Читать книгу Europe A Prophecy (Illuminated Manuscript with the Original Illustrations of William Blake) - William Blake - Страница 4

Five windows light the cavern’d Man; thro’ one he breathes the air;

Thro’ one, hears music of the spheres; thro’ one, the eternal vine

Flourishes, that he may recieve the grapes; thro’ one can look.

And see small portions of the eternal world that ever groweth;

Thro’ one, himself pass out what time he please, but he will not;

For stolen joys are sweet, & bread eaten in secret pleasant.

So sang a Fairy mocking as he sat on a streak’d Tulip,

Thinking none saw him: when he ceas’d I started from the trees!

And caught him in my hat as boys knock down a butterfly.

How know you this said I small Sir? where did you learn this song?

Seeing himself in my possession thus he answered me:

My master, I am yours. command me, for I must obey.

Then tell me, what is the material world, and is it dead?

He laughing answer’d: I will write a book on leaves of flowers,

If you will feed me on love-thoughts, & give me now and then

A cup of sparkling poetic fancies; so when I am tipsie,

I’ll sing to you to this soft lute; and shew you all alive

The world, when every particle of dust breathes forth its joy.

I took him home in my warm bosom: as we went along

Wild flowers I gatherd; & he shew’d me each eternal flower:

He laugh’d aloud to see them whimper because they were pluck’d.

They hover’d round me like a cloud of incense:

when I came Into my parlour and sat down, and took my pen to write:

My Fairy sat upon the table, and dictated EUROPE.