by William Blake

Tiriel

William Blake

TIRIEL

And Aged Tiriel. stood before the Gates of his beautiful palace

With Myratana. once the Queen of all the western plains

But now his eyes were darkned. & his wife fading in death

They stood before their once delightful palace. & thus the Voice

Of aged Tiriel. arose. that his sons might hear in their gates

Accursed race of Tiriel. behold your father

Come forth & look on her that bore you. come you accursed sons.

In my weak arms. I here have borne your dying mother

Come forth sons of the Curse come forth. see the death of Myratana

His sons ran from their gates. & saw their aged parents stand

And thus the eldest son of Tiriel raisd his mighty voice

Old man unworthy to be calld. the father of Tiriels race

For evry one of those thy wrinkles. each of those grey hairs

Are cruel as death. & as obdurate as the devouring pit

Why should thy sons care for thy curses thou accursed man

Were we not slaves till we rebeld. Who cares for Tiriels curse

His blessing was a cruel curse. His curse may be a blessing

He ceast the aged man raisd up his right hand to the heavens

His left supported Myratana shrinking in pangs of death

The orbs of his large eyes he opend. & thus his voice went forth

Serpents not sons. wreathing around the bones of Tiriel

Ye worms of death feasting upon your aged parents flesh

Listen & hear your mothers groans. No more accursed Sons

She bears. she groans not at the birth of Heuxos or Yuva

These are the groans of death ye serpents These are the groans of death

Nourishd with milk ye serpents. nourishd with mothers tears & cares

Look at my eyes blind as the orbless scull among the stones

Look at my bald head. Hark listen ye serpents listen

What Myratana. What my wife. O Soul O Spirit O fire

What Myratana. art thou dead. Look here ye serpents look

The serpents sprung from her own bowels have draind her dry as this[.]

Curse on your ruthless heads. for I will bury her even here

So saying he began to dig a grave with his aged hands

But Heuxos calld a son of Zazel. to dig their mother a grave

Old cruelty desist & let us dig a grave for thee

Thou hast refusd our charity thou hast refusd our food

Thou hast refusd our clothes our beds our houses for thy dwelling

Chusing to wander like a Son of Zazel in the rocks

Why dost thou curse. is not the curse now come upon your head

Was it not you enslavd the sons of Zazel. & they have cursd

And now you feel it. Dig a grave & let us bury our mother

There take the body. cursed sons. & may the heavens rain wrath

As thick as northern fogs. around your gates. to choke you up

That you may lie as now your mother lies. like dogs. cast out

The stink. of your dead carcases. annoying man & beast

Till your white bones are bleachd with age for a memorial.

No your remembrance shall perish. for when your carcases

Lie stinking on the earth. the buriers shall arise from the east

And. not a bone of all the soils of Tiriel remain

Bury your mother but you cannot bury the curse of Tiriel

He ceast & darkling oer the mountains sought his pathless way

He wander'd day & night to him both day & night were dark

The sun he felt but the bright moon was now a useless globe

O'er mountains & thro' vales of woe. the blind & aged man

Wanderd till he that leadeth all. led him to the vales of Har.

And Har & Heva like two children sat beneath the Oak

Mnetha now aged waited on them. & brought them food & clothing

But they were as the shadow of Har. & as the years forgotten

Playing with flowers. & running after birds they spent the day

And in the night like infants slept delighted with infant dreams.

Soon as the blind wanderer enter'd the pleasant gardens of Har

They ran weeping like frighted infants for refuge in Mnethas arms

The blind man felt his way & cried "peace to these open doors

"Let no one fear for poor blind Tiriel hurts none but himself

"Tell me O friends where am I now. & in what pleasant place?"

"This is the valley of Har", said Mnetha, "& this the tent of Har.

"Who art thou, poor blind man. that takest the name of Tiriel on thee?"

"Tiriel is king of all the west: who art thou? I am Mnetha,

"And this is Har & Heva, trembling like infants by my side."

"I know Tiriel is king of the west & there he lives in joy.

