# Vala, or The Four Zoas/Night the Fourth

Source: The Complete Poetry & Prose of William Blake by William Blake. Edited by David V. Erdman
* VALA Night the Fourth
* [ page 47 ]
* 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
* 5 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
* How is this All my hope is gone for ever fled
* 10 Like a famishd Eagle Eyeless raging in the vast expanse
* Incessant tears are now my food. incessant rage & tears
* Deathless for ever now I wander seeking oblivion
* In torrents of despair in vain. for if I plunge beneath
* Stifling I live. If dashd in pieces from a rocky height
* 15 I reunite in endless torment. would I had never risen
* From deaths cold sleep beneath the bottom of the raging Ocean
* And cannot those who once have lovd. ever forget their Love?
* Are love & rage the same passion? they are the same in me
* Are those who love. like those who died. risen again from death
* 20 Immortal. in immortal torment. never to be deliverd
* Is it not possible that one risen again from Death
* Can die! When dark despair comes over [me] can I not
* Flow down into the sea & slumber in oblivion. Ah Enion
* [ page 48 IV 24-52]
* Deformd I see these lineaments of ungratified Desire
* The all powerful curse of an honest man be upon Urizen & Luvah
* But thou My Son Glorious in brightness comforter of Tharmas
* Go forth Rebuild this Universe beneath my indignant power
* 5 A Universe of Death & Decay. Let Enitharmons hands
* Weave soft delusive forms of Man above my watry world
* Renew these ruind souls of Men thro Earth Sea Air & Fire
* To waste in endless corruption. renew thou I will destroy
* Perhaps Enion may resume some little semblance
* 10 To ease my pangs of heart & to restore some peace to Tharmas
* Los answerd in his furious pride sparks issuing from his hair
* Hitherto shalt thou come. no further. here thy proud waves cease
* We have drunk up the Eternal Man by our unbounded power
* Beware lest we also drink up thee rough demon of the waters
* 15 Our God is Urizen the King. King of the Heavenly hosts
* We have no other God but he thou father of worms & clay
* And he is falln into the Deep rough Demon of the waters
* And Los remains God over all, weak father of worms & clay
* I know I was Urthona keeper of the gates of heaven
* 20 But now I am all powerful Los & Urthona is but my shadow
* Doubting stood Tharmas in the solemn darkness. his dim Eyest
* Swam in red tears. he reard his waves above the head of Los
* In wrath. but pitying back withdrew with many a sigh
* Now he resolvd to destroy Los & now his tears flowd down
* 25 In scorn stood Los red sparks of blighting from his furious head
* Flew over the waves of Tharmas. pitying Tharmas stayd his Waves
* For Enitharmon shriekd amain crying O my sweet world
* Built by the Architect divine whose love to Los & Enitharmon
* Thou rash abhorred Demon in thy fury hast oerthrown
* [ page 49 (IV 53-83) ]
* What Sovereign Architect said Tharmas dare my will controll
* For if I will I urge these waters. If I will they sleep
* In peace beneath my awful frown my will shall be my Law
* So Saying in a Wave he rap'd bright Enitharmon far
* 5 Apart from Los. but coverd her with softest brooding care
* On a broad wave in the warm west. balming her bleeding wound
* O how Los howld at the rending asunder all the fibres rent
* Where Enitharmon joind to his left side in griding pain
* He falling on the rocks bellowd his Dolor. till the blood
* 10 Stanch'd, then in ululation waild his woes upon the wind
* And Tharmas calld to the Dark Spectre who upon the Shores
* With dislocated Limbs had falln. The Spectre rose in pain
* A Shadow blue obscure & dismal. like a statue of lead
* Bent by its fall from a high tower the dolorous shadow rose
* 15 Go forth said Tharmas works of joy are thine obey & live
* So shall the spungy marrow issuing from thy splinterd bones
* Bonify. & thou shalt have rest when this thy labour is done
* Go forth bear Enitharmon back to the Eternal Prophet
* Build her a bower in the midst of all my dashing waves
* 20 Make first a resting place for Los & Enitharmon. then
* Thou shalt have rest. If thou refusest dashd abroad on all
* My waves. thy limbs shall separate in stench & rotting & thou
* Become a prey to all my demons of despair & hope
* The Spectre of Urthona seeing Enitharmon writhdt
* 25 His cloudy form in jealous fear & muttering thunders hoarse
