NEW HEAVEN AND EARTH

                 I

 

     AND so I cross into another world

     shyly and in homage¹ linger for an invitation

     from this unknown that I would trespass² on.

 

     I am very glad, and all alone in the world,

     all alone, and very glad, in a new world

     where I am disembarked at last.

 

     I could cry with joy, because I am in the new world,

         just ventured in.

     I could cry with joy, and quite freely, there is

         nobody to know.

 

     And whosoever the unknown people of this un-

         known world may be

     they will never understand my weeping for joy

         to be adventuring among them

     because it will still be a gesture of the old world I

         am making

     which they will not understand, because it is

         quite, quite foreign to them.

 

                              II

 

     I WAS so weary of the world

     I was so sick of it

     everything was tainted³ with myself,

     skies, trees, flowers, birds, water,

     people, houses, streets, vehicles, machines,

     nations, armies, war, peace-talking,

     work, recreation, governing, anarchy⁴,

     it was all tainted with myself, I knew it all to start

        with

     because it was all myself.

 

     When I gathered flowers, I knew it was myself

        plucking my own flowering.

     When I went in a train, I knew it was myself

        travelling by my own invention.

     When I heard the cannon⁵ of the war, I listened

        with my own ears to my own destruction.

     When I saw the torn dead, I knew it was my own

        torn dead body.

     It was all me, I had done it all in my own flesh.

 

                              III

 

     I SHALL never forget the maniacal⁶ horror of it all

        in the end

     when everything was me, I knew it all already, I

        anticipated it all in my soul

     because I was the author and the result

     I was the God and the creation at once;

     creator, I looked at my creation;

     created, I looked at myself, the creator:

     it was a maniacal horror in the end.

 

     I was a lover, I kissed the woman I loved,

     and God of horror, I was kissing also myself.

     I was a father and a begetter⁷ of children,

     and oh, oh horror, I was begetting⁸ and conceiving

     in my own body.

 

                              IV

 

     AT last came death, sufficiency of death,

     and that at last relieved me, I died.

     I buried my beloved; it was good, I buried

        myself and was gone.

     War came, and every hand raised to murder;

     very good, very good, every hand raised to murder!

     Very good, very good, I am a murderer!

     It is good, I can murder and murder, and see

        them fall

     the mutilated, horror-struck youths, a multitude

     one on another, and then in clusters together

     smashed, all oozing⁹ with blood, and burned in heaps

     going up in a foetid smoke to get rid of them

     the murdered bodies of youths and men in heaps

     and heaps and heaps and horrible reeking¹⁰ heaps

     till it is almost enough, till I am reduced perhaps;

     thousands and thousands of gaping¹¹, hideous¹² foul¹³

        dead

     that are youths and men and me

     being burned with oil, and consumed in corrupt¹⁴

        thick smoke, that rolls

     and taints¹⁵ and blackens the sky, till at last it is

        dark, dark as night, or death, or hell

     and I am dead, and trodden to nought¹⁶ in the

        smoke-sodden tomb;

     dead and trodden to nought in the sour black

        earth

     of the tomb; dead and trodden to nought, trodden

        to nought.

 

                              V

 

     GOD, but it is good to have died and been trodden

        out

     trodden to nought in sour, dead earth

     quite to nought

     absolutely to nothing

     nothing

     nothing

     nothing.

 

     For when it is quite, quite nothing, then it is

        everything.

     When I am trodden quite out, quite, quite out

     every vestige¹⁷ gone, then I am here

     risen, and setting my foot on another world

     risen, accomplishing a resurrection

     risen, not born again, but risen, body the same as

        before,

     new beyond knowledge of newness, alive beyond

        life

     proud beyond inkling or furthest conception of

        pride

     living where life was never yet dreamed of, nor

        hinted at

     here, in the other world, still terrestrial

     myself, the same as before, yet unaccountably new.

 

                              VI

 

     I, IN the sour black tomb, trodden to absolute death

     I put out my hand in the night, one night, and my

        hand

     touched that which was verily not me

     verily it was not me.

     Where I had been was a sudden blaze

     a sudden flaring¹⁸ blaze!

     So I put my hand out further, a little further

     and I felt that which was not I,

     it verily was not I

     it was the unknown.

 

     Ha, I was a blaze leaping up!

     I was a tiger bursting into sunlight.

     I was greedy, I was mad for the unknown.

     I, new-risen, resurrected, starved from the tomb

     starved from a life of devouring¹⁹ always myself

     now here was I, new-awakened, with my hand

        stretching out

     and touching²⁰ the unknown, the real unknown,

        the unknown unknown.

 

     My God, but I can only say

     I touch, I feel the unknown!

     I am the first comer!

