The Madman | Page 6

they said, "Come thou and see."
And they took me to the temple in the midst of the city. and in the
temple I saw a heap of hands and eyes. All withered. Then said I, "Alas!
what conqueror hath committed this cruelty upon you?"
And there went a murmur amongst them. And one of their elders stood
forth and said, "This doing is of ourselves. God hath made us
conquerors over the evil that was in us."
And he led me to a high altar, and all the people followed. And he
showed me above the altar an inscription graven, and I read:
"If thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out and cast it from thee; for it is
profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that
the whole body should be cast into hell. And if thy right hand offend
thee, cut it off and cast it from thee; for it is profitable for thee that one
of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be
cast into hell."
Then I understood. And I turned about to all the people and cried,
"Hath no man or woman among you two eyes or two hands?"
And they answered me saying, "No, not one. There is none whole save
such as are yet too young to read the Scripture and to understand its
commandment."
And when we had come out of the temple, I straightway left that
Blessed City; for I was not too young, and I could read the scripture.
The Good God and the Evil God
The Good God and the Evil God met on the mountain top.

The Good God said, "Good day to you, brother."
The Evil God did not answer.
And the Good God said, "You are in a bad humour today."
"Yes," said the Evil God, "for of late I have been often mistaken for
you, called by your name, and treated as if I were you, and it ill-pleases
me."
And the Good God said, "But I too have been mistaken for you and
called by your name."
The Evil God walked away curing the stupidity of man.
Defeat
Defeat, my Defeat, my solitude and my aloofness;
You are dearer to
me than a thousand triumphs,
And sweeter to my heart than all
world-glory.
Defeat, my Defeat, my self-knowledge and my defiance,
Through
you I know that I am yet young and swift of foot
And not to be
trapped by withering laurels.
And in you I have found aloneness

And the joy of being shunned and scorned.
Defeat, my Defeat, my shining sword and shield,
In your eyes I have
read
That to be enthroned is to be enslaved,
and to be understood is
to be leveled down,
And to be grasped is but to reach one's fullness

and like a ripe fruit to fall and be consumed.
Defeat, my Defeat, my bold companion,
You shall hear my songs and
my cries an my silences,
And none but you shall speak to me of the
beating of wings, And urging of seas,
And of mountains that burn in
the night,
And you alone shall climb my steep and rocky soul.
Defeat, my Defeat, my deathless courage,
You and I shall laugh

together with the storm,
And together we shall dig graves for all that
die in us,
And we shall stand in the sun with a will,
And we shall be
dangerous.
Night and the Madman
"I am like thee, O, Night, dark and naked; I walk on the flaming path
which is above my day-dreams, and whenever my foot touches earth a
giant oak tree comes forth."
"Nay, thou art not like me, O, Madman, for thou still lookest backward
to see how large a foot-print thou leavest on the sand."
"I am like thee, O, Night, silent and deep; and in the heart of my
loneliness lies a Goddess in child-bed; and in him who is being born
Heaven touches Hell."
"Nay, thou art not like me, O, Madman, for thou shudderest yet before
pain, and the song of the abyss terrifies thee."
"I am like thee, O, Night, wild and terrible; for my ears are crowded
with cries of conquered nations and sighs for forgotten lands."
"Nay, thou art not like me, O, Madman, for thou still takest thy
little-self for a comrade, and with thy monster-self thou canst not be
friend."
"I am like thee, O, Night, cruel and awful; for my bosom is lit by
burning ships at sea, and my lips are wet with blood of slain warriors."
"Nay, thou art not like me, O, Madman; for the desire for a sister-spirit
is yet upon thee, and thou has not become a low unto thyself."
"I am like thee, O, Night, joyous and glad; for he who dwells in my
shadow is now drunk with virgin wine,