don juan-第33部分

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The　pins　were　placed　sufficiently；　but　not
Stuck　all　exactly　in　the　proper　spot。

But　these　are　foolish　things　to　all　the　wise；
And　I　love　wisdom　more　than　she　loves　me；
My　tendency　is　to　philosophise
On　most　things；　from　a　tyrant　to　a　tree；
But　still　the　spouseless　virgin　Knowledge　flies。
What　are　we？　and　whence　came　we？　what　shall　be
Our　ultimate　existence？　what　's　our　present？
Are　questions　answerless；　and　yet　incessant。

There　was　deep　silence　in　the　chamber：　dim
And　distant　from　each　other　burn'd　the　lights；
And　slumber　hover'd　o'er　each　lovely　limb
Of　the　fair　occupants：　if　there　be　sprites；
They　should　have　walk'd　there　in　their　sprightliest　trim；
By　way　of　change　from　their　sepulchral　sites；
And　shown　themselves　as　ghosts　of　better　taste
Than　haunting　some　old　ruin　or　wild　waste。

Many　and　beautiful　lay　those　around；
Like　flowers　of　different　hue；　and　dime；　and　root；
In　some　exotic　garden　sometimes　found；
With　cost；　and　care；　and　warmth　induced　to　shoot。
One　with　her　auburn　tresses　lightly　bound；
And　fair　brows　gently　drooping；　as　the　fruit
Nods　from　the　tree；　was　slumbering　with　soft　breath；
And　lips　apart；　which　show'd　the　pearls　beneath。

One　with　her　flush'd　cheek　laid　on　her　white　arm；
And　raven　ringlets　gather'd　in　dark　crowd
Above　her　brow；　lay　dreaming　soft　and　warm；
And　smiling　through　her　dream；　as　through　a　cloud
The　moon　breaks；　half　unveil'd　each　further　charm；
As；　slightly　stirring　in　her　snowy　shroud；
Her　beauties　seized　the　unconscious　hour　of　night
All　bashfully　to　struggle　into　light。

This　is　no　bull；　although　it　sounds　so；　for
'T　was　night；　but　there　were　lamps；　as　hath　been　said。
A　third's　all　pallid　aspect　offer'd　more
The　traits　of　sleeping　sorrow；　and　betray'd
Through　the　heaved　breast　the　dream　of　some　far　shore
Beloved　and　deplored；　while　slowly　stray'd
（As　night…dew；　on　a　cypress　glittering；　tinges
The　black　bough）　tear…drops　through　her　eyes'　dark　fringes。

A　fourth　as　marble；　statue…like　and　still；
Lay　in　a　breathless；　hush'd；　and　stony　sleep；
White；　cold；　and　pure；　as　looks　a　frozen　rill；
Or　the　snow　minaret　on　an　Alpine　steep；
Or　Lot's　wife　done　in　salt；…　or　what　you　will；…
My　similes　are　gather'd　in　a　heap；
So　pick　and　choose…　perhaps　you　'll　be　content
With　a　carved　lady　on　a　monument。

And　lo！　a　fifth　appears；…　and　what　is　she？
A　lady　of　a　'certain　age；'　which　means
Certainly　aged…　what　her　years　might　be
I　know　not；　never　counting　past　their　teens；
But　there　she　slept；　not　quite　so　fair　to　see；
As　ere　that　awful　period　intervenes
Which　lays　both　men　and　women　on　the　shelf；
To　meditate　upon　their　sins　and　self。

But　all　this　time　how　slept；　or　dream'd；　Dudu？
With　strict　inquiry　I　could　ne'er　discover；
And　scorn　to　add　a　syllable　untrue；
But　ere　the　middle　watch　was　hardly　over；
Just　when　the　fading　lamps　waned　dim　and　blue；
And　phantoms　hover'd；　or　might　seem　to　hover；
To　those　who　like　their　pany；　about
The　apartment；　on　a　sudden　she　scream'd　out：

And　that　so　loudly；　that　upstarted　all
The　Oda；　in　a　general　motion：
Matron　and　maids；　and　those　whom　you　may　call
Neither；　came　crowding　like　the　waves　of　ocean；
One　on　the　other；　throughout　the　whole　hall；
All　trembling；　wondering；　without　the　least　notion
More　than　I　have　myself　of　what　could　make
The　calm　Dudu　so　turbulently　wake。

