I was born with this story, it's older than I   And yet you when you hear it you'll know in the sky   In the wind of your knowledge, In the cut of your jib   That the fibre of wind is as new from my lip   As was ever and more and ever will be   'til the union we face casts us finally free      For we in the love of an earth-bidden dance   Stand enthralled of that, which from heaven, perchance   Lets us move with the gifts we were given in grace   And smile in the arms of Sweet William's embrace      William's wanderings took him abroad   Showed him the lay of the searcher's long road   To the place he stood now 'neath the black laden sky   And the crook of his father had brought fortune nigh   Read the sign where he looked, Not the bull, nor the bear   Nor a burly red lion, or the tortoise and hare      For we in the love of an earth-bidden dance   Stand enthralled of it, which from heaven, perchance   Lets us move with the gifts we were given in grace   And smile in the arms of Sweet William's embrace      The end of the world was the name of the inn   Said fair William farewell to the world and its sin   Its sin      Full balmy was the winter air   All wet with what might die   A wishing well, the ocean bear   A millpond in his eyes   A glance to see from whence he came   For William with a landlocked turn   Vermin what he stood to lose   The skin-shot snakes and earthy worms      His boots trod soft inside the inn   His greeted all was here   Abrasive lowly nods came back   Then bent toward their beer   They must know why thought Willy now   They've seen me come from miles   The thought was struck as whisky poured   And barmen gave all smiles      Then followed this a curious thing   The eldest of the host   Sang softly where he sat and drank   To love a worthy toast   His song was of a stranger   Summoned for his rope   In all would be to set us free   His song was strong and bold,   It went:      For we in the love of an earth-bidden dance   Stand enthralled of that, which from heaven, perchance   Lets us move with the gifts we were given in grace   And smile in the arms of Sweet William's embrace      I was born with this story, it's older than I   And yet you when you hear it you'll know in the sky   In the wind of your knowledge, In the cut of your jib   That the fibre of wind is as new from my lip   As was ever and more and ever will be   'til the union we face casts us finally free