egypt-第23部分

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clear　light　upon　the　ruins。　My　post；　while　I　waited；　was　high　up　among

the　ruins　on　the　margin　of　the　sacred　Lake　of　Osiris；　the　still　and

enclosed　water　of　which　is　astonishing　in　that　it　has　remained　there

for　so　many　centuries。　It　still　conceals；　no　doubt；　numberless

treasures　confided　to　it　in　the　days　of　slaughters　and　pillages；　when

the　armies　of　the　Persian　and　Nubian　kings　forced　the　thick；

surrounding　walls。



In　a　few　minutes；　thousands　of　stars　appear　at　the　bottom　of　this

water；　reflecting　symmetrically　the　veritable　ones　which　now

scintillate　everywhere　in　the　heavens。　A　sudden　cold　spreads　over　the

town…mummy；　whose　stones；　still　warm　from　their　exposure　to　the　sun；

cool　very　rapidly　in　this　nocturnal　blue　which　envelops　them　as　in　a

shroud。　I　am　free　to　wander　where　I　please　without　risk　of　meeting

anyone；　and　I　begin　to　descend　by　the　steps　made　by　the　falling　of　the

granite　blocks；　which　have　formed　on　all　sides　staircases　as　if　for

giants。　On　the　overturned　surfaces；　my　hands　encounter　the　deep；

clear…cut　hollows　of　the　hieroglyphs；　and　sometimes　of　those

inevitable　people；　carved　in　profile；　who　raise　their　arms；　all　of

them；　and　make　signs　to　one　another。　On　arriving　at　the　bottom　I　am

received　by　a　row　of　statues　with　battered　faces；　seated　on　thrones；

and　without　hindrance　of　any　kind；　and　recognising　everything　in　the

blue　transparency　which　takes　the　place　of　day；　I　come　to　the　great

avenue　of　the　palaces　of　Amen。



We　have　nothing　on　earth　in　the　least　degree　comparable　to　this

avenue；　which　passive　multitudes　took　nearly　three　thousand　years　to

construct；　expending；　century　after　century；　their　innumerable

energies　in　carrying　these　stones；　which　our　machines　now　could　not

move。　And　the　objective　was　always　the　same：　to　prolong　indefinitely

the　perspectives　of　pylons；　colossi　and　obelisks；　continuing　always

this　same　artery　of　temples　and　palaces　in　the　direction　of　the　old

Nilewhile　the　latter；　on　the　contrary；　receded　slowly；　from　century

to　century；　towards　Libya。　It　is　here；　and　especially　at　night；　that

you　suffer　the　feeling　of　having　been　shrunken　to　the　size　of　a　pygmy。

All　round　you　rise　monoliths　mighty　as　rocks。　You　have　to　take　twenty

paces　to　pass　the　base　of　a　single　one　of　them。　They　are　placed　quite

close　together；　too　close；　it　seems；　in　view　of　their　enormity　and

mass。　There　is　not　enough　air　between　them；　and　the　closeness　of　their

juxtaposition　disconcerts　you　more；　perhaps；　even　than　their

massiveness。



The　avenue　which　I　have　followed　in　an　easterly　direction　abuts　on　as

disconcerting　a　chaos　of　granite　as　exists　in　Thebesthe　hall　of　the

feasts　of　Thothmes　III。　What　kind　of　feasts　were　they；　that　this　king

gave　here；　in　this　forest　of　thick…set　columns；　beneath　these

ceilings；　of　which　the　smallest　stone；　if　it　fell；　would　crush　twenty

men？　In　places　the　friezes；　the　colonnades；　which　seem　almost

diaphanous　in　the　air；　are　outlined　still　with　a　proud　magnificence　in

unbroken　alignment　against　the　star…strewn　sky。　Elsewhere　the

destruction　is　bewildering；　fragments　of　columns；　entablatures；　bas…

reliefs　lie　about　in　indescribable　confusion；　like　a　lot　of　scattered

wreckage　after　a　world…wide　tempest。　For　it　was　not　enough　that　the

