*note: the verse is chanted to the major setting (first system of music) unless otherwise marked, in which case it's chanted to the minor setting (the second system)
I adore Thee by the Twelve | Gra-tifi- | cations
and | by the | Uni - ty there- | of. ||
O Thou green-cloaked | Maenad · in | labour, ||
who bearest beneath Thy leaden girdle the | vint-age | of Thy
| kisses; ||
release me from the darkness | of Thy | womb, ||
so that I may cast off my infant wrappings and leap forth as an
| arm-èd | warrior · in | steel. ||
O Thou snake of | mist-y | countenance, ||
whose braided hair is like a fleecy | dawn of | swoon-ing | maidens;
||
hunt me as a fierce wild boar | through the | skies, ||
so that Thy burning spear may gore the blue heavens red with the
| foam-ing | blood · of my | frenzy. ||
O Thou cloudy Virgin | of the | World, ||
whose breasts are as scarlet lilies | paling · be- | fore
the | sun; ||
dandle me in the cradle | of Thine | arms, ||
so that the murmur of Thy voice may lull me to a sleep like a
pearl lost in the | depths · of a | si-lent | sea. ||
O Thou wine-voiced laughter of | fainting | gloom, ||
who art as a naked faun crushed to death between | mill- | stones
of | thunder; ||
make me drunk on the rapture | of Thy | song, ||
so that in the corpse-clutch of my passion I may tear the cloud-robe
from | off Thy | swoon-ing | breast. ||
O Thou wanton | cup-bearer of | madness, ||
whose mouth is as the joy of a thousand | thou-sand | master-ful
| kisses; ||
intoxicate me | on Thy | loveliness, ||
so that the silver of Thy merriment may revel as a moon-white
| pearl u- | pon my | tongue. ||
*O Thou midnight | Vision of | Whiteness, ||
whose lips are as pouting rosebuds deflowered | by · the
de- | cidu-ous | moon; ||
tend me as a drop of | dew · in Thy | breast, ||
so that the dragon of Thy gluttonous hate may | devour me ·
with its | mouth of | adamant. ||
O Thou effulgence of | burn-ing | love, ||
who pursueth the dawn as a youth pur- | sueth · a | rose-lipped
| maiden; ||
rend me with the fierce kisses | of Thy | mouth, ||
so that in the battle of our lips I may be drenched by the snow-pure
| foun-tains | of Thy | bliss. ||
O Thou black bull in a | field of white | girls, ||
whose foaming flanks are as starry night ravished | in the ·
fierce | arms of | noon; ||
shake forth the purple | horns of my | passion, ||
so that I may dissolve as a crown of fire in the be- | wilderment
| of Thine | ecstasy. ||
*O Thou dread arbiter | of all | men, ||
the hem of whose broidered skirt crimsoneth the white | battle-
| ments of | Space; ||
bare me the starry nipple | of Thy | breast, ||
so that the milk of Thy love may nurture me to the | lusti-ness
| of Thy · vir- | ginity. ||
O Thou thirsty | charioteer of | Time, ||
whose cup is the hollow night filled with the | foam ·
of the | vintage · of | day; ||
drench me in the | shower · of Thy | passion, ||
so that I may pant in Thine arms as a tongue of lightning on the
| purple | bosom · of | night. ||
O Thou opalescent | Serpent- | Queen, ||
whose mouth is as the sunset that is | bloody · with the
| slaughter · of | day; ||
hold me in the crimson | flames of | Thine arms, ||
so that at Thy kisses I may expire as a bubble in the | foam ·
of Thy | dazzling | lips. ||
*O Thou Odalisque | of earth's | palace, ||
whose garments are scented and passionate as spring | flowers
in | sunlit | glades; ||
roll me in the sweet per- | fume · of Thy | hair, ||
so that Thy tresses of gold may anoint me with the | honey of
a | million | roses. ||
O Thou manly warrior | amongst | youths, ||
whose limbs are as swords of fire that are | welded · in
the | furnace · of | war; ||
press Thy cool kisses to my | burning | lips, ||
so that the folly of our passion may weave us into the Crown of
| ever- | lasting | Light. ||
O Glory be | un-to | Thee ||
through all | Time and | through all | Space: ||
Glory, and Glory upon Glory, | E-ver | lastingly. ||
Amen, and A- | men, and | A - | men. ||