But　wide　awake　she　was；　and　round　her　bed；
With　floating　draperies　and　with　flying　hair；
With　eager　eyes；　and　light　but　hurried　tread；
And　bosoms；　arms；　and　ankles　glancing　bare；
And　bright　as　any　meteor　ever　bred
By　the　North　Pole；…　they　sought　her　cause　of　care；
For　she　seem'd　agitated；　flush'd；　and　frighten'd；
Her　eye　dilated　and　her　colour　heighten'd。

But　what　was　strange…　and　a　strong　proof　how　great
A　blessing　is　sound　sleep…　Juanna　lay
As　fast　as　ever　husband　by　his　mate
In　holy　matrimony　snores　away。
Not　all　the　clamour　broke　her　happy　state
Of　slumber；　ere　they　shook　her；…　so　they　say
At　least；…　and　then　she；　too；　unclosed　her　eyes；
And　yawn'd　a　good　deal　with　discreet　surprise。

And　now　menced　a　strict　investigation；
Which；　as　all　spoke　at　once　and　more　than　once；
Conjecturing；　wondering；　asking　a　narration；
Alike　might　puzzle　either　wit　or　dunce
To　answer　in　a　very　clear　oration。
Dudu　had　never　pass'd　for　wanting　sense；
But；　being　'no　orator　as　Brutus　is；'
Could　not　at　first　expound　what　was　amiss。

At　length　she　said；　that　in　a　slumber　sound
She　dream'd　a　dream；　of　walking　in　a　wood…
A　'wood　obscure；'　like　that　where　Dante　found
Himself　in　at　the　age　when　all　grow　good；
Life's　half…way　house；　where　dames　with　virtue　crown'd
Run　much　less　risk　of　lovers　turning　rude；
And　that　this　wood　was　full　of　pleasant　fruits；
And　trees　of　goodly　growth　and　spreading　roots；

And　in　the　midst　a　golden　apple　grew；…
A　most　prodigious　pippin；…　but　it　hung
Rather　too　high　and　distant；　that　she　threw
Her　glances　on　it；　and　then；　longing；　flung
Stones　and　whatever　she　could　pick　up；　to
Bring　down　the　fruit；　which　still　perversely　clung
To　its　own　bough；　and　dangled　yet　in　sight；
But　always　at　a　most　provoking　height；…

That　on　a　sudden；　when　she　least　had　hope；
It　fell　down　of　its　own　accord　before
Her　feet；　that　her　first　movement　was　to　stoop
And　pick　it　up；　and　bite　it　to　the　core；
That　just　as　her　young　lip　began　to　ope
Upon　the　golden　fruit　the　vision　bore；
A　bee　flew　out　and　stung　her　to　the　heart；
And　so…　she　awoke　with　a　great　scream　and　start。

All　this　she　told　with　some　confusion　and
Dismay；　the　usual　consequence　of　dreams
Of　the　unpleasant　kind；　with　none　at　hand
To　expound　their　vain　and　visionary　gleams。
I　've　known　some　odd　ones　which　seem'd　really　plann'd
Prophetically；　or　that　which　one　deems
A　'strange　coincidence；'　to　use　a　phrase
By　which　such　things　are　settled　now…a…days。

The　damsels；　who　had　thoughts　of　some　great　harm；
Began；　as　is　the　consequence　of　fear；
To　scold　a　little　at　the　false　alarm
That　broke　for　nothing　on　their　sleeping　car。
The　matron；　too；　was　wroth　to　leave　her　warm
Bed　for　the　dream　she　had　been　obliged　to　hear；
And　chafed　at　poor　Dudu；　who　only　sigh'd；
And　said　that　she　was　sorry　she　had　cried。

'I　've　heard　of　stories　of　a　cock　and　bull；
But　visions　of　an　apple　and　a　bee；
To　take　us　from　our　natural　rest；　and　pull
The　whole　Oda　from　their　beds　at　half…past　three；
Would　make　us　think　the　moon　is　at　its　full。
You　surely　are　unwell；　child！　we　must　see；
To…morrow；　what　his　Highness's　physician
Will　say　to　this　hysteric　of　a　vision。

'And　poor　Juanna；　too…　the　child's　first　night
Within　these　walls　to　be　broke　in　upon
With　such　a　clamour！　I　had　thought　it　right
That　the　young　stranger　should　not　lie　alone；
And；　as　the　quietest　of　all；　she　might
With　you；　Dudu；　a　good　night's　rest　have　known；
But　now　I　must　transfer　her　to　the　charge
Of　Lolah…　though　her　couch　is　not　so　large。'