* And casting round thick glooms. thus utterd his fierce pangs of heart
* Tharmas I know thee. how are we alterd our beauty decayd
* But still I know thee tho in this horrible ruin whelmd
* Thou once the mildest son of heaven art now become a Rage
* 30 A terror to all living things. think not that I am ignorant
* That thou art risen from the dead or that my power forgot
* [ page 50 ]
* I slumber here in weak repose. I well remember the Day
* The day of terror & abhorrencet
* When fleeing from the battle thou fleeting like the raven
* Of dawn outstretching an expanse where neer expanse had been
* 5 Drewst all the Sons of Beulah into thy dread vortex following
* Thy Eddying spirit down the hills of Beulah. All my sons
* Stood round me at the anvil where new heated the wedge
* Of iron glowd furious prepard for spades & mattocks
* Hearing the symphonies of war loud sounding All my sons
* 10 Fled from my side then pangs smote me unknown before. I saw
* My loins begin to break forth into veiny pipes & writhe
* Before me in the wind englobing trembling with strong vibrations
* The bloody mass began to animate. I bending over
* Wept bitter tears incessant. Still beholding how the piteous form
* 15 Dividing & dividing from my loins a weak & piteous
* Soft cloud of snow a female pale & weak I soft embracd
* My counter part & calld it Love I named her Enitharmon
* But found myself & her together issuing down the tide
* Which now our rivers were become delving thro caverns huge
* 20 Of goary blood strugg[l]ing to be deliverd from our bonds
* She strove in vain not so Urthona strove for breaking forth,
* A shadow blue obscure & dismal from the breathing Nostrils
* Of Enion I issued into the air divided from Enitharmon
* I howld in sorrow I beheld thee rotting upon the Rocks
* 25 I pitying hoverd over thee I protected thy ghastly corse
* From Vultures of the deep then wherefore shouldst thou rage
* Against me who thee guarded in the night of death from harm
* Tharmas replied. Art thou Urthona My friend my old companion,
* With whom I livd in happiness before that deadly night
* 30 When Urizen gave the horses of Light into the hands of Luvah
* Thou knowest not what Tharmas knows. O I could tell thee tales
* That would enrage thee as it has Enraged me even
* From Death in wrath & fury. But now come bear back
* Thy loved Enitharmon. For thou hast her here before thine Eyes
* [ page 51 ]
* But my sweet Enion is vanishd & I never more
* Shall see her unless thou O Shadow. wilt protect this Son
* Of Enion & him assist. to bind the fallen King
* Lest he should rise again from death in all his dreary power
* 5 Bind him, take Enitharmon for thy sweet reward while I
* In vain am driven on false hope. hope sister of despair
* Groaning the terror rose & drave his solid rocks before
* Upon the tide till underneath the feet of Los a World
* Dark dreadful rose & Enitharmon lay at Los's feet
* 10 The dolorous shadow joyd. weak hope appeard around his head
* Tharmas before Los stood & thus the Voice of Tharmas rolld
* Now all comes into the power of Tharmas. Urizen is falln
* And Luvah hidden in the Elemental forms of Life & Death
* Urthona is My Son O Los thou art Urthona & Tharmas
* 15 Is God. The Eternal Man is seald never to be deliverd
* I roll my floods over his body my billows & waves pass over him
* The Sea encompasses him & monsters of the deep are his companions
* Dreamer of furious oceans cold sleeper of weeds & shells
* Thy Eternal form shall never renew my uncertain prevails against thee
* 20 Yet tho I rage God over all. A portion of my Life
* That in Eternal fields in comfort wanderd with my flocks
* At noon & laid her head upon my wearied bosom at night
* She is divided She is vanishd even like Luvah & Valat
* O why did foul ambition sieze thee Urizen Prince of Light
* 25 And thee O Luvah prince of Love till Tharmas was divided
* And I what can I now behold but an Eternal Death
* Before my Eyes & an Eternal weary work to strive
* Against the monstrous forms that breed among my silent waves
* Is this to be A God far rather would I be a Man
* 30 To know sweet Science & to do with simple companions
* Sitting beneath a tent & viewing sheepfolds & soft pastures
* Take thou the hammer of Urthona rebuild these furnaces
* Dost thou refuse mind I the sparks that issue from thy hair
* [ page 52 ]
* I will compell thee to rebuild by these my furious waves
* Death choose or life thou strugglest in my waters, now choose life
