 | Mansoul or The Riddle of the World |  |
Through wards and galleries óf those Radious Rocks,
Us Herthas Voice compells, with quickened steps.
As startled hare in field scuds from her form:
So our alternate feet, speed under us.
When first the Voice again restrained our course:
Twin antique river-floods, in a wide Plain,
Great Digla and Frat, (amongst the sons of men,
Of old resounding fame,) we mirrored view:
That flow from mountain-fastness óf the Gods:
Which upholds heavens wide firmament, ón that half.
Us Herthas Voice compells, with quickened steps.
As startled hare in field scuds from her form:
So our alternate feet, speed under us.
When first the Voice again restrained our course:
Twin antique river-floods, in a wide Plain,
Great Digla and Frat, (amongst the sons of men,
Of old resounding fame,) we mirrored view:
That flow from mountain-fastness óf the Gods:
Which upholds heavens wide firmament, ón that half.
Those, water Lands, where settlements founded erst;
Were of men, gathered ín communities;
Amongst whose citizens, were those seers-Chaldeans,
Which erst divined stars' occult influences.
Were of men, gathered ín communities;
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Which erst divined stars' occult influences.
Had the Ancient-of-Days, mídst that fair champaign;
Whence doth the mornings sacred radiance spring;
Planted a garden; where, of thé floods' loam:
He tempered with His hands, His fingers formed
First fathers of the World; and breath of life,
In their clay breasts, He breathed: and charge them gave,
To keep it, ás His divine pleasure was.
Whence doth the mornings sacred radiance spring;
Planted a garden; where, of thé floods' loam:
He tempered with His hands, His fingers formed
First fathers of the World; and breath of life,
In their clay breasts, He breathed: and charge them gave,
To keep it, ás His divine pleasure was.
Trembled the Earth, in thát She Man brought fórth.
And came, divided fróm brute clay, on Man;
A dívine breath: whence Speech and Mind, whereby
Todáy unto Héritage of all the Earth;
Those Adamites have attained.
And came, divided fróm brute clay, on Man;
A dívine breath: whence Speech and Mind, whereby
Todáy unto Héritage of all the Earth;
Those Adamites have attained.
Tilth found Mans sons;
In Morning of the World, through handiwork:
Where each soul hath received his acre-breath,
Of the Lords Field. They, an husband-folk, it pierce
With mattocks; they it water and subdue:
And eat of thé increase, and have enough.
In Morning of the World, through handiwork:
Where each soul hath received his acre-breath,
Of the Lords Field. They, an husband-folk, it pierce
With mattocks; they it water and subdue:
And eat of thé increase, and have enough.
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Their plots made plain, they seed-pans of mould fined,
Prepare; and furrows for young sets, wherein
They in-let water, fróm their rivers streams.
And sith when mens' sons taste the dulcet fruit,
Of wild palm grove, that crowns Euphrates brinks:
They its seedlings set their sluices all along.
Prepare; and furrows for young sets, wherein
They in-let water, fróm their rivers streams.
And sith when mens' sons taste the dulcet fruit,
Of wild palm grove, that crowns Euphrates brinks:
They its seedlings set their sluices all along.
The crooked plough-share find mens later sons;
And tame under the yoke, stiff-necked wild bulls:
By whose napes strength, they cleave the glistering clod.
And tame under the yoke, stiff-necked wild bulls:
By whose napes strength, they cleave the glistering clod.
As for their grain, when harvest-moon is seen;
Blithe husbands whet the sickle; ánd put in
Their teeming corn-stalks billowing in wide wind.
Then joy and shouting ín each bountiful field:
Where maiden-companies, dight their virgin locks,
With corn-flowers, carol forth from plot to plot;
With timbrels, treading roundels, ás they wend.
Some, bever bear, in sweating water-skins;
Unto the thirsting reapers.
Blithe husbands whet the sickle; ánd put in
Their teeming corn-stalks billowing in wide wind.
Then joy and shouting ín each bountiful field:
Where maiden-companies, dight their virgin locks,
With corn-flowers, carol forth from plot to plot;
With timbrels, treading roundels, ás they wend.
Some, bever bear, in sweating water-skins;
Unto the thirsting reapers.
Further forth,
The smiles I see, where dance those tó an house;
That blossom, full of laughter, ón their lips,
Like dewy roses; where on foster Earth,
Mild-eyed grave ancients, pénsive sunning sit.
The smiles I see, where dance those tó an house;
That blossom, full of laughter, ón their lips,
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Mild-eyed grave ancients, pénsive sunning sit.
Their gentle choirs, returning have I seen,
In Merlins glass. They zealous-handed now;
Bind grips of corn-ears, roaming to and fro;
That treasure which reap men: their burdens bear,
Then in their bosoms, tó the threshing-floors,
At the steads' lathes; where tread slow-footed round,
The toilful ox-teams.
