1. ۱"Thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thyself."
2. ۲
3. ۳['Will sprawl, now that the heat of day is best,
4. ۴Flat on his belly in the pit's much mire,
5. ۵With elbows wide, fists clenched to prop his chin,
6. ۶And, while he kicks both feet in the cool slush,
7. ۷And feels about his spine small eft-things course,
8. ۸Run in and out each arm, and make him laugh:
9. ۹And while above his head a pompion-plant,
10. ۱۰Coating the cave-top as a brow its eye,
11. ۱۱Creeps down to touch and tickle hair and beard,
12. ۱۲And now a flower drops with a bee inside,
13. ۱۳And now a fruit to snap at, catch and crunch,--
14. ۱۴He looks out o'er yon sea which sunbeams cross
15. ۱۵And recross till they weave a spider-web,
16. ۱۶(Meshes of fire, some great fish breaks at times)
17. ۱۷And talks, to his own self, howe'er he please,
18. ۱۸Touching that other, whom his dam called God.
19. ۱۹Because to talk about Him, vexes--ha,
20. ۲۰Could He but know! and time to vex is now,
21. ۲۱When talk is safer than in winter-time.
22. ۲۲Moreover Prosper and Miranda sleep
23. ۲۳In confidence, he drudges at their task,
24. ۲۴And it is good to cheat the pair, and gibe,
25. ۲۵Letting the rank tongue blossom into speech.]
26. ۲۶
27. ۲۷ Setebos, Setebos, and Setebos!
28. ۲۸'Thinketh, He dwelleth i' the cold o' the moon.
29. ۲۹
30. ۳۰ 'Thinketh He made it, with the sun to match,
31. ۳۱But not the stars; the stars came otherwise;
32. ۳۲Only made clouds, winds, meteors, such as that:
33. ۳۳Also this isle, what lives and grows thereon,
34. ۳۴And snaky sea which rounds and ends the same.
35. ۳۵
36. ۳۶'Thinketh, it came of being ill at ease:
37. ۳۷He hated that He cannot change His cold,
38. ۳۸Nor cure its ache. 'Hath spied an icy fish
39. ۳۹That longed to 'scape the rock-stream where she lived,
40. ۴۰And thaw herself within the lukewarm brine
41. ۴۱O' the lazy sea her stream thrusts far amid,
42. ۴۲A crystal spike 'twixt two warm walls of wave;
43. ۴۳Only, she ever sickened, found repulse
44. ۴۴At the other kind of water, not her life,
45. ۴۵(Green-dense and dim-delicious, bred o' the sun)
46. ۴۶Flounced back from bliss she was not born to breathe,
47. ۴۷And in her old bounds buried her despair,
48. ۴۸Hating and loving warmth alike: so He.
49. ۴۹
50. ۵۰'Thinketh, He made thereat the sun, this isle,
51. ۵۱Trees and the fowls here, beast and creeping thing.
52. ۵۲Yon otter, sleek-wet, black, lithe as a leech;
53. ۵۳Yon auk, one fire-eye in a ball of foam,
54. ۵۴That floats and feeds; a certain badger brown,
55. ۵۵He hath watched hunt with that slant white-wedge eye
56. ۵۶By moonlight; and the pie with the long tongue
57. ۵۷That pricks deep into oakwarts for a worm,
58. ۵۸And says a plain word when she finds her prize,
59. ۵۹But will not eat the ants; the ants themselves
60. ۶۰That build a wall of seeds and settled stalks
61. ۶۱About their hole--He made all these and more,
62. ۶۲Made all we see, and us, in spite: how else?
63. ۶۳He could not, Himself, make a second self
64. ۶۴To be His mate: as well have made Himself:
65. ۶۵He would not make what He mislikes or slights,
66. ۶۶An eyesore to Him, or not worth His pains;
67. ۶۷But did, in envy, listlessness, or sport,
68. ۶۸Make what Himself would fain, in a manner, be--
69. ۶۹Weaker in most points, stronger in a few,
70. ۷۰Worthy, and yet mere playthings all the while,
71. ۷۱Things He admires and mocks too,--that is it!
