• It was Lilith the wife of Adam:
• ( Eden B bower's in flower. )
• Not a drop of her blood was human,
• But she was made like a soft sweet woman.

• Lilith stood on the skirts of Eden;
• ( And O the bower and the hour!)
• She was the first that thence was driven;
• With her was hell and with Eve was heaven.

• In the ear of the s Snake said Lilith:—
• 10 ( Eden bower's in flower.)
• “To thee I come when the rest is over;
• A snake was I when thou wast my lover.

• “I was the fairest snake in Eden:
• ( And O the bower and the hour!)
• By the earth's will, new form and feature
• Made me a wife for the earth's new creature.

• “Take me thou as I come from Adam:
• ( Eden bower's in flower.)
• Once again shall my love subdue thee;
• 20The past is past and I am come to thee.

• “O but Adam was born for Lilith!
• ( And O the bower and the hour!)
• All the threads of my hair are golden,
• And there in a net his heart was holden.

• “O and Lilith was born for Adam!
• ( Eden bower's in flower.)
• All the day and the night together
• My breath could shake his soul like a feather.

• “What great joys had Adam & Lilith!—
• 30 ( And O the bower and the hour!)
• Sweet close rings of the serpent's twining,
• As heart in heart lay sighing and pining.

• “What bright babes had Adam and Lilith Lilith and Adam!—
• ( Eden bower's in flower.)
• Shapes that coiled in the woods and waters,
• Glittering sons and jewelled daughters.

• “O thou God, the Lord God of Eden!
• ( And O the bower & the hour!)
• Say, was this fair body for no man,
• 40That from Adam's flesh thou mak'st him a woman?

• “O thou s Snake, the k King-snake of Eden!
• ( Eden bower's in flower.)
• God's strong will our necks are under,
• But thou and I may cleave it in sunder.

• “Help, sweet Snake, sweet lover of Lilith!
• ( And O the bower & the hour!)
• And let God learn how I loved and hated
• Man in the image of God created.

• “Help me once against Eve and Adam!
• 50 ( Eden bower's in flower.)
• Once for my sake one hour this great endeavour,
• And then my love shall be thine for ever!

• “Strong is God, the foul fell foe of Lilith:
• ( And O the bower and the hour!)
• Nought in heaven or earth may affright him;
• But join thou with me and we will smite him.

• “Strong is God, the great g God of Eden:
• ( Eden bower's in flower.)
• Over all he made he hath power;
• 60But lend me thou thy shape for an hour!

• “Lend thy shape for the love of Lilith!
• ( And O the bower & the hour!)
• Look, my lip mouth and my cheek are ruddy,
• And thou art cold, and fire is my body.

• “Lend thy shape for the hate of Adam!
• ( Eden bower's in flower.)
• That he may wail my joy that forsook him,
• And curse the day when the bride-sleep took him.

• “Lend thy shape for the shame of Eden!
• 70 ( And O the bower & the hour!)
• And prove how weak is foe-god or foeman
  Added TextIs not the Foe- God weak as the foeman
• When love grows hate in the heart of a woman?

• “Would'st thou know the whole heart heart's hope of Lilith?
• ( Eden bower's in flower.)
• Come thou close till thy head doth glisten
• Along my breast, and lip me and listen.

• “ Is it Am I sweet, O sweet Snake of Eden?
• ( And O the bower & the hour!)
• Then ope thine ear to my warm mouth's cooing
• 80And learn what deed remains for our doing.

• “Thou didst hear when God said to Adam:—
• ( Eden bower's in flower.)
• ‘Of all this wealth I have made thee warden;
• Thou'rt free to eat of the trees of the garden:

• “Only of one tree eat not in Eden;
• ( And O the bower and the hour!)
• All save one I give to thy freewill,—
• The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.’

• “O my love, come nearer to Lilith!
• 90 ( Eden bower's in flower.)
• In thy sweet folds wind me and bend me,
• And let me feel the shape thou shalt lend me!

• “In thy shape I'll go back to Eden;
• ( And O the bower & the hour!)
• In these coils that Tree will I grapple,
• And stretch this crowned head forth by the apple.

• “Lo ! , Eve bends to the breath of Lilith!
• ( Eden bower's in flower.)
• O how then shall my heart desire
• 100All her blood as food to its fire!

• “Lo ! , Eve bends to the words of Lilith!—
• ( And O the bower & the hour!)
• “Nay, this Tree's fruit,—why should ye hate it,
• Or Death be born the day that ye ate it?

