Blasphemies of Blake

Song Cycle by Michael Richard Miller (b. 1932)

1. I fear'd the fury of my wind  [sung text not yet checked]

Language: English 
I fear'd the fury of my wind
Would blight all blossoms fair and true;
And my sun it shin'd and shin'd,
And my wind it never blew.

But a blossom fair or true
Was not found on any tree;
For all blossoms grew and grew
Fruitless, false, tho' fair to see.

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2. To Nobodaddy  [sung text not yet checked]

Language: English 
Why art thou silent & invisible
Father of jealousy
Why dost thou hide thyself in clouds
From every searching Eye

Why darkness & obscurity
In all thy words & laws
That none dare eat the fruit but from
The wily serpents jaws
Or is it because Secresy
gains females loud applause

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3. Imitation of Pope : a compliment to the Ladies  [sung text not yet checked]

Language: English 
Wondrous the Gods, more wondrous are the Men,
More Wondrous, Wondrous still, the Cock and Hen,
More wondrous still the Table, Stool and Chair ;
But ah ! more wondrous still the Charming Fair.

Text Authorship:

  • by William Blake (1757 - 1827), "Imitation of Pope : a compliment to the Ladies"

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4. An ancient proverb  [sung text not yet checked]

Language: English 
Remove away that black'ning church,
Remove away that marriage hearse,
Remove away that man of blood --
You'll quite remove the ancient curse.

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5. Lacedemonian instruction  [sung text not yet checked]

Language: English 
Come hither, my boy, tell me what thou seest there?
A fool tangled in a religious snare.

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6. An answer to the parson  [sung text not yet checked]

Language: English 
Why of the sheep do you not learn peace?
Because I don't want you to shear my fleece.

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7. I asked a thief  [sung text not yet checked]

Language: English 
I asked a thief to steal me a peach:
He turned up his eyes.
I ask'd a lithe lady to lie her down:
Holy and meek, she cries.

As soon as I went
An Angel came:
He wink'd at the thief,
And smil'd at the dame;

And without one word [said]1
Had a peach from the tree,
[And still as a maid]2
Enjoy'd the lady.

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1 Mitchell: "spoke"
2 Mitchell: "And between earnest and joke"

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

8. Since all the riches of the world  [sung text not yet checked]

Language: English 
Since all the Riches of this World
May be gifts from the Devil & Earthly Kings
I should suspect that I worshipd the Devil
If I thankd my God for Worldly things.

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9. To God  [sung text not yet checked]

Language: English 
If you have formd a Circle to go into
Go into it yourself & see how you would do.

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10. A divine image   [sung text not yet checked]

Language: English 
Cruelty has a human heart,
 And Jealousy a human face,
Terror the human form divine,
 And Secrecy the human dress.

The human dress is forgèd iron,
 The human form a fiery forge,
The human face a furnace seal'd,
 The human heart its hungry gorge.

Text Authorship:

  • by William Blake (1757 - 1827), "A divine image", written 1791-4, possibly intended for Songs of Experience

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Researcher for this page: Ted Perry
Total word count: 352