{ nudité is no longer comme il faut. }

[delga]

Does anyone recognise the following verse?

--

Who art thou?, asked the guardian of the night.

From crystal purity I come, was my reply,
And great my thirst, Persephone.

Yet heeding thy decree, I take to flight,
And turn, and turn again, forever right.

I spurn the pallid cypress tree,
Seek no refreshment at its sylvan spring,

But hasten on towards the rustling river-
Of Namozine, wherein I drink to sweet satiety.

And there, dipping my palms between
The knots and loopings of its mazy stream,

I see again, as in a drowning swimmer's dream,
All the strange sights I ever saw,

And even stranger sights no man has ever seen.

--

Malkovich recites it at the end of Klimt but I can't locate the source. Any help is much appreciated.