"No matter who I am; O Mnetha, if thou hast any food,

"Give it me. for I cannot stay; my journey is far from hence."

Then Har said: "O my mother Mnetha, venture not so near him

"For he is the king of rotten wood & of the bones of death

"He wanders. without eyes. & passes thro' thick walls & doors.

"Thou shalt not smite my mother Mnetha O thou eyeless man!"

"A wanderer. I beg for food. you see I cannot weep:

I cast away my staff the kind companion of my travel,

And I kneel down that you may see I am a harmless man."

He kneeled down & Mnetha said: "Come, Har & Heva, rise!

"He is an innocent old man & hungry with his travel."

Then Har arose & laid his hand upon old Tiriels head .

"God bless thy poor bald pate. God bless. thy hollow winking eyes

"God bless thy shriveld beard. God. bless. thy many wrinkled forehead

"Thou hast no teeth old man & thus I kiss thy sleek bald head

"Heva come kiss his bald head for he will not hurt us Heva."

Then Heva came & took old Tiriel in her mothers arms.

"Bless thy poor eyes old man. & bless the old father of Tiriel!

"Thou art my Tiriels old father. I know thee thro thy wrinkles,

"Because thou smellest. like the figtree. thou smellest like ripe figs.

"How didst thou lose thy eyes old Tiriel. bless thy wrinkled face!"

Mnetha said come in aged wanderer tell us of thy name.

"Why shouldest thou conceal thyself from those of thine own flesh?"

"I am not of this region. said Tiriel dissemblingly,

"I am an aged wanderer once father of a race

"Far in the north. but they were wicked & were all destroy'd,

"And I their father sent an outcast. I have told you all

Ask me no more I pray for grief hath seald my precious sight."

"O Lord!" said Mnetha how I tremble! are there then more people,

"More human creatures on this earth beside the sons of Har?"

"No more," said Tiriel, "but I, remain on all this globe;

"And I remain an outcast; hast thou any thing to drink?"

Then Mnetha gave him milk & fruits. & they sat down together.