* And all the Elements shall serve thee to their soothing flutes
* Their sweet inspiriting lyres thy labours shall administer
* 5 And they to thee only remit not faint not thou my son
* Now thou dost know what tis to strive against the God of waters
* So saying Tharmas on his furious chariots of the Deep
* Departed far into the Unknown & left a wondrous void
* Round Los. afar his waters bore on all sides round. with noise
* 10 Of wheels & horses hoofs & Trumpets Horns & Clarions
* Terrified Los beheld the ruins of Urizen beneath
* A horrible Chaos to his eyes. a formless unmeasurable Death
* Whirling up broken rocks on high into the dismal air
* And fluctuating all beneath in Eddies of molten fluid
* 15 Then Los with terrible hands siezd on the Ruind Furnaces
* Of Urizen. Enormous work: he builded them anew
* Labour of Ages in the Darkness & the war of Tharmas
* And Los formd Anvils of Iron petrific. for his blows
* Petrify with incessant beating many a rock. many a planet
* 20 But Urizen slept in a stoned stupor in the nether Abyss
* A dreamful horrible State in tossings on his icy bed
* Freezing to solid all beneath, his grey oblivious form
* Stretchd over the immense heaves in strong shudders. silent his voice
* In brooding contemplation stretching out from North to South
* 25 In mighty power. Round him Los rolld furious
* His thunderous wheels from furnace to furnace. tending diligent
* The contemplative terror. frightend in his scornful sphere
* Frightend with cold infectious madness. in his hand the thundering
* Hammer of Urthona. forming under his heavy hand the hours
* [ page 53 ]
* The days & years. in chains of iron round the limbs of Urizen
* Linkd hour to hour & day to night & night to day & year to year
* In periods of pulsative furor. mills he formd & works
* Of many wheels resistless in the power of dark Urthona
* 5 But Enitharmon wrapd in clouds waild loud. for as Los beat
* The anvils of Urthona link by link the chains of sorrow
* Warping upon the winds & whirling round in the dark deep
* Lashd on the limbs of Enitharmon & the sulphur fires
* Belchd from the furnaces wreathd round her. chaind in ceaseless fire
* 10 The lovely female howld & Urizen beneath deep groand
* Deadly between the hammers beating grateful to the Ears
* Of Los. absorbd in dire revenge he drank with joy the cries
* Of Enitharmon & the groans of Urizen fuel for his wrath
* And for his pity secret feeding on thoughts of cruelty
* 15 The Spectre wept at his dire labours when from Ladles huge
* He pourd the molten iron round the limbs of Enitharmon
* But when he pourd it round the bones of Urizen he laughd
* Hollow upon the hollow wind. his shadowy form obeying
* The voice of Los compelld he labourd round the Furnaces
* 20 And thus began the binding of Urizen day & night in fear
* Circling round the dark Demon with howlings dismay & sharp blightings
* The Prophet of Eternity beat on his iron links & links of brass
* And as he beat round the hurtling Demon. terrified at the Shapes
* Enslavd humanity put on he became what he beheld
* 25 Raging against Tharmas his God & uttering
* Ambiguous words blasphemous filld with envy firm resolvd
* On hate Eternal in his vast disdain he labourd beating
* The Links of fate link after link an endless chain of sorrows
* [ page 54 ]
* The Eternal Mind bounded began to roll eddies of wrath ceaseless
* Round & round & the sulphureous foam surgeing thick
* Settled a Lake bright & shining clear. White as the snow
* Forgetfulness dumbness necessity in chains of the mind lockd up
* 5 In fetters of ice shrinking. disorganizd rent from Eternity
* Los beat on his fetters & heated his furnaces
* And pourd iron sodor & sodor of brass
* Restless the immortal inchaind heaving dolorous
* Anguished unbearable till a roof shaggy wild inclosd
* 10 In an orb his fountain of thought
* In a horrible dreamful slumber like the linked chain
* A vast spine writhd in torment upon the wind
* Shooting paind. ribbs like a bending Cavern
* And bones of solidness froze over all his nerves of joy
* 15 A first age passed. a state of dismal woe
* From the Caverns of his jointed spine down sunk with fright
* A red round globe. hot burning. deep deep down into the Abyss
* Panting Conglobing trembling Shooting out ten thousand branches
* Around his solid bones & a Second Age passed over
* 20 In harrowing fear rolling his nervous brain shot branches
