THE VISION AND THE VOICE
An immense eagle-angel is before me. His wings seem to
hide all the Heaven.
He cried aloud saying: The Voice of the Lord upon the
Waters: the Terror of God upon Mankind. The voice of the
Lord maketh the Skies to tremble: the Stars are troubled:
the Aires fall. The First Voice Speaketh and saith: Cursed,
cursed be the Earth, for her iniquity is great. Oh Lord!
Let Thy Mercy be lost in the great Deep! Open thine eyes of
Flame and Light, O God, upon the wicked! Lighten thine
Eyes! The Clamour of Thy Voice, let it smite down the
Mountains!
Let us not see it! Cover we our eyes, lest we see the End
of Man.
Close we our ears, lest we hear the cry of Woman.
Let none speak of it: let none write it: I, I am troubled,
my eyes are moist with dews of terror: surely the Bitterness
of Death is past.
And I turned me to the South and lo! a great lion as
wounded and perplexed.
He cried: I have conquered! Let the Sons of Earth keep
silence; for my Name is become as That of Death!
When will men learn the Mysteries of Creation?
How much more those of the Dissolution (and the Pang
of Fire)?
I turned me to the West and there was a great Bull;
White with horns of White and Black and Gold. His mouth
was scarlet and his eyes as Sapphire stones. With a great
sword he shore the skies asunder, and amid the silver flashes
of the steel grew lightnings and deep clouds of Indigo.
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