THE FIRST BOOK OF URIZEN. CHAPTER VI

1. But Los saw the Female & pitied
He embrac’d her, she wept, she refus’d
In perverse and cruel delight
She fled from his arms, yet he followd

2  . Eternity shudder’d when they saw,
Man begetting his likeness,
On his own divided image.

3  . A time passed over, the Eternals
Began to erect the tent;
When Enitharmon sick,
Felt a Worm within her womb.

4  . Yet helpless it lay like a Worm
In the trembling womb
To be moulded into existence

5  . All day the worm lay on her bosom
All night within her womb
The worm lay till it grew to a serpent
With dolorous hissings & poisons
Round Enitharmons loins folding,

6  . Coild within Enitharmons womb
The serpent grew casting its scales,
With sharp pangs the hissings began
To change to a grating cry,
Many sorrows and dismal throes,
Many forms of fish, bird & beast,
Brought forth an Infant form
Where was a worm before.

7  . The Eternals their tent finished
Alarm’d with these gloomy visions
When Enitharmon groaning
Produc’d a man Child to the light.

8  . A shriek ran thro’ Eternity:
And a paralytic stroke;
At the birth of the Human shadow.

9  . Delving earth in his resistless way;
Howling, the Child with fierce flames
Issu’d from Enitharmon.

10  . The Eternals, closed the tent
They beat down the stakes the cords

Stretch’d for a work of eternity;
No more Los beheld Eternity.

11  . In his hands he siez’d the infant
He bathed him in springs of sorrow
He gave him to Enitharmon.