egypt-第13部分

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the　feet　of　numberless　dead　generations；　are　become　uneven　through　the

settling　of　the　soil。　Everything　is　askew；　bent；　dusty　and　worn…out。

The　daylight　comes　from　above；　through　narrow　barred　windows。　There　is

a　lack　of　air；　so　that　one　almost　stifles。　But　though　the　sun　does　not

enter；　a　certain　indefinable　reflection　from　the　whitened　walls

reminds　us　that　outside　there　is　a　flaming；　resplendent　Eastern

spring。



In　this；　the　old　grandfather；　as　it　were；　of　churches；　filled　now　with

a　cloud　of　odorous　smoke；　what　one　hears；　more　even　than　the　chanting

of　the　mass；　is　the　ceaseless　movement；　the　pious　agitation　of　the

faithful；　and　more　even　than　that；　the　startling　noise　that　rises　from

the　holy　crypt　belowthe　sharp　clashing　of　cymbals　and　those

multitudinous　little　wailings；　that　sound　like　the　mewings　of　kittens。



But　let　me　not　harbour　thoughts　of　irony！　Surely　not。　If；　in　our

Western　lands；　certain　ceremonies　seem　to　me　anti…Christianas；　for

example；　one　of　those　spectacular　high　masses　in　the　over…pompous

Cathedral　of　Cologne；　where　halberdiers　overawe　the　crowdhere；　on

the　contrary；　the　simplicity　of　this　primitive　cult　is　touching　and

respectable　in　the　extreme。　These　Copts　who　install　themselves　in

their　church；　as　round　their　firesides；　who　make　their　home　there　and

encumber　the　place　with　their　fretful　little　ones；　have；　in　their　own

way；　well　understood　the　word　of　Him　who　said：　〃Suffer　the　little

children　to　come　unto　Me；　and　do　not　forbid　them；　for　of　such　is　the

kingdom　of　God。〃







CHAPTER　IX



THE　RACE　OF　BRONZE



A　monotonous　chant　on　three　notes；　which　must　date　from　the　first

Pharaohs；　may　still　be　heard　in　our　days　on　the　banks　of　the　Nile；

from　the　Delta　as　far　as　Nubia。　At　different　places　along　the　river；

half…made　men；　with　torsos　of　bronze　and　voices　all　alike；　intone　it

in　the　morning　when　they　commence　their　endless　labours　and　continue

it　throughout　the　day；　until　the　evening　brings　repose。



Whoever　has　journeyed　in　a　dahabiya　up　the　old　river　will　remember

this　song　of　the　water…drawers；　with　its　accompaniment；　in　slow

cadence；　of　creakings　of　wet　wood。



It　is　the　song　of　the　〃shaduf；〃　and　the　〃shaduf〃　is　a　primitive

rigging；　which　has　remained　unchanged　since　times　beyond　all

reckoning。　It　is　composed　of　a　long　antenna；　like　the　yard　of　a

tartan；　which　is　supported　in　see…saw　fashion　on　an　upright　beam；　and

carries　at　its　extremity　a　wooden　bucket。　A　man；　with　movements　of

singular　beauty；　works　it　while　he　sings；　lowers　the　antenna；　draws

the　water　from　the　river；　and　raises　the　filled　bucket；　which　another

man　catches　in　its　ascent　and　empties　into　a　basin　made　out　of　the　mud

of　the　river　bank。　When　the　river　is　low　there　are　three　such　basins；

placed　one　above　the　other；　as　if　they　were　stages　by　which　the

precious　water　mounts　to　the　fields　of　corn　and　lucerne。　And　then

three　〃shadufs；〃　one　above　the　other；　creak　together；　lowering　and

raising　their　great　scarabaeus'　horns　to　the　rhythm　of　the　same　song。



All　along　the　banks　of　the　Nile　this　movement　of　the　antennae　of　the

shadufs　is　to　be　seen。　It　had　its　beginning　in　the　earliest　ages　and

is　still　the　characteristic　manifestation　of　human　life　along　the

