EARTH AND PILLARS LYRICS

1. Becoming

Wild West Wind,
Thou breath of Autumn's being
Thou, from whose unseen presence
The leaves dead are driven

Like ghosts from (an) enchanter fleeing
Yellow, and black, and pale, and hectic red
Pest(ilence)-stricken multitudes

Thou, who chariotest to their dark wintry bed
The winged seeds, where they lie cold and low

Each like a corpse within its grave
Until Thine azure sister of (the) Spring
Shall blow Her clarion o'er the dreaming earth
Wild Spirit, Thou art moving everywhere
Destroyer and preserver hear, oh hear!

Thou on whose stream, mid steep sky's commotion
Loose clouds like earth's leaves are shed
Shook from the tangled boughs of Heaven and Ocean

2. Falling

Angels of rain and lightning spread
On the blue surface of Thine aëry surge
Like the bright hair from the head of some fierce Maenad
From the dim verge of the horizon to Zenith's height

The locks of (the) coming storm
Thou dirge of (the) dying year, this closing night
(Will) be the dome of a vast sepulchre
Vaulted with all Thy might

Make me Thy lyre, (even) as the forest (is)
My leaves are falling like its own!
The tumult of Thy mighty harmonies
(Will take from both a deep, autumnal tone)

Sweet (though) in sadness
Be Thou, Spirit fierce, my spirit! Impetuous one!
Drive my (dead) thoughts over the universe
Like wither'd leaves to quicken a new birth!

By the incantation of this verse,
Scatter, as from a fire's hearth
Ashes and sparks, my words among mankind!
Be through my lips the trumpet of the prophecy!

3. Ascending

The leaves fall from afar
Like distant gardens withered in the heavens
In the nights the heavy Earth falls
out the stars into the Solitude.

This all doth fall.
This hand of mine (too must fall), is the Law.
There is One who holds this falling
Softly in Thy hands! If only Thou wast eternal!

Surging then reposing, the ancient sea
And mountains all ascend in Thy roaring streams
Winds respire and rush within the woods
From vale to vale below.

Here above, the lingering light as ether stills
The spirit and the mysterious yearnings
That lie deeper in Thy breast

In the heights as silver
The snow and ice withstand
Witness to Thy immortal chant
A sparkle from a burning coal
It shined a trice and vanished like us
Ascending to the Heavens
Staring at the Gods
What Once and Never Was!

4. Howling

With this wind comes fate
Let it come all that surging and blind
Before which we will glow
Be still, don't bestir yourself, so it finds us.

From somewhere this winds brings,
Staggering from bearing, nameless things
That which we are, over the sea.

... If only we were it, so we would be home
The heavens in us would rise up and down
With this wind, fate goes immensely
Beyond us ever and anon.

The storm, the shifter of shapes
Drives on across the woods and across time
The world looks as if it had no age
The landscape, like a line in the psalm book,
Is seriousness and weight and eternity!

What we (choose to) fight is so vane!
What fights (with) us is so great!
If only we (would) let ourselves be dominated
As things do in storms
We would become power and need no names!







EARTH AND PILLARS LYRICS