The House of Judgement lyrics

And there was silence in the House of Judgment, and the Man came

naked before God.

And God opened the Book of the Life of the Man.

And God said to the Man, 'Thy life hath been evil, and thou hast

shown cruelty to those who were in need of succour, and to those

who lacked help thou hast been bitter and hard of heart. The poor

called to thee and thou didst not hearken, and thine ears were

closed to the cry of My afflicted. The inheritance of the

fatherless thou didst take unto thyself, and thou didst send the

foxes into the vineyard of thy neighbour's field. Thou didst take

the bread of the children and give it to the dogs to eat, and My

lepers who lived in the marshes, and were at peace and praised Me,

thou didst drive forth on to the highways, and on Mine earth out of

which I made thee thou didst spill innocent blood.'

And the Man made answer and said, 'Even so did I.'

And again God opened the Book of the Life of the Man.

And God said to the Man, 'Thy life hath been evil, and the Beauty I

have shown thou hast sought for, and the Good I have hidden thou

didst pass by. The walls of thy chamber were painted with images,

and from the bed of thine abominations thou didst rise up to the

sound of flutes. Thou didst build seven altars to the sins I have

suffered, and didst eat of the thing that may not be eaten, and the

purple of thy raiment was broidered with the three signs of shame.

Thine idols were neither of gold nor of silver that endure, but of

flesh that dieth. Thou didst stain their hair with perfumes and

put pomegranates in their hands. Thou didst stain their feet with

saffron and spread carpets before them. With antimony thou didst

stain their eyelids and their bodies thou didst smear with myrrh.

Thou didst bow thyself to the ground before them, and the thrones

of thine idols were set in the sun. Thou didst show to the sun thy

shame and to the moon thy madness.'

And the Man made answer and said, 'Even so did I.'

And a third time God opened the Book of the Life of the Man.

And God said to the Man, 'Evil hath been thy life, and with evil

didst thou requite good, and with wrongdoing kindness. The hands

that fed thee thou didst wound, and the breasts that gave thee suck

thou didst despise. He who came to thee with water went away

thirsting, and the outlawed men who hid thee in their tents at

night thou didst betray before dawn. Thine enemy who spared thee

thou didst snare in an ambush, and the friend who walked with thee

thou didst sell for a price, and to those who brought thee Love

thou didst ever give Lust in thy turn.'

And the Man made answer and said, 'Even so did I.'

And God closed the Book of the Life of the Man, and said, 'Surely I

will send thee into Hell. Even into Hell will I send thee.'

And the Man cried out, 'Thou canst not.'

And God said to the Man, 'Wherefore can I not send thee to Hell,

and for what reason?'

'Because in Hell have I always lived,' answered the Man.

And there was silence in the House of Judgment.

And after a space God spake, and said to the Man, 'Seeing that I

may not send thee into Hell, surely I will send thee unto Heaven.

Even unto Heaven will I send thee.'

And the Man cried out, 'Thou canst not.'

And God said to the Man, 'Wherefore can I not send thee unto

Heaven, and for what reason?'

'Because never, and in no place, have I been able to imagine it,'

answered the Man.

And there was silence in the House of Judgment.

• Artist:Oscar Wilde