# Vala, or The Four Zoas/Night the Third

Source: The Complete Poetry & Prose of William Blake by William Blake. Edited by David V. Erdman
* VALA Night the Third
* [ page 37 ]
* Now sat the King of Light on high upon his starry throne
* And bright Ahania bow'd herself before his splendid feet
* O Urizen look on Me. like a mournful stream
* I Embrace round thy knees & wet My bright hair with my tears:
* 5 Why sighs my Lord! are not the morning stars thy obedient Sons
* Do they not bow their bright heads at thy voice? at thy command
* Do they not fly into their stations & return their light to thee
* The immortal Atmospheres are thine, there thou art seen in glory
* Surrounded by the ever changing Daughters of the Light
* 10 Why wilt thou look upon futurity darkning present joy
* She ceas'd the Prince his light obscurd & the splendors of his crown
* [ page 38 (III 13-27)]
* Infolded in thick clouds, from whence his mighty voice burst forth
* O bright [Ahania] a Boy is born of the dark Ocean
* Whom Urizen doth serve, with Light replenishing his darkness
* I am set here a King of trouble commanded here to serve
* 5 And do my ministry to those who eat of my wide table
* All this is mine yet I must serve & that Prophetic boy
* Must grow up to command his Prince but hear my determind Decree
* Vala shall become a Worm in Enitharmons Wombt
* Laying her seed upon the fibres soon to issue forth
* 10 And Luvah in the loins of Los a dark & furious death
* Alas for me! what will become of me at that dread time?
* Ahania bow'd her head & wept seven days before the King
* And on the eighth day when his clouds unfolded from his throne
* She rais'd her bright head sweet perfumd & thus with heavenly voice
* 25 O Prince the Eternal One hath set thee leader of his hosts
* [ page 39 (III 30-47) ]
* Leave all futurity to him Resume thy fields of Lightt
* Why didst thou listen to the voice of Luvah that dread morn
* To give the immortal steeds of light to his deceitful hands
* No longer now obedient to thy will thou art compell'd
* 5 To forge the curbs of iron & brass to build the iron mangers 5
* To feed them with intoxication from the wine presses of Luvah
* Till the Divine Vision & Fruition is quite obliterated
* They call thy lions to the fields of blood, they rowze thy tygers
* Out of the halls of justice, till these dens thy wisdom framd
* 10 Golden & beautiful but O how unlike those sweet fields of bliss
* Where liberty was justice & eternal science was mercy
* Then O my dear lord listen to Ahania, listen to the vision
* The vision of Ahania in the slumbers of Urizen
* When Urizen slept in the porch & the Ancient Man was smittent
* 15 The Darkning Man walkd on the steps of fire before his halls
* And Vala walkd with him in dreams of soft deluding slumber
* He looked up & saw thee Prince of Light thy splendor faded
* But saw not Los nor Enitharmon for Luvah hid them in shadow
* [ page 40 (III 48-66) ]
* In a soft cloud Outstretch'd across, & Luvah dwelt in the cloud
* Then Man ascended mourning into the splendors of his palace
* Above him rose a Shadow from his wearied intellect
* Of living gold, pure, perfect, holy; in white linen pure he hover'd
* 5 A sweet entrancing self delusion, a watry vision of Man
* Soft exulting in existence all the Man absorbing
* Man fell upon his face prostrate before the watry shadow
* Saying O Lord whence is this change thou knowest I am nothing
* And Vala trembled & coverd her face, & her locks. were spread on the pavement
* 10 I heard astonishd at the Vision & my heart trembled within me
* I heard the voice of the Slumberous Man & thus he spoke
* Idolatrous to his own Shadow words of Eternity uttering
* O I am nothing when I enter into judgment with thee
* If thou withdraw thy breath I die & vanish into Hades
* 15 If thou dost lay thine hand upon me behold I am silent
* If thou withhold thine hand I perish like a fallen leaf
* O I am nothing & to nothing must return again
* If thou withdraw thy breath, behold I am oblivion
* He ceasd: the shadowy voice was silent; but the cloud hoverd over their heads
* [ page 41 (III 67-84)]
* In golden wreathes, the sorrow of Man & the balmy drops fell down
* And Lo that Son of Man, that shadowy Spirit of the Fallen One
* Luvah, descended from the cloud; In terror Albion rose-
* Indignant rose the Awful Man & turnd his back on Vala
* 5 Why roll thy clouds in sick'ning mists. I can no longer hide 5
* The dismal vision of mine Eyes, O love & life & light!
