An Anthology of Czechoslovak Literature/Bizarre Dream
Bizarre Dream
I SPAKE unto her: “There is naught that we can await from this Life,
Naught from this Earth, and naught from this Heaven and naught from these Saints.
Loathsome to me are To-days where the Past hurls mocking echoes,
Come thou with me, most precious, I wot of another World, revealed to my spirit.”
Naught from this Earth, and naught from this Heaven and naught from these Saints.
Loathsome to me are To-days where the Past hurls mocking echoes,
Come thou with me, most precious, I wot of another World, revealed to my spirit.”
And I spake: “Sever thyself from all and we will depart (as though it were naught)
When thy mother sleeps and thy father is in the tavern and when the city reeks of mire.
On tiptoe . . . I will fling away weapons, those that in fever I seized on
For shielding of my head and thine . . . thus . . . now I reject them for ever.
When thy mother sleeps and thy father is in the tavern and when the city reeks of mire.
On tiptoe . . . I will fling away weapons, those that in fever I seized on
For shielding of my head and thine . . . thus . . . now I reject them for ever.
Thus beside me, fused with my sorrow and passion and terror and ecstasy
Shalt thou go. But ward off memory of cowering mortals,
These vermin with venerably outworn statutes,
Thou must abandon old Earth, thou must rend all bonds asunder.”
Shalt thou go. But ward off memory of cowering mortals,
These vermin with venerably outworn statutes,
Thou must abandon old Earth, thou must rend all bonds asunder.”
Though she wept and her lips were aquiver (waveringly) she girded herself towards nightfall
Yet she came, but tarried at every step, sobbing she hearkened awhile
To her mother’s breathing, when doors clattered,—she remembered companions of old
And dancing halls and the springtide evening by the river near native forests. . . .
Yet she came, but tarried at every step, sobbing she hearkened awhile
To her mother’s breathing, when doors clattered,—she remembered companions of old
And dancing halls and the springtide evening by the river near native forests. . . .
“Ah,” quoth I,” not thus mayst thou go with ballast of accursed memories.
They are but marshy vapours, upon which our souls have thriven.
Forget not that evil the world was contriving against thee, what tears thou hast shed,
Forget not wounds from accursed hands, and laughter of them that defile.
They are but marshy vapours, upon which our souls have thriven.
Forget not that evil the world was contriving against thee, what tears thou hast shed,
Forget not wounds from accursed hands, and laughter of them that defile.
Or that from youth they arrayed thee as a puppet for pastime of men,
For domestic lust of gluttons and lecherous bodies of burgesses.
Forget not how they craved that thy soul should be Weakness, Weakness,
That under the savour of sin it might seek Christ and Mary.
For domestic lust of gluttons and lecherous bodies of burgesses.
Forget not how they craved that thy soul should be Weakness, Weakness,
That under the savour of sin it might seek Christ and Mary.
Wilt thou not forget? . . .” Long we fared together. Days and nights passed by,
Over mountains we stride, and shun the dwellings of mortals.
Yonder where mistletoe clings to the pine-trees, yonder where the moon hangs in the darkness,
Yonder is goodliest faring, yonder are loftiest dreams and most lavish of blossom.
Over mountains we stride, and shun the dwellings of mortals.
Yonder where mistletoe clings to the pine-trees, yonder where the moon hangs in the darkness,
Yonder is goodliest faring, yonder are loftiest dreams and most lavish of blossom.
Wherefore now weepest thou? Believest thou not in New Life upon Other Worlds?
That she should weep not, when I led her across fallow-lands, forests, over waters,
Beneath the silvery glimmer of evening I began to speak falsely
Of Legends of beauty to be and unknown regions of foreboding.
That she should weep not, when I led her across fallow-lands, forests, over waters,
Beneath the silvery glimmer of evening I began to speak falsely
Of Legends of beauty to be and unknown regions of foreboding.
And thus did we fare. And lighted on vessels. . . . That was a sorrowful Ocean
And a Land for marvelling, a city with lights that were drab and pallid
And sightless windows, and towers with pinnacles in the clouds.
And I led her to the vessel and craved to be borne into Unknown Worlds.
And a Land for marvelling, a city with lights that were drab and pallid
And sightless windows, and towers with pinnacles in the clouds.
And I led her to the vessel and craved to be borne into Unknown Worlds.
Thereon was only a steersman I knew, with a thousand fiery promptings
Meseemed that he guided the vessel, but his name I knew not,
Whether it was Fate-Avenger or Fate-Redeemer,
He uttered with never a word, but deeply inclined him earthward.
Meseemed that he guided the vessel, but his name I knew not,
Whether it was Fate-Avenger or Fate-Redeemer,
He uttered with never a word, but deeply inclined him earthward.
Thereon was only the old steersman, known to me from perplexing apparitions;
Through space of unconscious beauty we journeyed with glowing horizon.
Ha, I was mirthful, secing her take heart after so lengthy a span,
And urged him to journey like lightning, securely remote from mortals.
Through space of unconscious beauty we journeyed with glowing horizon.
Ha, I was mirthful, secing her take heart after so lengthy a span,
And urged him to journey like lightning, securely remote from mortals.
