Dust of the rivers does murmur and weep Hard and sharp laughter that cuts to the bone Ah, but every face within your face does show Going gladly now to give himself his own
And twelve yellow willows shall fellow the shallows Small waves and thunder be my pillow Upon the gleaming water two swans that swim And every place shall be my native home
The east gate like a fortress dissolve it away The west gate like a prison, oh, come break it down Island, I remember, living here Wandering beneath the empty skies
In time her hair grew long and swept the ground And seven blackbirds carried it out behind It bore the holy imprint of her mind As greenfoot slow, she moved among the seasons
The great man, the great man Historians his memory Artists, his senses, thinkers, his brain Labourers, his growth, explorers, his limbs
And soldiers his death each second And mystics his rebirth each second Businessmen, his nervous system No-hustle men his stomach
Astrologers, his balance, lovers, his loins His skin it is all patchy But soon will reach one glowing hue
God is his soul, infinity, his goal The mystery, his source And civilisation, he leaves behind Opinions are his fingernails
Maya, Maya, all this world is but a play Be thou the joyful player Maya, Maya, all this world is but a play Be thou the joyful player
The wanderer no sense does make His eyes being tied in the true love's knot The trees perceive his soul Do not detain him long
Dear little animal, dark-eyed and small Caring for your fur with pointed paws This hawk of truth is swift and flies with a still cry A small sweet meat to the eyes of night
Oh, dandelion be thou thine Reflecting the sun in sexual glory In ever changing tongues The ever changing story
The book, man, bird, woman, serpent, sea, sun Blessed, oh, blessed are they of the air Your eyes, they are the eyes of the glad land Ye twelve that will enter the seasons
The great ship, the ship of the world, long time sailing Mariners, mariners, gather your skills The great ship, the ship of the world, long time sailing Mariners, mariners, gather your skills
Jesus and Hitler and Richard, the lion heart Three kings and Moses and Queen Cleopatra The Cobbler, the maiden, the mender and the maker The sickener and the twitcher and the glad undertaker
The shepherd of willows The harper and the archer All sat down in one boat together Troubled voyage in calm weather
Maya, Maya, all this world is but a play Be thou the joyful player Maya, Maya, all this world is but a play