* Prophetic dreads urge me to speak. futurity is before me
* Like a dark lamp. Eternal death haunts all my expectation
* Rent from Eternal Brotherhood we die & are no more
* 10 I heard the Voice of Albion starting from his sleep
* “Whence is this voice crying Enion that soundeth in my ears
* O cruel pity! O dark deceit! can Love seek for dominion
* And Luvah strove to gain dominion over the mighty Albion
* They strove together above the Body where Vala was inclos'd
* 15 And the dark Body of Albion left prostrate upon the crystal pavement
* Coverd with boils from head to foot. the terrible smitings of Luvah
* Then frownd the Fallen Man & put forth Luvah from his presence
* (I heard him: frown not Urizen: but listen to my Vision)
* [ page 42 (III 85-108) ]
* Saying, Go & die the Death of Man for Vala the sweet wanderer
* I will turn the volutions of your Ears outward; & bend your Nostrils
* Downward; & your fluxile Eyes englob'd, roll round in fear
* Your withring Lips & Tongue shrink up into a narrow circle
* 5 Till into narrow forms you creep. Go take your fiery way
* And learn what 'tis to absorb the Man you Spirits of Pity & Love
* O Urizen why art thou pale at the visions of Ahania
* Listen to her who loves thee lest we also are driven away.
* They heard the Voice & fled swift as the winters setting sun
* 10 And now the Human Blood foamd high, I saw that Luvah & Vala
* Went down the Human Heart where Paradise & its joys abounded
* In jealous fears in fury & rage, & flames roll'd round their fervid feet
* And the vast form of Nature like a Serpent play'd before them
* And as they went in folding fires & thunders of the deep
* 15 Vala shrunk in like the dark sea that leaves its slimy banks
* And from her bosom Luvah fell far as the east & west
* And the vast form of Nature like a Serpent roll'd between.
* She ended. for [from] his wrathful throne burst forth the black hail storm
* Am I not God said Urizen. Who is Equal to me
* Do I not stretch the heavens abroad or fold them up like a garment 20
* He spoke mustering his heavy clouds around him black opake
* [ page 43 (III 109-39) ]
* Then thunders rolld around & lightnings darted to & fro
* His visage changd to darkness & his strong right hand came forth
* To cast Ahania to the Earth be siezd her by the hair
* And threw her from the steps of ice that froze around his throne
* 5 Saying Art thou also become like Vala. thus I cast thee out
* Shall the feminine indolent bliss. the indulgent self of weariness
* The passive idle sleep the enormous night & darkness of Death
* Set herself up to give her laws to the active masculine virtue
* Thou little diminutive portion that darst be a counterpart
* 10 Thy passivity thy laws of obedience & insincerity
* Are my abhorrence. Wherefore hast thou taken that fair form
* Whence is this power given to thee! once thou wast in my breast
* A sluggish current of dim waters. on whose verdant margin
* A cavern shaggd with horrid shades. dark cool & deadly. where
* 15 I laid my head in the hot noon after the broken clods
* Had wearied me. there I laid my plow & there my horses fed
* And thou hast risen with thy moist locks into a watry image
* Reflecting all my indolence my weakness & my death
* To weigh me down beneath the grave into non Entity
* 20 Where Luvah strives scorned by Vala age after age wandering
* Shrinking & shrinking from her Lord & calling him the Tempter
* And art thou also become like Vala thus I cast thee out.
