# Life of William Blake (1880), Volume 2/The Book of Thel

Other versions: The Book of Thel
THE BOOK OF THEL.
[Engraved 1789.]
[The Thel has been spoken of in the Life (Chapter X. pages 76-8). It is equal in delightfulness to Blake's lyrical poetry; and being the most tender and simple of the class of his works to which it belongs, may prove the most generally acceptable as a specimen of these.]
Does the Eagle know what is in the pit?
Or wilt thou go and ask the mole?
Can Wisdom be put in a silver rod?
Or Love in a golden bowl?
* The daughters of the Seraphim led round their sunny flocks,
* All but the youngest: she in paleness sought the secret air ​To fade away like morning beauty from her mortal day.
* Down by the river of Adona her soft voice is heard,
* And thus her gentle lamentation falls like morning dew.
* "O life of this our Spring! why fades the lotus of the water?"
* Why fade these children of the Spring, born but to smile and fall?
* Ah! Thel is like a watery bow, and like a parting cloud,
* Like a reflection in a glass, like shadows in the water,
* Like dreams of infants, like a smile upon an infant's face,
* Like the dove's voice, like transient day, like music in the air.
* Ah! gentle may I lay me down, and gentle rest my head,
* And gentle sleep the sleep of death, and gentle hear the voice
* Of him that walketh in the garden in the evening time."
* The Lily of the valley breathing in the humble grass
* Answer'd the lovely maid and said: "I am a watery weed,
* And I am very small, and love to dwell in lowly vales;
* So weak, the gilded butterfly scarce perches on my head.
* Yet I am visited from heaven; and He that smiles on all
* Walks in the valley, and each morn over me spreads His hand,
* Saying, 'Rejoice, thou humble grass, thou new-born lily-flower,
* Thou gentle maid of silent valleys and of modest brooks;
* For thou shalt be clothed in light and fed with morning manna,
* Till summer's heat melts thee beside the fountains and the springs
* To flourish in eternal vales.' Then why should Thel complain?
* Why should the mistress of the vales of Har utter a sigh?" ​She ceased and smiled in tears, then sat down in her silver shrine.
* Thel answer'd: "O thou little virgin of the peaceful valley,
* Giving to those that cannot crave, the voiceless, the o'ertired;
* Thy breath doth nourish the innocent lamb, he smells thy milky garments.
* He crops thy flowers, whilst thou sittest smiling in his face,
* Wiping his mild and meekin mouth from all contagious taints.
* Thy wine doth purify the golden honey, thy perfume,
* Which thou dost scatter on every little blade of grass that springs,
* Revives the milked cow, and tames the fire-breathing steed.
* But Thel is like a faint cloud kindled at the rising sun:
* I vanish from my pearly throne, and who shall find my place?"
* "Queen of the vales," the Lily answered, "ask the tender cloud,
* And it shall tell thee why it glitters in the morning sky,
* And why it scatters its bright beauty through the humid air.
* Descend, O little cloud, and hover before the eyes of Thel."
* The cloud descended, and the Lily bowed her modest head
* And went to mind her numerous charge among the verdant grass.
* II.
* "O little cloud," the Virgin said, "I charge thee tell to me
* Why thou complainest not, when in one hour thou fad'st away:
* Then we shall seek thee, but not find. Ah! Thel is like to thee;
* I pass away, yet I complain and no one hears my voice." ​The cloud then showed his golden head, and his bright form emerged
* Hovering and glittering on the air before the face of Thel.
* "O virgin, know'st thou not our steeds drink of the golden springs
* Where Luvah doth renew his horses? Look'st thou on my youth,
* And fearest thou because I vanish and am seen no more?
* Nothing remains. O maid, I tell thee, when I pass away
* It is to tenfold life, to love, to peace, and raptures holy.
* Unseen descending weigh my light wings upon balmy flowers,
* And court the fair-eye'd dew to take me to her shining tent:
* The weeping virgin trembling kneels before the risen sun,
* Till we arise, link'd in a golden band, and never part,
* But walk united, bearing food to all our tender flowers."
