登陆注册
5419700000185

第185章

Prepare ye the way of the Lord;

Make his paths straight In the land that is desolate!

PRIEST.

If thou be not the Christ, Nor yet Elias, nor he That, in sign of the things to be, Shattered the vessel of clay In the Valley of Slaughter, Then declare unto us, and say By what authority now Baptizest thou?

JOHN.

I indeed baptize you with water Unto repentance; but He, That cometh after me, Is mightier than I and higher;The latchet of whose shoes I an not worthy to unloose;He shall baptize you with fire, And with the Holy Ghost!

Whose fan is in his hand;

He will purge to the uttermost His floor, and garner his wheat, But will burn the chaff in the brand And fire of unquenchable heat!

Repent! repent! repent!

II

MOUNT QUARANTANIA

I

LUCIFER.

Not in the lightning's flash, nor in the thunder, Not in the tempest, nor the cloudy storm, Will I array my form;But part invisible these boughs asunder, And move and murmur as the wind upheaves And whispers in the leaves.

Not as a terror and a desolation, Not in my natural shape, inspiring fear And dread, will I appear;But in soft tones of sweetness and persuasion, A sound as of the fall of mountain streams, Or voices heard in dreams.

He sitteth there in silence, worn and wasted With famine, and uplifts his hollow eyes To the unpitying skies;For forty days and nights he hath not tasted Of food or drink, his parted lips are pale, Surely his strength must fail.

Wherefore dost thou in penitential fasting Waste and consume the beauty of thy youth.

Ah, if thou be in truth The Son of the Unnamed, the Everlasting, Command these stones beneath thy feet to be Changed into bread for thee!

CHRISTUS.

'T is written! Man shall not live by bread alone, But by each word that from God's mouth proceedeth!

II

LUCIFER.

Too weak, alas! too weak is the temptation For one whose soul to nobler things aspires Than sensual desires!

Ah, could I, by some sudden aberration, Lend and delude to suicidal death This Christ of Nazareth!

Unto the holy Temple on Moriah, With its resplendent domes, and manifold Bright pinnacles of gold, Where they await thy coming, O Messiah!

Lo, I have brought thee! Let thy glory here Be manifest and clear.

Reveal thyself by royal act and gesture Descending with the bright triumphant host Of all the hithermost Archangels, and about thee as a vesture The shining clouds, and all thy splendors show Unto the world below!

Cast thyself down, it is the hour appointed;And God hath given his angels charge and care To keep thee and upbear Upon their hands his only Son, the Anointed, Lest he should dash his foot against a stone And die, and be unknown.

CHRISTUS.

'T is written: Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God!

III

LUCIFER.

I cannot thus delude him to perdition!

But one temptation still remains untried, The trial of his pride, The thirst of power, the fever of ambition!

Surely by these a humble peasant's son At last may be undone!

Above the yawning chasms and deep abysses, Across the headlong torrents, I have brought Thy footsteps, swift as thought;And from the highest of these precipices, The Kingdoms of the world thine eyes behold.

Like a great map unrolled.

From far-off Lebanon, with cedars crested, To where the waters of the Asphalt Lake On its white pebbles break, And the vast desert, silent, sand-invested, These kingdoms all are mine, and thine shall be, If thou wilt worship me!

CHRISTUS.

Get thee behind me, Satan! thou shalt worship The Lord thy God; Him only shalt thou serve!

ANGELS MINISTRANT.

The sun goes down; the evening shadows lengthen, The fever and the struggle of the day Abate and pass away;Thine Angels Miniatrant, we come to strengthen And comfort thee, and crown thee with the palm, The silence and the calm.

III

THE MARRIAGE IN CANA

THE MUSICIANS.

Rise up, my love, my fair one, Rise up, and come away, For lo! the winter is past, The rain is over and gone, The flowers appear on the earth, The time of the singing of birds is come, And the voice of the turtle is heard in our land.

THE BRIDEGROOM.

Sweetly the minstrels sing the Song of Songs!

