Byzantium

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Byzantium

by William Butler Yeats

Original Source

Byzantium
William Butler Yeats

Witness List

  • Witness base: The Collected Poems of W.B. Yeats edited by Richard Finneran
  • Witness D: Rapallo Notebook D
  • Witness ink: Two leaves of ink holograph on white paper punctured by paper fastener at top left

Electronic Edition Information:

Responsibility Statement:
  • Text encoding by Sean McAneny and Kelly Parrett
  • Criticism by Gaston Touafek and Dan Mariani
Publication Details:

Published by English 425: Enterprises: Editing Yeats.

This poem and its variants are available to ENGL 425: Enterprises: Editing Yeats

X (Close panel)Version base: The Collected Poems of W.B. Yeats edited by Richard Finneran
1
The unpurged images of day recede;
All the foul The unpurged images of day receede,
The unpurged images of day recede;
2
The Emperor's drunken soldiery are abed;
Soldier, robber & victim The emperors drunken soldiers are a bed;
The Emperor s drunken soldiery are a-bed;
3
Night resonance recedes, night-walkers' song
Nights resonance receeds; night walkers song
Night resonance recedes, night walkers song
4
After great cathedral gong;
After cathedral gong;
After great cadedral cathedral gong;
5
A starlit or a moonlit dome disdains
A starlit or a moonlit dome destains
A starlit or a moonlit dome destains
6
All that man is,
All that man is,
All that man is
7
All mere complexities
All the intricacies mere complexity
All mere complexities,
8
The fury and the mire of human veins.
All the mire & blood Mere mire & blood of human veins
The fury and the mire of human veins
9
Before me floats an image, man or shade,
Before me treads flits an image, man or shade
Before me floats an image; man or shade,
10
Shade more than man, more image than a shade;
Shade more than man, more image than a shade;
Shade more than man, more image than a shade;
11
For Hades' bobbin bound in mummy-cloth
An image that was wound bound in mummy cloth
For Hades' bobbin bound in mummy cloth
12
May unwind the winding path;
Best knows that Recalls a Can recall winding path
May unwind the winding path;
13
A mouth that has no moisture and no breath
A mouth that has no moisture & no breath
A mouth that has no moisture & no breath
14
Breathless mouths may summon;
Cries out the summons Can stoutly summon Can all blood summon Can merrily summon
Breathing mouths may summon:
15
I hail the superhuman;
I hail the superhuman;
I hail the superhuman;
16
I call it death-in-life and life-in-death.
And I call it Death in life or life in death.
I call it death in life and life-in-death.
17
Miracle, bird or golden handiwork,
Miracle, bird, or golden handy work,
Miracle, bird or golden handy work,
18
More miracle than bird or handiwork,
More miracle than bird or handy work,
More miracle than bird or handy work,
19
Planted on the starlit golden bough,
Mutters upon Planted on a starlit golden bough
Planted on the star-lit golden bough,
20
Can like the cocks of Hades crow,
All that the birds of Hades know Can like the cocks of Hades crow
Can like the cocks of Hades crow
21
Or, by the moon embittered, scorn aloud
Or by the moon embittered scorn aloud
Or by the moon embittered scorn aloud
22
In glory of changeless metal
In glory of changeless measured metal
In glory of changeless metal
23
Common bird or petal
Living leaf or petal,
Common bird or petal
24
And all complexities of mire or blood.
And Mans intricacy of mire & blood.
And all complexities of mire or blood.
25
At midnight on the Emperor's pavement flit
At midnight on the emperors pavement flits
At mig midnight on the emperors pavement flits
26
Flames that no faggot feeds, nor steel has lit,
A flame nor fagot feeds nor taper lights
Flames that no fagot nourishes feeds that no steel has lit nor steel has lit
27
Nor storm disturbs, flames begotten of flame,
Nor breath disturbs, a flame begotten flame
Nor storm disturbs, flames begotten of flame,
28
Where blood-begotten spirits come
Where imaged spirits thither come
Where blood begotten spirits come
29
And all complexities of fury leave,
And There all that blood begotten flame
And all complexities of fury leave,
30
Dying into a dance,
O agony of trance,
Dying into a dance,
31
An agony of trance,
That is a measured dance,
An agony of trance,
32
An agony of flame that cannot singe a sleeve.
O agony of flame that cannot singe a sleeve
An agony of flame that cannot singe a sleeve,
33
Astraddle on the dolphin's mire and blood,
A straddle on the Dolphins mire & blood
Transported A straddle on the dolphins' mire & blood
34
Spirit after spirit! The smithies break the flood,
Those crowds approach; smithys break the flood
Those crowds approach; Spirit after spirit! The smithys break the flood,
35
The golden smithies of the Emperor!
The golden smithys of the emperor;
The golden snit smithys of the emperor;
36
Marvels of the dancing floor
