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egypt-第17部分

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the Libyan desert; which every morning the first rays of the sun tint

with a rosy coral that nothing seems to dull; and in the east that of

the desert of Arabia; which never fails in the evening to retain the

light of the setting sun; and looks then like a mournful girdle of

glowing embers。 Sometimes the two parallel walls sheer off and give

more room to the green fields; to the woods of palm…trees; and the

little oases; separated by streaks of golden sand。 Sometimes they

approach so closely to the Nile that habitable Egypt is no wider than

some two or three poor fields of corn; lying right on the water's

edge; behind which the dead stones and the dead sands commence at

once。 And sometimes; even; the desert chain closes in so as to

overhang the river with its reddish…white cliffs; which no rain ever

comes to freshen; and in which; at different heights; gape the square

holes leading to the habitations of the mummies。 These mountains;

which in the distance look so beautiful in their rose…colour; and

make; as it were; interminable back…cloths to all that happens on the

river banks; were perforated; during some 5000 years; for the

introduction of sarcophagi and now they swarm with old dead bodies。



And all that passes on the banks; indeed; changes as little as the

background。



First there is that gesture; supple and superb; but always the same;

of the women in their long black robes who come without ceasing to

fill their long…necked jars and carry them away balanced on their

veiled heads。 Then the flocks which shepherds; draped in mourning;

bring to the river to drink; goats and sheep and asses all mixed up

together。 And then the buffaloes; massive and mud…coloured; who

descend calmly to bathe。 And; finally; the great labour of the

watering: the traditional noria; turned by a little bull with bandaged

eyes and; above all; the shaduf; worked by men whose naked bodies

stream with the cold water。



The shadufs follow one another sometimes as far as the eye can see。 It

is strange to watch the movementconfused in the distanceof all

these long rods which pump the water without ceasing; and look like

the swaying of living antennae。 The same sight was to be seen along

this river in the times of the Ramses。 But suddenly; at some bend of

the river; the old Pharaonic rigging disappears; to give place to a

succession of steam machines; which; more even than the muscles of the

fellahs; are busy at the water…drawing。 Before long their blackish

chimneys will make a continuous border to the tamed Nile。



Did one not know their bearings; the great ruins of this Egypt would

pass unnoticed。 With a few rare exceptions they lie beyond the green

plains on the threshold of the solitudes。 And against the changeless;

rose…coloured background of these cliffs of the desert; which follow

you during the whole of this tranquil navigation of some 600 miles;

are to be seen only the humble towns and villages of to…day; which

have the neutral colour of the ground。 Some openwork minarets dominate

themwhite spots above the prevailing dullness。 Clouds of pigeons

whirl round in the neighbourhood。 And amongst the little houses; which

are only cubes of mud; baked in the sun; the palm…trees of Africa;

either singly or in mighty clusters; rise superbly and cast on these

little habitations the shade of their palms which sway in the wind。

Not long ago; although indeed everything in these little towns was

mournful and stagnant; one would have been tempted to stop in passing;

drawn by that nameless peace that belonged to the Old East and to

Islam。 But; now; before the smallest hamletamongst the beautiful

primitive boats; that still remain in great numbers; pointing their

yards; like very long reeds; into the skythere is always; for the

meeting of the tourist boats; an enormous black pontoon; which spoils

the whole scene by its presence and its great advertising inscription:

〃Thomas Cook & Son (Egypt Ltd。)。〃 And; what is more; one hears the

whistling of the railway; which runs mercilessly along the river;

bringing from the Delta to the Soudan the hordes of European invaders。

And to crown all; adjoining the station is inevitably some modern

factory; throned there in a sort of irony; and dominating the poor

crumbling things that still presume to tell of Egypt and of mystery。



And so now; except at the towns or villages which lead to celebrated

ruins; we stop no longer。 It is necessary to proceed farther and for

the halt of the night to seek an obscure hamlet; a silent recess;

where we may moor our dahabiya against the venerable earth of the

bank。



And so one goes on; for days and weeks; between these two interminable

cliffs of reddish chalk; filled with their hypogea and mummies; which

are the walls of the valley of the Nile; and will follow us up to the

first cataract; until our entrance into Nubia。 There only will the

appearance and nature of the rocks of the desert change; to become the

more sombre granite out of which the Pharaohs carved their obelisks

and the great figures of their gods。



We go on and on; ascending the thread of this eternal current; and the

regularity of the wind; the persistent clearness of the sky; the

monotony of the great river; which winds but never ends; all conspire

to make us forget the hours and days that pass。 However deceived and

disappointed we may be at seeing the profanation of the river banks;