72. ۷۲Because, so brave, so better tho' they be,
73. ۷۳It nothing skills if He begin to plague.
74. ۷۴Look now, I melt a gourd-fruit into mash,
75. ۷۵Add honeycomb and pods, I have perceived,
76. ۷۶Which bite like finches when they bill and kiss,--
77. ۷۷Then, when froth rises bladdery, drink up all,
78. ۷۸Quick, quick, till maggots scamper thro' my brain;
79. ۷۹Last, throw me on my back i' the seeded thyme.
80. ۸۰And wanton, wishing I were born a bird.
81. ۸۱Put case, unable to be what I wish,
82. ۸۲I yet could make a live bird out of clay:
83. ۸۳Would not I take clay, pinch my Caliban
84. ۸۴Able to fly?--for there, see, he hath wings,
85. ۸۵And great comb like the hoopoe's to admire,
86. ۸۶And there, a sting to do his foes offence,
87. ۸۷There, and I will that he begin to live,
88. ۸۸Fly to yon rock-top, nip me off the horns
89. ۸۹Of grigs high up that make the merry din,
90. ۹۰Saucy thro' their veined wings, and mind me not.
91. ۹۱In which feat, if his leg snapped, brittle clay,
92. ۹۲And he lay stupid-like,--why, I should laugh;
93. ۹۳And if he, spying me, should fall to weep,
94. ۹۴Beseech me to be good, repair his wrong,
95. ۹۵Bid his poor leg smart less or grow again,--
96. ۹۶Well, as the chance were, this might take or else
97. ۹۷Not take my fancy: I might hear his cry,
98. ۹۸And give the mankin three sound legs for one,
99. ۹۹Or pluck the other off, leave him like an egg,
100. ۱۰۰And lessoned he was mine and merely clay.
101. ۱۰۱Were this no pleasure, lying in the thyme,
102. ۱۰۲Drinking the mash, with brain become alive,
103. ۱۰۳Making and marring clay at will? So He.
104. ۱۰۴
105. ۱۰۵'Thinketh such shows nor right nor wrong in Him,
106. ۱۰۶Nor kind, nor cruel: He is strong and Lord.
107. ۱۰۷'Am strong myself compared to yonder crabs
108. ۱۰۸That march now from the mountain to the sea;
109. ۱۰۹'Let twenty pass, and stone the twenty-first,
110. ۱۱۰Loving not, hating not, just choosing so.
111. ۱۱۱'Say, the first straggler that boasts purple spots
112. ۱۱۲Shall join the file, one pincer twisted off;
113. ۱۱۳'Say, this bruised fellow shall receive a worm.
114. ۱۱۴And two worms he whose nippers end in red:
115. ۱۱۵As it likes me each time, I do: so He.
116. ۱۱۶
117. ۱۱۷Well then, 'supposeth He is good i' the main,
118. ۱۱۸Placable if His mind and ways were guessed,
119. ۱۱۹But rougher than His handiwork, be sure!
120. ۱۲۰Oh, He hath made things worthier than Himself,
121. ۱۲۱And envieth that, so helped, such things do more
122. ۱۲۲Than He who made them! What consoles but this?
123. ۱۲۳That they, unless thro' Him, do naught at all,
124. ۱۲۴And must submit: what other use in things?
125. ۱۲۵'Hath cut a pipe of pithless elder-joint
126. ۱۲۶That, blown through, gives exact the scream o' the jay
127. ۱۲۷When from her wing you twitch the feathers blue;
128. ۱۲۸Sound this, and little birds that hate the jay
129. ۱۲۹Flock within stone's throw, glad their foe is hurt:
130. ۱۳۰Put case such pipe could prattle and boast forsooth
131. ۱۳۱"I catch the birds, I am the crafty thing,
132. ۱۳۲I make the cry my maker cannot make
133. ۱۳۳With his great round mouth; he must blow thro' mine!"