hand　of　man　should　overturn　these　things。　Tremblings　of　the　earth；　at

different　times；　have　also　come　to　shake　this　Cyclops　palace　which

threatened　to　be　eternal。　And　all　thiswhich　represents　such　an

excess　of　force；　of　movement；　of　impulsion；　alike　for　its　erection　as

for　its　overthrowall　this　is　tranquil　this　evening；　oh！　so　tranquil；

although　toppling　as　if　for　an　imminent　downfalltranquil　forever；

one　might　say；　congealed　by　the　cold　and　by　the　night。



I　was　prepared　for　silence　in　such　a　place；　but　not　for　the　sounds

which　I　commence　to　hear。　First　of　all　an　osprey　sounds　the　prelude；

above　my　head　and　so　close　to　me　that　it　holds　me　trembling　throughout

its　long　cry。　Then　other　voices　answer　from　the　depths　of　the　ruins；

voices　very　diverse；　but　all　sinister。　Some　are　only　able　to　mew　on

two　long…drawn　notes：　some　yelp　like　jackals　round　a　cemetery；　and

others　again　imitate　the　sound　of　a　steel　spring　slowly　unwinding

itself。　And　this　concert　comes　always　from　above。　Owls；　ospreys；

screech…owls；　all　the　different　kinds　of　birds；　with　hooked　beaks　and

round　eyes；　and　silken　wings　that　enable　them　to　fly　noiselessly；　have

their　homes　amongst　the　granites　massively　upheld　in　the　air；　and　they

are　celebrating　now；　each　after　its　own　fashion；　the　nocturnal

festival。　Intermittent　calls　break　upon　the　air；　and　long…drawn

infinitely　mournful　wailings；　that　sometimes　swell　and　sometimes　seem

to　be　strangled　and　end　in　a　kind　of　sob。　And　then；　in　spite　of　the

sonority　of　the　vast　straight　walls；　in　spite　of　the　echoes　which

prolong　the　cries；　the　silence　obstinately　returns。　Silence。　The

silence　after　all　and　beyond　all　doubt　is　the　true　master　at　this　hour

of　this　kingdom　at　once　colossal；　motionless　and　bluea　silence　that

seems　to　be　infinite；　because　we　know　that　there　is　nothing　around

these　ruins；　nothing　but　the　line　of　the　dead　sands；　the　threshold　of

the　deserts。



*****



I　retrace　my　steps　towards　the　west　in　the　direction　of　the　hypostyle；

traversing　again　the　avenue　of　monstrous　splendours；　imprisoned　and；

as　it　were；　dwarfed　between　the　rows　of　sovereign　stones。　There　are

obelisks　there；　some　upright；　some　overthrown。　One　like　those　of

Luxor；　but　much　higher；　remains　intact　and　raises　its　sharp　point　into

the　sky；　others；　less　well　known　in　their　exquisite　simplicity；　are

quite　plain　and　straight　from　base　to　summit；　bearing　only　in　relief

gigantic　lotus　flowers；　whose　long　climbing　stems　bloom　above　in　the

half　light　cast　by　the　stars。　The　passage　becomes　narrower　and　more

obscure；　and　it　is　necessary　sometimes　to　grope　my　way。　And　then　again

my　hands　encounter　the　everlasting　hieroglyphs　carved　everywhere；　and

sometimes　the　legs　of　a　colossus　seated　on　its　throne。　The　stones　are

still　slightly　warm；　so　fierce　has　been　the　heat　of　the　sun　during　the

day。　And　certain　of　the　granites；　so　hard　that　our　steel　chisels　could

not　cut　them；　have　kept　their　polish　despite　the　lapse　of　centuries；

and　my　fingers　slip　in　touching　them。



There　is　now　no　sound。　The　music　of　the　night　birds　has　ceased。　I

listen　in　vainso　attentively　that　I　can　hear　the　beating　of　my

heart。　Not　a　sound；　not　even　the　buzzing　of　a　fly。　Everything　is

silent；　everything　is　ghostly；　and　in　spite　of　the　persistent　warmth

of　the　stones　the　air　grows　colder　and　colder；　and　one　gets　the