In Merlins glass. They zealous-handed now;
Bind grips of corn-ears, roaming to and fro;
That treasure which reap men: their burdens bear,
Then in their bosoms, tó the threshing-floors,
At the steads' lathes; where tread slow-footed round,
The toilful ox-teams.
Vine-rows men have learned
And orchards, ín succeeding age, to plant.
When Time of Summer fruits is comen in;
Now vintage month: they pluck, God giving thanks,
Thereof. And there is mirth when blithe young men;
Tread, stived in fats, sweet clusters óf ripe grapes.
And orchards, ín succeeding age, to plant.
When Time of Summer fruits is comen in;
Now vintage month: they pluck, God giving thanks,
Thereof. And there is mirth when blithe young men;
Tread, stived in fats, sweet clusters óf ripe grapes.
Hark to the merry pipes! And when those cease;
Men shout, and móngst them loud hand-clapping is.
And whén run in the urns is all the must;
Glad heydeguyes begin of lads and maids,
In Spring-tide of their lives. And who look on,
Jests bandy back again. And mumming seen
Is át their bonfires, neath vast night of stars.
Men shout, and móngst them loud hand-clapping is.
And whén run in the urns is all the must;
Glad heydeguyes begin of lads and maids,
In Spring-tide of their lives. And who look on,
Jests bandy back again. And mumming seen
Is át their bonfires, neath vast night of stars.
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At erst, that antique people of Shinars Plain;
Had framed them cabans, óf the rivers reeds.
Sith they of well-trode clay, have walled them bowers.
And being to multitude grown. God's human kin:
Is mongst them traffic, ín well-peopled plain:
Where, (whích were pinfolds,) hundred villages rise:
And wrights are in their streets; and chapmen trade:
Bearing on camels' bunches, díverse wares.
And later, Mother-City, is Babylon named;
Of all that March, girt-in with walls and towers.
Had framed them cabans, óf the rivers reeds.
Sith they of well-trode clay, have walled them bowers.
And being to multitude grown. God's human kin:
Is mongst them traffic, ín well-peopled plain:
Where, (whích were pinfolds,) hundred villages rise:
And wrights are in their streets; and chapmen trade:
Bearing on camels' bunches, díverse wares.
And later, Mother-City, is Babylon named;
Of all that March, girt-in with walls and towers.
But ah! vicissitudes óf this World of ours.
In brief precession of eternal Stars:
That erewhile glóry of builded clay of theirs;
Temples, proud palaces, míghty édified towers:
Tasks oft of múltitude, of human hands;
Reverted long ago ís, to desert dust:
As Image in a glass; as Dream that fades.
In brief precession of eternal Stars:
That erewhile glóry of builded clay of theirs;
Temples, proud palaces, míghty édified towers:
Tasks oft of múltitude, of human hands;
Reverted long ago ís, to desert dust:
As Image in a glass; as Dream that fades.
The Courts of Kings are nettle-beds; judgment halls,
Silent, where trembled breakers of their laws
Are haunts become of owls, and dragons lairs.
Silent, where trembled breakers of their laws
Are haunts become of owls, and dragons lairs.
Gardens wherein their princes solace sought;
In hours of Summer heat and drought to walk:
Where they delighted, at their list, to pluck
All manner there, of timely pleasant fruits;
Reverted áre to wasteful wilderness.
Where now wild asses snuff-up, East winds breath:
That hardly, of á sere wíthered herb, may find
To feed their fills. And in Worlds days that are;
Where no man, of his free will, passeth more.
In hours of Summer heat and drought to walk:
Where they delighted, at their list, to pluck
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Reverted áre to wasteful wilderness.
Where now wild asses snuff-up, East winds breath:
That hardly, of á sere wíthered herb, may find
To feed their fills. And in Worlds days that are;
Where no man, of his free will, passeth more.
Nor more is that first Family of the World named,
Men of divíne descent. Mens lips forget
These days it to pronounce.
Men of divíne descent. Mens lips forget
These days it to pronounce.
Soon after this;
In Underworlds Deep, were stayed our forward steps;
Suspent, before great antique sepulchre.
We viewed within, One ón his elbow leaned;
(Accustomed guise of men, in those East parts;)
Whose front girds gem-dight royal diadem:
Nebo, who instituted righteous laws,
Rock of his people, prophet, priest and king.
In Underworlds Deep, were stayed our forward steps;
Suspent, before great antique sepulchre.
We viewed within, One ón his elbow leaned;
(Accustomed guise of men, in those East parts;)
Whose front girds gem-dight royal diadem:
Nebo, who instituted righteous laws,
Rock of his people, prophet, priest and king.
| Mansoul or The Riddle of the World | |