I travelled through a of men, A of men and women too, And and saw such dreadful things As earth wanderers never knew.
For the babe is born in joy was begotten in dire woe, Just as we in joy the fruit we in bitter tears did sow;
And if the is born a boy He's given to a old, Who nails him upon a rock, his shrieks in cups of gold.
She binds iron thorns his head, And pierces both his and feet, And cuts his heart out of his To make it feel cold & heat.
Her fingers number every Just as a miser his gold; She upon his shrieks and cries— And she grows young as he old,
Till he a bleeding youth And she becomes a bright; Then he rends up his And her down for his delight.
He himself in all her nerves as a husbandman his mould, And she his dwelling-place And garden, seventyfold.
An aged soon he fades, Wandering and earthly cot, Full filled all with and gold he by industry had got.
And these are the of the human soul: The rubies and of a lovesick eye, The countless of an aching heart, The groan, and the lover's sigh.
They are his meat, are his drink: He feeds the and the poor And the traveller; For ever is his door.
His is their eternal joy, make the roofs and walls to ring— Till from the on the hearth female babe does spring!
And she is all of solid And gems and gold, that his hand Dares stretch to touch her form, Or her in his swaddling-band.
But she to the man she loves, If or old, or rich or poor; They soon drive out the host, A beggar at door.
He wanders far away Until other take him in; Oft and age-bent, sore distressed, Until he can a win.
And to allay his age The poor man takes her in his The cottage before his sight, The garden and its lovely
The are scattered through the land (For the eye altering, all); The senses themselves in fear, And the flat becomes a ball,
The stars, sun, moon, all away— A vast without a bound, And left to eat or drink And a desert all around.
The of her infant lips, The bread and wine of her smile, The wild of her roving eye him to infancy beguile.
For as he and drinks he grows Younger and every day; And on the desert wild both Wander in and dismay.
the wild stag she flees away; Her fear plants a thicket wild, While he pursues her and day, By various arts of beguiled.
By arts of love and hate, Till the wide desert planted With labyrinths of love, Where the lion, wolf and boar,
Till he becomes a babe And she a weeping old. Then many a wanders here, The sun and are nearer rolled,
The trees bring forth ecstasy To all who in the roam, Till a city there is built, And a pleasant shepherd's home.
But they find the frowning babe Terror strikes the region wide; cry, 'The Babe! the Babe is born!' And away on every side.
For who dare touch the frowning His arm is to its root, Lions, boars, wolves, all flee And every tree does its fruit;
And none can touch frowning form, it be a woman old; She nails him down the rock, And all is as I have told