river　banks。　It　ceases　only　in　the　summer；　when　the　river；　swollen　by

the　rains　of　equatorial　Africa；　overflows　this　land　of　Egypt；　which　it

itself　has　made　in　the　midst　of　the　Saharan　sands。　But　in　the　winter；

which　is　here　a　time　of　luminous　drought　and　changeless　blue　skies；　it

is　in　full　swing。　Then　every　day；　from　dawn　until　the　evening　prayer；

the　men　are　busy　at　their　water…drawing；　transformed　for　the　time　into

tireless　machines；　with　muscles　that　work　like　metal　bands。　The　action

never　changes；　any　more　than　the　song；　and　often　their　thoughts　must

wander　from　their　automatic　toil；　and　lose　themselves　in　some　dream；

akin　to　that　of　their　ancestors　who　were　yoked　to　the　same　rigging

four　or　five　thousands　years　ago。　Their　torsos；　deluged　at　each　rising

of　the　overflowing　bucket；　stream　constantly　with　cold　water；　and

sometimes　the　wind　is　icy；　even　while　the　sun　burns；　but　these

perpetual　workers　are；　as　we　have　said；　of　bronze；　and　their　hardened

bodies　take　no　harm。



These　men　are　the　fellahs；　the　peasants　of　the　valley　of　the　Nile

pure　Egyptians；　whose　type　has　not　changed　in　the　course　of　centuries。

In　the　oldest　of　the　bas…reliefs　of　Thebes　or　Memphis　you　may　see　many

such；　with　the　same　noble　profile　and　thickish　lips；　the　same

elongated　eyes　shadowed　by　heavy　eyelids；　the　same　slender　figure；

surmounted　by　broad　shoulders。



The　women　who　from　time　to　time　descend　to　the　river；　to　draw　water

also；　but　in　their　case　in　the　vases　of　potters'　clay　which　they

carrythis　fetching　and　carrying　of　the　life…giving　water　is　the　one

primordial　occupation　in　this　Egypt；　which　has　no　rain；　nor　any　living

spring；　and　subsists　only　by　its　riverthese　women　walk　and　posture

with　an　inimitable　grace；　draped　in　black　veils；　which　even　the

poorest　allow　to　trail　behind　them；　like　the　train　of　a　court　dress。

In　this　bright　land；　with　its　rose…coloured　distances；　it　is　strange

to　see　them；　all　so　sombrely　clothed；　spots　of　mourning；　as　it　were；

in　the　gay　fields　and　the　flaring　desert。　Machine…like　creatures；　all

untaught；　they　yet　possess　by　instinct；　as　did　once　the　daughters　of

Hellas；　a　sense　of　nobility　in　attitude　and　carriage。　None　of　the

women　of　Europe　could　wear　these　coarse　black　stuffs　with　such　a

majestic　harmony；　and　none　surely　could　so　raise　their　bare　arms　to

place　on　their　heads　the　heavy　jars　filled　with　Nile　water；　and　then；

departing；　carry　themselves　so　proudly；　so　upright　and　resilient　under

their　burden。



The　muslin　tunics　which　they　wear　are　invariably　black　like　the　veils；

set　off　perhaps　with　some　red　embroidery　or　silver　spangles。　They　are

unfastened　across　the　chest；　and；　by　a　narrow　opening　which　descends

to　the　girdle；　disclose　the　amber…coloured　flesh；　the　median　swell　of

bosoms　of　pale　bronze；　which；　during　their　ephemeral　youth　at　least；

are　of　a　perfect　contour。　The　faces；　it　is　true；　when　they　are　not

hidden　from　you　by　a　fold　of　the　veil；　are　generally　disappointing。

The　rude　labours；　the　early　maternity　and　lactations；　soon　age　and

wither　them。　But　if　by　chance　you　see　a　young　woman　she　is　usually　an

apparition　of　beauty；　at　once　vigorous　and　slender。



As　for　the　fellah　babies；　who　abound　in　great　numbers　and　follow；　half

naked　their　mammas　or　their　big　sisters；　they　would　for　the　most　part

be　adorable　little　creatures；　were　it　not　for　the　dirtiness　which　in

