Český-jazyk.cz aneb studentský underground­

• přeložil Jaroslav Vrchlický
• název anglického originálu: Darkness

Já sen měl, jenž však nebyl zcela snem.
Již zářné slunce uhaslo a hvězdy
bloudily tmavé věčným prostorem
bez lesku, bez směru, zem ledová
se nesla slepá vzduchem bezlunným.
Šla jitra, mizela - však žádný den,
své vášně člověk v hrůze zapomněl
té spousty, srdce všechněch zamrzla
za světlo jen k modlitbě sobecké.
U strážných žili ohňů jen a trůny
a králů paláce i chatrče,
vše obydlí, v nichž člověk přebývá,
majáky vzplály, města sžehnuta;
kol ohňů jich se lidé kupili,
by pohlédli si ještě jednou v tvář.
Ti šťastní, kteří pod sopkami žili
zrak vzpjatý k horským jejich pochodním!
Jen hroznou ještě naději měl svět,
zažehnout lesy. - V málo hodinách
též zmizely a sténající kmeny
uhasly s praskotem - vše černé pak.
Tvář lidí v tomto světle zoufalém
rys měla nezemský, když míhavý
žeh přes ni šleh, tu jedni leželi
zrak v pláči skrývajíce, jiní zas
o pěstě brady opírali s šklebem
a jiní sem tam běhali a dřívím
svou tryznu živili a hleděli
jak blázni v nepokoji v nebes tmu
v ten rubáš světa zašlého a pak
v prach s kletbami se řvouce vrhali
a zuby skřípali, co ptáci diví
u země polétali hýkajíce
si otloukali křídla zbytečná.
Zvěř nejdivější krotká přišla, zmije
z děr vylezly a v dav se plazily
syčíce bez žihadla, byly zbity
za pokrm. Válka na mžik ztichnuvši
se znovu nažrala, chleb kupován
byl za krev, stranou každý sed a hltal
v pochmurném vzteku. Lásky nebylo,
zem byla jednou myšlenkou, jež Smrt,
bez slávy, nezbytná. Před hladem děs
všech nitro hlodal, lidé zmírali,
bez hrobů bylo maso jich i kosti,
kdo vychrtlý, byl hltán vychrtlým.
Pes pána napad - mimo jednoho
a tento věrný zůstal mrtvole,
vše ptáky, zvěř i lidi odháněje,
až hlad je zdávil, neb smrt pozvolně
jich rozviklala spráhlé čelistě,
sám žrádla nehledal, jen žalně vyl,
pak divě štěkl, ruku lízaje,
jež nemohla jej hladit v dík - a chcíp.
Dav hladu podléhal. Tu pouze dva
na živu zbyli z obrovského města
a tito soky byli. Setkali se
u hasnoucího uhlí při oltáři,
kde nakupené svaté nádoby
v nesvatý účel. Tito škrabali
a hrabali svou rukou kostnatou
ve vroucím popeli, jich vlahý dech
rozfoukal trochu žití, plamínek
si vzňali, jenž byl výsměch, výše zrak
při záři jeho zvedli, spatřili
druh druha tvář a - výkřik! - skonali.
Vzájemné hrůzy zjevem skonali
a nevěděli, komu na skráň z nich
hlad "Ďábel!" vryl! Svět prázdný dokola
kdys mocný, lidnatý byl, spousta teď
bez času, stromů, lidí, života,
jen spousta smrti, chaos ztvrdlé hlíny
a řeky, plesa, oceán - vše tiché
a v němých nepohnuty v hlubinách,
bez mužstva hnily lodě na moři,
jich stěžně drobily se do hlubin
a spaly bez příboje v propastech.
I vlny mrtvy, proudy pochovány,
jich vladař měsíc zhasl před tím již,
a větry hořely ve bahně vzduchu
a mraky zhynuly, jich pomoci
tma nepotřebovala, - sama Vesmír!

Darkness v anglickém originálu (Tma)

I had a dream, which was not all a dream.
The bright sun was extinguished, and the stars
Did wander darkling in the eternal space,
Rayless, and pathless, and the icy Earth
Swung blind and blackening in the moonless air;
Morn came and went-and came, and brought no day,
And men forgot their passions in the dread
Of this their desolation; and all hearts
Were chilled into a selfish prayer for light:
And they did live by watchfires-and the thrones,
The palaces of crownéd kings-the huts,
The habitations of all things which dwell,
Were burnt for beacons; cities were consumed,
And men were gathered round their blazing homes
To look once more into each other's face;
Happy were those who dwelt within the eye
Of the volcanos, and their mountain-torch:
A fearful hope was all the World contained;
Forests were set on fire-but hour by hour
They fell and faded-and the crackling trunks
Extinguished with a crash-and all was black.
The brows of men by the despairing light
Wore an unearthly aspect, as by fits
The flashes fell upon them; some lay down
And hid their eyes and wept; and some did rest
Their chins upon their clenchéd hands, and smiled;
And others hurried to and fro, and fed
Their funeral piles with fuel, and looked up
With mad disquietude on the dull sky,
The pall of a past World; and then again
With curses cast them down upon the dust,
And gnashed their teeth and howled: the wild birds shrieked,
And, terrified, did flutter on the ground,
And flap their useless wings; the wildest brutes
Came tame and tremulous; and vipers crawled
And twined themselves among the multitude,
Hissing, but stingless-they were slain for food:
And War, which for a moment was no more,
Did glut himself again:-a meal was bought
With blood, and each sate sullenly apart
Gorging himself in gloom: no Love was left;
All earth was but one thought-and that was Death,
Immediate and inglorious; and the pang
Of famine fed upon all entrails-men
Died, and their bones were tombless as their flesh;
The meagre by the meagre were devoured,
Even dogs assailed their masters, all save one,
And he was faithful to a corse, and kept
The birds and beasts and famished men at bay,
Till hunger clung them, or the dropping dead
Lured their lank jaws; himself sought out no food,
But with a piteous and perpetual moan,
And a quick desolate cry, licking the hand
Which answered not with a caress-he died.
The crowd was famished by degrees; but two
Of an enormous city did survive,
And they were enemies: they met beside
The dying embers of an altar-place
Where had been heaped a mass of holy things
For an unholy usage; they raked up,
And shivering scraped with their cold skeleton hands
The feeble ashes, and their feeble breath
Blew for a little life, and made a flame
Which was a mockery; then they lifted up
Their eyes as it grew lighter, and beheld
Each other's aspects-saw, and shrieked, and died-
Even of their mutual hideousness they died,
Unknowing who he was upon whose brow
Famine had written Fiend. The World was void,
The populous and the powerful was a lump,
Seasonless, herbless, treeless, manless, lifeless-
A lump of death-a chaos of hard clay.
The rivers, lakes, and ocean all stood still,
And nothing stirred within their silent depths;
Ships sailorless lay rotting on the sea,
And their masts fell down piecemeal: as they dropped
They slept on the abyss without a surge-
The waves were dead; the tides were in their grave,
The Moon, their mistress, had expired before;
The winds were withered in the stagnant air,
And the clouds perished; Darkness had no need
Of aid from them-She was the Universe.