* "Dost thou, O little cloud? I fear that I am not like thee;
* For I walk through the vales of Har, and smell the sweetest flowers;
* But I feed not the little flowers: I hear the warbling birds,
* But I feed not the warbling birds, they fly and seek their food:
* But Thel delights in these no more because I fade away.
* And all shall say, without a use this shining woman liv'd.
* Or did she only live to be at death the food of worms? "
* The Cloud reclin'd upon his airy throne and answer'd thus:
* "Then if thou art the food of worms, O virgin of the skies,
* How great thy use, how great thy blessing. Every thing that lives,
* Lives not alone nor for itself Fear not and I will call ​The weak worm from its lowly bed, and thou shalt hear its voice.
* Come forth, worm of the silent valley, to thy pensive queen."
* The helpless worm arose, and sat upon the Lily's leaf.
* And the bright cloud sailed on to find his partner in the vale.
* III.
* Then Thel, astonished, viewed the worm upon its dewy bed.
* "Art thou a worm? image of weakness, art thou but a worm?
* I see thee, like an infant, wrapped in the Lily's leaf:
* Ah! weep not, little voice, thou canst not speak, but thou canst weep.
* Is this a worm? I see thee lie helpless and naked, weeping,
* And none to answer, none to cherish thee with mother's smiles."
* The clod of clay heard the worm's voice, and rais'd her pitying head:
* She bow'd over the weeping infant, and her life exhal'd
* In milky fondness: then on Thel she fixed her humble eyes.
* "O beauty of the vales of Har! we live not for ourselves.
* Thou seest me, the meanest thing, and so I am indeed;
* My bosom of itself is cold and of itself is dark,
* But He that loves the lowly pours His oil upon my head,
* And kisses me, and binds His nuptial bands around my breast,
* And says:—'Thou mother of my children, I have loved thee,
* And I have given thee a crown that none can take away.' ​But how this is, sweet maid, I know not, and I cannot know;
* I ponder, and I cannot ponder: yet I live and love!"
* The daughter of beauty wip'd her pitying tears with her white veil,
* And said:—"Alas! I knew not this, and therefore did I weep.
* That God would love a worm, I knew, and punish the evil foot
* That wilful bruised its helpless form; but that He cherish'd it
* With milk and oil, I never knew, and therefore did I weep.
* And I complained in the mild air, because I fade away,
* And lay me down in thy cold bed, and leave my shining lot."
* "Queen of the vales," the matron clay answered; "I heard thy sighs,
* And all thy moans flew o'er my roof, but I have call'd them down.
* Wilt thou, O queen, enter my house? 'tis given thee to enter.
* And to return: fear nothing, enter with thy virgin feet."
* IV.
* The eternal gates' terrific porter lifted the northern bar;
* Thel enter'd in and saw the secrets of the land unknown.
* She saw the couches of the dead, and where the fibrous root
* Of every heart on earth infixes deep its restless twists:
* A land of sorrows and of tears, where never smile was seen.
* She wander'd in the land of clouds, through valleys dark, listening
* Dolours and lamentations; wailing oft beside a dewy grave
* She stood in silence, listening to the voices of the ground,
* Till to her own grave-plot she came, and there she sat down,
* And heard this voice of sorrow breathed from the hollow pit: ​"Why cannot the ear be closed to its own destruction?
* Or the glistening eye to the poison of a smile?
* Why are eyelids stor'd with arrows ready drawn,
* Where a thousand fighting-men in ambush lie,
* Or an eye of gifts and graces showering fruits and coined gold?
* "Why a tongue impress'd with honey from every wind?
* Why an ear, a whirlpool fierce to draw creations in?
* Why a nostril wide inhaling terror, trembling and affright?
* Why a tender curb upon the youthful burning boy?
* Why a little curtain of flesh on the bed of our desire?"
* The virgin started from her seat, and with a shriek
* Fled back unhinder'd till she came into the vales of Har.