Books: A House of Pomegranates
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Oscar Wilde >> A House of Pomegranates
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'In front of the temple was a pool of clear water paved with veined
onyx. I lay down beside it, and with my pale fingers I touched the
broad leaves. One of the priests came towards me and stood behind
me. He had sandals on his feet, one of soft serpent-skin and the
other of birds' plumage. On his head was a mitre of black felt
decorated with silver crescents. Seven yellows were woven into his
robe, and his frizzed hair was stained with antimony.
'After a little while he spake to me, and asked me my desire.
'I told him that my desire was to see the god.
'"The god is hunting," said the priest, looking strangely at me
with his small slanting eyes.
'"Tell me in what forest, and I will ride with him," I answered.
'He combed out the soft fringes of his tunic with his long pointed
nails. "The god is asleep," he murmured.
'"Tell me on what couch, and I will watch by him," I answered.
'"The god is at the feast," he cried.
'"If the wine be sweet I will drink it with him, and if it be
bitter I will drink it with him also," was my answer.
'He bowed his head in wonder, and, taking me by the hand, he raised
me up, and led me into the temple.
'And in the first chamber I saw an idol seated on a throne of
jasper bordered with great orient pearls. It was carved out of
ebony, and in stature was of the stature of a man. On its forehead
was a ruby, and thick oil dripped from its hair on to its thighs.
Its feet were red with the blood of a newly-slain kid, and its
loins girt with a copper belt that was studded with seven beryls.
'And I said to the priest, "Is this the god?" And he answered me,
"This is the god."
'"Show me the god," I cried, "or I will surely slay thee." And I
touched his hand, and it became withered.
'And the priest besought me, saying, "Let my lord heal his servant,
and I will show him the god."
'So I breathed with my breath upon his hand, and it became whole
again, and he trembled and led me into the second chamber, and I
saw an idol standing on a lotus of jade hung with great emeralds.
It was carved out of ivory, and in stature was twice the stature of
a man. On its forehead was a chrysolite, and its breasts were
smeared with myrrh and cinnamon. In one hand it held a crooked
sceptre of jade, and in the other a round crystal. It ware buskins
of brass, and its thick neck was circled with a circle of
selenites.
'And I said to the priest, "Is this the god?"
'And he answered me, "This is the god."
'"Show me the god," I cried, "or I will surely slay thee." And I
touched his eyes, and they became blind.
'And the priest besought me, saying, "Let my lord heal his servant,
and I will show him the god."
'So I breathed with my breath upon his eyes, and the sight came
back to them, and he trembled again, and led me into the third
chamber, and lo! there was no idol in it, nor image of any kind,
but only a mirror of round metal set on an altar of stone.
'And I said to the priest, "Where is the god?"
'And he answered me: "There is no god but this mirror that thou
seest, for this is the Mirror of Wisdom. And it reflecteth all
things that are in heaven and on earth, save only the face of him
who looketh into it. This it reflecteth not, so that he who
looketh into it may be wise. Many other mirrors are there, but
they are mirrors of Opinion. This only is the Mirror of Wisdom.
And they who possess this mirror know everything, nor is there
anything hidden from them. And they who possess it not have not
Wisdom. Therefore is it the god, and we worship it." And I looked
into the mirror, and it was even as he had said to me.
'And I did a strange thing, but what I did matters not, for in a
valley that is but a day's journey from this place have I hidden
the Mirror of Wisdom. Do but suffer me to enter into thee again
and be thy servant, and thou shalt be wiser than all the wise men,
and Wisdom shall be thine. Suffer me to enter into thee, and none
will be as wise as thou.'
But the young Fisherman laughed. 'Love is better than Wisdom,' he
cried, 'and the little Mermaid loves me.'
'Nay, but there is nothing better than Wisdom,' said the Soul.
'Love is better,' answered the young Fisherman, and he plunged into
the deep, and the Soul went weeping away over the marshes.
And after the second year was over, the Soul came down to the shore
of the sea, and called to the young Fisherman, and he rose out of
the deep and said, 'Why dost thou call to me?'
And the Soul answered, 'Come nearer, that I may speak with thee,
for I have seen marvellous things.'
So he came nearer, and couched in the shallow water, and leaned his
head upon his hand and listened.
And the Soul said to him, 'When I left thee, I turned my face to
the South and journeyed. From the South cometh everything that is
precious. Six days I journeyed along the highways that lead to the
city of Ashter, along the dusty red-dyed highways by which the
pilgrims are wont to go did I journey, and on the morning of the
seventh day I lifted up my eyes, and lo! the city lay at my feet,
for it is in a valley.
