# Vala, or The Four Zoas/Night the Fifth

Source: The Complete Poetry & Prose of William Blake by William Blake. Edited by David V. Erdman
* VALA Night the Fifth
* [ page 57 ]
* Infected Mad he dancd on his mountains high & dark as heaven
* Now fixd into one stedfast bulk his features stonify
* From his mouth curses & from his eyes sparks of blighting
* Beside the anvil cold he dancd with the hammer of Urthona
* 5 Terrific pale. Enitharmon stretchd on the dreary Earth
* Felt her immortal limbs freeze stiffning pale inflexible
* His feet shrink withring from the deep shrinking & withering
* And Enitharmon shrunk up all their fibres withring beneath
* As plants witherd by winter leaves & stems & roots decaying
* 10 Melt into thin air while the seed drivn by the furious wind
* Rests on the distant Mountains top. So Los & Enitharmon
* Shrunk into fixed space stood trembling on a Rocky cliff
* Yet mighty bulk & majesty & beauty remaind but unexpansive
* As far as highest Zenith from the lowest Nadir. so far shrunk
* 15 Los from the furnaces a Space immense & left the cold 15
* Prince of Light bound in chains of intellect among the furnaces
* But all the furnaces were out & the bellows had ceast to blow
* He stood trembling & Enitharmon clung around his knees
* Their senses unexpansive in one stedfast bulk remain
* 20 The night blew cold & Enitharmon shriekd on the dismal wind 20
* [ page 58 ]
* Her pale hands cling around her husband & over her weak head
* Shadows of Eternal death sit in the leaden air
* But the soft pipe the flute the viol organ harp & cymbal
* And the sweet sound of silver voices calm the weary couch
* 5 Of Enitharmon but her groans drown the immortal harps
* Loud & more loud the living music floats upon the air
* Faint & more faint the daylight wanes. The wheels of turning darkness
* Began in solemn revolutions. Earth convulsd with rending pangs
* Rockd to & fro & cried sore at the groans of Enitharmon
* 10 Still the faint harps & silver voices calm the weary couch
* But from the caves of deepest night ascending in clouds of mist
* The winter spread his wide black wings across from pole to pole
* Grim frost beneath & terrible snow linkd in a marriage chain
* Began a dismal dance. The winds around on pointed rocks
* 15 Settled like bats innumerable ready to fly abroad
* The groans of Enitharmon shake the skies the labring Earth
* Till from her heart rending his way a terrible Child sprang forth
* In thunder smoke & sullen flames & howlings & fury & blood
* Soon as his burning Eyes were opend on the Abyss
* 20 The horrid trumpets of the deep bellowd with bitter blasts
* The Enormous Demons woke & howld around the new born king
* Crying Luvah King of Love thou art the King of rage & death
* Urizen cast deep darkness round him raging Luvah pourdt
* The spears of Urizen from Chariots round the Eternal tent
* 25 Discord began then yells & cries shook the wide firma[m]ent
* [ page 59 ]
* Where is Sweet Vala gloomy prophet where the lovely form
* That drew the body of Man from heaven into this dark Abysselds
* Shew thy soul Vala shew thy bow & quiver of secret fires
* Draw thy bow Vala from the depths of hell thy black bow drawt
* 5 And twang the bow string to our howlings let thine arrows black
* Sing in the Sky as once they sang upon the hills of Light
* When dark Urthona wept in torment of the secret pain
* He wept & he divided & he laid his gloomy head
* Down on the Rock of Eternity on darkness of the deep
* 10 Torn by black storms & ceaseless torrents of consuming fire
* Within his breast his fiery sons chaind down & filld with cursings
* And breathing terrible blood & vengeance gnashing his teeth with pain
* Let loose the Enormous Spirit in the darkness of the deep
* And his dark wife that once fair crystal form divinely clear
* 15 Within his ribs producing serpents whose souls are flames of fire
* But now the times return upon thee Enitharmons womb
* Now holds thee soon to issue forth. Sound Clarions of war
* Call Vala from her close recess in all her dark deceit
* Then rage on rage shall fierce redound out of her crystal quiver
* 20 So sung the Demons round red Orc & round faint Enitharmon
* Sweat & blood stood on the limbs of Los in globes. his fiery Eyelids
* Faded. he rouzd he siezd the wonder in his hands & went
* Shuddring & weeping thro the Gloom & down into the deeps
* Enitharmon nursd her fiery child in the dark deeps
* 25 Sitting in darkness. over her Los mournd in anguish fierce
* Coverd with gloom. the fiery boy grew fed by the milk
* Of Enitharmon. Los around her builded pillars of iron
* [ page 60 ]
* And brass & silver & gold fourfold in dark prophetic fear
* For now he feard Eternal Death & uttermost Extinction
* He builded Golgonooza on the Lake of Udan Adan
* Upon the Limit of Translucence then he builded Luban
* 5 Tharmas laid the Foundations & Los finishd it in howling woe
* But when fourteen summers & winters had revolved over