* On high into two little orbs hiding in two little caves
* Hiding carefully from the wind his eyes beheld the deep
* And a third age passed a State of dismal woe
* The pangs of hope began in heavy pain striving struggling
* 25 Two Ears in close volutions from beneath his orbs of vision
* Shot spiring out & petrified as they grew. And a Fourtht
* Age passed over & a State of dismal woe
* In ghastly torment sick hanging upon the wind
* Two nostrils bent down to the deeps—
* [ page 55 FIRST PORTION ]
* And a fifth age passed & a state of dismal woe
* In ghastly torment sick. within his ribs bloated round
* A craving hungry cavern. Thence arose his channeld
* Throat. then like a red flame a tongue of hunger
* 5 And thirst appeard and a sixth age passed of dismal woe
* Enraged,& stifled with torment he threw his right arm to the north
* His left arm to the south shooting out in anguish deep
* And his feet stampd the nether abyss in trembling howling & dismay
* And a seventh age passed over & a state of dismal woe
* 10 The Council of God on high watching over the Body
* Of Man clothd in Luvahs robes of blood saw & wept
* Descending over Beulahs mild moon coverd regions
* The daughters of Beulah saw the Divine Vision they were comforted
* And as a Double female form loveliness & perfection of beauty
* 15 They bowd the head & worshippd & with mild voice spoke these words
* [ page 56 ]
* Lord. Saviour if thou hadst been here our brother had not died
* And now we know that whatsoever thou wilt ask of God
* He will give it thee for we are weak women & dare not lift
* Our eyes to the Divine pavilions. therefore in mercy thou
* 5 Appearest clothd in Luvahs garments that we may behold thee
* And live. Behold Eternal Death is in Beulah Behold
* We perish & shall not be found unless thou grant a place
* In which we may be hidden under the Shadow of wings
* For if we who are but for a time & who pass away in winter
* 10 Behold these wonders of Eternity we shall consume
* Such were the words of Beulah of the Feminine Emanation
* The Empyrean groand throughout All Eden was darkend
* The Corse of Albion lay on the Rock the sea of Time & Spacet
* Beat round the Rock in mighty waves & as a Polypus
* 15 That vegetates beneath the Sea the limbs of Man vegetated
* In monstrous forms of Death a Human polypus of Death
* The Saviour mild & gentle bent over the corse of Death
* Saying If ye will Believe your Brother shall rise again
* And first he found the Limit of Opacity & namd it Satan
* 20 In Albions bosom for in every human bosom these limits stand
* And next he found the Limit of Contraction & namd it Adam
* While yet those beings were not born nor knew of good or Evil
* Then wondrously the Starry Wheels felt the divine hand. Limit
* Was put to Eternal Death Los felt the Limit & saw
* 25 The Finger of God touch the Seventh furnace in terror
* And Los beheld the hand of God over his furnaces
* Beneath the Deeps in dismal Darkness beneath immensity
* [ page 55 SECOND PORTION ]
* In terrors Los shrunk from his task. his great hammer
* Fell from his hand his fires hid their strong limbs in smoke
* For with noises ruinous hurtlings & clashings & groans
* The immortal endur'd. tho bound in a deadly sleep
* 20 Pale terror siezd the Eyes of Los as he beat round
* The hurtling Demon. terrifid at the shapes
* Enslavd humanity put on he became what he beheld
* He became what he was doing he was himself transformd
* [The globe of life blood trembled Branching out into roots;
* 25 Fibrous, writhing upon the winds; Fibres of blood, milk and tears;
* In pangs, eternity on eternity. At length in tears & cries imbodied
* A female form trembling and pale Waves before his deathy face]
* Spasms siezd his muscular fibres writhing to & fro his pallid lips
* Unwilling movd as Urizen howld his loins wavd like the sea
* 30 At Enitharmons shriek his knees each other smote & then he lookd
* With stony Eyes on Urizen & then swift writhd his neckt
* Involuntary to the Couch where Enitharmon lay
* The bones of Urizen hurtle on the wind the bones of Los
* Twinge & his iron sinews bend like lead & fold
* 35 Into unusual forms dancing & howling stamping the Abyss 35
* [ page 56 SECOND PORTION ]
* End of the Fourth Night

## Notes

This work was published before January 1, 1929, and is in the public domain worldwide because the author died at least 100 years ago.
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