Lo! Tis a gala
night

Within the lonesome latter years!
An Angel throng, bewinged, bedight

In veils, and drownd in tears,




Sit in a theatre, to see

A play of hopes and fears.

While the orchestra breathes fitfully

The music of the spheres.


 

Mimes, in the form of God on high,

Mutter and mumbe low,

And hither and thither fly-

Mere puppets they, who come and go

At bidding of vast formless things

That shift the scenery to and fro,

Flapping out their Condor wings

Invisible Wo!



That motley dram - oh be shure

It shall not be forgot!

With it's phantom cheased for evermore,

By a crowd that seize it not,

Through a circle that ever returneth in

The self-same spot,

And much of Madness, and more of Sin，

And Horror the soul of the plot.



But see, amid the mimic rout

A crowling shape intrude!
A blood-red thing that writhes from out

The scenic solitude!



It writhes!--It writhes!--with mortal pangs

The mimic become it's food,

And the angels sob ar virmin fangs

In human gore imbued.


 
It writhes!--It writhes!--with mortal pangs

The mimic become it's food,

And the angels sob ar virmin fangs

In human gore imbued.



Out-out are the lights-out all!

And, over each quevering form,

The curtain, the funeral pall,

Comes down with the rush of a storm,


 


Out-out
are the lights-out all!

And, over each quevering form,

The curtain, the funeral pall,

Comes down with the rush of a storm,


 


 Out-out are the lights-out all!

And, over each quevering form,

The curtain, the funeral pall,

Comes down with the rush of a storm,




And the angels, all palid and wan,

Uprising, unveiling, affirm

And the play is the tragedy, Man;

And it's hero is the Conqueror Worm.

生活是一出以所触及的领域为剧场的舞台剧。演员——人类在观众——天使面前表演，而那些天使们在幕布开启前便已对表演者的死亡结局了如指掌。因此天使们戴好了面纱，并和着演奏天籁之音（风声、雨声等）的管弦乐队呜咽。接着，演出开始。

哑剧演员们扮成上帝的模样，因为他们相信自己是高尚完美的物种。但这些演员们缺的恰恰是完美。当他们追逐幻影（他们的梦想、希望）来回跑动的时候，便是堕入受难期的时候——这是挥动翅膀的恶魔所赐的诱惑。

当演员们绕着圈跑追逐幻影（象征地球），总是回到最初的起点。为了捉住幻影从而实现自己的梦想——对欢愉、成功、名誉、权利的梦想，他们犯了罪，从此生活变得疯狂、可怕。当他们追逐幻影，一只血红色的怪物闯进舞台，饥饿地扭动身躯，吃掉了所有演员，利齿上滴下鲜血。灯光熄灭，幕布落下，天使起身离开。天使们对所见的以征服者蛆为英雄的、以“人”为名的的悲剧感到厌恶。

瞧！这是个喜庆之夜

　在最近这些寂寞的年头！

一群天使，收拢翅膀，遮

　好面纱，掩住泪流，

坐在一个剧场，观看

　一出希望与恐怖之剧，

此时乐队间间断断

　奏出天外之曲。



装扮成上帝的一群小丑，

　叽叽咕咕，自言自语，

从舞台这头飞到那头——

　他们只是木偶，来来去去

全由许多无形物支配，

　无形物不断把场景变换，

从它们秃鹰的翅膀内

　拍出看不见的灾难！



那出杂剧——哦，请相信

　将不会被人遗忘！

因为它那被抓不住它的人

　永远在追求的幻想，

因为一个永远旋转的怪圈

　最后总是转回原处，

因为情节之灵魂多是罪愆，

　充满疯狂，充满恐怖。



可看哟，就在那群小丑之中

　闯进了一个蠕动的怪物！

那可怕的怪物浑身血红

　从舞台角落扭动而出！
它扭动——扭动！真是可怕，

　小丑都成了它的美餐，

天使们呜咽，见爬虫毒牙

　正把淋淋人血浸染。



熄灭——熄灭——熄灭灯光！

　罩住每一个哆嗦的影子，

大幕像一块裹尸布一样，

　倏然落下像暴风骤雨，

这时脸色苍白的天使，

　摘下面纱，起身，肯定

这是一幕叫《人》的悲剧，

　而主角是那征服者爬虫。