English
Notseldominthislife,when,ontherightside,fortune’sfavoritessailclosebyus,we,thoughalladroopbefore,catchsomewhatoftherushingbreeze,andjoyfullyfeelourbaggingsailsfillout.SoseemeditwiththePequod.
FornextdayafterencounteringthegayBachelor,whaleswereseenandfourwereslain;andoneofthembyAhab.
Itwasfardowntheafternoon;andwhenallthespearingsofthecrimsonfightweredone;andfloatinginthelovelysunsetseaandsky,sunandwhalebothstillydiedtogether;then,suchasweetnessandsuchplaintiveness,suchinwreathingorisonscurledupinthatrosyair,thatitalmostseemedasiffaroverfromthedeepgreenconventvalleysoftheManillaisles,theSpanishland-breeze,wantonlyturnedsailor,hadgonetosea,freightedwiththesevesperhymns.
Soothedagain,butonlysoothedtodeepergloom,Ahab,whohadsternedofffromthewhale,satintentlywatchinghisfinalwaningsfromthenowtranquilboat.
Forthatstrangespectacleobservableinallspermwhalesdying-theturningsunwardsofthehead,andsoexpiring-thatstrangespectacle,beheldofsuchaplacidevening,somehowtoAhabconveyedawondrousnessunknownbefore.
“Heturnsandturnshimtoit,-howslowly,buthowsteadfastly,hishomage-renderingandinvokingbrow,withhislastdyingmotions.
Hetooworshipsfire;mostfaithful,broad,baronialvassalofthesun!
-Ohthatthesetoo-favoringeyesshouldseethesetoo-favoringsights.Look!
here,farwater-locked;beyondallhumofhumanwealorwoe;inthesemostcandidandimpartialseas;wheretotraditionsnorocksfurnishtablets;whereforlongChineseages,thebillowshavestillrolledonspeechlessandunspokento,asstarsthatshineupontheNiger’sunknownsource;here,too,lifediessunwardsfulloffaith,butsee!
nosoonerdead,thandeathwhirlsroundthecorpse,anditheadssomeotherway.
“Oh,thoudarkHindoohalfofnature,whoofdrownedboneshastbuildedthyseparatethronesomewhereintheheartoftheseunverduredseas;thouartaninfidel,thouqueen,andtootrulyspeakesttomeinthewide-slaughteringTyphoon,andthehushedburialofitsaftercalm.
Norhasthisthywhalesunwardsturnedhisdyinghead,andthengoneroundagain,withoutalessontome.
“Oh,treblyhoopedandweldedhipofpower!Oh,highaspiring,rainbowedjet!
-thatonestrivest,thisonejettestallinvain!
Invain,ohwhale,dostthouseekintercedingswithyonall-quickeningsun,thatonlycallsforthlife,butgivesitnotagain.
Yetdostthoudarkerhalf,rockmewithaprouder,ifadarkerfaith.
Allthyunnamableimminglingsfloatbeneathmehere;Iambuoyedbybreathsofoncelivingthings,exhaledasair,butwaternow.
“Thenhail,foreverhail,Osea,inwhoseeternaltossingsthewildfowlfindshisonlyrest.
Bornofearth,yetsuckledbythesea;thoughhillandvalleymotheredme,yebillowsaremyfoster-brothers!”
Share this article to
FINISH