K. By the water of babylon by stephen vincent benet

I'm not totally sure if this is what you want,

He recites words for the dead and paints himself for death. He then he sings the Song of Death,

"I am John, son of John. My people are the Hill People. They are the men. "

I think this quote might be better,

"I told and he listened. After that, I wished to tell all the people but he showed me otherwise. He said, "Truth is a hard deer to hunt. If you eat too much truth at once, you may die of the truth. It was not idly that our fathers forbade the Dead Places." He was right—it is better the truth should come little by little. I have learned that, being a priest. Perhaps, in the old days, they ate knowledge too fast."