My heart runs forward with it, and I say:

Oh set me as a seal upon thine heart, And set me as a seal upon thine arm;For love is strong as life, and strong as death, And cruel as the grave is jealousy!

THE MUSICIANS.

I sleep, but my heart awaketh;

'T is the voice of my beloved Who knocketh, saying: Open to me, My sister, my love, my dove, For my head is filled with dew, My locks with the drops of the night!

THE BRIDE.

Ah yes, I sleep, and yet my heart awaketh.

It is the voice of my beloved who knocks.

THE BRIDEGROOM.

O beautiful as Rebecca at the fountain, O beautiful as Ruth among the sheaves!

O fairest among women! O undefiled!

Thou art all fair, my love, there's no spot in thee!

THE MUSICIANS.

My beloved is white and ruddy, The chiefest among ten thousand His locks are black as a raven, His eyes are the eyes of doves, Of doves by the rivers of water, His lips are like unto lilies, Dropping sweet-smelling myrrh.

ARCHITRICLINUS.

Who is that youth with the dark azure eyes, And hair, in color like unto the wine, Parted upon his forehead, and behind Falling in flowing locks?

PARANYMPHUS.

The Nazarene Who preacheth to the poor in field and village The coming of God's Kingdom.

ARCHITRICLINUS.

How serene His aspect is! manly yet womanly.

PARANYMPHUS.

Most beautiful among the sons of men!

Oft known to weep, but never known to laugh.

ARCHITRICLINUS.

And tell me, she with eyes of olive tint, And skin as fair as wheat, and pale brown hair, The woman at his side?

PARANYMPHUS.

His mother, Mary.

ARCHITRICLINUS.

And the tall figure standing close behind them, Clad all in white, with lace and beard like ashes, As if he were Elias, the White Witness, Come from his cave on Carmel to foretell The end of all things?

PARANYMPHUS.

That is Manahem The Essenian, he who dwells among the palms Near the Dead Sea.

ARCHITRICLINUS.

He who foretold to Herod He should one day be King?

PARANYMPHUS.

The same.

ARCHITRICLINUS.

同类推荐
  • 荔枝

    荔枝

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 绣像红灯记

    绣像红灯记

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 医学举要

    医学举要

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 洪恩灵济真君自然行道仪

    洪恩灵济真君自然行道仪

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 四分律比丘戒本

    四分律比丘戒本

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 状态

    状态

    本书由作家出版社出版,是国家一级作家戈悟觉写在新世纪的六部中短篇小说。《状态》一书写世纪之交的中国知识分子和企业家的自强和困惑,不甘和无奈。他们的故事是时代的记忆。
  • The Register

    The Register

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 商道胡雪岩

    商道胡雪岩

    胡雪岩是一位不折不扣能挑大梁、担责任的大丈夫,他具有非凡的商业智慧。而这种智慧主要有三个显著的特点:讲人脉、懂经营、会处世。讲人脉,表现为他善于交际,在官场、商场都有很多的“朋友”、“贵人”相助,让他不仅左右逢源,还有一个个人才为他所用;懂经营,表现在他有一双敏锐的“火眼金睛”,能把握住市场动向,能知道怎样“借鸡生蛋”、“移花接木”,能知道怎样将生意做大、做活、做精;会处世,表现为他懂得察言观色,能投人所好、急人所急,助人为乐。关于这三点,初看起来很是普通,但如果能同时将它们做到,非得需要一番人生智慧不可,所以堪称经商三绝。
  • 最佳强娶:总裁追妻令

    最佳强娶:总裁追妻令

    许念,二十岁那年,被家人抛弃,拒之门外,她在门外哭喊,最后晕倒在了暴雨之中。再次醒来是在陌生人男人的家里,这个男人收留她,给她工作,待她温柔。许念一心认为他是个好人,对他无话不说,然而就是这个好人,给了她一生都难以忘记的痛苦回忆。深夜,他压她在身下,用好听用性感的嗓音宣誓主权。他说:“你是我的,并且只能是我的。”许念泪水沾湿了枕头,她哭着求他别这样,然而,一切都是徒劳。他霸占她,囚困她,剥夺了她的自由。她不甘心,一直想办法逃走。一次失败,第二次成功。就在他们的结婚典礼上,那一刻,她真正明白什么表情叫做面如死灰……
  • 凝水凌