'There are nine gates to this city, and in front of each gate
stands a bronze horse that neighs when the Bedouins come down from
the mountains. The walls are cased with copper, and the watch-
towers on the walls are roofed with brass. In every tower stands
an archer with a bow in his hand. At sunrise he strikes with an
arrow on a gong, and at sunset he blows through a horn of horn.
'When I sought to enter, the guards stopped me and asked of me who
I was. I made answer that I was a Dervish and on my way to the
city of Mecca, where there was a green veil on which the Koran was
embroidered in silver letters by the hands of the angels. They
were filled with wonder, and entreated me to pass in.
'Inside it is even as a bazaar. Surely thou shouldst have been
with me. Across the narrow streets the gay lanterns of paper
flutter like large butterflies. When the wind blows over the roofs
they rise and fall as painted bubbles do. In front of their booths
sit the merchants on silken carpets. They have straight black
beards, and their turbans are covered with golden sequins, and long
strings of amber and carved peach-stones glide through their cool
fingers. Some of them sell galbanum and nard, and curious perfumes
from the islands of the Indian Sea, and the thick oil of red roses,
and myrrh and little nail-shaped cloves. When one stops to speak
to them, they throw pinches of frankincense upon a charcoal brazier
and make the air sweet. I saw a Syrian who held in his hands a
thin rod like a reed. Grey threads of smoke came from it, and its
odour as it burned was as the odour of the pink almond in spring.
Others sell silver bracelets embossed all over with creamy blue
turquoise stones, and anklets of brass wire fringed with little
pearls, and tigers' claws set in gold, and the claws of that gilt
cat, the leopard, set in gold also, and earrings of pierced
emerald, and finger-rings of hollowed jade. From the tea-houses
comes the sound of the guitar, and the opium-smokers with their
white smiling faces look out at the passers-by.
'Of a truth thou shouldst have been with me. The wine-sellers
elbow their way through the crowd with great black skins on their
shoulders. Most of them sell the wine of Schiraz, which is as
sweet as honey. They serve it in little metal cups and strew rose
leaves upon it. In the market-place stand the fruitsellers, who
sell all kinds of fruit: ripe figs, with their bruised purple
flesh, melons, smelling of musk and yellow as topazes, citrons and
rose-apples and clusters of white grapes, round red-gold oranges,
and oval lemons of green gold. Once I saw an elephant go by. Its
trunk was painted with vermilion and turmeric, and over its ears it
had a net of crimson silk cord. It stopped opposite one of the
booths and began eating the oranges, and the man only laughed.
Thou canst not think how strange a people they are. When they are
glad they go to the bird-sellers and buy of them a caged bird, and
set it free that their joy may be greater, and when they are sad
they scourge themselves with thorns that their sorrow may not grow
less.
'One evening I met some negroes carrying a heavy palanquin through
the bazaar. It was made of gilded bamboo, and the poles were of
vermilion lacquer studded with brass peacocks. Across the windows
hung thin curtains of muslin embroidered with beetles' wings and
with tiny seed-pearls, and as it passed by a pale-faced Circassian
looked out and smiled at me. I followed behind, and the negroes
hurried their steps and scowled. But I did not care. I felt a
great curiosity come over me.
'At last they stopped at a square white house. There were no
windows to it, only a little door like the door of a tomb. They
set down the palanquin and knocked three times with a copper
hammer. An Armenian in a caftan of green leather peered through
the wicket, and when he saw them he opened, and spread a carpet on
the ground, and the woman stepped out. As she went in, she turned
round and smiled at me again. I had never seen any one so pale.
'When the moon rose I returned to the same place and sought for the
house, but it was no longer there. When I saw that, I knew who the
woman was, and wherefore she had smiled at me.
'Certainly thou shouldst have been with me. On the feast of the
New Moon the young Emperor came forth from his palace and went into
the mosque to pray. His hair and beard were dyed with rose-leaves,
and his cheeks were powdered with a fine gold dust. The palms of
his feet and hands were yellow with saffron.