impression　that　everything　here　is　frozendefinitelyas　in　the

coldness　of　death。



A　vast　silence　reigns；　a　silence　that　has　subsisted　for　centuries；　on

this　same　spot；　where　formerly　for　three　or　four　thousand　years　rose

such　an　uproar　of　living　men。　To　think　of　the　clamorous　multitudes　who

once　assembled　here；　of　their　cries　of　triumph　and　anguish；　of　their

dying　agonies。　First　of　all　the　pantings　of　those　thousands　of

harnessed　workers；　exhausting　themselves　generation　after　generation；

under　the　burning　sun；　in　dragging　and　placing　one　above　the　other

these　stones；　whose　enormity　now　amazes　us。　And　the　prodigious　feasts；

the　music　of　the　long　harps；　the　blares　of　the　brazen　trumpets；　the

slaughters　and　battles　when　Thebes　was　the　great　and　unique　capital　of

the　world；　an　object　of　fear　and　envy　to　the　kings　of　the　barbarian

peoples　who　commenced　to　awake　in　neighbouring　lands；　the　symphonies

of　siege　and　pillage；　in　days　when　men　bellowed　with　the　throats　of

beasts。　To　think　of　all　this；　here　on　this　ground；　on　a　night　so　calm

and　blue！　And　these　same　walls　of　granite　from　Syene；　on　which　my　puny

hands　now　rest；　to　think　of　the　beings　who　have　touched　them　in

passing；　who　have　fallen　by　their　side　in　last　sanguinary　conflicts；

without　rubbing　even　the　polish　from　their　changeless　surfaces！



*****



I　now　arrive　at　the　hypostyle　of　the　temple　of　Amen；　and　a　sensation

of　fear　makes　me　hesitate　at　first　on　the　threshold。　To　find　himself

in　the　dead　of　night　before　such　a　place　might　well　make　a　man　falter。

It　seems　like　some　hall　for　Titans；　a　remnant　of　fabulous　ages；　which

has　maintained　itself；　during　its　long　duration；　by　force　of　its　very

massiveness；　like　the　mountains。　Nothing　human　is　so　vast。　Nowhere　on

earth　have　men　conceived　such　dwellings。　Columns　after　columns；　higher

and　more　massive　than　towers；　follow　one　another　so　closely；　in　an

excess　of　accumulation；　that　they　produce　a　feeling　almost　of

suffocation。　They　mount　into　the　clear　sky　and　sustain　there　traverses

of　stone　which　you　scarcely　dare　to　contemplate。　One　hesitates　to

advance；　a　feeling　comes　over　you　that　you　are　become　infinitesimally

small　and　as　easy　to　crush　as　an　insect。　The　silence　grows

preternaturally　solemn。　The　stars　through　all　the　gaps　in　the　fearful

ceilings　seem　to　send　their　scintillations　to　you　in　an　abyss。　It　is

cold　and　clear　and　blue。



The　central　bay　of　this　hypostyle　is　in　the　same　line　as　the　road　I

have　been　following　since　I　left　the　hall　of　Thothmes。　It　prolongs　and

magnifies　as　in　an　apotheosis　that　same　long　avenue；　for　the　gods　and

kings；　which　was　the　glory　of　Thebes；　and　which　in　the　succession　of

the　ages　nothing　has　contrived　to　equal。　The　columns　which　border　it

are　so　gigantic＇*＇　that　their　tops；　formed　of　mysterious　full…blown

petals；　high　up　above　the　ground　on　which　we　crawl；　are　completely

bathed　in　the　diffuse　clearness　of　the　sky。　And　enclosing　this　kind　of

nave　on　either　side；　like　a　terrible　forest；　is　another　mass　of

columnsmonster　columns；　of　an　earlier　style；　of　which　the　capitals

close　instead　of　opening；　imitating　the　buds　of　some　flower　which　will

never　blossom。　Sixty　to　the　right；　sixty　to　the　left；　too　close

together　for　their　size；　they　grow　thick　like　a　forest　of　baobabs　that

wanted　space：　they　induce　a　feeling　of　oppr