Nicholson & Lee, eds. The Oxford Book of English Mystical Verse. 1917. | | 121. Chanting the Square Deific | By Walt Whitman (18191892) | | CHANTING the square deific, out of the One advancing, out of the sides, | | Out of the old and new, out of the square entirely divine, | | Solid, four-sided, (all the sides needed,) from this side Jehovah am I, | | Old Brahm I, and I Saturnius am; | | Not Time affects meI am Time, old, modern as any, | 5 | Unpersuadable, relentless, executing righteous judgements, | | As the Earth, the Father, the brown old Kronos, with laws, | | Aged beyond computation, yet ever new, ever with those mighty laws rolling, | | Relentless, I forgive no manwhoever sins diesI will have that mans life; | | Therefore let none expect mercyhave the seasons, gravitation, the appointed days, mercy? no more have I, | 10 | But as the seasons and gravitation, and as all the appointed days that forgive not, | | I dispense from this side judgements inexorable without the least remorse. | | | Consolator most mild, the promisd one advancing, | | With gentle hand extended, the mightier God am I, | | Foretold by prophets and poets in their most rapt prophecies and poems, | 15 | From this side, lo! the Lord Christ gazeslo! Hermes Ilo! mine is Hercules face, | | All sorrow, labour, suffering, I, tallying it, absorb in myself, | | Many times have I been rejected, taunted, put in prison and crucified, and many times shall be again, | | All the world have I given up for my dear brothers and sisters sake, for the souls sake, | | Wending my way through the homes of men, rich or poor, with the kiss of affection, | 20 | For I am affection, I am the cheer-bringing God, with hope and all-enclosing charity, | | With indulgent words as to children, with fresh and sane words, mine only, | | Young and strong I pass knowing well I am destind myself to an early death; | | But my charity has no deathmy wisdom dies not, neither early nor late, | | And my sweet love bequeathd here and elsewhere never dies. | 25 | | Aloof, dissatisfied, plotting revolt, | | Comrade of criminals, brother of slaves, | | Crafty, despised, a drudge, ignorant, | | With sudra face and worn brow, black, but in the depths of my heart, proud as any, | | Lifted now and always against whoever scorning assumes to rule me, | 30 | Morose, full of guile, full of reminiscences, brooding, with many wiles, | | (Though it was thought I was baffled and dispeld, and my wiles done, but that will never be,) | | Defiant, I, Satan, still live, still utter words, in new lands duly appearing, (and old ones also,) | | Permanent here from my side, warlike, equal with any, real as any, | | Nor time nor change shall ever change me or my words. | 35 | | Santa Spirita, breather, life, | | Beyond the light, lighter than light, | | Beyond the flames of hell, joyous, leaping easily above hell, | | Beyond Paradise, perfumed solely with mine own perfume, | | Including all life on earth, touching, including God, including Saviour and Satan, | 40 | Ethereal, pervading all (for without me what were all? what were God?), | | Essence of forms, life of the real identities, permanent, positive, (namely the unseen,) | | Life of the great round world, the sun and stars, and of man, I, the general soul, | | Here the square finishing, the solid, I the most solid, | | Breathe my breath also through these songs. | 45 |
|
|