They sat & eat & Har & Heva smild on Tiriel

Thou art a very old old man but I am older than thou

How came thine hair to leave thy forehead how came thy face so brown

My hair is very long my beard. doth cover all my breast

God bless thy piteous face. to count the wrinkles in thy face

Would puzzle Mnetha. bless thy face for thou art Tiriel

Tiriel I never saw but once I sat with him & eat

He was as chearful as a prince & gave me entertainment

But long I staid not at his palace for I am forcd to wander

What wilt thou leave us too said Heva thou shalt not leave us too

For we have many sports to shew thee & many songs to sing

And after dinner we will walk into the cage of Har

And thou shalt help us to catch birds. & gather them ripe cherries

Then let thy name be Tiriel & never leave us more

If thou dost go said Har I wish thine eyes may see thy folly

My sons have left me did thine leave thee O twas very cruel

No venerable man said Tiriel ask me not such things

For thou dost make my heart to bleed my sons were not like thine

But worse O never ask me more or I must flee away

Thou shalt not go said Heva till thou hast seen our singing birds

And heard Har sing in the great cage & slept upon our fleeces

Go not for thou art so like Tiriel. that I love thine head

Tho it is wrinkled like the earth parchd with the summer heat

Then Tiriel rose up from the seat & said god bless these tents

My Journey is oer rocks & mountains. not in pleasant vales

I must not sleep nor rest because of madness & dismay

And Mnetha said Thou must not go to wander dark. alone

But dwell with us & let us be to thee instead of eyes

And I will bring thee food old man. till death shall call thee hence

Then Tiriel frownd & answerd. Did I not command you saying

Madness & deep dismay posses[s] the heart of the blind man

The wanderer who seeks the woods leaning upon his staff

Then Mnetha trembling at his frowns led him to the tent door

And gave to him his staff & blest him. he went on his way

But Har & Heva stood & watchd him till he enterd the wood

And then they went & wept to Mnetha. but they soon forgot their tears

Over the weary hills the blind man took his lonely way

To him the day & night alike was dark & desolate

But far he had not gone when Ijim from his woods come down

Met him at entrance of the forest in a dark & lonely way

Who art thou Eyeless wretch that thus obstructst the lions path

Ijim shall rend thy feeble joints thou tempter of dark Ijim

Thous hast the form of Tiriel but I know thee well enough

Stand from my path foul fiend is this the las of thy deceits

To be a hypocrite & stand in shape of a blind beggar

The blind man heard his brothers voice & kneeld down on his knee

O brother Ijim if it is thy voice that speaks to me

Smite not thy brother Tiriel tho weary of his life

My sons have smitten me already. and if thou smitest me

The curse that rolls over their heads will rest itself on thine

Tis now seven years since in my palace I beheld thy face

Come thou dark fiend I dare thy cunning know that Ijim scorns

To smite the[e] in the form of helpless age & eyeless policy

Rise up for I discern thee & I dare thy eloquent tongue

Come I will lead thee on thy way & use thee as a scoff

O Brother Ijim thou beholdest wretched Tiriel

Kiss me my brother & then leave me to wander desolate

No artful fiend. but I will lead thee dost thou want to go

Reply not lest I bind thee with the green flags of the brook

Ay now thou art discoverd I will use thee like a slave

When Tiriel heard the words of Ijim he sought not to reply

He knew twas vain for Ijims words were as the voice of Fate

And they went on together over hills thro woody dales

Blind to the pleasures of the sight & deaf to warbling birds

All day they walkd & all the night beneath the pleasant Moon

Westwardly journeying till Tiriel grew weary with his travel

O Ijim I am faint & weary for my knees forbid

To bear me further. urge me not lest I should die with travel

A little rest I crave a little water from a brook

Or I shall soon discover that I am a mortal man

And you will lose your once lovd Tiriel alas how fain I am

Impudent fiend said Ijim hold thy glib & eloquent tongue

Tiriel is a king. & thou the tempter of dark Ijim

Drink of this runing brook. & I will bear thee on my shoulders

He drank & Ijim raisd him up & bore him on his shoulders

All day he bore him & when evening drew her solemn curtain

Enterd the gates of Tiriels palace. & stood & calld aloud

Heuxos come forth I here have brought the fiend that troubles Ijim

Look knowst thou aught of this grey beard. or of these blinded eyes

Heuxos & Lotho ran forth at the sound of Ijims voice

And saw their aged father borne upon his mighty shoulders

Their eloquent tongues were dumb & sweat stood on. their trembling limbs

They knew twas vain to strive with Ijim they bowd & silent stood

What Heuxos call thy father for I mean to sport to night

This is the Hypocritc that sometimes roars a dreadful lion

Then I have rent his limbs & left him rotting in the forest

For birds to eat but I have scarce departed from the place

