Monday, January 18, 2010

Blake, in honor of the day























Let the slave grinding at the mill, run out into the field:
Let him look up into the heavens & laugh in the bright air;
Let the inchained soul shut up in darkness and in sighing,
Whose face has never seen a smile in thirty weary years;
Rise and look out, his chains are loose, his dungeon doors are open.
And let his wife and children return from the opressors scourge;
They look behind at every step & believe it is a dream.
Singing. The Sun has left his blackness, & has found a fresher morning
And the fair Moon rejoices in the clear & cloudless night;
For Empire is no more, and now the Lion & Wolf shall cease.


From America a Prophecy by William Blake, 1793

Complete text is here. Click on the image to enlarge it.

3 comments:

Lee said...

Blake - brilliant as always.

chayaruchama said...

Yes.
We love our Blake :)

BitterGrace said...

I'm always surprised how rarely this one gets hauled out. I suppose it's rather shaming...