The Song of the Shadowy Female

    The misery¹ of unhappy Families shall be drawn² out into its border，

    Wrought³ with the needle， with dire⁴ sufferings， poverty， pain， and woe⁵，

    Along the rocky Island and thence throughout the whole Earth.

    There shall be the sick Father and his starving Family； there

    The Prisoner in the stone Dungeon⁶， and the Slave at the Mill.

    I will have writings written all over it in Human words，

    That every Infant that is born upon the Earth shall read

    And get by rote⁷， as a hard task of a life of sixty years.

    I will have Kings inwoven upon it， and Counsellors and Mighty⁸ Men：

    The Famine shall clasp it together with buckles⁹ and clasps，

    And the Pestilence¹⁰ shall be its fringe， and the War its girdle；

    To divide into Rahab and Tirzah， that Milton may come to our tents.

    For I will put on the Human Form， and take the Image of God，

    Even Pity and Humanity； but my clothing shall be Cruelty.

    And I will put on Holiness as a breastplate and as a helmet.

    And all my ornaments¹¹ shall be of the gold of broken hearts，

    And the precious stones of anxiety and care， and desperation and death，

    And repentance¹² for sin， and sorrow， and punishment and fear；

    To defend me from thy terrors， O Orc！ my only belovèd！