134. ۱۳۴Would not I smash it with my foot? So He.
135. ۱۳۵
136. ۱۳۶ But wherefore rough, why cold and ill at ease?
137. ۱۳۷Aha, that is a question! Ask, for that,
138. ۱۳۸What knows,--the something over Setebos
139. ۱۳۹That made Him, or He, may be, found and fought,
140. ۱۴۰Worsted, drove off and did to nothing, perchance.
141. ۱۴۱There may be something quiet o'er His head,
142. ۱۴۲Out of His reach, that feels nor joy nor grief,
143. ۱۴۳Since both derive from weakness in some way.
144. ۱۴۴I joy because the quails come; would not joy
145. ۱۴۵Could I bring quails here when I have a mind:
146. ۱۴۶This Quiet, all it hath a mind to, doth.
147. ۱۴۷'Esteemeth stars the outposts of its couch,
148. ۱۴۸But never spends much thought nor care that way.
149. ۱۴۹It may look up, work up,--the worse for those
150. ۱۵۰It works on! 'Careth but for Setebos
151. ۱۵۱The many-handed as a cuttle-fish,
152. ۱۵۲Who, making Himself feared thro' what He does,
153. ۱۵۳Looks up, first, and perceives he cannot soar
154. ۱۵۴To what is quiet and hath happy life;
155. ۱۵۵Next looks down here, and out of very spite
156. ۱۵۶Makes this a bauble-world to ape yon real,
157. ۱۵۷These good things to match those as hips do grapes.
158. ۱۵۸'Tis solace making baubles, ay, and sport.
159. ۱۵۹Himself peeped late, eyed Prosper at his books
160. ۱۶۰Careless and lofty, lord now of the isle:
161. ۱۶۱Vexed, 'stitched a book of broad leaves, arrow-shaped,
162. ۱۶۲Wrote thereon, he knows what, prodigious words;
163. ۱۶۳Has peeled a wand and called it by a name;
164. ۱۶۴Weareth at whiles for an enchanter's robe
165. ۱۶۵The eyed skin of a supple oncelot;
166. ۱۶۶And hath an ounce sleeker than youngling mole,
167. ۱۶۷A four-legged serpent he makes cower and couch,
168. ۱۶۸Now snarl, now hold its breath and mind his eye,
169. ۱۶۹And saith she is Miranda and my wife:
170. ۱۷۰'Keeps for his Ariel a tall pouch-bill crane
171. ۱۷۱He bids go wade for fish and straight disgorge;
172. ۱۷۲Also a sea-beast, lumpish, which he snared,
173. ۱۷۳Blinded the eyes of, and brought somewhat tame,
174. ۱۷۴And split its toe-webs, and now pens the drudge
175. ۱۷۵In a hole o' the rock, and calls him Caliban;
176. ۱۷۶A bitter heart that bides its time and bites.
177. ۱۷۷'Plays thus at being Prosper in a way,
178. ۱۷۸Taketh his mirth with make-believes: so He.
179. ۱۷۹
180. ۱۸۰His dam held that the Quiet made all things
181. ۱۸۱Which Setebos vexed only: 'holds not so.
182. ۱۸۲Who made them weak, meant weakness He might vex.
183. ۱۸۳Had He meant other, while His hand was in,
184. ۱۸۴Why not make ... eyes no thorn could prick,
185. ۱۸۵Or plate my scalp with bone against the snow,
186. ۱۸۶Or overscale my flesh 'neath joint and joint,
187. ۱۸۷Like an orc's armour? Ay,--so spoil His sport!
188. ۱۸۸He is the One now: only He doth all.
189. ۱۸۹
190. ۱۹۰'Saith, He may like, perchance, what profits Him.