* Their solemn habitation Los beheld the ruddy boy
* Embracing his bright mother & beheld malignant fires
* In his young eyes discerning plain that Orc plotted his death
* 10 Grief rose upon his ruddy brows. a tightening girdle grew
* Around his bosom like a bloody cord. in secret sobs
* He burst it, but next morn another girdle succeeds
* Around his bosom. Every day he viewd the fiery youth
* With silent fear & his immortal cheeks grew deadly pale
* 15 Till many a morn & many a night passd over in dire woe
* Forming a girdle in the day & bursting it at night
* The girdle was formd by day by night was burst in twain
* Falling down on the rock an iron chain link by link lockd
* Enitharmon beheld the bloody chain of nights & days
* 20 Depending from the bosom of Los & how with griding pain
* He went each morning to his labours. with the spectre dark
* Calld it the chain of jealousy. Now Los began to speak
* His woes aloud to Enitharmon. since he could not hide
* His uncouth plague. He siezd the boy in his immortal hands
* 25 While Enitharmon followd him weeping in dismal woe
* Up to the iron mountains top & there the Jealous chain
* Fell from his bosom on the mountain. The Spectre dark
* Held the fierce boy Los naild him down binding around his limbs
* The accursed chain O how bright Enitharmon howld & cried
* 30 Over her son. Obdurate Los bound down her loved joy
* [ page 61 ]
* The hammer of Urthona smote the rivets in terror. of brass
* Tenfold. the Demons rage flamd tenfold forth rending
* Roaring redounding. Loud Loud Louder & Louder & fird
* The darkness warring With the waves of Tharmas & Snows of Urizen
* 5 Crackling the flames went up with fury from the immortal demon
* Surrounded with flames the Demon grew loud howling in his fires
* Los folded Enitharmon in a cold white cloud in fear
* Then led her down into the deeps & into his labyrinth
* Giving the Spectre sternest charge over the howling fiend
* 10 Concenterd into Love of Parent Storgous Appetite Craving
* His limbs bound down mock at his chains for over them a flame
* Of circling fire unceasing plays to feed them with life & bring
* The virtues of the Eternal worlds ten thousand thousand spirits
* Of life lament around the Demon going forth & returningt
* 15 At his enormous call they flee into the heavens of heavens
* And back return with wine & food. Or dive into the deeps
* To bring the thrilling joys of sense to quell his ceaseless rage
* His eyes the lights of his large soul contract or else expand
* Contracted they behold the secrets of the infinite mountains
* 20 The veins of gold & silver & the hidden things of Vala
* Whatever grows from its pure bud or breathes a fragrant soul
* Expanded they behold the terrors of the Sun & Moon
* The Elemental Planets & the orbs of eccentric fire
* His nostrils breathe a fiery flame. his locks are like the forestst
* 25 Of wild beasts there the lion glares the tyger & wolf howl there
* And there the Eagle hides her young in cliffs & precipices
* His bosom is like starry heaven expanded all the stars rings
* Flow into rivers of delight. there the spontaneous flowers
* Drink laugh & sing. the grasshopper the Emmet & the Fly
* 30 The golden Moth builds there a house & spreads her silken bed
* [ page 62 ]
* His loins inwove with silken fires are like a furnace fierce
* As the strong Bull in summer time when bees sing round the heath
* Where the herds low after the shadow & after the water spring
* The numrous flocks cover the mountain & shine along the valley
* 5 His knees are rocks of adamant & rubie & emerald
* Spirits of strength in Palaces rejoice in golden armour
* Armed with spear & shield they drink & rejoice over the slain
* Such is the Demon such his terror in the nether deep
* But when returnd to Golgonooza Los & Enitharmon
* 10 Felt all the sorrow Parents feel. they wept toward one another
* And Los repented that he bad chaind Orc upon the mountain
* And Enitharmons tears prevaild parental love returnd
* Tho terrible his dread of that infernal chain They rose
* At midnight hasting to their much beloved care
* 15 Nine days they traveld thro the Gloom of Entuthon Benithon
* Los taking Enitharmon by the hand led her along
* The dismal vales & up to the iron mountains top where Orc
* Howld in the furious wind he thought to give to Enitharmon
* Her son in tenfold joy & to compensate for her tears
* 20 Even if his own death resulted so much pity him paind
* But when they came to the dark rock & to the spectrous cave
* Lo the young limbs had strucken root into the rock & strong
* Fibres had from the Chain of Jealousy inwove themselves
* In a swift vegetation round the rock & round the Cave
* 25 And over the immortal limbs of the terrible fiery boy
* In vain they strove now to unchain. In vain with bitter tears
* To melt the chain of Jealousy. not Enitharmons death
* Nor the Consummation of Los could ever melt the chain
* Nor unroot the infernal fibres from their rocky bed
