第25章 Scenes from OULANEM(4)

The worlds must have had need of one thing more

Dumb,searing agony to send them whirling.

Death comes to life and puts on shoes and stockings;

The sorrowing plant,the stone's inert erosion,The birds that find no song to tell the pain Of their aethereal life,the general discord And the blind striving of the All to shake Itself out of itself,be crushed in quarrel

This now stands up and has a pair of legs,And has a breast to feel the curse of life!

Ha,I must twine me on the wheel of flame,And in Eternity's ring I'll dance my frenzy!

If aught besides that frenzy could devour,I'd leap therein,though I must smash a world That towered high between myself and it!

It would be shattered by my longdrawn curse,And I would ding my arms around cruel Being,Embracing me,'twould silent pass away.

Then silent would I sink into the void.

Wholly to sink,not beoh,this were Life,But swept along high on Eternity's current To roar out threnodies for the Creator,Scorn on the brow!Can Sun burn it away?

Bound in compulsion's sway,curse in defiance!

Let the envenomed eye flash forth destruction

Does it hurl off the ponderous worlds that bind?

Bound in eternal fear,splintered and void,Bound to the very marble block of Being,Bound,bound forever,and forever bound!

The worlds,they see it and go rolling on And howl the burial song of their own death.

And we,we Apes of a cold God,still cherish With frenzied pain upon our loving breast The viper so voluptuously warm,That it as Universal Form rears up And from its place on high grins down on us!

And in our ear,till loathing's all consumed,The weary wave roars onward,ever onward!

Now quick,the die is cast,and all is ready;

Destroy what only poetry's lie contrived,A curse shall finish what a curse conceived.

(He sits down at the table and writes.)Scene 4Alwander's house;firstbefore the house.Lucindo,Pertini.

Lucindo.Why bring me here?

Pertini.For a succulent piece of woman,That's all!See for yourself,and if she softly Breathes a melodious peace into your soul,Then forward!

Lucindo.What!You're taking me to whores?

And at the very time when all of Life Comes down with crushing force upon my shoulders,And when my breast swells irresistibly In a mad frenzy craving selfdestruction;

When each breath breathes a thousand deaths for me,And now a woman!

Pertini.Ha!Rave on,young man,Breathe hellfire and destruction,breathe away!

What whores?Did I misunderstand your meaning?

See,there's the house.Does it look like a brothel?

You think I want to play the pimp for you,And use the very daylight for a lantern?

That's rich.But enter first and there,perhaps,You'll learn what you desire.

Lucindo.I see your trick.

The stuff you made it of is very cheap.

You really seek to slip the hand that holds you.

Be grateful that this moment I must hear you;

But temporising will cost you your life.

(They go into the house.The curtain falls and another is raised.A modern,elegant room.Beatrice is sitting on the sofa,a guitar beside her.Lucindo,Pertini,Beatrice.)

Pertini.Beatrice,a young traveller I bring,A pleasant gentleman,my distant kinsman.

Beatrice (to Lucindo).Welcome!

Lucindo.Forgive me if I find no words,No speech to express my heart's astonishment.

Beauty so rare quite overwhelms the spirits;

The blood leaps high,but not a word will come.

Beatrice.Fair words,young sir.You are in a pleasant mood.

I thank your disposition,not the favour That Nature has denied me so unkindly,When 'tis your tongue that speaks,and not your heart.

Lucindo .Oh,if my heart might speak,if it might only Pour forth what you have quickened in its depths,The words would all be flames of melody,And every breath a whole eternity,A Heaven,an Empire infinitely vast,In which all lives would sparkle bright with thoughts Full of soft yearning,full of harmonies,Locking the World so sweetly in its breast,Streaming with radiance of pure loveliness,Since every word would only bear your name!

Pertini.You will not take it in bad part,young lady,If I explain to you that he is German And always raves of Melody and Soul.

Beatrice .A German!But I like the Germans well,And I am proud to be of that same stock.

Come,sit here,German sir.(She offers him a place on the sofa.)

Lucindo.Thank you,my lady.(Aside to Pertini.)

Away!There is still time;here I am lost!

Beatrice (abashed).Did I speak out of place?(Lucindo wants to speak,but Pertini cuts in.)

Pertini.Spare us your flourishes and your flattery!

Twas nothing,Beatrice;merely some business That I must still arrange for him in haste.

Lucindo (confused,in a low voice).

By God,Pertini,you are playing with me!

Pertini (aloud).Take it not so to heart,don't be so scared!

The lady trusts my word,is it not so?

Beatrice,he may stay,is it not so,Till I am back.And please rememberprudence;

You are a stranger,so no foolishness.

Beatrice.Oh,come,young sir,was then my welcome such That you could think I'd banish you,a stranger,Friend of Pertini,an old friend of ours,Unceremoniously from this house,Whose hospitable doors are open to all?

You need not flatter,but you must be fair.

Lucindo.By God,your gracious kindness overwhelms me!

You speak as gently as the angels speak.

Forgive if overawed and overcome By the wild stream of passion long forgotten,The lips spoke what they ought to have concealed.

Yet see the sky all clear and luminous Smile down upon us from the clouds'blue realm,And see the colours throb so sweet and bright,Now wrapped in shade and now in gentle light,Mingling in harmonies so soft and full,One lovely picture,one inspired soul.

See this,and then be silent if your lips Obey.But no!your heart enchanted leaps,Prudence and circumspection vanished all.

The lips must speak what holds your heart in thrall.

Even as the Aeolian lyre is stirred to sound When Zephyr wraps his fluttering pinions round.

Beatrice.Reproof I cannot find within my heart,You dress the poison,sir,with such sweet art.

Lucindo (aside to Pertini).