     Cortes, Pisarro, Columbus, Cabot, they are noth-

        ing, nothing!

     I am the first comer!

     I am the discoverer!

     I have found the other world!

 

     The unknown, the unknown!

     I am thrown upon the shore.

     I am covering myself with the sand.

     I am filling my mouth with the earth.

     I am burrowing²¹ my body into the soil.

     The unknown, the new world!

 

                              VII

 

     IT was the flank of my wife

     I touched with my hand, I clutched with my

        hand

     rising, new-awakened from the tomb!

     It was the flank of my wife

     whom I married years ago

     at whose side I have lain for over a thousand

        nights

     and all that previous while, she was I, she

     was I;

     I touched her, it was I who touched and I who was

        touched.

 

     Yet rising from the tomb, from the black oblivion

     stretching out my hand, my hand flung like a

        drowned man's hand on a rock,

     I touched her flank and knew I was carried by the

        current in death

     over to the new world, and was climbing out on

        the shore,

     risen, not to the old world, the old, changeless I,

        the old life,

     wakened not to the old knowledge

     but to a new earth, a new I, a new knowledge, a

        new world of time.

 

     Ah no, I cannot tell you what it is, the new world

     I cannot tell you the mad, astounded²² rapture²³ of

        its discovery.

     I shall be mad with delight before I have done,

     and whosoever comes after will find me in the

        new world

     a madman in rapture.

 

                              VIII

 

     GREEN streams that flow from the innermost

        continent of the new world,

     what are they?

     Green and illumined and travelling for ever

     dissolved with the mystery of the innermost heart

        of the continent

     mystery beyond knowledge or endurance, so sump-

        tuous

     out of the well-heads of the new world.—

     The other, she too has strange green eyes!

     White sands and fruits unknown and perfumes

        that never

     can blow across the dark seas to our usual

        world!

     And land that beats with a pulse!

     And valleys that draw close in love!

     And strange ways where I fall into oblivion of

        uttermost living!—

     Also she who is the other has strange-mounded

        breasts and strange sheer slopes, and white

        levels.

 

     Sightless and strong oblivion in utter life takes

        possession of me!

     The unknown, strong current of life supreme²⁴

     drowns me and sweeps me away and holds me

        down

     to the sources of mystery, in the depths,

     extinguishes there my risen resurrected life

     and kindles²⁵ it further at the core of utter mystery.

 

      GREATHAM

 

1 homage   

n.尊敬，敬意，崇敬

参考例句：

• We pay homage to the genius of Shakespeare.我们对莎士比亚的天才表示敬仰。
• The soldiers swore to pay their homage to the Queen.士兵们宣誓效忠于女王陛下。

2 trespass   

n./v.侵犯，闯入私人领地

参考例句：

• The fishing boat was seized for its trespass into restricted waters.渔船因非法侵入受限制水域而被扣押。
• The court sentenced him to a fine for trespass.法庭以侵害罪对他判以罚款。

3 tainted   

adj.腐坏的；污染的；沾污的；感染的v.使变质( taint的过去式和过去分词 )；使污染；败坏；被污染，腐坏，败坏

参考例句：

• The administration was tainted with scandal. 丑闻使得政府声名狼藉。
• He was considered tainted by association with the corrupt regime. 他因与腐败政府有牵连而名誉受损。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 anarchy   

n.无政府状态；社会秩序混乱，无秩序

参考例句：

• There would be anarchy if we had no police.要是没有警察，社会就会无法无天。
• The country was thrown into a state of anarchy.这国家那时一下子陷入无政府状态。

5 cannon   

n.大炮，火炮；飞机上的机关炮

参考例句：

• The soldiers fired the cannon.士兵们开炮。
• The cannon thundered in the hills.大炮在山间轰鸣。

6 maniacal   

adj.发疯的

参考例句：

• He was almost maniacal in his pursuit of sporting records.他近乎发疯般地追求着打破体育纪录。
• She is hunched forward over the wheel with a maniacal expression.她弓身伏在方向盘前，表情像疯了一样。

7 begetter   

n.生产者，父

参考例句：

• Elvis Presley was the true begetter of modern youth culture. 埃尔维斯·普雷斯利是现代青年文化的真正奠基人。 来自柯林斯例句

8 begetting   

v.为…之生父( beget的现在分词 )；产生，引起

参考例句：

• It was widely believed that James' early dissipations had left him incapable of begetting a son. 人们普通认为，詹姆士早年生活放荡，致使他不能生育子嗣。 来自辞典例句
• That best form became the next parent, begetting other mutations. 那个最佳形态成为下一个父代，带来其他变异。 来自互联网