'At sunrise he went forth from his palace in a robe of silver, and
at sunset he returned to it again in a robe of gold. The people
flung themselves on the ground and hid their faces, but I would not
do so. I stood by the stall of a seller of dates and waited. When
the Emperor saw me, he raised his painted eyebrows and stopped. I
stood quite still, and made him no obeisance. The people marvelled
at my boldness, and counselled me to flee from the city. I paid no
heed to them, but went and sat with the sellers of strange gods,
who by reason of their craft are abominated. When I told them what
I had done, each of them gave me a god and prayed me to leave them.
'That night, as I lay on a cushion in the tea-house that is in the
Street of Pomegranates, the guards of the Emperor entered and led
me to the palace. As I went in they closed each door behind me,
and put a chain across it. Inside was a great court with an arcade
running all round. The walls were of white alabaster, set here and
there with blue and green tiles. The pillars were of green marble,
and the pavement of a kind of peach-blossom marble. I had never
seen anything like it before.
'As I passed across the court two veiled women looked down from a
balcony and cursed me. The guards hastened on, and the butts of
the lances rang upon the polished floor. They opened a gate of
wrought ivory, and I found myself in a watered garden of seven
terraces. It was planted with tulip-cups and moonflowers, and
silver-studded aloes. Like a slim reed of crystal a fountain hung
in the dusky air. The cypress-trees were like burnt-out torches.
From one of them a nightingale was singing.
'At the end of the garden stood a little pavilion. As we
approached it two eunuchs came out to meet us. Their fat bodies
swayed as they walked, and they glanced curiously at me with their
yellow-lidded eyes. One of them drew aside the captain of the
guard, and in a low voice whispered to him. The other kept
munching scented pastilles, which he took with an affected gesture
out of an oval box of lilac enamel.
'After a few moments the captain of the guard dismissed the
soldiers. They went back to the palace, the eunuchs following
slowly behind and plucking the sweet mulberries from the trees as
they passed. Once the elder of the two turned round, and smiled at
me with an evil smile.
'Then the captain of the guard motioned me towards the entrance of
the pavilion. I walked on without trembling, and drawing the heavy
curtain aside I entered in.
'The young Emperor was stretched on a couch of dyed lion skins, and
a gerfalcon perched upon his wrist. Behind him stood a brass-
turbaned Nubian, naked down to the waist, and with heavy earrings
in his split ears. On a table by the side of the couch lay a
mighty scimitar of steel.
'When the Emperor saw me he frowned, and said to me, "What is thy
name? Knowest thou not that I am Emperor of this city?" But I
made him no answer.
'He pointed with his finger at the scimitar, and the Nubian seized
it, and rushing forward struck at me with great violence. The
blade whizzed through me, and did me no hurt. The man fell
sprawling on the floor, and when he rose up his teeth chattered
with terror and he hid himself behind the couch.
'The Emperor leapt to his feet, and taking a lance from a stand of
arms, he threw it at me. I caught it in its flight, and brake the
shaft into two pieces. He shot at me with an arrow, but I held up
my hands and it stopped in mid-air. Then he drew a dagger from a
belt of white leather, and stabbed the Nubian in the throat lest
the slave should tell of his dishonour. The man writhed like a
trampled snake, and a red foam bubbled from his lips.
'As soon as he was dead the Emperor turned to me, and when he had
wiped away the bright sweat from his brow with a little napkin of
purfled and purple silk, he said to me, "Art thou a prophet, that I
may not harm thee, or the son of a prophet, that I can do thee no
hurt? I pray thee leave my city to-night, for while thou art in it
I am no longer its lord."
'And I answered him, "I will go for half of thy treasure. Give me
half of thy treasure, and I will go away."
'He took me by the hand, and led me out into the garden. When the
captain of the guard saw me, he wondered. When the eunuchs saw me,
their knees shook and they fell upon the ground in fear.
'There is a chamber in the palace that has eight walls of red
porphyry, and a brass-sealed ceiling hung with lamps. The Emperor
touched one of the walls and it opened, and we passed down a
corridor that was lit with many torches. In niches upon each side
stood great wine-jars filled to the brim with silver pieces. When
we reached the centre of the corridor the Emperor spake the word
that may not be spoken, and a granite door swung back on a secret
spring, and he put his hands before his face lest his eyes should
be dazzled.
'Thou couldst not believe how marvellous a place it was. There
were huge tortoise-shells full of pearls, and hollowed moonstones
of great size piled up with red rubies. The gold was stored in
coffers of elephant-hide, and the gold-dust in leather bottles.