    凝水凌

    一个叫乔凌凝的女孩在修真路上前进的故事,人生、爱情、与能力,从小白变的内心强大在某一个点爆发,故事很精彩,各位看官且听说来……
  • 十八枚功章

    十八枚功章

    “丢牛案件”的蹊跷。傍晚,冯家堡村村民冯树田骑着很破的自行车,要到乡派出所去报案,因为他家丢了一头小牛。冯树田是冯家堡村最先富起来的村民。他原来是兽医,还在县兽医站呆过几年。这几年他养牛富起来,人也变得小气了。他让儿子和雇来的帮工喂牛放牛,他每天要做的事就是早晨起来,劈里啪啦地打算盘,也不知是算些什么。傍晚,他就到牛圈里数牛,一遍一遍地数。这天他忽然数出少一头牛,他把他的牛在脑子里过了一遍筛子以后,马上就知道少的那头牛是头小牛,生下来不到半年,还是一头小母牛。他先是骂了一顿儿子,又骂了一遍帮工。
  • 葬帝传

    葬帝传

    万年载前,一代天骄宁尘在冲击仙境,登峰仙路时,受天界各方大能,霸主,巨头……等等大佬级别的人物围杀,最后就差一步时登临仙路之巅时,陨落天劫之下,自此而饮恨陨落,消失在了世间,化作了历史的尘埃,陨落凡尘中的滚滚红尘中,成为了一颗颗历史凡尘中尘埃。……万年载后,宁尘重生了,并携带了十二古之秘藏开启了一个逆天不灭的神话传说之路。永恒不灭的传说就此开始。……
  • 八千万分之一

    八千万分之一

    林楚烟原本只是个小小的替身演员,但在她遇到了明星易明辰后就迷迷糊糊变成了他的助理。易明辰:“不你记得了吗?七年前……”林楚烟是真的没想到易明辰能记了她七年,毕竟她只是他八千万粉丝中的一个……小甜文,全书无虐点!(PS:本书纯属虚构)
  • 善待人生的120个阳光心态

    善待人生的120个阳光心态

    本书共有十章,主要从现代人的不良情绪开始讲起,依次分析现代人的意志障碍问题、病态心理问题、自我意识缺失问题、不良的性心理问题、学习和工作中的消极心理问题、人际交往中需要注意的心理问题、爱情和婚姻中的不良心理问题,以及一些特殊人群和人生各个阶段的心理问题。内容全面、简洁而不拖沓,读起来轻松且实用性强,方便你随时为自己的心理把脉并进行轻松治疗。本书的目的只有一个,就是希望你能拥有一个阳光心态,在以后的人生路上能够生活得更加轻松、自在和坦然。人生就像一场随心所欲的旅行,不必在乎目的地,应在乎的是沿途的风景以及看风景的心情。这一句广告语说得很妙。
  • 金色的玉米

    金色的玉米

    那年,他虚岁十六。乡下的孩子上学晚,他九岁时去的柳树小学。柳树小学里面有一棵老柳树,因为树龄太老,树干已经翻裂,袒露着苍白的树心。生他养他的柳树村也没有几棵柳树,没有人在意这些称谓。他居住的镇子叫杏树屯,难道就非得有杏树吗?都是无所谓的事,就像他叫王德利一样,十六岁了,他似乎真的没有得到过什么利益。计算一下,这年应该是一九八五年,也是中国政府向世界宣布对外开放的第二个年头。第三次浪潮,第四次工业革命,举国上下都在躁动,王德利似乎也在躁动。十六岁,本身也是躁动的年龄。