But like a tyger he would come & so I rent him too

Then like a river be would seek to drown me in his waves

But soon I buffetted the torrent anon like to a cloud

Fraught with the swords of lightning. but I bravd the vengeance too

Then he would creep like a bright serpent till around my neck

While I was Sleeping he would twine I squeezd his poisnous soul

Then like a toad or like a newt. would whisper in my ears

Or like a rock stood in my way. or like a poisnous shrub

At last I caught him in the form of Tiriel blind & old

And so Ill keep him fetch your father fetch forth Myratana

They stood confounded. and Thus Tiriel raisd his silver voice

Serpents not sons why do you stand fetch hither Tiriel

Fetch hither Myratana & delight yourselves with scoffs

For poor blind Tiriel is returnd & this much injurd head

Is ready for your bitter taunts. come forth sons of the curse

Mean time the other sons of Tiriel ran around their father

Confounded at the terrible strength of Ijim they knew twas vain

Both spear & shield were useless & the coat of iron mail

When Ijim stretchd his mighty arm. the arrow from his limbs

Rebounded & the piercing sword broke on his naked flesh

Then is it true Heuxos that thou hast turnd thy aged parent

To be the sport of wintry winds. (said Ijim) is this true

It is a lie & I am like the tree torn by the wind

Thou eyeless fiend. & you dissemblers. Is this Tiriels house

It is as false [as] Matha. & as dark as vacant Orcus

Escape ye fiends for Ijim will not lift his hand against ye

So saying. Ijim gloomy turnd his back & silent sought

The secret forests & all night wanderd in desolate ways

And aged Tiriel stood & said where does the thunder sleep

Where doth he hide his terrible head & his swift & fiery daughters

Where do they shroud their fiery wings & the terrors of their hair

Earth thus I stamp thy bosom rouse the earthquake from his den

To raise his dark & burning visage thro the cleaving ground

To thrust these towers with his shoulders. let his fiery dogs

Rise from the center belching flames & roarings. dark smoke

Where art thou Pestilence that bathest in fogs & standing lakes

Rise up thy sluggish limbs. & let the loathsomest of poisons

Drop from thy garments as thou walkest. wrapt in yellow clouds

Here take thy seat. in this wide court. let it be strewn with dead

And sit & smile upon these cursed sons of Tiriel

Thunder & fire & pestilence. here you not Tiriels curse

He ceast the heavy clouds confusd rolld round the lofty towers

Discharging their enormous voices. at the fathers curse

The earth trembled fires belched from the yawning clefts

And when the shaking ceast a fog possest the accursed clime

The cry was great in Tiriels palace his five daughters ran

And caught him by the garments weeping with cries of bitter woe

Aye now you feel the curse you cry. but may all ears be deaf

As Tiriels & all eyes as blind as Tiriels to your woes

May never stars shine on your roofs may never sun nor moon

Visit you but eternal fogs hover around your walls

Hela my youngest daughter you shall lead me from this place

And let the curse fall on the rest & wrap them up together

He ceast & Hela led her father from the noisom place

In haste they fled while all the sons & daughters of Tiriel

Chaind in thick darkness utterd cries of mourning all the night

And in the morning Lo an hundred men in ghastly death

The four daughters stretchd on the marble pavement silent all

falln by the pestilence the rest moped round in guilty fears

And all the children in their beds were cut off in one night

Thirty of Tiriels sons remaind. to wither in the palace

Desolate. Loathed. Dumb Astonishd waiting for black death

And Hela led her father thro the silent of the night

Astonishd silent. till the morning beams began to spring

Now Hela I can go with pleasure & dwell with Har & Heva

Now that the curse shall clean devour all those guilty sons

This is the right & ready way I know it by the sound

That our feet make. Remember Hela I have savd thee from death

Then be obedient to thy father for the curse is taken off thee

I dwelt with Myratana five years in the desolate rock

And all that time we waited for the fire to fall from heaven

Or for the torrents of the sea to overwhelm you all

But now my wife is dead & all the time of grace is past

You see the parents curse. Now lead me where I have commanded

O Leagued with evil spirits thou accursed man of sin

True I was born thy slave who askd thee to save me from death—

Twas for thy self thou cruel man because thou wantest eyes

True Hela this is the desert of all those cruel ones

Is Tiriel cruel look. his daughter & his youngest daughter

Laughs at affection glories in rebellion. scoffs at Love:—

I have not eat these two days lead me to Har & Hevas tent

Or I will wrap the[e] up in such a terrible fathers curse

That thou shalt feel worms in thy marrow creeping thro thy bones

Yet thou shalt lead me. Lead me I command to Har & Heva

O cruel O destroyer O consumer. O avenger

To Har & Heva I will lead thee then would that they would curse