9 oozing   

v.（浓液等）慢慢地冒出，渗出( ooze的现在分词 )；使（液体）缓缓流出；（浓液）渗出，慢慢流出

参考例句：

• Blood was oozing out of the wound on his leg. 血正从他腿上的伤口渗出来。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The wound had not healed properly and was oozing pus. 伤口未真正痊瘉，还在流脓。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 reeking   

v.发出浓烈的臭气( reek的现在分词 )；散发臭气；发出难闻的气味 (of sth)；明显带有（令人不快或生疑的跡象）

参考例句：

• I won't have you reeking with sweat in my bed! 我就不许你混身臭汗，臭烘烘的上我的炕！ 来自汉英文学 - 骆驼祥子
• This is a novel reeking with sentimentalism. 这是一本充满着感伤主义的小说。 来自辞典例句

11 gaping   

adj.口的；张口的；敞口的；多洞穴的v.目瞪口呆地凝视( gape的现在分词 )；张开，张大

参考例句：

• Ahead of them was a gaping abyss. 他们前面是一个巨大的深渊。
• The antelope could not escape the crocodile's gaping jaws. 那只羚羊无法从鱷鱼张开的大口中逃脱。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 hideous   

adj.丑陋的，可憎的，可怕的，恐怖的

参考例句：

• The whole experience had been like some hideous nightmare.整个经历就像一场可怕的噩梦。
• They're not like dogs,they're hideous brutes.它们不像狗，是丑陋的畜牲。

13 foul   

adj.污秽的；邪恶的；v.弄脏；妨害；犯规；n.犯规

参考例句：

• Take off those foul clothes and let me wash them.脱下那些脏衣服让我洗一洗。
• What a foul day it is!多么恶劣的天气！

14 corrupt   

v.贿赂，收买；adj.腐败的，贪污的

参考例句：

• The newspaper alleged the mayor's corrupt practices.那家报纸断言市长有舞弊行为。
• This judge is corrupt.这个法官贪污。

15 taints   

n.变质( taint的名词复数 )；污染；玷污；丑陋或腐败的迹象v.使变质( taint的第三人称单数 )；使污染；败坏；被污染，腐坏，败坏

参考例句：

• Meat taints readily in hot weather. 天气炎热，肉容易变味。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• This disease of money and greed taints other people. 别人会为了贪财争赃而丧心病狂。 来自辞典例句

16 nought   

n.／adj.无，零

参考例句：

• We must bring their schemes to nought.我们必须使他们的阴谋彻底破产。
• One minus one leaves nought.一减一等于零。

17 vestige   

n.痕迹，遗迹，残余

参考例句：

• Some upright stones in wild places are the vestige of ancient religions.荒原上一些直立的石块是古老宗教的遗迹。
• Every vestige has been swept away.一切痕迹都被一扫而光。

18 flaring   

a.火焰摇曳的，过份艳丽的

参考例句：

• A vulgar flaring paper adorned the walls. 墙壁上装饰着廉价的花纸。
• Goebbels was flaring up at me. 戈塔尔当时已对我面呈愠色。

19 devouring   

吞没( devour的现在分词 )； 耗尽； 津津有味地看； 狼吞虎咽地吃光

参考例句：

• The hungry boy was devouring his dinner. 那饥饿的孩子狼吞虎咽地吃饭。
• He is devouring novel after novel. 他一味贪看小说。

20 touching   

adj.动人的，使人感伤的

参考例句：

• It was a touching sight.这是一幅动人的景象。
• His letter was touching.他的信很感人。

21 burrowing   

v.挖掘（洞穴），挖洞( burrow的现在分词 )；翻寻

参考例句：

• What are you burrowing around in my drawer for? 你在我抽屉里乱翻什么？ 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The forepaws are also used for burrowing and for dragging heavier logs. 它们的前爪还可以用来打洞和拖拽较重的树干。 来自辞典例句

22 astounded   

v.使震惊(astound的过去式和过去分词)；愕然；愕；惊讶

参考例句：

• His arrogance astounded her. 他的傲慢使她震惊。
• How can you say that? I'm absolutely astounded. 你怎么能说出那种话？我感到大为震惊。

23 rapture   

n.狂喜；全神贯注；着迷；v.使狂喜

参考例句：

• His speech was received with rapture by his supporters.他的演说受到支持者们的热烈欢迎。
• In the midst of his rapture,he was interrupted by his father.他正欢天喜地，被他父亲打断了。

24 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

25 kindles   

（使某物）燃烧，着火( kindle的第三人称单数 )； 激起（感情等）； 发亮，放光

参考例句：

• And as kindles hope, millions more will find it. 他们的自由又将影响周围，使更多的人民得到自由。
• A person who stirs up trouble or kindles a revolt. 煽动叛乱者，挑动争端者挑起麻烦或引起叛乱的人。