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- 35
- u80ici1.11hIV
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- 1. O crystal heart! I the Serpent clasp Thee; I drive home mine head into
- the central core of Thee, O God my beloved.
-
- 2. Even as on the resounding wind-swept heights of Mitylene some god-like
- woman casts aside the lyre, and with her locks aflame as an aureole, plunges
- into the wet heart of the creation, so I, O Lord my God!
-
- 3. There is a beauty unspeakable in this heart of corruption, where the
- flowers are aflame.
-
- 4. Ah me! but the thirst of Thy joy parches up this throat, so that I
- cannot sing.
-
- 5. I will make me a little boat of my tongue, and explore the unknown
- rivers. It may be that the everlasting salt may turn to sweetness, and that
- my life may be no longer athirst.
-
- 6. O ye that drink of the brine of your desire, ye are nigh to madness!
- Your torture increaseth as ye drink, yet still ye drink. Come up through the
- creeks to the fresh water; I shall be waiting for you with my kisses.
-
- 7. As the bezoar-stone that is found in the belly of the cow, so is my
- lover among lovers.
-
- 8. O honey boy! Bring me Thy cool limbs hither! Let us sit awhile in the
- orchard, until the sun go down! Let us feast on the cool grass! Bring wine,
- ye slaves, that the cheeks of my boy may flush red.
-
- 9. In the garden of immortal kisses, O thou brilliant One, shine forth!
- Make Thy mouth an opium-poppy, that one kiss is the key to the infinite sleep
- and lucid, the sleep of Shi-loh-am.
-
- 10. In my sleep I beheld the Universe like a clear crystal without one speck.
-
- 11. There are purse-proud penniless ones that stand at the door of the tavern
- and prate of their feats of wine-bibbing.
-
- 12. There are purse-proud penniless ones that stand at the door of the tavern
- and revile the guests.
-
- 13. The guests dally upon couches of mother-of-pearl in the garden; the noise
- of the foolish men is hidden from them.
-
- 14. Only the inn-keeper feareth lest the favour of the king be withdrawn from
- him.
-
- 15. Thus spake the Magister V.V.V.V.V. unto Adonai his God, as they played
- together in the starlight over against the deep black pool that is in the Holy
- Place of the Holy House beneath the Altar of the Holiest One.
-
- 16. But Adonai laughed, and played more languidly.
-
- 17. Then the scribe took note, and was glad. But Adonai had no fear of the
- Magician and his play.
- For it was Adonai who had taught all his tricks to the Magician.
-
- 18. And the Magister entered into the play of the Magician. When the Magician
- laughed he laughed; all as a man should do.
-
- 19. And Adonai said: Thou art enmeshed in the web of the Magician. This He
- said subtly, to try him.
-
- 20. But the Magister gave the sign of the Magistry, and laughed back on Him:
- O Lord, O beloved, did these fingers relax on Thy curls, or these eyes turn
- away from Thine eye?
-
- 21. And Adonai delighted in him exceedingly.
-
- 22. Yea, O my master, thou art the beloved of the Beloved One; the Bennu Bird
- is set up in Philae not in vain.
-
- 23. I who was the priestess of Ahathoor rejoice in your love.(mg)Arise, O
- Nile-God, and devour the holy place of the(mg)Cow of Heaven! Let the milk of
- the stars be drunk up by Sebek the dweller of Nile!
-
- 24. Arise, O serpent Apep, Thou art Adonai the beloved one! Thou art my
- darling and my lord, and Thy poison is sweeter than the kisses of Isis the
- mother of the Gods!
-
- 25. For Thou art He! Yea, Thou shalt swallow up Asi and Asar, and the
- children of Ptah. Thou shalt pour forth a flood of poison to destroy the
- works of the Magician.(mg)Only the Destroyer shall devour Thee; Thou
- shalt(mg)blacken his throat, wherein his spirit abideth. Ah, serpent Apep,
- but I love Thee!
-
- 26. My God! Let Thy secret fang pierce to the marrow of the little secret
- bone that I have kept against the Day of Vengeance of Hoor-Ra. Let Kheph-Ra
- sound his sharded drone! let the jackals of Day and Night howl in the
- wilderness of Time! let the Towers of the Universe totter, and the guardians
- hasten away! For my Lord hath revealed Himself as a mighty serpent, and my
- heart is the blood of His body.
-
- 27. I am like a love-sick courtesan of Corinth. I have toyed with kings and
- captains, and made them my slaves.(mg)To-day I am the slave of the little asp
- of death; and(mg)who shall loosen our love?
-
- 28. Weary, weary! saith the scribe, who shall lead me to the sight of the
- Rapture of my master?
-
- 29. The body is weary and the soul is sore weary and sleep weighs down their
- eyelids; yet ever abides the sure consciousness of ecstacy, unknown, yet known
- in that its being is certain. O Lord, be my helper, and bring me to the bliss
- of the Beloved!
-
- 30. I came to the house of the Beloved, and the wine was like fire that
- flieth with green wings through the world of waters.
-
- 31. I felt the red lips of nature and the black lips of perfection. Like
- sisters they fondled me their little brother; they decked me out as a bride;
- they mounted me for Thy bridal chamber.
- 32. They fled away at Thy coming; I was alone before Thee.
-
- 33. I trembled at Thy coming, O my God, for Thy messenger was more terrible
- than the Death-star.
-
- 34. On the threshold stood the fulminant figure of Evil, the Horror of
- emptiness, with his ghastly eyes like poisonous wells. He stood, and the
- chamber was corrupt; the air stank. He was an old and gnarled fish more
- hideous than the shells of Abaddon.
-
- 35. He enveloped me with his demon tentacles; yea, the eight fears took hold
- upon me.
-
- 36. But I was anointed with the right sweet oil of the Magister; I slipped
- from the embrace as a stone from the sling of a boy of the woodlands.
-