There were opals and sapphires, the former in cups of crystal, and
the latter in cups of jade. Round green emeralds were ranged in
order upon thin plates of ivory, and in one corner were silk bags
filled, some with turquoise-stones, and others with beryls. The
ivory horns were heaped with purple amethysts, and the horns of
brass with chalcedonies and sards. The pillars, which were of
cedar, were hung with strings of yellow lynx-stones. In the flat
oval shields there were carbuncles, both wine-coloured and coloured
like grass. And yet I have told thee but a tithe of what was
there.
'And when the Emperor had taken away his hands from before his face
he said to me: "This is my house of treasure, and half that is in
it is thine, even as I promised to thee. And I will give thee
camels and camel drivers, and they shall do thy bidding and take
thy share of the treasure to whatever part of the world thou
desirest to go. And the thing shall be done to-night, for I would
not that the Sun, who is my father, should see that there is in my
city a man whom I cannot slay."
'But I answered him, "The gold that is here is thine, and the
silver also is thine, and thine are the precious jewels and the
things of price. As for me, I have no need of these. Nor shall I
take aught from thee but that little ring that thou wearest on the
finger of thy hand."
'And the Emperor frowned. "It is but a ring of lead," he cried,
"nor has it any value. Therefore take thy half of the treasure and
go from my city."
'"Nay," I answered, "but I will take nought but that leaden ring,
for I know what is written within it, and for what purpose."
'And the Emperor trembled, and besought me and said, "Take all the
treasure and go from my city. The half that is mine shall be thine
also."
'And I did a strange thing, but what I did matters not, for in a
cave that is but a day's journey from this place have, I hidden the
Ring of Riches. It is but a day's journey from this place, and it
waits for thy coming. He who has this Ring is richer than all the
kings of the world. Come therefore and take it, and the world's
riches shall be thine.'
But the young Fisherman laughed. 'Love is better than Riches,' he
cried, 'and the little Mermaid loves me.'
'Nay, but there is nothing better than Riches,' said the Soul.
'Love is better,' answered the young Fisherman, and he plunged into
the deep, and the Soul went weeping away over the marshes.
And after the third year was over, the Soul came down to the shore
of the sea, and called to the young Fisherman, and he rose out of
the deep and said, 'Why dost thou call to me?'
And the Soul answered, 'Come nearer, that I may speak with thee,
for I have seen marvellous things.'
So he came nearer, and couched in the shallow water, and leaned his
head upon his hand and listened.
And the Soul said to him, 'In a city that I know of there is an inn
that standeth by a river. I sat there with sailors who drank of
two different-coloured wines, and ate bread made of barley, and
little salt fish served in bay leaves with vinegar. And as we sat
and made merry, there entered to us an old man bearing a leathern
carpet and a lute that had two horns of amber. And when he had
laid out the carpet on the floor, he struck with a quill on the
wire strings of his lute, and a girl whose face was veiled ran in
and began to dance before us. Her face was veiled with a veil of
gauze, but her feet were naked. Naked were her feet, and they
moved over the carpet like little white pigeons. Never have I seen
anything so marvellous; and the city in which she dances is but a
day's journey from this place.'
Now when the young Fisherman heard the words of his Soul, he
remembered that the little Mermaid had no feet and could not dance.
And a great desire came over him, and he said to himself, 'It is
but a day's journey, and I can return to my love,' and he laughed,
and stood up in the shallow water, and strode towards the shore.
And when he had reached the dry shore he laughed again, and held
out his arms to his Soul. And his Soul gave a great cry of joy and
ran to meet him, and entered into him, and the young Fisherman saw
stretched before him upon the sand that shadow of the body that is
the body of the Soul.
And his Soul said to him, 'Let us not tarry, but get hence at once,
for the Sea-gods are jealous, and have monsters that do their
bidding.'
So they made haste, and all that night they journeyed beneath the
moon, and all the next day they journeyed beneath the sun, and on
the evening of the day they came to a city.
And the young Fisherman said to his Soul, 'Is this the city in
which she dances of whom thou didst speak to me?'
And his Soul answered him, 'It is not this city, but another.
Nevertheless let us enter in.' So they entered in and passed
through the streets, and as they passed through the Street of the
Jewellers the young Fisherman saw a fair silver cup set forth in a
booth. And his Soul said to him, 'Take that silver cup and hide
it.'
So he took the cup and hid it in the fold of his tunic, and they
went hurriedly out of the city.
And after that they had gone a league from the city, the young
Fisherman frowned, and flung the cup away, and said to his Soul,
'Why didst thou tell me to take this cup and hide it, for it was an
evil thing to do?'
But his Soul answered him, 'Be at peace, be at peace.'
And on the evening of the second day they came to a city, and the
young Fisherman said to his Soul, 'Is this the city in which she
dances of whom thou didst speak to me?'
And his Soul answered him, 'It is not this city, but another.
Nevertheless let us enter in.' So they entered in and passed
through the streets, and as they passed through the Street of the
Sellers of Sandals, the young Fisherman saw a child standing by a
jar of water. And his Soul said to him, 'Smite that child.' So he
smote the child till it wept, and when he had done this they went
hurriedly out of the city.
And after that they had gone a league from the city the young
Fisherman grew wroth, and said to his Soul, 'Why didst thou tell me
to smite the child, for it was an evil thing to do?'
But his Soul answered him, 'Be at peace, be at peace.'
And on the evening of the third day they came to a city, and the
young Fisherman said to his Soul, 'Is this the city in which she
dances of whom thou didst speak to me?'
And his Soul answered him, 'It may be that it is in this city,
therefore let us enter in.'
So they entered in and passed through the streets, but nowhere
could the young Fisherman find the river or the inn that stood by
its side. And the people of the city looked curiously at him, and
he grew afraid and said to his Soul, 'Let us go hence, for she who
dances with white feet is not here.'
But his Soul answered, 'Nay, but let us tarry, for the night is
dark and there will be robbers on the way.'
So he sat him down in the market-place and rested, and after a time
there went by a hooded merchant who had a cloak of cloth of
Tartary, and bare a lantern of pierced horn at the end of a jointed
reed. And the merchant said to him, 'Why dost thou sit in the
market-place, seeing that the booths are closed and the bales
corded?'
And the young Fisherman answered him, 'I can find no inn in this
city, nor have I any kinsman who might give me shelter.'
'Are we not all kinsmen?' said the merchant. 'And did not one God
make us? Therefore come with me, for I have a guest-chamber.'
So the young Fisherman rose up and followed the merchant to his
house. And when he had passed through a garden of pomegranates and
entered into the house, the merchant brought him rose-water in a
copper dish that he might wash his hands, and ripe melons that he
might quench his thirst, and set a bowl of rice and a piece of
roasted kid before him.
And after that he had finished, the merchant led him to the guest-
chamber, and bade him sleep and be at rest. And the young
Fisherman gave him thanks, and kissed the ring that was on his
hand, and flung himself down on the carpets of dyed goat's-hair.
And when he had covered himself with a covering of black lamb's-
wool he fell asleep.
And three hours before dawn, and while it was still night, his Soul
waked him and said to him, 'Rise up and go to the room of the
merchant, even to the room in which he sleepeth, and slay him, and
take from him his gold, for we have need of it.'
And the young Fisherman rose up and crept towards the room of the
merchant, and over the feet of the merchant there was lying a
curved sword, and the tray by the side of the merchant held nine
purses of gold. And he reached out his hand and touched the sword,
and when he touched it the merchant started and awoke, and leaping
up seized himself the sword and cried to the young Fisherman, 'Dost
thou return evil for good, and pay with the shedding of blood for
the kindness that I have shown thee?'
And his Soul said to the young Fisherman, 'Strike him,' and he
struck him so that he swooned and he seized then the nine purses of
gold, and fled hastily through the garden of pomegranates, and set
his face to the star that is the star of morning.
And when they had gone a league from the city, the young Fisherman
beat his breast, and said to his Soul, 'Why didst thou bid me slay
the merchant and take his gold? Surely thou art evil.'
But his Soul answered him, 'Be at peace, be at peace.'
'Nay,' cried the young Fisherman, 'I may not be at peace, for all
that thou hast made me to do I hate. Thee also I hate, and I bid
thee tell me wherefore thou hast wrought with me in this wise.'
And his Soul answered him, 'When thou didst send me forth into the
world thou gavest me no heart, so I learned to do all these things
and love them.'
'What sayest thou?' murmured the young Fisherman.
'Thou knowest,' answered his Soul, 'thou knowest it well. Hast
thou forgotten that thou gavest me no heart? I trow not. And so
trouble not thyself nor me, but be at peace, for there is no pain
that thou shalt not give away, nor any pleasure that thou shalt not
receive.'
And when the young Fisherman heard these words he trembled and said
to his Soul, 'Nay, but thou art evil, and hast made me forget my
love, and hast tempted me with temptations, and hast set my feet in
the ways of sin.'
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