To have gathered out of the substance of the void Death, thou art the pure source and negation of all knowledge Clothed in devoted words unspeakable by living tongues Die and become! Die and become, to drink from the Sun Formless presences return to burn alone Die and become, to nourish the worms Die now to return to the tree of life I walk the path of the dead Following the scent of an age-long trail of blood Hidden within a tortured recension of signs, oh close-lipped signs From an unknown wound, spake the dead of violence near On a course with no trusted guide, no hope, nor fear Nor pride, nor life No glimmer of victory, cold darkness, burning misery Eyeless I walked this path Leaving attributions in dust, to speak in signs Gaining a tongue known only to those who have died Dreaming the dream of a thousand dead All seen by a thousand drops of blood To have slept, to have seen, seen To have become, and begone, gone