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.

生活是一出以所觸及的領域為劇場的舞台劇。演員——人類在觀眾——天使面前表演，而那些天使們在幕布開啟前便已對表演者的死亡結局了如指掌。因此天使們戴好了面紗，並和着演奏天籟之音（風聲、雨聲等）的管弦樂隊嗚咽。接着，演出開始。

啞劇演員們扮成上帝的模樣，因為他們相信自己是高尚完美的物種。但這些演員們缺的恰恰是完美。當他們追逐幻影（他們的夢想、希望）來回跑動的時候，便是墮入受難期的時候——這是揮動翅膀的惡魔所賜的誘惑。

當演員們繞着圈跑追逐幻影（象徵地球），總是回到最初的起點。為了捉住幻影從而實現自己的夢想——對歡愉、成功、名譽、權利的夢想，他們犯了罪，從此生活變得瘋狂、可怕。當他們追逐幻影，一隻血紅色的怪物闖進舞台，飢餓地扭動身軀，吃掉了所有演員，利齒上滴下鮮血。燈光熄滅，幕布落下，天使起身離開。天使們對所見的以征服者蛆為英雄的、以「人」為名的的悲劇感到厭惡。

瞧！這是個喜慶之夜

　在最近這些寂寞的年頭！

一群天使，收攏翅膀，遮

　好面紗，掩住淚流，

坐在一個劇場，觀看

　一出希望與恐怖之劇，

此時樂隊間間斷斷

　奏出天外之曲。



裝扮成上帝的一群小丑，

　嘰嘰咕咕，自言自語，

從舞台這頭飛到那頭——

　他們只是木偶，來來去去

全由許多無形物支配，

　無形物不斷把場景變換，

從它們禿鷹的翅膀內

　拍出看不見的災難！



那出雜劇——哦，請相信

　將不會被人遺忘！

因為它那被抓不住它的人

　永遠在追求的幻想，

因為一個永遠旋轉的怪圈

　最後總是轉回原處，

因為情節之靈魂多是罪愆，

　充滿瘋狂，充滿恐怖。



可看喲，就在那群小丑之中

　闖進了一個蠕動的怪物！

那可怕的怪物渾身血紅

　從舞台角落扭動而出！
它扭動——扭動！真是可怕，

　小丑都成了它的美餐，

天使們嗚咽，見爬蟲毒牙

　正把淋淋人血浸染。



熄滅——熄滅——熄滅燈光！

　罩住每一個哆嗦的影子，

大幕像一塊裹屍布一樣，

　倏然落下像暴風驟雨，

這時臉色蒼白的天使，

　摘下面紗，起身，肯定

這是一幕叫《人》的悲劇，

　而主角是那征服者爬蟲。