before the beginning of years   there came to the making of man   time, with a gift of tears   grief, with a glass that ran      pleasure, with pain for leaven   summer, with flowers that fell   rememberance fallen from heaven   and madness risen from hell      strength without hands to smite   love that endures for a breath   night the shadow of light   and life the shadow of death      and the high gods took in hand   fire and the falling of tears   and a measure of sliding sand   from under the feet of the years      and froth and drift of the sea   and dust of the laboring earth   and bodies of things to be   in the houses of death and of birth      and wrought with weeping and laughter   and fashioned with loathing and love   with life before and after   and death beneath and above