before aeons came - behemoth

[music by Nergal; lyrics by Ch. Swinburne]
before the beginning of years
there came to the making of man
time, with a gift of tears
grief, with a glass that ran
pleasure, with pain for leaven
summer, with flowers that fell
rememberance fallen from heaven
and madness risen from hell
strength without hands to smite
love that endures for a breath
night the shadow of light
and life the shadow of death
and the high gods took in hand
fire and the falling of tears
and a measure of sliding sand
from under the feet of the years
and froth and drift of the sea
and dust of the laboring earth
and bodies of things to be
in the houses of death and of birth
and wrought with weeping and laughter
and fashioned with loathing and love
with life before and after
and death beneath and above
[these lyrics are extractions from "Atlanta in Calydon" written by Algernon Charles Swinburne (1837-1909 e.v.). English lyric poet, and critic. Swinburne was viewed by his contemporary Victorians as blasphemous and depraved, but now is recognized as one ov the greatest English poets. his main topics were liberty, relations between pain and pleasure and the psychology ov sexual passion. he was pagan and in his sympathies and antitheistic. Swinburne was Crowley's primary poetic influence. the title ov this song is our invention but seems to reflect the idea behind the poem very well.]