• “Nay, but on that great day in Eden,
• ( Eden bower's in flower.)
• By the help that in this fair wise Tree is,
• God knows well ye shall be as He is.’

• “Then Eve shall eat and give unto Adam;
• 110 ( And O the bower and the hour!)
• And then they both shall know they are naked,
• And their hearts ache as my heart hath achèd.

• “Then they shall hide in the trees of Eden,
• ( Eden bower's in flower.)
• As in the cool of the day in the garden
• God shall walk without pity or pardon.

• “Hear thou, Eve, the man's heart in Adam!
• ( And O the bower and the hour!)
• Of his brave words hark to the bravest:—
• 120“This the woman gave that thou gavest.”

• “Hear Eve speak, yea, list to her, Lilith!—
• ( Eden bower's in flower.)
• Hear thy heart's own words that shall sate it
  Added TextLet thine heart hear words that shall sate it:—
• “This the serpent gave and I ate it.”

• “O sweet proud Eve, cling close to thine Adam,
• ( And O the bower & the hour!)
• Driven forth as the beasts of his naming
• By the sword that for ever is flaming.

• “Know, thy path is known unto Lilith!
• 130 ( Eden bower's in flower.)
• While the blithe birds sang at thy wedding,
• There her tears grew thorns for thy treading.

• “O my love, O Love-snake of Eden!
• ( And O the bower and the hour!)
• O to-day and the day to come after!
• Loose me, love,—give breath to my laughter!

• “O bright Snake, the d Death-worm of Adam!
• ( Eden bower's in flower.)
• Wind Wreathe thy neck with my hair's bright tether,
• 140And wear my gold and thy gold together!

• “On that day on the skirts of Eden,
• ( And O the bower & the hour!)
• In thy shape shall I glide back to thee,
• And in my shape for an instant view thee.

• “But when thou'rt thou and Lilith is Lilith,
• ( Eden bower's in flower.)
• In what bliss past hearing or seeing
• Shall each one drink deep of the other's being!

• “With cries of “Eve!” and “Eden!” and “Adam!”
• 150 ( And O the bower and the hour!)
• How shall my red lip mouth woo thee and win thee,—
  Added TextHow shall we mingle our love's caresses,
• My warm white body all wound within thee!
  Added TextI in thy folds and thou in my tresses!

• “ On that day With what evil kiss With that kiss With those evil names, ye echoes of Eden !
• ( Eden bower's in flower.)
• Fire shall cry from my heart that burneth,—
• “Dust he is and to dust returneth!”

• “ O Yet to-day, hearts sweet thou master of Lilith,—
• ( And O the bower and the hour!)
• Wrap me round in the coils I'll borrow
• 160And let me tell thee of sweet to-morrow.

• “In the planted garden eastward in Eden,
• ( Eden bower's in flower.)
• Where the river goes forth to water the garden,
• The springs shall dry and the soil shall harden.

• “Yea, where the bride-sleep fell upon Adam,
• ( And O the bower and the hour!)
• None shall hear when the storm-wind whistles
• Through roses choked among thorns and thistles.

• “Yea, beside the east-gate of Eden,
• 170 ( Eden bower's in flower.)
• Where God joined them and none might sever,
• The sword turns this way and that for ever.

• “What of Adam cast out of Eden?
• ( And O the bower & the hour!)
• Lo! with care like a shadow shaken,
• He tills the hard earth whence he was taken.

• “What of Eve too, cast out of Eden?
• ( Eden bower's in flower.)
• Nay, but she, the bride of God's giving,
• 180Must yet be mother of all men living.

• “Lo, God's grace, by the grace of Lilith!
• ( And O the bower & the hour!)
• To Eve's womb, from our sweet to-morrow,
• God shall greatly multiply sorrow.

• “Fold me fast, O God-snake of Eden!
• ( Eden bower's in flower.)
• What more prize than love should to impel thee?
• Grip and lip my limbs as I tell thee!

• “Lo! two babes for Eve and for Adam!
• 190 ( And O the bower and the hour!)
• Lo! sweet Snake, the travail and treasure,—
• Two men-children born for their pleasure!

• “The first is Cain and the second Abel:
• ( Eden bower's in flower.)
• The soul of one shall be made thy brother,
• And thy tongue shall lap the blood of the other.’
• ( And O the bower and the hour!)