Auguries of Innocence
To see a World in a Grain of Sand
And a Heaven in a Wild Flower
Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand
And Eternity in an hour
A Robin Red breast in a Cage
Puts all Heaven in a Rage
A Dove house fill’d with Doves & Pigeons
Shudders Hell thr' 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 clip’d & arm’d for fight
Does the Rising Sun affright
Every Wolfs & Lions howl
Raises from Hell a Human Soul
The wild deer, wand’ring here & there
Keeps the Human Soul from Care
The Lamb misus’d breeds Public Strife
And yet forgives the Butcher’s knife
The Bat that flits at close of Eve
Has left the Brain that wont Believe
The Owl that calls upon the Night
Speaks the Unbelievers fright
He who shall hurt the little Wren
Shall never be belov’d by Men
He who the Ox to wrath has mov’d
Shall never be by Woman lov’d
The wanton Boy that kills the Fly
Shall feel the Spiders enmity
He who torments the Chafer’s Sprite
Weaves a Bower in endless Night
The Caterpiller on the Leaf
Repeats to thee thy Mother’s grief
Kill not the Moth nor Butterfly
For the Last Judgment draweth nigh
He who shall train the Horse to War
Shall never pass the Polar Bar
The Beggar’s Dog & Widow’s Cat
Feed them & thou wilt grow fat
The Gnat that sings his Summer’s Song
Poison gets from Slander’s tongue
The poison of the Snake & Newt
Is the sweat of Envy’s Foot
The poison of the Honey Bee
Is the Artist’s Jealousy
The Prince’s Robes & Beggar’s Rags
Are Toadstools on the Misers 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 & Woe
And when this we rightly know
Thro the World we safely go
Joy & Woe are woven fine
A Clothing for the soul divine
Under every grief & pine
Runs a joy with silken twine
The Babe is more than swaddling Bands
Throughout all these Human Lands
Tools were made & 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 Bleat the Bark Bellow & 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 & Gun
Palsied strikes the Summers Sun
The poor Man’s Farthing is worth more
Than all the Gold on Afric’s Shore
One Mite wrung from the Lab’rer’s hands
Shall buy & sell the Miser’s Lands
Or if protected from on high
Does that whole Nation sell & buy
He who mocks the Infant’s Faith
Shall be mock’d in Age & 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 & Death
The Child’s Toys & 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
Nought can Deform the Human Race
Like to the Armour’s iron brace
When Gold & Gems adorn the Plow
To peaceful Arts shall Envy Bow
A Riddle or the Cricket’s Cry
Is to Doubt a fit Reply
The Emmet’s Inch & Eagles Mile
Make Lame Philosophy to smile
He who Doubts from what he sees
Will ne’er Believe do what you Please
If the Sun & 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 & Gambler by the State
Licenc’d build that Nations Fate
The Harlot’s cry from Street to Street
Shall weave Old England’s winding Sheet
The Winners Shout the Losers Curse
Dance before dead England’s Hearse
Every Night & every Morn
Some to Misery 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 & God is Light
To those poor Soul’s who dwell in Night
But does a Human Form Display
To those who Dwell in Realms of day
