Копи царя Соломона
Our March into the Desert
Listen!whatislife?Itisafeather,itistheseedofthegrass,blownhitherandthither,sometimesmultiplyingitselfanddyingintheact,sometimescarriedawayintotheheavens. Butifthatseedbegoodandheavyitmayperchancetravelalittlewayontheroaditwills. Itiswelltotryandjourneyone’sroadandtofightwiththeair. Manmustdie. Attheworsthecanbutdiealittlesooner. Iwillgowiththeeacrossthedesertandoverthemountains,unlessperchanceIfalltothegroundontheway,myfather."
Hepausedawhile,andthenwentonwithoneofthosestrangeburstsofrhetoricaleloquencethatZulussometimesindulgein,whichtomymind,fullthoughtheyareofvainrepetitions,showthattheraceisbynomeansdevoidofpoeticinstinctandofintellectualpower.
"Whatislife?Tellme,Owhitemen,whoarewise,whoknowthesecretsoftheworld,andoftheworldofstars,andtheworldthatliesaboveandaroundthestars;whoflashyourwordsfromafarwithoutavoice; tellme,whitemen,thesecretofourlife—whitheritgoesandwhenceitcomes!
"Youcannotanswerme;youknownot. Listen,Iwillanswer.Outofthedarkwecame,intothedarkwego. Likeastorm-drivenbirdatnightweflyoutoftheNowhere; foramomentourwingsareseeninthelightofthefire,and,lo!wearegoneagainintotheNowhere. Lifeisnothing.Lifeisall.ItistheHandwithwhichweholdoffDeath.