And we journeyed and journeyed . . . the air full of cinnabar vapours
Grew chill of a sudden and gray (I perceived the old steersman had duped us)
Only his docile eyes of wisdom glittered with uncertain lustre betokening ill,
When earthwards he bowed him and spake “Forthwith we achieve our goal.”
Grew chill of a sudden and gray (I perceived the old steersman had duped us)
Only his docile eyes of wisdom glittered with uncertain lustre betokening ill,
When earthwards he bowed him and spake “Forthwith we achieve our goal.”
“There is the Land,” he spake thereupon with malign craft in his smile
And pointed to a pale streak which lifelessly emerged from clouds.
“Thou liest, dog! Yonder are the self-same mortals again,” I screamed in my fury,
“Cranes I behold on the shores, windows of houses glittering in the sunshine.
And pointed to a pale streak which lifelessly emerged from clouds.
“Thou liest, dog! Yonder are the self-same mortals again,” I screamed in my fury,
“Cranes I behold on the shores, windows of houses glittering in the sunshine.
Thou art one of that human rabble, confess, thou basilisk,
I will slay thee, thou dog, thou Evil incarnate, cozening huckster!”
He bowed him with chattering teeth. Thereupon the pale streak of earth again vanished
And again on the distant path from the world of mortals we journeyed.
I will slay thee, thou dog, thou Evil incarnate, cozening huckster!”
He bowed him with chattering teeth. Thereupon the pale streak of earth again vanished
And again on the distant path from the world of mortals we journeyed.
Days passed and horror of fruitless waiting clung to our hearts,
We sat us down in embrace and she wept, whispering of bygone days.
“Knowest thou, how, in summer, twilight slumbered above warm pastures,
Silvery light was aquiver above stillness of secret footpaths?”
We sat us down in embrace and she wept, whispering of bygone days.
“Knowest thou, how, in summer, twilight slumbered above warm pastures,
Silvery light was aquiver above stillness of secret footpaths?”
“Dost thou see, thou dog, again she remembers,” I cried. Evil of portent
Was the old man’s mruteness by his compass (his hardihood allured me to murder)
“Again she weeps, dog, journey swiftly where beneath conscience there is dawning,
And where there is gladness and music and fragrance of blood-red blossoms.”
Was the old man’s mruteness by his compass (his hardihood allured me to murder)
“Again she weeps, dog, journey swiftly where beneath conscience there is dawning,
And where there is gladness and music and fragrance of blood-red blossoms.”
Days passed and nights grew dim. I beheld her tresses had whitened,
Haply with dread, as the waves battered the sides of the mouldering vessel,
“Dost thou see how her tresses have whitened?” I cried in despair, “dost thou see, thou accursed old man?
Even me hast thou deceived, I trust thee not, nay, I trust thee not.”
Haply with dread, as the waves battered the sides of the mouldering vessel,
“Dost thou see how her tresses have whitened?” I cried in despair, “dost thou see, thou accursed old man?
Even me hast thou deceived, I trust thee not, nay, I trust thee not.”
And I slew him with a ferocious blow, the dissembling demon,
The deck rumbled with the fall, and the creak of the rigging was as laughter.
“Now he shall no more deceive us by return to accursed Earth.
He knew not Worlds of Revelation. . . . Shall we die? Ah, to live thus. . . .
The deck rumbled with the fall, and the creak of the rigging was as laughter.
“Now he shall no more deceive us by return to accursed Earth.
He knew not Worlds of Revelation. . . . Shall we die? Ah, to live thus. . . .
Oh, vainly thou pleadest, never shall I return to Earth, nay, I return not,
Having destroyed thy youth, thy happiness and hope for the Land of increase. . . .
And having destroyed thy soul by tarrying for the light which cometh not,
No more shall I return to Earth which I curse, the cradle of Evil.
Having destroyed thy youth, thy happiness and hope for the Land of increase. . . .
And having destroyed thy soul by tarrying for the light which cometh not,
No more shall I return to Earth which I curse, the cradle of Evil.
Naught remains but to wait, or to perish in frenzied embrace
Upon the deserted vessel amid an ocean greenishly lifeless . . .
But yet weep not, I shall swerve not for thy sake, firm is my will,
And happiness it is to perish afar from the squalor of Earth. . . .”
Sorrows Overcome (1897)
Upon the deserted vessel amid an ocean greenishly lifeless . . .
But yet weep not, I shall swerve not for thy sake, firm is my will,
And happiness it is to perish afar from the squalor of Earth. . . .”
Sorrows Overcome (1897)
This work is a translation and has a separate copyright status to the applicable copyright protections of the original content.
| Original: |
This work is in the public domain in the United States because it was published before January 1, 1930. The longest-living author of this work died in 1928, so this work is in the public domain in countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 96 years or less. This work may be in the public domain in countries and areas with longer native copyright terms that apply the rule of the shorter term to foreign works.
Public domainPublic domainfalsefalse |
|---|---|
| Translation: |
This work is in the public domain in the United States because it was published before January 1, 1930. The longest-living author of this work died in 1970, so this work is in the public domain in countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 54 years or less. This work may be in the public domain in countries and areas with longer native copyright terms that apply the rule of the shorter term to foreign works.
Public domainPublic domainfalsefalse |