* So loud in thunders spoke the King folded in dark despair
* And threw Ahania from his bosom obdurate She fell like lightning
* 25 Then fled the sons of Urizen from his thunderous throne petrific
* They fled to East & West & left the North & South of Heaven
* A crash ran thro the immense The bounds of Destiny were broken
* The bounds of Destiny crashd direful & the swelling Sea
* Burst from its bonds in whirlpools fierce roaring with Human voice
* 30 Triumphing even to the Stars at bright Ahanias fall
* Down from the dismal North the Prince in thunders & thick clouds
* [ page 44 (III 140-67) ]
* As when the thunderbolt down falleth on the appointed place
* Fell down down rushing ruining thundering shuddering
* Into the Caverns of the Grave & places of Human Seed
* Where the impressions of Despair & Hope enroot forever
* 5 A world of Darkness. Ahania fell far into Non Entity 5
* She Continued falling. Loud the Crash continud loud & Hoarse
* From the Crash roared a flame of blue sulphureous fire from the flame
* A dolorous groan that struck with dumbness all confusion
* Swallowing up the horrible din in agony on agony
* 10 Thro the Confusion like a crack across from immense to immense
* Loud strong a universal groan of death louder
* Than all the wracking elements deafend & rended worse
* Than Urizen & all his hosts in curst despair down rushing
* But from the Dolorous Groan one like a shadow of smoke appeard
* 15 And human bones rattling together in the smoke & stamping
* The nether Abyss & gnasshing in fierce despair. panting in sobs
* Thick short incessant bursting sobbing. deep despairing stamping struggling
* Struggling to utter the voice of Man struggling to take the features of Man. Struggling
* To take the limbs of Man at length emerging from the smoke
* 20 Of Urizen dashed in pieces from his precipitant fall
* Tharms reard up his hands & stood on the affrighted Ocean
* The dead reard up his Voice & stood on the resounding shore
* Crying. Fury in my limbs. destruction in my bones & marrow
* My skull riven into filaments. my eyes into sea jellies
* 25 Floating upon the tide wander bubbling & bubbling
* Uttering my lamentations & begetting little monsters
* Who sit mocking upon the little pebbles of the tide
* In all my rivers & on dried shells that the fish
* [ page 45 (III 168-99) ]
* Have quite forsaken. O fool fool to lose my sweetest bliss
* Where art thou Enion ah too near to cunning too far off
* And yet too near. Dashd down I send thee into distant darkness
* Far as my strength can hurl thee wander there & laugh & play
* 5 Among the frozen arrows they will tear thy tender flesh
* Fall off afar from Tharmas come not too near my strong fury
* Scream & fall off & laugh at Tharmas lovely summer beauty
* Till winter rends thee into Shivers as thou hast rended me
* So Tharmas bellowd oer the ocean thundring sobbing bursting
* 10 The bounds of Destiny were broken & hatred now began
* Instead of love to Enion. Enion blind & age bent
* Plungd into the cold billows living a life in midst of waters
* In terrors she witherd away to Entuthon Benithon
* A world of deep darkness where all things in horrors are rooted
* 15 These are the words of Enion heard from the cold waves of despair
* O Tharmas I had lost thee. & when I hoped I had found thee
* O Tharmas do not thou destroy me quite but let
* A little shadow. but a little showery form of Enion
* Be near thee loved Terror. let me still remain & then do thou
* 20 Thy righteous doom upon me. only let me hear thy voice
* Driven by thy rage I wander like a cloud into the deep
* Where never yet Existence came, there losing all my life
* I back return weaker & weaker, consume me not away
* In thy great wrath. tho I have sinned. tho I have rebelld
* 25 Make me not like the things forgotten as they had not been
* Make not the thing that loveth thee. a tear wiped away
* Tharmas replied riding on storms his voice of Thunder rolld
* Image of grief thy fading lineaments make my eyelids fail
* What have I done! both rage & mercy are alike to me
* 30 Looking upon thee Image of faint waters. I recoil
* From my fierce rage into thy semblance. Enion return
* Why does thy piteous face Evanish like a rainy cloud
* [ page 46 (III 200-11) ]
* Melting. a shower of falling tears. nothing but tears! Enion:
* Substanceless. voiceless, weeping. vanishd. nothing but tears! Enion
* Art thou for ever vanishd from the watry eyes of Tharmas
* Rage Rage shall never from my bosom. winds & waters of woe
* 5 Consuming all to the end consuming Love and Hope are ended
* For now no more remaind of Enion in the dismal air
* Only a voice eternal wailing in the Elements
* Where Enion, blind & age bent wanderd Ahania wanders now
* She wanders in Eternal fear of falling into the indefinite
* 10 For her bright eyes behold the Abyss. sometimes a little sleep
* Weighs down her eyelids then she falls then starting wakes in fears
* Sleepless to wander round repelld on the margin of Non Entity
* End of the Third 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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