THE GLORIOUS CANTICLES: CANTICLE 1

CANTICLE 1

¹In the days of the dawn, ere the hills were named, the Lord walked upon Ivalice, and the dust rejoiced beneath His feet.
²He came not in thunder nor with sword drawn, but with quiet voice and gentle light, and the beasts bowed low at His passing.
³The rivers leapt to greet Him, and the trees lifted up their arms, and the sky clothed itself in gold.
⁴And lo, He looked upon the children of men, and they were as wanderers, without tools or wisdom, and they knew not the ways of the world.
⁵Then the Lord said: I shall teach thee the secrets of Ivalice, and thou shalt be as stewards over all I have made.
⁶He gathered them round the fire He struck from stone, and they beheld its flame with awe, for never had they seen such brightness.
⁷This, saith He, is the fire, which warmeth the bones and purgeth the unclean. Keep it, and let it not die.
⁸And He showed them the quarry and the hammer, and the places where the metal sleepeth in the veins of the deep.
⁹Smite the stone, children of dust, and fashion thy tools, that thou mayest shape the world and make it fruitful.
¹⁰He led them into the fields where wild grain grew tall, and He bowed the stalks with His hand, and they learned to reap.
¹¹Cast the seed, and tend it, quoth the Lord, and it shall reward thee. Let the land not lie idle, but bring forth bounty.
¹²He taught them of the times and the turnings, the seasons and their signs, and the waxing and waning of the sky.
¹³And the people built storehouses by His counsel, and gathered the fruits of their labor, and gave thanks with singing.
¹⁴The Lord smiled upon their toil, for it was good, and His heart was glad within Him.
¹⁵He took them into the woods and showed them the beasts, and named them one by one.
¹⁶Take not more than ye need, saith He, and slay not in pride, but with thanks and mercy, for they too are Mine.
¹⁷He gave unto them the knowledge of traps and of paths, and the signs in the ground by which prey is known.
¹⁸And they became hunters, not as the beasts, but as men with thought and measure, and the Lord was pleased.
¹⁹He called forth the herds and made them gentle, and led them to the pastures, saying, Let these serve thee, but rule them justly.
²⁰He showed them how to draw milk and spin wool, and how to raise the young with care, and they prospered.
²¹He taught them the speech of fire and smoke, of signal and sign, that they may commune afar.
²²And the Lord looked upon them, and they upon Him, and they loved Him as a child loves his father.
²³And the Lord brought them to the stones of color, and taught them to grind and mix them, that they might paint the walls of their dwellings.
²⁴Record thy works upon the stone, saith He, and let not thy memory perish as the smoke is lost in the wind.
²⁵He taught them to make tablets of clay and to press upon them with marks, that the voice of the past might speak in the days to come.
²⁶Forget not, saith He, for to forget is to stray. Bind thy wisdom in symbol, and pass it to thy children’s children.
²⁷He showed them the beasts that bear burden, and how to yoke them without cruelty, that they might move as one.
²⁸He made fast the ploughshare to the ox, and furrows were drawn upon the field, and grain sprang up in order.
²⁹And the Lord showed them the vines of the valley and the herbs of the high places, and taught them what healeth and what bringeth sleep.
³⁰Use all with measure, saith He, and poison not thy soul with excess, for even the sweetest draught can become bitter.
³¹He gathered the wise ones apart and spake to them in the hush of evening, and taught them to govern with mercy and with law.
³²Let thy judgment be slow, and thy heart swift to hear. Be as shepherds, not as lords, for power is but stewardship.
³³He gave them scales for the marketplace and taught them just weight, that no man might defraud his neighbor.
³⁴Let thy hand be open, not greedy, and let thy word be bond. Deceit is as a worm in the root of the tree.
³⁵He showed them how to weave cloth from flax and from fleece, and how to dye it in colors bright and lasting.
³⁶He taught them the raising of walls and the laying of hearthstones, that their homes be strong against storm and season.
³⁷And the people grew in number and in understanding, and they built villages by the rivers and upon the hills.
³⁸And in the evening, they kindled fires and sang songs of the Lord, who walked among them and called them beloved.
