Liber Tzaddi vel Hamus Hermeticus

1I fly and I alight as an hawk: of mother-of-emerald are my mighty-sweeping wings

2I swoop down upon the black earth; and it gladdens into green at my coming

3Children of Earth! rejoice! rejoice exceedingly; for your salvation is at hand

4The end of sorrow is come; I will ravish you away into mine unutterable joy

5I will kiss you, and bring you to the bridal: I will spread a feast before you in the house of happiness

6I am not come to rebuke you, or to enslave you

7I bid you not turn from your voluptuous ways, from your idleness, from your follies

8But I bring you joy to your pleasure, peace to your languor, wisdom to your folly

9All that ye do is right, if so be that ye enjoy it

10I am come against sorrow, against weariness, against them that seek to enslave you

11I pour you lustral wine, that giveth you delight both at the sunset and the dawn

12Come with me, and I will give you all that is desirable upon the earth

13Because I give you that of which Earth and its joys are but as shadows

14They flee away, but my joy abideth even unto the end

15I have hidden myself beneath a mask: I am a black and terrible God

16With courage conquering fear shall ye approach me: ye shall lay down your heads upon mine altar, expecting the sweep of the sword

17But the first kiss of love shall be radiant on your lips; and all my darkness and terror shall turn to light and joy

18Only those who fear shall fail. Those who have bent their backs to the yoke of slavery until they can no longer stand upright; them will I despise

19But you who have defied the law; you who have conquered by subtlety or force; you will I take unto me, even I will take you unto me

20I ask you to sacrifice nothing at mine altar; I am the God who giveth all

21Light, Life, Love; Force, Fantasy, Fire; these do I bring you: mine hands are full of these

22There is joy in the setting-out; there is joy in the journey; there is joy in the goal

23Only if ye are sorrowful, or weary, or angry, or discomforted; then ye may know that ye have lost the golden thread, the thread wherewith I guide you to the heart of the groves of Eleusis

24My disciples are proud and beautiful; they are strong and swift; they rule their way like mighty conquerors

25The weak, the timid, the imperfect, the cowardly, the poor, the tearful --- these are mine enemies, and I am come to destroy them

26This also is compassion: an end to the sickness of earth. A rooting-out of the weeds: a watering of the flowers

27O my children, ye are more beautiful than the flowers: ye must not fade in your season

28I love you; I would sprinkle you with the divine dew of immortality

29This immortality is no vain hope beyond the grave: I offer you the certain consciousness of bliss

30I offer it at once, on earth; before an hour hath struck upon the bell, ye shall be with Me in the Abodes that are beyond Decay

31Also I give you power earthly and joy earthly; wealth, and health, and length of days. Adoration and love shall cling to your feet, and twine around your heart

32Only your mouths shall drink of a delicious wine --- the wine of Iacchus; they shall reach ever to the heavenly kiss of the Beautiful God

33I reveal unto you a great mystery. Ye stand between the abyss of height and the abyss of depth

34In either awaits you a Companion; and that Companion is Yourself

35Ye can have no other Companion

36Many have arisen, being wise. They have said "Seek out the glittering Image in the place ever golden, and unite yourselves with It."

37Many have arisen, being foolish. They have said, "Stoop down unto the darkly splendid world, and be wedded to that Blind Creature of the Slime."

38I who am beyond Wisdom and Folly, arise and say unto you: achieve both weddings! Unite yourselves with both!

39Beware, beware, I say, lest ye seek after the one and lose the other!

40My adepts stand upright; their head above the heavens, their feet below the hells

41But since one is naturally attracted to the Angel, another to the Demon, let the first strengthen the lower link, the last attach more firmly to the higher

42Thus shall equilibrium become perfect. I will aid my disciples; as fast as they acquire this balanced power and joy so faster will I push them

43They shall in their turn speak from this Invisible Throne; their words shall illumine the worlds

44They shall be masters of majesty and might; they shall be beautiful and joyous; they shall be clothed with victory and splendour; they shall stand upon the firm foundation; the kingdom shall be theirs; yea, the kingdom shall be theirs

In the name of the Lord of Initiation. Amen