The White Goddess (37 page)

1
The
All-Being
made,

Down
in
Hebron
Vale,

With
his
plastic
hands,

   
Adam
y
s
fair
form:

 

And
five
hundred
years,

Void
of
any
help,

There
he
lingered
and
lay

   
Without
a
soul.

 

He
again
did
form,

In
calm
paradise,

From
a
left-side
rib,

   
Bliss-throbbing
Eve.

 

Seven
hours
they
were

The
orchard
keeping,

Till
Satan
brought
strife,

   
The
Lord
of
Hell
 

 

5
Thence
were
they
driven,

Cold
and
shivering,

To
gain
their
living,

   
Into
this
world.

 

To
bring
forth
with
pain

Their
sons
and
daughters,

To
have
possession

   
Of
Asia’s
land.

 

Twice
five,
ten
and
eight,

She
was
self-bearing,

The
mixed
burden

   
Of
man-woman.

 

And
once,
not
hidden,

She
brought
forth
Abel,

And
Cain
the
solitary

   
Homicide.

 

To
him
and
his
mate

Was
given
a
spade,

To
break
up
the
soil,

   
Thus
to
get
bread.

 

10
The
wheat
pure
and
white,

In
tilth
to
sow,

Every
man
to
feed,

   
Till
great
yule
feast.

 

An
angelic
hand

From
the
high
Father,

Brought
seed
for
growing

   
That
Eve
might
sow;

 

But
she
then
did
hide

Of
the
gift
a
tenth,

And
all
did
not
sow

   
In
what
was
dug.

 

Black
rye
then
was
found,

And
not
pure
wheat
grain,

To
show
the
mischief

   
Thus
of
thieving.

 

For
this
thievish
act,

It
is
requisite,

That
all
men
should
pay

   
Tithe
unto
God.

 

15
Of
the
ruddy
wine,

Planted
on
sunny
days,

And
the
white
wheat
planted

   
On
new-moon
nights;

 

The
wheat
rich
in
grain,

And
red
flowing
wine

Christ’s
pure
body
make,

   
Son
of
Alpha.

 

The
wafer
is
flesh,

The
wine,
spilt
blood,

The
words
of
the
Trinity

   
Consecrate
them.

 

The
concealed
books

From
Emmanuel’s
hands

Were
brought
by
Raphael

   
As
Adam
’
s
gift.

 

When
in
his
old
age,

To
his
chin
immersed

In
Jordan’s
water,

   
He
kept
a
fast.

 

20
Twelve
young
men,

Four
of
them
angels,

Sent
forth
branches

   
From
the
flower
Eve.
 

 

To
give
assistance,

In
every
trouble,

In
all
oppression,

   
While
they
wondered.

 

Very
great
care

Possessed
mankind,

Until
they
obtained

   
The
tokens
of
grace.

 

Moses
obtained

In
great
necessity

The
aid
of
the
three

   
Dominical
rods.

 

Solomon
obtained

In
Babel’s
tower,

All
the
sciences

   
Of
Asia
’
s
land.

 

25
So
did
I
obtain

In
my
bardic
books,

Asia
’s
sciences,

   
Europe
’
s
too.

 

I
know
their
arts,

Their
course
and
destiny,

Their
going
and
coming

   
Until
the
end.

 

Oh!
what
misery,

Through
extreme
of
woe,

Prophecy
will
show

   
On
Troia
’
s
race!

 

A
chain-wearing
serpent,

The
pitiless
hawk

With
winged
weapons,

   
From
Germany.

 

Loegria
and
Britain

She
will
overrun,

From
Lychlyn
sea-shore

   
To
the
Severn.