egypt-第35部分

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night；　under　a　strange；　copper…coloured　sky。



Incontestably　it　is　the　desert；　with　its　chaos　of　granite　and　sand；

its　warm　tones　and　reddish　colour。　But　there　are　telegraph　poles　and

the　lines　of　a　railroad；　which　traverse　it　in　company；　and　disappear

in　the　empty　horizon。　And　then　too　how　paradoxical　and　ridiculous　it

seems　to　be　travelling　here　on　full　security　and　in　a　carriage！　（The

most　commonplace　of　hackney…carriages；　which　I　hired　by　the　hour　on

the　quay　of　Assouan。）　A　desert　indeed　which　preserves　still　its

aspects　of　reality；　but　has　become　domesticated　and　tamed　for　the　use

of　the　tourists　and　the　ladies。



First；　immense　cemeteries　surrounded　by　sand　at　the　beginning　of　these

quasi…solitudes。　Such　old　cemeteries　of　every　epoch　of　history。　The

thousand　little　cupolas　of　saints　of　Islam　are　crumbling　side　by　side

with　the　Christian　obelisks　of　the　first　centuries；　and；　underneath；

the　Pharaonic　hypogea。　In　the　twilight；　all　these　ruins　of　the　dead；

all　the　scattered　blocks　of　granite　are　mingled　in　mournful　groupings；

outlined　in　fantastic　silhouette　against　the　pale　copper　of　the　sky；

broken　arches；　tilted　domes；　and　rocks　that　rise　up　like　tall

phantoms。



Farther　on；　when　we　have　left　behind　this　region　of　tombs；　the

granites　alone　litter　the　expanse　of　sand；　granites　to　which　the　usury

of　centuries　has　given　the　form　of　huge　round　beasts。　In　places　they

have　been　thrown　one　upon　the　other　and　make　great　heaps　of　monsters。

Elsewhere　they　lie　alone　among　the　sands；　as　if　lost　in　the　midst　of

the　infinitude　of　some　dead　sea…shore。　The　rails　and　the　telegraph

poles　have　disappeared；　by　the　magic　of　twilight　everything　is　become

grand　again；　beneath　one　of　those　evening　skies　of　Egypt　which；　in

winter；　resemble　cold　cupolas　of　metal。　And　now　it　is　that　you　feel

yourself　verily　on　the　threshold　of　the　profound　desolations　of

Arabia；　from　which　no　barrier；　after　all　separates　you。　Were　it　not

for　the　lack　of　verisimilitude　in　the　carriage　that　has　brought　us

hither；　we　should　be　able　now　to　take　this　desert　quite　seriouslyfor

in　fact　it　has　no　limits。



After　travelling　for　about　three…quarters　of　an　hour；　we　see　in　the

distance　a　number　of　lights；　which　have　already　been　kindled　in　the

growing　darkness。　They　seem　too　bright　to　be　those　of　an　Arab

encampment。　And　our　driver　turning　round　and　pointing　to　them　says：

〃Chelal！〃



Chelalthat　is　the　name　of　the　Arab　village；　on　the　riverside；　where

you　take　the　boat　for　Philae。　To　our　disgust　the　place　is　lighted　by

electricity。　It　consists　of　a　station；　a　factory　with　a　long　smoking

chimney；　and　a　dozen　or　so　suspicious…looking　taverns；　reeking　of

alcohol；　without　which；　it　would　seem；　our　European　civilisation　could

not　implant　itself　in　a　new　country。



And　here　we　embark　for　Philae。　A　number　of　boats　are　ready：　for　the

tourists　allured　by　many　advertisements　flock　hither　every　winter　in

docile　herds。　All　the　boats；　without　a　single　exception；　are　profusely

decorated　with　little　English　flags；　as　if　for　some　regatta　on　the

Thames。　There　is　no　escape　therefore　from　this　beflagging　of　a　foreign

holidayand　we　set　out　with　a　homesick　song　of　Nubia；　which　the

boatmen　sing　to　the　cadence　of　the　oars。



The　copper…coloured　heaven　remains　so　impregnated　with　cold　light　that

we　still　see　clearly。　We　are　amid　magnificent　tragic　scenery　on　a　lake

surrounded　by　a　kind　of　fearful　amphitheatre　outlined　on　all　sides　by

the　mountains　of　the　desert。　It　was　at　the　bottom　of　this　granite

circus　that　the　Nile　used　to　flow；　forming　fresh　islets；　on　which　the

eternal　verdure　of　the　palm…trees　contrasted　with　the　high　desolate

mountains　that　surrounded　it　like　a　wall。　To…day；　on　account　of　the

barrage　established　by　the　English；　the　water　has　steadily　risen；　like

a　tide　that　will　never　recede；　and　this　lake；　almost　a　little　sea；

replaces　the　meanderings　of　the　river　and　has　succeeded　in　submerging

the　sacred　islets。　The　sanctuary　of　Isiswhich　was　enthroned　for

thousands　of　years　on　the　summit　of　a　hill；　crowded　with　temples　and

colonnades　and　statuesstill　half　emerges；　but　it　is　alone　and　will

soon　go　the　way　of　the　others；　There　it　is；　beyond；　like　a　great　rock；

at　this　hour　in　which　the　night　begins　to　obscure　everything。



Nowhere　but　in　Upper　Egypt　have　the　winter　nights　these　transparencies

of　absolute　emptiness　nor　these　sinister　colourings。　As　the　light

