Europe - A Prophecy de William Blake

Europe - A Prophecy

by William Blake, British Poet

`Five windows light the cavern'd Man: thro' one he breathes the air;Thro' one hears music of the spheres; thro' one the Eternal VineFlourishes, that he may receive the grapes; thro' one can lookAnd see small portions of the Eternal World that ever groweth;Thro' one himself pass out what time he please, but he will not;For stolen joys are sweet, and bread eaten in secret pleasant.'

So sang a Fairy, mocking, as he sat on a streak'd tulip,Thinking none saw him: when he ceas'd I started from the trees,And caught him in my hat, as boys knock down a butterfly.`How know you this,' said I, `small Sir? where did you learn this song?'Seeing himself in my possession, thus he answer'd me:`My Master, I am yours! command me, for I must obey.'


`Then tell me, what is the Material World, and is it dead?'He, laughing, answer'd: `I will write a book on leaves of flowers,If you will feed me on love-thoughts, and give me now and thenA cup of sparkling poetic fancies; so, when I am tipsy,I'll sing to you to this soft lute, and show you all aliveThe World, when every particle of dust breathes forth its joy.'


I took him home in my warm bosom: as we went alongWild flowers I gatherèd; and he show'd me each Eternal Flower:He laugh'd aloud to see them whimper because they were pluck'd.They hover'd round me like a cloud of incense. When I cameInto my parlour and sat down, and took my pen to write,My Fairy sat upon the table, and dictated EUROPE.