She is affection and the present moment because she has thrown open the house to the snow foam of winter and to the noises of summer—she who purified drinking water and food—who is the enchantment fleeing places and the superhuman delight of resting places.—She is affection and future, the strength and love which we, erect in rage and boredom, see pass by in the sky of storms and the flags of ecstasy.
She is love, perfect and reinvented measure, miraculous, unforeseen reason, and eternity: machine loved for its qualities of fate. We have all known the terror of her concession and ours: delight in our health, power of our faculties, selfish affection and passion for her,—she who loves us because her life is infinity…
And we recall him and he sets forth…And if Adoration moves, rings, his Promise, rings: "Down with these superstitions, these other bodies, these couples and ages. This is the time which has gone under!"
He will not go away, he will not come down again from some heaven, he will not redeem the anger of women, the laughter of men, or all that sin: for it is done now, since he is and since he is loved.
His breathing, his heads, his racings; the terrifying swiftness of form and action when they are perfect.
Fertility of the mind and vastness of the world!
His body! the dreamed-of liberation, the collapse of grace joined with new violence!
All that he sees! all the ancient kneelings and the penalties canceled as he passes by.
His day! the abolition of all noisy and restless suffering within more intense music.
His step! migrations more tremendous than early invasions.
O She and I! pride more benevolent than lost charity.
O world!—and the limpid song of new woe!
She knew us all and loved us, may we, this winter night, from cape to cape, from the noisy pole to the castle, from the crowd to the beach, from vision to vision, our strength and our feelings tired, hail her and see her and send her away, and under tides and on the summit of snow deserts follow her eyes,—her breathing—her body,—her day.