Then would they curse as thou hast cursed but they are not like thee

O they are holy. & forgiving filld with loving mercy

Forgetting the offences of their most rebellious children

Or else thou wouldest not have livd to curse thy helpless children

Look on my eyes Hela & see for thou has eyes to see

The tears swell from my stony fountains. wherefore do I weep

Wherefore from my blind orbs art thou not siezd with poisnous stings

Laugh serpent youngest venomous reptile of the flesh of Tiriel

Laugh. for thy father Tiriel shall give the[e] cause to laugh

Unless thou lead me to the tent of Har child of the curse

Silence thy evil tongue thou murderer of thy helpless children

I lead thee to the tent of Har not that I mind thy curse

But that I feel they will curse thee & hang upon thy bones

Fell shaking agonies. & in each wrinkle of that face

Plant worms of death to feast upon the tongue of terrible curses

Hela my daughter listen. thou art the daughter of Tiriel

Thy father calls. Thy father lifts his hand unto the heavens

For thou hast laughed at my tears. & curst thy aged father

Let snakes rise from thy bedded locks & laugh among thy curls

He ceast her dark hair upright stood while snakes infolded round

Her madding brows. her shrieks apalld the soul of Tiriel

What have I done Hela my daughter fearst thou now the curse

Or wherefore dost thou cry Ah wretch to curse thy aged father

Lead me to Har & Heva & the curse of Tiriel

Shall fail. If thou refuse howl in the desolate mountains

She howling led him over mountains & thro frighted vales

Till to the caves of Zazel they approachd at even tide

Forth from their caves old Zazel & his sons ran. when they saw

Their tyrant prince blind & his daughter howling & leading him

They laughd & mocked some threw dirt & stones as they passd by

But when Tiriel turnd around & raisd his awful voice

Some fled away but Zazel stood still & thus began

Bald tyrant. wrinkled cunning listen to Zazels chains

Twas thou that chaind thy brother Zazel where are now thine eyes

Shout beautiful daughter of Tiriel. thou singest a sweet song

Where are you going. come & eat some roots & drink some water

Thy crown is bald old man. the sun will dry thy brains away

And thou wilt be as foolish as thy foolish brother Zazel

The blind man heard. & smote his breast & trembling passed on

They threw dirt after them. till to the covert of a wood

The howling maiden led her father where wild beasts resort

Hoping to end her woes. but from her cries the tygers fled

All night they wanderd thro the wood & when the sun arose

They enterd on the mountains of Har at Noon the happy tents

Were frighted by the dismal cries of Hela on the mountains

But Har & Heva slept fearless as babes. on loving breasts

Mnetha awoke she ran & stood at the tent door & saw

The aged wanderer led towards the tents she took her bow

And chose her arrows then advancd to meet the terrible pair

And Mnetha hasted & met them at the gate of the lower garden

Stand still or from my bow receive a sharp & winged death

Then Tiriel stood. saying what soft voice threatens such bitter things

Lead me to Har & Heva I am Tiriel King of the west

And Mnetha led them to the tent of Har. and Har & Heva

Ran to the door. when Tiriel felt the ankles of aged Har

He said. O weak mistaken father of a lawless race

Thy laws O Har & Tiriels wisdom end together in a curse

Why is one law given to the lion & th patient Ox

And why men bound beneath the heavens in a reptile form

A worm of sixty winters creeping on the dusky ground

The child springs from the womb. the father ready stands to form

The infant head while the mother idle plays with her dog on her couch

The young bosom is cold for lack of mothers nourishment & milk

Is cut off from the weeping mouth with difficulty & pain

The little lids are lifted & the little nostrils opend

The father forms a whip to rouze the sluggish senses to act

And scourges off all youthful fancies from the newborn man

Then walks the weak infant in sorrow compelld to number footsteps

Upon the sand. &c

And when the drone has reachd his crawling length

Black berries appear that poison all around him. Such was Tiriel

Compelld to pray repugnant & to humble the immortal spirit

Till I am subtil as a serpent in a paradise

Consuming all both flowers & fruits insects & warbling birds

And now my paradise is falln & a drear sandy plain

Returns my thirsty hissings in a curse on thee O Har

Mistaken father of a lawless race my voice is past

He ceast outstretchd at Har & Hevas feet in awful death

Colophon

This archival text follows the English Wikisource page Tiriel, rendered or exported on June 2, 2026. The underlying text is William Blake's public-domain work; the Wikisource transcription layer is preserved here as an archival public source witness.

Source URL: https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Tiriel

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Compiled and formatted for the Good Work Library by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026.

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