Beneath the white thorn, lovely May
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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.
* * *[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...
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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