191. ۱۹۱Ay, himself loves what does him good; but why?
192. ۱۹۲'Gets good no otherwise. This blinded beast
193. ۱۹۳Loves whoso places flesh-meat on his nose.
194. ۱۹۴But, had he eyes, would want no help, but hate
195. ۱۹۵Or love, just as it liked him: He hath eyes.
196. ۱۹۶Also it pleaseth Setebos to work,
197. ۱۹۷Use all His hands, and exercise much craft,
198. ۱۹۸By no means for the love of what is worked.
199. ۱۹۹'Tasteth, himself, no finer good i' the world
200. ۲۰۰When all goes right, in this safe summer-time,
201. ۲۰۱And he wants little, hungers, aches not much,
202. ۲۰۲Than trying what to do with wit and strength.
203. ۲۰۳'Falls to make something; 'piled yon pile of turfs,
204. ۲۰۴And squared and stuck there squares of soft white chalk,
205. ۲۰۵And, with a fish-tooth, scratched a moon on each,
206. ۲۰۶And set up endwise certain spikes of tree,
207. ۲۰۷And crowned the whole with a sloth's skull a-top,
208. ۲۰۸Found dead i' the woods, too hard for one to kill.
209. ۲۰۹No use at all i' the work, for work's sole sake;
210. ۲۱۰'Shall some day knock it down again: so He.
211. ۲۱۱
212. ۲۱۲'Saith He is terrible: watch His feats in proof!
213. ۲۱۳One hurricane will spoil six good months' hope.
214. ۲۱۴He hath a spite against me, that I know.
215. ۲۱۵Just as He favours Prosper, who knows why?
216. ۲۱۶So it is, all the same, as well I find.
217. ۲۱۷'Wove wattles half the winter, fenced them firm
218. ۲۱۸With stone and stake to stop she-tortoises
219. ۲۱۹Crawling to lay their eggs here: well, one wave,
220. ۲۲۰Feeling the foot of Him upon its neck,
221. ۲۲۱Gaped as a snake does, lolled out its large tongue,
222. ۲۲۲And licked the whole labour flat; so much for spite!
223. ۲۲۳'Saw a ball flame down late (yonder it lies)
224. ۲۲۴Where, half an hour before, I slept i' the shade:
225. ۲۲۵Often they scatter sparkles: there is force!
226. ۲۲۶'Dug up a newt He may have envied once
227. ۲۲۷And turned to stone, shut up inside a stone.
228. ۲۲۸Please Him and hinder this?--What Prosper does?
229. ۲۲۹Aha, if he would tell me how! Not he!
230. ۲۳۰There is the sport: discover how or die!
231. ۲۳۱All need not die, for of the things o' the isle
232. ۲۳۲Some flee afar, some dive, some run up trees;
233. ۲۳۳Those at His mercy,--why, they please Him most
234. ۲۳۴When ... when ... well, never try the same way twice!
235. ۲۳۵Repeat what act has pleased, He may grow wroth.
236. ۲۳۶You must not know His ways, and play Him off,
237. ۲۳۷Sure of the issue. 'Doth the like himself:
238. ۲۳۸'Spareth a squirrel that it nothing fears
239. ۲۳۹But steals the nut from underneath my thumb,
240. ۲۴۰And when I threat, bites stoutly in defence:
241. ۲۴۱'Spareth an urchin that contrariwise,
242. ۲۴۲Curls up into a ball, pretending death
243. ۲۴۳For fright at my approach: the two ways please.
244. ۲۴۴But what would move my choler more than this,
245. ۲۴۵That either creature counted on its life
246. ۲۴۶To-morrow, next day and all days to come,
247. ۲۴۷Saying forsooth in the inmost of its heart,
248. ۲۴۸"Because he did so yesterday with me,
249. ۲۴۹And otherwise with such another brute,
250. ۲۵۰So must he do henceforth and always." Ay?