here; nevertheless; isolated on the water; we do not lose the peace of

being a wanderer; a stranger amongst an equipage of silent Arabs; who

every evening prostrate themselves in confiding prayer。



And; moreover; we are moving towards the south; towards the sun; and

every day has a more entrancing clearness; a more caressing warmth;

and the bronze of the faces that we see on our way takes on a deeper

tint。



And then too one mixes intimately with the life of the river bank;

which is still so absorbing and; at certain hours; when the horizon is

unsullied by the smoke of pit…coal; recalls you to the days of artless

toil and healthy beauty。 In the boats that meet us; half…naked men;

revelling in their movement; in the sun and air; sing; as they ply

their oars; those songs of the Nile that are as old as Thebes or

Memphis。 When the wind rises there is a riotous unfurling of sails;

which; stretched on their long yards; give to the dahabiyas the air of

birds in full flight。 Bending right over in the wind; they skim along

with a lively motion; carrying their cargoes of men and beasts and

primitive things。 Women are there draped still in the ancient fashion;

and sheep and goats; and sometimes piles of fruit and gourds; and

sacks of grain。 Many are laden to the water's edge with these

earthenware jars; unchanged for 3000 years; which the fellaheens know

how to place on their heads with so much graceand one sees these

heaps of fragile pottery gliding along the water as if carried by the

gigantic wings of a gull。 And in the far…off; almost fabulous; days

the life of the mariners of the Nile had the same aspect; as is shown

by the bas…reliefs on the oldest tombs; it required the same play of

muscles and of sails; was accompanied no doubt by the same songs; and

was subject to the withering caress of this same desert wind。 And

then; as now; the same unchanging rose coloured the continuous curtain

of the mountains。



But all at once there is a noise of machinery; and whistlings; and in

the air; which was just now so pure; rise noxious columns of black

smoke。 The modern steamers are coming; and throw into disorder the

flotillas of the past; colliers that leave great eddies in their wake;

or perhaps a wearisome lot of those three…decked tourist boats; which

make a great noise as they plough the water; and are laden for the

most part with ugly women; snobs and imbeciles。



Poor; poor Nile! which reflected formerly on its warm mirror the

utmost of earthly splendour; which bore in its time so many barques of

gods and goddesses in procession behind the golden barge of Amen; and

knew in the dawn of the ages only an impeccable purity; alike of the

human form and of architectural design! What a downfall is here! To be

awakened from that disdainful sleep of twenty centuries and made to

carry the floating barracks of Thomas Cook & Son; to feed sugar

factories; and to exhaust itself in nourishing with its mud the raw

material for English cotton…stuffs。







CHAPTER XII



IN THE TEMPLE OF THE GODDESS OF LOVE AND JOY



It is the month of March; but as gay and splendid as in our June。

Around us are fields of corn; of lucerne; and the flowering bean。 And

the air is full of restless birds; singing deliriously for very joy in

the voluptuous business of their nests and coveys。 Our way lies over a

fertile soil; saturated with vital substancessome paradise for

beasts no doubt; for they swarm on every side: flocks of goats with a

thousand bleating kids; she…asses with their frisking young; cows and

cow…buffaloes feeding their calves; all turned loose among the crops;

to browse at their leisure; as if there were here a superabundance of

the riches of the soil。



What country is this that shows no sign of human habitation; that

knows no village; nor any distant spire? The crops are like ours at

homewheat; lucerne; and the flowering bean that perfumes the air

with its white blossoms。 But there is an excess of light in the sky

and; in the distance; an extraordinary clearness。 And then these

fertile plains; that might be those of some 〃Promised Land;〃 seem to

be bounded far away; on left and right; by two parallel stone walls;

two chains of rose…coloured mountains; whose aspect is obviously

desertlike。 Besides; amongst the numerous animals that are familiar;

there are camels; feeding their strange nurslings that look like four…

legged ostriches。 And finally some peasants appear beyond in the

cornfields; they are veiled in lon
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