* 30 Nor all Urthonas strength nor all the power of Luvahs Bulls
* Tho they each morning drag the unwilling Sun out of the deep
* Could uproot the infernal chain. for it had taken root
* [ page 63 ]
* Into the iron rock & grew a chain beneath the Earth
* Even to the Center wrapping round the Center & the limbs
* Of Orc entering with fibres. became one with him a living Chain
* Sustained by the Demons life. Despair & Terror & Woe & Rage
* 5 Inwrap the Parents in cold clouds as they bend howling over
* The terrible boy till fainting by his side the Parents fell
* Not long they lay Urthonas spectre found herbs of the pit
* Rubbing their temples he reviv'd them. all their lamentations
* I write not here but all their after life was lamentation
* 10 When satiated with grief they returnd back to Golgonooza
* Enitharmon on the road of Dranthon felt the inmost gate
* Of her bright heart burst open & again close with a deadly paint
* Within her heart Vala began to reanimate in bursting sobs
* And when the Gate was open she beheld that dreary Deept
* 15Where bright Ahania wept. She also saw the infernal roots
* Of the chain of Jealousy & felt the rendings of fierce howling Orc
* Rending the Caverns like a mighty wind pent in the Earth
* Tho wide apart as furthest north is from the furthest south
* Urizen trembled where he lay to hear the howling terror
* 20 The rocks shook the Eternal bars tuggd to & fro were rifted
* Outstretchd upon the stones of ice the ruins of his throne
* Urizen shuddring heard his trembling limbs shook the strong caves
* The Woes of Urizen shut up in the deep dens of Urthona
* Ah how shall Urizen the King submit to this dark mansion
* 25 Ah how is this! Once on the heights I stretchd my throne sublime
* The mountains of Urizen once of silver where the sons of wisdom dwelt
* And on whose tops the Virgins sang are rocks of Desolation
* My fountains once the haunt of Swans now breed the scaly tortoise
* The houses of my harpers are become a haunt of crows
* 30 The gardens of wisdom are become a field of horrid graves
* And on the bones I drop my tears & water them in vain
* [ page 64 ]
* Once how I walked from my palace in gardens of delight
* The sons of wisdom stood around the harpers followd with harps
* Nine virgins clothd in light composd the song to their immortal voices
* And at my banquets of new wine my head was crownd with joy
* 5 Then in my ivory pavilions I slumberd in the noon
* And walked in the silent night among sweet smelling flowers
* Till on my silver bed I slept & sweet dreams round me hoverd
* But now my land is darkend & my wise men are departed
* My songs are turned to cries of Lamentationt
* 10 Heard on my Mountains & deep sighs under my palace roofs
* Because the Steeds of Urizen once swifter than the light
* Were kept back from my Lord & from his chariot of mercies
* O did I keep the horses of the day in silver pastures
* O I refusd the Lord of day the horses of his prince
* 15 O did I close my treasuries with roofs of solid stone
* And darken all my Palace walls with envyings & hate
* O Fool to think that I could hide from his all piercing eyes
* The gold & silver & costly stones his holy workmanship
* O Fool could I forget the light that filled my bright spheres
* 20 Was a reflection of his face who calld me from the deep
* I well remember for I heard the mild & holy voice
* Saying O light spring up & shine & I sprang up from the deept
* He gave to me a silver scepter & crownd me with a golden crown
* & said Go forth & guide my Son who wanders on the ocean
* 25 I went not forth. I hid myself in black clouds of my wrath
* I calld the stars around my feet in the night of councils dark
* The stars threw down their spears & fled naked away
* We fell. I siezd thee dark Urthona In my left hand falling
* I siezd thee beauteous Luvah thou art faded like a flower
* 30 And like a lilly is thy wife Vala witherd by winds
* When thou didst bear the golden cup at the immortal tables
* Thy children smote their fiery wings crownd with the gold of heaven
* [ page 65 ]
* Thy pure feet stepd on the steps divine. too pure for other feet
* And thy fair locks shadowd thine eyes from the divine effulgence
* Then thou didst keep with Strong Urthona the living gates of heaven
* But now thou art bound down with him even to the gates of hell
* 5 Because thou gavest Urizen the wine of the Almighty
* For steeds of Light that they might run in thy golden chariot of pride
* I gave to thee the Steeds I pourd the stolen wine
* And drunken with the immortal draught fell from my throne sublime
* I will arise Explore these dens & find that deep pulsation
* 10 That shakes my caverns with strong shudders. perhaps this is the night
* Of Prophecy & Luvah hath burst his way from Enitharmon
* When Thought is closd in Caves. Then love shall shew its root in deepest Hell
* End of the Fifth 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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