251. ۲۵۱'Would teach the reasoning couple what "must" means!
252. ۲۵۲'Doth as he likes, or wherefore Lord? So He.
253. ۲۵۳
254. ۲۵۴'Conceiveth all things will continue thus,
255. ۲۵۵And we shall have to live in fear of Him
256. ۲۵۶So long as He lives, keeps His strength: no change,
257. ۲۵۷If He have done His best, make no new world
258. ۲۵۸To please Him more, so leave off watching this,--
259. ۲۵۹If He surprise not even the Quiet's self
260. ۲۶۰Some strange day,--or, suppose, grow into it
261. ۲۶۱As grubs grow butterflies: else, here are we,
262. ۲۶۲And there is He, and nowhere help at all.
263. ۲۶۳
264. ۲۶۴'Believeth with the life the pain shall stop.
265. ۲۶۵His dam held different, that after death
266. ۲۶۶He both plagued enemies and feasted friends:
267. ۲۶۷Idly! He doth His worst in this our life,
268. ۲۶۸Giving just respite lest we die thro' pain,
269. ۲۶۹Saving last pain for worst,--with which, an end.
270. ۲۷۰Meanwhile, the best way to escape His Ire
271. ۲۷۱Is, not to seem too happy. 'Sees, himself,
272. ۲۷۲Yonder two flies, with purple films and pink,
273. ۲۷۳Bask on the pompion-bell above: kills both.
274. ۲۷۴'Sees two black painful beetles roll their ball
275. ۲۷۵On head and tail as if to save their lives:
276. ۲۷۶'Moves them the stick away they strive to clear.
277. ۲۷۷
278. ۲۷۸Even so, 'would have him misconceive, suppose
279. ۲۷۹This Caliban strives hard and ails no less,
280. ۲۸۰And always, above all else, envies Him;
281. ۲۸۱Wherefore he mainly dances on dark nights,
282. ۲۸۲Moans in the sun, gets under holes to laugh,
283. ۲۸۳And never speaks his mind save housed as now:
284. ۲۸۴Outside, 'groans, curses. If He caught me here,
285. ۲۸۵O'erheard this speech, and asked "What chucklest at?"
286. ۲۸۶'Would to appease Him, cut a finger off,
287. ۲۸۷Or of my three kid yearlings burn the best,
288. ۲۸۸Or let the toothsome apples rot on tree,
289. ۲۸۹Or push my tame beast for the orc to taste:
290. ۲۹۰While myself lit a fire, and made a song
291. ۲۹۱And sung it,"What I hate, be consecrate
292. ۲۹۲To celebrate Thee and Thy state, no mate
293. ۲۹۳For Thee; what see for envy in poor me?"_
294. ۲۹۴Hoping the while, since evils sometimes mend,
295. ۲۹۵Warts rub away and sores are cured with slime,
296. ۲۹۶That some strange day, will either the Quiet catch
297. ۲۹۷And conquer Setebos, or likelier He
298. ۲۹۸Decrepit may doze, doze, as good as die.
299. ۲۹۹
300. ۳۰۰[What, what? A curtain o'er the world at once!
301. ۳۰۱Crickets stop hissing; not a bird--or, yes,
302. ۳۰۲There scuds His raven, that hath told Him all!
303. ۳۰۳It was fool's play, this prattling! Ha! The wind
304. ۳۰۴Shoulders the pillared dust, death's house o' the move,
305. ۳۰۵And fast invading fires begin! White blaze--
306. ۳۰۶A tree's head snaps--and there, there, there, there, there,
307. ۳۰۷His thunder follows! Fool to gibe at Him!
308. ۳۰۸So! 'Lieth flat and loveth Setebos!
309. ۳۰۹'Maketh his teeth meet thro' his upper lip,
310. ۳۱۰Will let those quails fly, will not eat this month
311. ۳۱۱One little mess of whelks, so he may 'scape!]