³⁹And the Lord was glad, for they had received His gifts with joy and did not hoard them but shared one with another.
⁴⁰They gave freely to the widow and the orphan, and left gleanings for the poor, and their fields were blessed.
⁴¹And He gave them music, teaching them the lyre and the horn, and the beat of the hand upon the skin of the beast.
⁴²Sing unto Me, saith He, and forget not the Giver of the good things. In melody is praise and remembrance.
⁴³And the children danced in the dust, and the old wept for joy, and the hills echoed with gladness.
⁴⁴And lo, the Lord tarried among them, for their hearts were as open gates, and He found rest in their midst.
⁴⁵And it came to pass in those days, that no man lifted sword against his brother, neither did neighbor speak guile unto neighbor.
⁴⁶For peace lay like dew upon the ground, and the Lord’s presence was as a watchfire upon the hills.
⁴⁷The stranger was welcomed and fed, and none went hungry beneath the boughs of the olive or the roof of the hearth.
⁴⁸The Lord beheld the hearts of men and found them good, and His countenance was glad as the morning sun.
⁴⁹And He walked in the gardens at twilight, and His footsteps stirred not the dust, yet the lilies bent low in reverence.
⁵⁰The young men sought His counsel, and the maidens brought forth their first fruits before Him, singing praises.
⁵¹The elders bowed low and spake not, for wisdom stood before them robed in fire and gentleness.
⁵²And He taught them to reckon the seasons by the stars and to mark the days by the turning of the moon.
⁵³Set thy labors in order, saith He, and let each thing be done in its appointed time, that confusion overtake thee not.
⁵⁴He gave them signs in the Heavens and signs in Ivalice, that they might know the sowing from the reaping.
⁵⁵He spoke of the hidden things: of roots that heal, of stones that give light, of waters that remember the sky.
⁵⁶And the people marvelled, for the Lord opened unto them the book of the world, and every page was wondrous.
⁵⁷He showed them the flight of birds and the path of the serpent, and said, Even these I have made in their wisdom.
⁵⁸Do not revile the lowly thing, nor curse the creeping thing, for all are Mine and know their place.
⁵⁹He led them to the cave of silence and there taught them to pray, not with lips alone, but with the soul’s own longing.
⁶⁰Speak unto Me not with noise, but with thy stillness. In quiet shall thy spirit find Me.
⁶¹And they did as He said, and the Lord abode with them yet longer, for their obedience was as incense.
⁶²The children of Ivalice grew in craft and care, and built their houses as temples, and adorned them with the works of their hands.
⁶³And they carved the face of the Lord upon stone and upon wood, not to bind Him, but to remember Him always.
⁶⁴And they set altars in the high places and in the low, and poured out offerings of oil and sweet wine.
⁶⁵Let thy offerings be not of compulsion, but of love, saith the Lord, for I desire not the fat of beasts, but the heart of the just.
⁶⁶And so He blessed the land, and the flocks increased, and the vines gave forth in season, and there was joy in every dwelling.
⁶⁷And the Lord walked once more upon the hill at dawn, and beheld all the labors of men and their thanksgiving.
⁶⁸Their fields were ripe, their homes steadfast, their speech gentle, and their hearts full of remembrance.
⁶⁹Then the Lord lifted up His voice and said, This I have seen, and it is good; truly, ye are My children.
⁷⁰I have laid the foundation; ye shall build. I have shown the light; ye shall carry it forth.
⁷¹Ivalice is thine to tend, not to devour; thy brother is thine to love, not to subdue.
⁷²And He taught them one last time before the setting of the sun, saying: Guard thy soul as thou wouldst guard thy child.
⁷³For evil doth slumber not, though it be hidden; and cold is the heart that forgetteth Me.
⁷⁴Then He turned from them, clothed in radiance and mist, and His form was no longer as a man, but like unto flame.
⁷⁵And the winds bowed low, and the trees held their breath, and the mountains were hushed in reverence.
⁷⁶And though His footsteps were gone from among them, yet His voice echoed in their hearts forevermore.
⁷⁷Thus were the first days full of glory, and the Lord’s nearness as the dew of morning; and the people walked in the light of His presence.

▷THE SEVEN SCRIPTURES OF THE CHURCH OF GLABADOS
    ▷THE CANTICLES
        ▷THE GLORIOUS CANTICLES
            ▶1—2—3—4—5—6—7

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