Marbles of the Dancing floor
Marvels of the Dancing floor
37
Break bitter furies of complexity,
Break bleak bither, bleak, aimless complexity,
Break biter furies of complexity,
38
Those images that yet
Those images that yet
Those images that yet
39
Fresh images beget,
More images beget,
Fresh images beget,
40
That dolphin-torn, that gong-tormented sea.
That dolphin torn, that gong tormented sea.
That dolphin torn, that gong tormented sea.
X (Close panel)Version D: Rapallo Notebook D
1
The unpurged images of day recede;
All the foul The unpurged images of day receede,
The unpurged images of day recede;
2
The Emperor's drunken soldiery are abed;
Soldier, robber & victim The emperors drunken soldiers are a bed;
The Emperor s drunken soldiery are a-bed;
3
Night resonance recedes, night-walkers' song
Nights resonance receeds; night walkers song
Night resonance recedes, night walkers song
4
After great cathedral gong;
After cathedral gong;
After great cadedral cathedral gong;
5
A starlit or a moonlit dome disdains
A starlit or a moonlit dome destains
A starlit or a moonlit dome destains
6
All that man is,
All that man is,
All that man is
7
All mere complexities
All the intricacies mere complexity
All mere complexities,
8
The fury and the mire of human veins.
All the mire & blood Mere mire & blood of human veins
The fury and the mire of human veins
9
Before me floats an image, man or shade,
Before me treads flits an image, man or shade
Before me floats an image; man or shade,
10
Shade more than man, more image than a shade;
Shade more than man, more image than a shade;
Shade more than man, more image than a shade;
11
For Hades' bobbin bound in mummy-cloth
An image that was wound bound in mummy cloth
For Hades' bobbin bound in mummy cloth
12
May unwind the winding path;
Best knows that Recalls a Can recall winding path
May unwind the winding path;
13
A mouth that has no moisture and no breath
A mouth that has no moisture & no breath
A mouth that has no moisture & no breath
14
Breathless mouths may summon;
Cries out the summons Can stoutly summon Can all blood summon Can merrily summon
Breathing mouths may summon:
15
I hail the superhuman;
I hail the superhuman;
I hail the superhuman;
16
I call it death-in-life and life-in-death.
And I call it Death in life or life in death.
I call it death in life and life-in-death.
17
Miracle, bird or golden handiwork,
Miracle, bird, or golden handy work,
Miracle, bird or golden handy work,
18
More miracle than bird or handiwork,
More miracle than bird or handy work,
More miracle than bird or handy work,
19
Planted on the starlit golden bough,
Mutters upon Planted on a starlit golden bough
Planted on the star-lit golden bough,
20
Can like the cocks of Hades crow,
All that the birds of Hades know Can like the cocks of Hades crow
Can like the cocks of Hades crow
21
Or, by the moon embittered, scorn aloud
Or by the moon embittered scorn aloud
Or by the moon embittered scorn aloud
22
In glory of changeless metal
In glory of changeless measured metal
In glory of changeless metal
23
Common bird or petal
Living leaf or petal,
Common bird or petal
24
And all complexities of mire or blood.
And Mans intricacy of mire & blood.
And all complexities of mire or blood.
25
At midnight on the Emperor's pavement flit
At midnight on the emperors pavement flits
At mig midnight on the emperors pavement flits
26
Flames that no faggot feeds, nor steel has lit,
A flame nor fagot feeds nor taper lights
Flames that no fagot nourishes feeds that no steel has lit nor steel has lit
27
Nor storm disturbs, flames begotten of flame,
Nor breath disturbs, a flame begotten flame
Nor storm disturbs, flames begotten of flame,
28
Where blood-begotten spirits come
Where imaged spirits thither come
Where blood begotten spirits come
29
And all complexities of fury leave,
And There all that blood begotten flame
And all complexities of fury leave,
30
Dying into a dance,
O agony of trance,
Dying into a dance,
31
An agony of trance,
That is a measured dance,
An agony of trance,
32
An agony of flame that cannot singe a sleeve.
O agony of flame that cannot singe a sleeve
An agony of flame that cannot singe a sleeve,
33
Astraddle on the dolphin's mire and blood,
A straddle on the Dolphins mire & blood
Transported A straddle on the dolphins' mire & blood
34
Spirit after spirit! The smithies break the flood,
Those crowds approach; smithys break the flood
Those crowds approach; Spirit after spirit! The smithys break the flood,
35
The golden smithies of the Emperor!
The golden smithys of the emperor;
The golden snit smithys of the emperor;
36
Marvels of the dancing floor
Marbles of the Dancing floor
Marvels of the Dancing floor
37
Break bitter furies of complexity,
Break bleak bither, bleak, aimless complexity,
Break biter furies of complexity,
38
Those images that yet
Those images that yet
Those images that yet
39
Fresh images beget,
More images beget,