this　country　is　a　thing　almost　prescribed　by　tradition。　Round　their

eyelids　and　their　moist　lips　are　glued　little　clusters　of　Egyptian

flies；　which　are　considered　here　to　be　beneficial　to　the　children；　and

the　latter　have　no　thought　of　driving　them　away；　so　resigned　are　they

become；　by　force　of　heredity；　to　whatever　annoyance　they　thereby

suffer。　Another　example　indeed　of　the　passivity　which　their　fathers

show　when　brought　face　to　face　with　the　invading　foreigners！



Passivity　and　meek　endurance　seem　to　be　the　characteristics　of　this

inoffensive　people；　so　graceful　in　their　rags；　so　mysterious　in　their

age…old　immobility；　and　so　ready　to　accept　with　an　equal　indifference

whatever　yoke　may　come。　Poor；　beautiful　people；　with　muscles　that

never　grow　tired！　Whose　men　in　olden　times　moved　the　great　stones　of

the　temples；　and　knew　no　burden　that　was　too　heavy；　whose　women；　with

their　slender；　pale…tawny　arms　and　delicate　small　hands；　surpass　by

far　in　strength　the　burliest　of　our　peasants！　Poor　beautiful　race　of

bronze！　No　doubt　it　was　too　precocious　and　put　forth　too　soon　its

astonishing　flowerin　times　when　the　other　peoples　of　the　earth　were

till　vegetating　in　obscurity；　no　doubt　its　present　resignation　comes

from　lassitude；　after　so　many　centuries　of　effort　and　expansive　power。

Once　it　monopolised　the　glory　of　the　world；　and　here　it　is　nowfor

some　two　thousand　yearsfallen　into　a　kind　of　tired　sleep；　which　has

left　it　an　easy　prey　alike　to　the　conquerors　of　yesterday　and　to　the

exploiters　of　to…day。



Another　trait　which；　side　by　side　with　their　patience；　prevails

amongst　these　true…blooded　Egyptians　of　the　countryside　is　their

attachment　to　the　soil；　to　the　soil　which　nourishes　them；　and　in　which

later　on　they　will　sleep。　To　possess　land；　to　forestall　at　any　price

the　smallest　portion　of　it；　to　reclaim　patches　of　it　from　the　shifting

desert；　that　is　the　sole　aim；　or　almost　so；　which　the　fellahs　pursue

in　this　world：　to　possess　a　field；　however　small　it　may　bea　field；

moreover；　which　they　till　with　the　oldest　plough　invented　by　man；　the

exact　design　of　which　may　be　seen　carved　on　the　walls　of　the　tombs　at

Memphis。



And　this　same　people；　which　was　the　first　of　any　to　conceive

magnificence；　whose　gods　and　kings　were　formerly　surrounded　with　an

over…powering　splendour；　contrives；　to　live　to…day；　pell…mell　with　its

sheep　and　goats；　in　humble；　low…roofed　cabins　made　out　of　sunbaked

mud！　The　Egyptian　villages　are　all　of　the　neutral　colour　of　the　soil；

a　little　white　chalk　brightens；　perhaps；　the　minaret　or　cupola　of　the

mosque；　but　except　for　that　little　refuge；　whither　folk　come　to　pray

each　eveningfor　no　one　here　would　retire　for　the　night　without

having　first　prostrated　himself　before　the　majesty　of　Allah

everything　is　of　a　mournful　grey。　Even　the　costumes　of　the　people　are

dull…coloured　and　wretched…looking。　It　is　an　East　grown　poor　and　old；

although　the　sky　remains　as　wonderful　as　ever。



But　all　this　past　grandeur　has　left　its　imprint　on　the　fellahs。　They

have　a　refinement　of　appearance　and　manner；　all　unknown　amongst　the

majority　of　the　good　people　of　our　villages。　And　those　amongst　them

who　by　good　fortune　become　prosperous　have　forthwith　a　kind　of

distinction；　and　seem　to　know；　as　if　by　birth；　how　to　dispense　the

gracious　hospit