gradually　fails；　the　sky　passes　from　copper　to　bronze；　but　remains

always　metallic。　The　zenith　becomes　brownish　like　a　brazen　shield；

while　the　setting　sun　alone　retains　its　yellow　colour；　growing　slowly

paler　till　it　is　almost　of　the　whiteness　of　latten；　and；　above；　the

mountains　of　the　desert　edge　their　sharp　outlines　with　a　tint　of　burnt

sienna。　To…night　a　freezing　wind　blows　fiercely　in　our　faces。　To　the

continual　chant　of　the　rowers　we　pass　slowly　over　the　artificial　lake；

which　is　upheld　as　it　were　in　the　air　by　the　English　masonry；

invisible　now　in　the　distance；　but　divined　nevertheless　and　revolting。

A　sacrilegious　lake　one　might　call　it；　since　it　hides　beneath　its

troubled　waters　ruins　beyond　all　price；　temples　of　the　gods　of　Egypt；

churches　of　the　first　centuries　of　Christianity；　obelisks；

inscriptions　and　emblems。　It　is　over　these　things　that　we　now　pass；

while　the　spray　splashes　in　our　faces；　and　the　foam　of　a　thousand

angry　little　billows。



We　draw　near　to　what　was　once　the　holy　isle。　In　places　dying　palm…

trees；　whose　long　trunks　are　to…day　under　water；　still　show　their

moistened　plumes　and　give　an　appearance　of　inundation；　almost　of

cataclysm。



Before　coming　to　the　sanctuary　of　Isis；　we　touch　at　the　kiosk　of

Philae；　which　has　been　reproduced　in　the　pictures　of　every　age；　and　is

as　celebrated　even　as　the　Sphinx　and　the　pyramids。　It　used　to　stand　on

a　pedestal　of　high　rocks；　and　around　it　the　date…trees　swayed　their

bouquets　of　aerial　palms。　To…day　it　has　no　longer　a　base；　its　columns

rise　separately　from　this　kind　of　suspended　lake。　It　looks　as　if　it

had　been　constructed　in　the　water　for　the　purpose　of　some　royal

naumachy。　We　enter　with　our　boata　strange　port　indeed；　in　its

ancient　grandeur；　a　port　of　a　nameless　melancholy；　particularly　at

this　yellow　hour　of　the　closing　twilight；　and　under　these　icy　winds

that　come　to　us　mercilessly　from　the　neighbouring　deserts。　And　yet　how

adorable　it　is；　this　kiosk　of　Philae；　in　this　the　abandonment　that

precedes　its　downfall！　Its　columns　placed；　as　it　were；　upon　something

unstable；　become　thereby　more　slender；　seem　to　raise　higher　still　the

stone　foliage　of　their　capitals。　A　veritable　kiosk　of　dreamland　now；

which　one　feels　is　about　to　disappear　for　ever　under　these　waters

which　will　subside　no　more！



And　now；　for　another　few　moments；　it　grows　quite　light　again；　and

tints　of　a　warmer　copper　reappear　in　the　sky。　Often　in　Egypt　when　the

sun　has　set　and　you　think　the　light　is　gone；　this　furtive　recoloration

of　the　air　comes　thus　to　surprise　you；　before　the　darkness　finally

descends。　The　reddish　tints　seem　to　return　to　the　slender　shafts　that

surround　us；　and　also；　beyond；　to　the　temple　of　the　goddess；　standing

there　like　a　sheer　rock　in　the　middle　of　this　little　sea；　which　the

wind　covers　with　foam。



On　leaving　the　kiosk　our　boaton　this　deep　usurping　water；　among　the

submerged　palm…treesmakes　a　detour　in　order　to　lead　us　to　the　temple

by　the　road　which　the　pilgrims　of　olden　times　used　to　travel　on　foot

by　that　way　which；　a　little　while　ago；　was　still　magnificent；　bordered

with　colonnades　and　statues。　But　now　the　road　is　entirely　submerged；

and　will　never　be　seen　again。　Between　its　double　row　of　columns　the

water　lifts　us　to　the　height　of　the　capitals；　which　alone　emerge　and

which　we　could　touch　with　our　hands。　It　seems　like　some　journey　of　the

end　of　time；　in　a　kind　of　deserted　Venice；　which　is　about　to　topple

over；　to　sink　and　be　forgotten。



We　arrive　at　the　temple。　Above　our　heads　rise　the　enormous　pylons；

ornamented　with　figures　in　bas…relief：　an　Isis　who　stretches　out　her

arms　as　if　she　were　making　signs　to　us；　and　numerous　other　divinities

gesticulating　mysteriously。　The　door　which　opens　in　the　thickness　of

these　walls　is　low；　besides　being　half　flooded；　and　gives　on　to　depths

already　in　darkness。　We　row　on　and　enter　the　sanctuary；　and　as　soon　as

one　boat　has　crossed　the　sacred　threshold　the　boatmen　stop　their　song

and　suddenly　give　voice　to　the　new　cry　that　has　been　taught　them　for

the　benefit　of　the　tourists：　〃Hip！　Hip！　Hip！　Hurrah！〃　Coming　at　this

moment；　when；　with　heart　oppressed　by　all　the　utilitarian　vandalism

that　surrounds　us；　we　were　entering　the　sanctuary；　what　an　effect　of

gross　and　imbecile　profanation　this　bellowing　of　English　joy　produces！

The　boatmen　know；　moreover；　that　they　have　been　displaced；　that　their

day　has　gone　for　ever；　perhaps　even；　in　the　depths　of　their　Nubian

souls；　they　understand　us；　for　all　that　we　have　imposed　silence　on

them。