

  Crownd with warlike fires & raging desires

  *

  [THE MARRIAGE RING] THE FAIRY

  Come hither my sparrows

  My little arrows

  If a tear or a smile

  Will a man beguile

  If an amorous delay

  Clouds a sunshiny day

  If the [tread] step of a foot

  Smites the heart to its root

  Tis the marriage ring

  10 Makes each fairy a king

  So a fairy sung

  From the leaves I sprung

  He leapd from the spray

  To flee away

  [And] But in my hat caught

  He soon shall be taught

  Let him laugh let him cry

  Hes my butterfly

  [And a marriage ring

  Is a foolish thing/Is a childs play thing]

  For I’ve pulld out the Sting

  Of the marriage ring

  *

  The sword sung on the barren heath

  The sickle [on] in the fruitful field

  The sword he sung a song of death

  But could not make the sickle yield

  *

  Abstinence sows sand all over

  The ruddy limbs & [flourishing] flaming hair

  But Desire Gratified

  Plants fruits of life & beauty there

  *

  In a wife I would desire

  What in whores is always found

  The lineaments of Gratified desire

  *

  If you [catch] trap the moment before its ripe

  The tears of repentance youll certainly wipe

  But if once you let the ripe moment go

  You[ll] can never wipe off the tears of woe

  *

  ETERNITY

  He who binds to himself [to] a joy

  Does the winged life destroy

  But he who [just] kisses the joy as it flies

  Lives in [an eternal] eternity’s sun rise

  *

  THE KID

  Thou little Kid didst play

  &c

  *

  THE LITTLE [A PRETTY] VAGABOND

  Dear Mother Dear Mother the church is cold

  But the alehouse is healthy & pleasant & warm

  Besides I can tell where I am usd well

  [Such usage in heaven makes us all go to hell]

  The poor parsons with wind like a blown bladder swell

  But if at the Church they would give us some Ale

  And a pleasant fire our souls to regale

  We’d sing and we’d pray all the livelong day

  Nor ever once wish from the Church to stray

  10 Then the parson might preach & drink & sing

  And wed be as happy as birds in the spring

  And Modest dame Lurch who is always at Church

  Would not have bandy children nor fasting nor birch

  Then God like a father [that joys for] rejoicing to see

  His children as pleasant & happy as he