Fresh images beget,
40
That dolphin-torn, that gong-tormented sea.
That dolphin torn, that gong tormented sea.
That dolphin torn, that gong tormented sea.
X (Close panel)Version ink: Two leaves of ink holograph on white paper punctured by paper fastener at top left
1
The unpurged images of day recede;
All the foul The unpurged images of day receede,
The unpurged images of day recede;
2
The Emperor's drunken soldiery are abed;
Soldier, robber & victim The emperors drunken soldiers are a bed;
The Emperor s drunken soldiery are a-bed;
3
Night resonance recedes, night-walkers' song
Nights resonance receeds; night walkers song
Night resonance recedes, night walkers song
4
After great cathedral gong;
After cathedral gong;
After great cadedral cathedral gong;
5
A starlit or a moonlit dome disdains
A starlit or a moonlit dome destains
A starlit or a moonlit dome destains
6
All that man is,
All that man is,
All that man is
7
All mere complexities
All the intricacies mere complexity
All mere complexities,
8
The fury and the mire of human veins.
All the mire & blood Mere mire & blood of human veins
The fury and the mire of human veins
9
Before me floats an image, man or shade,
Before me treads flits an image, man or shade
Before me floats an image; man or shade,
10
Shade more than man, more image than a shade;
Shade more than man, more image than a shade;
Shade more than man, more image than a shade;
11
For Hades' bobbin bound in mummy-cloth
An image that was wound bound in mummy cloth
For Hades' bobbin bound in mummy cloth
12
May unwind the winding path;
Best knows that Recalls a Can recall winding path
May unwind the winding path;
13
A mouth that has no moisture and no breath
A mouth that has no moisture & no breath
A mouth that has no moisture & no breath
14
Breathless mouths may summon;
Cries out the summons Can stoutly summon Can all blood summon Can merrily summon
Breathing mouths may summon:
15
I hail the superhuman;
I hail the superhuman;
I hail the superhuman;
16
I call it death-in-life and life-in-death.
And I call it Death in life or life in death.
I call it death in life and life-in-death.
17
Miracle, bird or golden handiwork,
Miracle, bird, or golden handy work,
Miracle, bird or golden handy work,
18
More miracle than bird or handiwork,
More miracle than bird or handy work,
More miracle than bird or handy work,
19
Planted on the starlit golden bough,
Mutters upon Planted on a starlit golden bough
Planted on the star-lit golden bough,
20
Can like the cocks of Hades crow,
All that the birds of Hades know Can like the cocks of Hades crow
Can like the cocks of Hades crow
21
Or, by the moon embittered, scorn aloud
Or by the moon embittered scorn aloud
Or by the moon embittered scorn aloud
22
In glory of changeless metal
In glory of changeless measured metal
In glory of changeless metal
23
Common bird or petal
Living leaf or petal,
Common bird or petal
24
And all complexities of mire or blood.
And Mans intricacy of mire & blood.
And all complexities of mire or blood.
25
At midnight on the Emperor's pavement flit
At midnight on the emperors pavement flits
At mig midnight on the emperors pavement flits
26
Flames that no faggot feeds, nor steel has lit,
A flame nor fagot feeds nor taper lights
Flames that no fagot nourishes feeds that no steel has lit nor steel has lit
27
Nor storm disturbs, flames begotten of flame,
Nor breath disturbs, a flame begotten flame
Nor storm disturbs, flames begotten of flame,
28
Where blood-begotten spirits come
Where imaged spirits thither come
Where blood begotten spirits come
29
And all complexities of fury leave,
And There all that blood begotten flame
And all complexities of fury leave,
30
Dying into a dance,
O agony of trance,
Dying into a dance,
31
An agony of trance,
That is a measured dance,
An agony of trance,
32
An agony of flame that cannot singe a sleeve.
O agony of flame that cannot singe a sleeve
An agony of flame that cannot singe a sleeve,
33
Astraddle on the dolphin's mire and blood,
A straddle on the Dolphins mire & blood
Transported A straddle on the dolphins' mire & blood
34
Spirit after spirit! The smithies break the flood,
Those crowds approach; smithys break the flood
Those crowds approach; Spirit after spirit! The smithys break the flood,
35
The golden smithies of the Emperor!
The golden smithys of the emperor;
The golden snit smithys of the emperor;
36
Marvels of the dancing floor
Marbles of the Dancing floor
Marvels of the Dancing floor
37
Break bitter furies of complexity,
Break bleak bither, bleak, aimless complexity,
Break biter furies of complexity,
38
Those images that yet
Those images that yet
Those images that yet
39
Fresh images beget,
More images beget,
Fresh images beget,
40
That dolphin-torn, that gong-tormented sea.
That dolphin torn, that gong tormented sea.
That dolphin torn, that gong tormented sea.
X (Close panel) Textual Notes
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