The 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 seiz'd the infant     He bathed him in springs of sorrow     He gave him to Enitharmon.