Oh why was I born with a different face
Why was I not born like the rest of my race
When I look each one starts
When I speak, I offend
Then I'm silent and passive and lose every friend

Improvement makes straight roads
But the crooked roads without improvement
Are roads of genius

I went to the Garden of Love
And saw what I had never seen
A chapel was built in the midst
Where I used to play on the green
And the gates of this chapel were shut
And "Thou Shalt Not" writ over the door
So I turned to the Garden Of Love
That so many sweet flowers bore
And I saw it was filled with graves
And tombstones where flowers should be
And priests in black gowns were walking their rounds
And binding with briars, my joys and desires


The ancient tradition that the world will be consumed in fire
At the end of 6.000 years is true as I have heard from Hell
The whole creation will be consumed and appear infinite and holy
Where as it now appears finite and corrupt
This will come to pass by an improvement of sensual enjoyment
But the first notion that man has a body distinct from his soul is to be
expunged
This I shall do by printing in the infernal methods
By corrosives which in Hell are salutory and medicinal
Melting apparent surfaces away and displaying with infinite which is hid
If the doors of preception were cleansed
Everything would appear to man as it is... infinite
For man has closed himself up
Till he sees all things through narrow chinks of his cavern

Why art thou silent and invisible
Father of jealousy
Why does thou hide thyself in clouds
From every searching eye
Why darkness and obscurity in all thy words and laws
That none dare eat the fruit but from thy wily serpent jaws
Is it because secrecy gains females loud applause

To the Muses

WHETHER on Ida's shady brow
Or in the chambers of the East,
The chambers of the Sun, that now
From ancient melody have ceased;
Whether in heaven ye wander fair,
Or the green corners of the earth,
Or the blue regions of the air
Where the melodious winds have birth;

Whether on crystal rocks ye rove,
Beneath the bosom of the sea,
Wandering in many a coral grove;
Fair Nine, forsaking Poetry;

How have you left the ancient love
That bards of old enjoy'd in you!
The languid strings do scarcely move,
The sound is forced, the notes are few.

To Winter

O Winter! Bar thine adamantine doors:
The north is thine; there has thou built thy dark
Deep-founded habitation. Shake not thy roofs,
Nor bend thy pillars with thy iron car.

He hears me not, bit o'er the yawning deep
Rides heavy; is storms are unchain'd; sheathed
In ribbed steel, I dare not lift mine eyes
For he hath rear'd his sceptre o'er the world.

Lo! Now the direful monster, whose skin clings
To his strong bones, strides o'er the groaning rocks:
he withers all in silence, and his hand
Unclothes the earth, and freezes up frail life.

He takes his seat upon the cliffs, the mariner
Cries in vain. Poor little wretch! That deal'st
With storms; till heaven smiles, and the monster
Is driv'n yelling to his caves beneath mount Hecla.

Usmiech

The Smile                                   Uśmiech
There is a Smile of Love,                                         Jest Uśmiech Miłowania
And there is a Smile of Deceit,                               I Uśmiech Podstępnej Uciechy
And there is a Smile of Smiles                                I jest Uśmiech nad Uśmiechami
In which these two Smiles meet.                             W którym łączą się te dwa Uśmiechy
And there is a frown of hate,                                  Jest Grymas Nienawiści
And there is a frown of disdain,                              I jest Grymas Wzgardliwej Niechęci
And there is a frown of frowns                               I jest Grymas nad Grymasami
Which you strive to forget in vain                           Który próżno chcesz wymazać z pamięci
For it sticks in the heart's deep core                        Bo zagnieździł się w Jądrze Serca
And it sticks in the deep backbone                         I przedostał się do Szpiku Kości
And no smile tht ever was smil'd,                            Żaden uśmiech znany człowiekowi
But only one smile alone                                         Nie przeniknie owych Głębokości
That betwixt the cradle and grave                            Tylko Jeden - ten co się raz zdarza
It only once smil'd can be;                                       Między naszą Kołyską a Mogiłą -
And, when it once is smil'd,                                     Lecz gdy taki Uśmiech zajaśnieje
There's an end to all misery.                                    Znika wszystko co Cierpieniem było
 

Uśmiech/The Smile

The Smile

There is a smile of Love,
And there is a Smile of Deceit,
And there is a Smile of Smiles 
In which these two Smiles meet.

And there is a frown of hate, 
And there is a frown of disdain,
And there is a frown of frowns  
Which you strive to forget in vain

For it sticks in the heart's deep core
And it sticks in the deep backbone 
And no smile tht ever was smil'd,   
But only one smile alone  

That betwixt the cradle and grave   
It only once smil'd can be;      
And, when it once is smil'd, 
There's an end to all misery.     



         Uśmiech 

Jest Uśmiech Miłowania
I Uśmiech Podstępnej Uciechy 
I jest Uśmiech nad Uśmiechami 
W którym łączą się te dwa Uśmiechy 

Jest Grymas Nienawiści 
I jest Grymas Wzgardliwej Niechęci 
I jest Grymas nad Grymasami 
Który próżno chcesz wymazać z pamięc

Bo zagnieździł się w Jądrze Serca 
I przedostał się do Szpiku Kości 
Żaden uśmiech znany człowiekowi 
Nie przeniknie owych Głębokości 

Tylko Jeden - ten co się raz zdarza 
Między naszą Kołyską a Mogiłą - 
Lecz gdy taki Uśmiech zajaśnieje 
Znika wszystko co Cierpieniem było

                                                                          
(tłum. Jerzy Pietrkiewicz)