Beneath the white thorn, lovely May
* * *[1]
[Three Virgins at the Break of day
"Whither, Young Man, hither away ? del.]
"Alas for wo! alas for wo!
They cry & tears for ever flow 5
3 The one was cloth'd in flames of fire,
4 The other cloth'd in iron wire,
5 The other clothd in [sighs del.] & tears & sighs,
6 Dazzling bright before my Eyes.
1 They bore a Net of Golden twine 10
2 To hang upon the Branches fine
7 [Pitying, I wept to see the woe
8 That Love & Beauty undergo—
9 To be consum'd in burning fires
And in Ungratified desires del.] 15
And in tears cloth'd Night & day
Melted all my soul away
When they saw my tears, a smile
That did heaven itself beguile,
Bore the Golden Net aloft 20
As on downy pinions soft
O'er the morning of my Day
Underneath the net I stray
Now intreating flamng fire
Now intreating [sweet desire del.] iron wire 25
Now intreating tears & sighs
Dazzling bright befire my eyes.[2]
[additional passage del.]
Wings they had [& when they chose del.] that soft inclose
Round their body when they chose;
They would let them down at will,
Or make translucent...
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- ↑ "Blake Complete Writings", ed. Geoffrey Keynes, pub. OUP 1966/85, p. 421-2.
- ↑ In the fair copy: "O when will the morning rise". — Ed. of Wikisource.
This work was published before January 1, 1929, and is in the public domain worldwide because the author died at least 100 years ago.
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