Thou gav'st me clearness; yet this clearness throws A veil of darkness round on every side. I curse thy clearness; and I curse thee too, Who didst make tool of me for weird wild arts Whereby thou willedst to deceive mankind. No doubt at any moment hitherto Had crossed my mind of heights thy spirit reached; But now one single moment doth suffice To tear all faith in thee from out my heart. Those spirit-beings thou art subject to, I now must recognize as hellish fiends. Others I had to mislead and deceive Because at first I was deceived by thee.-- But I will flee unto dim distances, Where not a sound of thee shall reach mine ears; Yet near enough that thy soul may be reached By bitter curses framed by these my lips. For thou didst rob my blood of all its fire, That thou mightst sacrifice to thy false god That which was rightly mine and mine alone. But now this same blood's fire shall thee consume. Thou madest me trust in vain imaginings; And that this might be so, thou first didst make A pictured falsehood of my very self. Often had I to mark how in my soul Each deed and thought turned to its opposite; So now doth turn what once was love for thee, Into the fire of wild and bitter hate. Through all worlds will I seek to find that fire Which can consume thee. See--I cur--Ah--woe! JOHANNES: Who speaketh here? I do not see my friend. I hear instead some gruesome being speak. BENEDICTUS: