Auguries of Innocence

    And a Heaven in a wild flower，

    Hold Infinity¹ in the palm of your hand，

    And Eternity² in an hour.

    A robin³ redbreast in a cage

    Puts all Heaven in a rage.

    A dove-house fill'd with doves and pigeons

    Shudders⁴ Hell thro' all its regions.

    A dog starv'd at his master's gate

    Predicts the ruin of the State.

    A horse misus'd upon the road

    Calls to Heaven for human blood.

    Each outcry of the hunted hare

    A fibre from the brain does tear.

    A skylark wounded in the wing，

    A cherubim does cease to sing.

    The game- cock clipt and arm'd for fight

    Does the rising sun affright.

    Every wolf's and lion's howl

    Raises from Hell a Human soul.

    The wild deer， wandering here and there，

    Keeps the Human soul from care.

    The lamb misus'd breeds public strife⁶，

    And yet forgives the butcher's knife.

    The bat that flits at close of eve

    Has left the brain that won't believe.

    The owl⁵ that calls upon the night

    Speaks the unbeliever's fright.

    He who shall hurt the little wren⁷

    Shall never be belov'd by men.

    He who the ox to wrath⁸ has mov'd

    Shall never be by woman lov'd.

    The wanton boy that kills the fly

    Shall feel the spider's enmity.

    He who torments⁹ the chafer's sprite

    Weaves a bower¹⁰ in endless night.

    The caterpillar¹¹ on the leaf

    Repeats to thee thy mother's grief.

    Kill not the moth¹² nor butterfly，

    For the Last Judgement draweth nigh.

    He who shall train the horse to war

    Shall never pass the polar bar.

    The beggar's dog and widow's cat，

    Feed them， and thou wilt¹³ grow fat.

    The gnat¹⁴ that sings his summer's song

    Poison gets from Slander's tongue.

    The poison of the snake and newt

    Is the sweat of Envy's foot.

    The poison of the honey-bee

    Is the artist's jealousy¹⁵.

    The prince's robes and beggar's rags

    Are toadstools on the miser's bags.

    A truth that's told with bad intent

    Beats all the lies you can invent.

    It is right it should be so；

    Man was made for joy and woe¹⁶；

    And when this we rightly know，

    Thro' the world we safely go.

    Joy and woe are woven fine，

    A clothing for the soul divine；

    Under every grief and pine

    Runs a joy with silken twine¹⁷.

    The babe is more than swaddling-bands；

    Throughout all these human lands

    Tools were made， and born were hands，

    Every farmer understands.

    Every tear from every eye

    Becomes a babe in Eternity；

    This is caught by Females bright，

    And return'd to its own delight.

    The bleat¹⁸， the bark， bellow¹⁹， and roar

    Are waves that beat on Heaven's shore.

    The babe that weeps the rod beneath

    Writes revenge in realms of death.

    The beggar's rags， fluttering in air，

    Does to rags the heavens tear.

    The soldier， arm'd with sword and gun，

    Palsied strikes the summer's sun.

    The poor man's farthing is worth more

    Than all the gold on Afric's shore.

    One mite²⁰ wrung²¹ from the labourer's hands

    Shall buy and sell the miser's lands

    Or， if protected from on high，

    Does that whole nation sell and buy.

    He who mocks the infant's faith

    Shall be mock'd in Age and Death.

    He who shall teach the child to doubt

    The rotting grave shall ne'er get out.

    He who respects the infant's faith

    Triumphs over Hell and Death.

    The child's toys and the old man's reasons

    Are the fruits of the two seasons.

    The questioner， who sits so sly，

    Shall never know how to reply.

    He who replies to words of Doubt

    Doth put the light of knowledge out.

    The strongest poison ever known

    Came from Caesar's laurel crown.

    Nought²² can deform²³ the human race

    Like to the armour's iron brace²⁴.

    When gold and gems²⁵ adorn²⁶ the plough

    To peaceful arts shall Envy bow.

    A riddle²⁷， or the cricket's cry，

    Is to Doubt a fit reply.

    The emmet's inch and eagle's mile

    Make lame²⁸ Philosophy to smile.

    He who doubts from what he sees

    Will ne'er believe， do what you please.

    If the Sun and Moon should doubt，

    They'd immediately go out.

    To be in a passion you good may do，

    But no good if a passion is in you.

    The whore and gambler， by the state

    Licensed²⁹， build that nation's fate.

    The harlot's cry from street to street

    Shall weave Old England's winding-sheet.

    The winner's shout， the loser's curse，

    Dance before dead England's hearse.

    Every night and every morn

    Some to misery³⁰ are born.

    Every morn and every night

    Some are born to sweet delight.

    Some are born to sweet delight，

    Some are born to endless night.

    We are led to believe a lie

    When we see not thro' the eye，

    Which was born in a night， to perish in a night，

    When the Soul slept in beams of light.

    God appears， and God is Light，

    To those poor souls who dwell in Night；

    But does a Human Form display

    To those who dwell in realms of Day.