egypt-第26部分

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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　oppression　without　possible

deliverance；　of　massive　and　mournful　eternity。



＇*＇　About　30　feet　in　circumference　and　75　feet　in　height　including　the

　　　　capital。



And　this；　forsooth；　was　the　place　that　I　had　wished　to　traverse　alone；

without　even　the　Bedouin　guard；　who　at　night　believes　it　his　duty　to

follow　the　visitors。　But　now　it　grows　lighter　and　lighter。　Too　light

even；　for　a　blue　phosphorescence；　coming　from　the　eastern　horizon；

begins　to　filter　through　the　opacity　of　the　colonnades　on　the　right；

outlines　the　monstrous　shafts；　and　details　them　by　vague　glimmerings

on　their　edges。　The　full　moon　is　risen；　alas！　and　my　hours　of　solitude

are　nearly　over。



*****



The　moon！　Suddenly　the　stones　of　the　summit；　the　copings；　the

formidable　friezes；　are　lighted　by　rays　of　clear　light；　and　here　and

there；　on　the　bas…reliefs　encircling　the　pillars；　appear　luminous

trails　which　reveal　the　gods　and　goddesses　engraved　in　the　stone。　They

were　watching　in　myriads　around　me；　as　I　knew　well；coifed；　all　of

them；　in　discs　or　great　horns。　They　stare　at　one　another　with　their

arms　raised；　spreading　out　their　long　fingers　in　an　eager　attempt　at

conversation。　They　are　numberless；　these　eternally　gesticulating　gods。

Wherever　you　look　their　forms　are　multiplied　with　a　stupefying

repetition。　They　seem　to　have　some　mysterious　secret　to　convey　to　one

another；　but　have　perforce　to　remain　silent；　and　for　all　the

expressiveness　of　their　attitudes　their　hands　do　not　move。　And

hieroglyphs；　too；　repeated　to　infinity；　envelop　you　on　all　sides　like

a　multiple　woof　of　mystery。



*****



Minute　by　minute　now；　everything　amongst　these　rigid　dead　things　grows

more　precise。　Cold；　hard　rays　penetrate　through　the　immense　ruin；

separating　with　a　sharp　incisiveness　the　light　from　the　shadows。　The

feeling　that　these　stones；　wearied　as　they　were　with　their　long

duration；　might　still　be　thoughtful；　still　mindful　of　their　past；

grows　lessless　than　it　was　a　few　moments　before；　far　less　than

during　the　preceding　blue　phantasmagoria。　Under　this　clear；　pale

light；　as　in　the　daytime；　under　the　fire　of　the　sun；　Thebes　has　lost

for　the　moment　whatever　remained　to　it　of　soul；　it　has　receded　farther

into　the　backward　of　time；　and　appears　now　nothing　more　than　a　vast

gigantic　fossil　that　excites　only　our　wonder　and　our　fear。



*****



But　the　tourists　will　soon　be　here；　attracted　by　the　moon。　A　league

away；　in　the　hotels　of　Luxor；　I　can　fancy　how　they　have　hurried　away

from　the　tables；　for　fear　of　missing　the　celebrated　spectacle。　For　me；

therefore；　it　is　time　to　beat　a　retreat；　and；　by　the　great　avenue

again；　I　direct　my　steps　towards　the　pylons　of　the　Ptolemies；　where

the　night　guards　are　waiting。



They　are　busy　already；　these　Bedouins；　in　opening　the　gates　for　some

tourists；　who　have　shown　their　permits；　and　who　carry　Kodaks；

magnesium　to　light　up　the　templesquite　an　outfit　in　short。



Farther　on；　when　I　have　taken　the　road　to　Luxor；　it　is　not　long　before

I　meet；　under　the　palm…trees　and　on　the　sands；　the　crowd；　the　main

body　of　the　arrivalssome　in　carriages；　some　on　horseback；　some　on

donkeys。　There　is　a　noise　of　voices　speaking　all　sorts　of　non…Egyptian

languages。　One　is　tempted　to　ask：　〃What　is　happening？　A　ball；　a

holiday；　a　grand　marriage？〃　No。　The　moon　is　full　to…night　at　Thebes；

upon　the　ruins。　That　is　all。







CHAPTER　XVI



THEBES　IN　SUNLIGHT



It　is　two　o'clock　in　the　afternoon。　A　white　angry　fire　pours　from　the

sky；　which　is　pale　from　excess　of　light。　A　sun　inimical　to　the　men　of

our　climate　scorches　the　enormous　fossil　which；　crumbling　in　places；

is　all　that　remains　of　Thebes　and　which　lies　there　like　the　carcass　of

a　gigantic　beast　that　has　been　dead　for　thousands　of　years；　but　is　too

massive　ever　to　be　annihilated。



In　the　hypostyle　there　is　a　little　blue　shade　behind　the　monstrous

pillars；　but　even　that　shade　is　dusty　and　hot。　The　columns　too　are

hot；　and　so　are　a