Lolah's　eyes　sparkled　at　the　proposition；
But　poor　Dudu；　with　large　drops　in　her　own；
Resulting　from　the　scolding　or　the　vision；
Implored　that　present　pardon　might　be　shown
For　this　first　fault；　and　that　on　no　condition
（She　added　in　a　soft　and　piteous　tone）
Juanna　should　be　taken　from　her；　and
Her　future　dreams　should　all　be　kept　in　hand。

She　promised　never　more　to　have　a　dream；
At　least　to　dream　so　loudly　as　just　now；
She　wonder'd　at　herself　how　she　could　scream…
'T　was　foolish；　nervous；　as　she　must　allow；
A　fond　hallucination；　and　a　theme
For　laughter…　but　she　felt　her　spirits　low；
And　begg'd　they　would　excuse　her；　she　'd　get　over
This　weakness　in　a　few　hours；　and　recover。

And　here　Juanna　kindly　interposed；
And　said　she　felt　herself　extremely　well
Where　she　then　was；　as　her　sound　sleep　disclosed
When　all　around　rang　like　a　tocsin　bell：
She　did　not　find　herself　the　least　disposed
To　quit　her　gentle　partner；　and　to　dwell
Apart　from　one　who　had　no　sin　to　show；
Save　that　of　dreaming　once　'mal…a…propos。'

As　thus　Juanna　spoke；　Dudu　turn'd　round
And　hid　her　face　within　Juanna's　breast：
Her　neck　alone　was　seen；　but　that　was　found
The　colour　of　a　budding　rose's　crest。
I　can't　tell　why　she　blush'd；　nor　can　expound
The　mystery　of　this　rupture　of　their　rest；
All　that　I　know　is；　that　the　facts　I　state
Are　true　as　truth　has　ever　been　of　late。

And　so　good　night　to　them；…　or；　if　you　will；
Good　morrow…　for　the　cock　had　crown；　and　light
Began　to　clothe　each　Asiatic　hill；
And　the　mosque　crescent　struggled　into　sight
Of　the　long　caravan；　which　in　the　chill
Of　dewy　dawn　wound　slowly　round　each　height
That　stretches　to　the　stony　belt；　which　girds
Asia；　where　Kaff　looks　down　upon　the　Kurds。

With　the　first　ray；　or　rather　grey　of　morn；
Gulbeyaz　rose　from　restlessness；　and　pale
As　passion　rises；　with　its　bosom　worn；
Array'd　herself　with　mantle；　gem；　and　veil。
The　nightingale　that　sings　with　the　deep　thorn；
Which　fable　places　in　her　breast　of　wail；
Is　lighter　far　of　heart　and　voice　than　those
Whose　headlong　passions　form　their　proper　woes。

And　that　's　the　moral　of　this　position；
If　people　would　but　see　its　real　drift；…
But　that　they　will　not　do　without　suspicion；
Because　all　gentle　readers　have　the　gift
Of　closing　'gainst　the　light　their　orbs　of　vision；
While　gentle　writers　also　love　to　lift
Their　voices　'gainst　each　other；　which　is　natural；
The　numbers　are　too　great　for　them　to　flatter　all。

Rose　the　sultana　from　a　bed　of　splendour；
Softer　than　the　soft　Sybarite's；　who　cried
Aloud　because　his　feelings　were　too　tender
To　brook　a　ruffled　rose…leaf　by　his　side；…
So　beautiful　that　art　could　little　mend　her；
Though　pale　with　conflicts　between　love　and　pride；…
So　agitated　was　she　with　her　error；
She　did　not　even　look　into　the　mirror。

Also　arose　about　the　self…same　time；
Perhaps　a　little　later；　her　great　lord；
Master　of　thirty　kingdoms　so　sublime；
And　of　a　wife　by　whom　he　was　abhorr'd；
A　thing　of　much　less　import　in　that　clime…
At　least　to　those　of　ines　which　afford
The　filling　up　their　whole　connubial　cargo…
Than　where　two　wives　are　under　an　embargo。

He　did　not　think　much　on　the　matter；　nor
Indeed　on　any　other：　as　a　man
He　liked　to　have　a　handsome　paramour
At　hand；　as　one　may　like　to　have　a　fan；
And　therefore　of　Circassians　had　good　store；
As　an　amusement　after　the　Divan；
Though　an　unu