English
Itwasaclearsteel-blueday.Thefirmamentsofairandseawerehardlyseparableinthatall-pervadingazure;only,thepensiveairwastransparentlypureandsoft,withawoman’slook,andtherobustandman-likeseaheavedwithlong,strong,lingeringswells,asSamson’schestinhissleep.
Hither,andthither,onhigh,glidedthesnow-whitewingsofsmall,unspeckledbirds;thesewerethegentlethoughtsofthefeminineair;buttoandfrointhedeeps,fardowninthebottomlessblue,rushedmightyleviathans,sword-fish,andsharks;andthesewerethestrong,troubled,murderousthinkingsofthemasculinesea.
Butthoughthuscontrastingwithin,thecontrastwasonlyinshadesandshadowswithout;thosetwoseemedone;itwasonlythesex,asitwere,thatdistinguishedthem.
Aloft,likearoyalczarandking,thesunseemedgivingthisgentleairtothisboldandrollingsea;evenasbridetogroom.
Andatthegirdlinglineofthehorizon,asoftandtremulousmotion-mostseenhereattheEquator-denotedthefond,throbbingtrust,thelovingalarms,withwhichthepoorbridegaveherbosomaway.
Tiedupandtwisted;gnarledandknottedwithwrinkles;haggardlyfirmandunyielding;hiseyesglowinglikecoals,thatstillglowintheashesofruin;untotteringAhabstoodforthintheclearnessofthemorn;liftinghissplinteredhelmetofabrowtothefairgirl’sforeheadofheaven.
Oh,immortalinfancy,andinnocencyoftheazure!
Invisiblewingedcreaturesthatfrolicallroundus!Sweetchildhoodofairandsky!
howobliviouswereyeofoldAhab’sclose-coiledwoe!
ButsohaveIseenlittleMiriamandMartha,laughing-eyedelves,heedlesslygambolaroundtheiroldsire;sportingwiththecircleofsingedlockswhichgrewonthemargeofthatburnt-outcraterofhisbrain.
Slowlycrossingthedeckfromthescuttle,Ahableanedoverthesideandwatchedhowhisshadowinthewatersankandsanktohisgaze,themoreandthemorethathestrovetopiercetheprofundity.
Butthelovelyaromasinthatenchantedairdidatlastseemtodispel,foramoment,thecankerousthinginhissoul.
Thatglad,happyair,thatwinsomesky,didatlaststrokeandcaresshim;thestep-motherworld,solongcruel-forbidding-nowthrewaffectionatearmsroundhisstubbornneck,anddidseemtojoyouslysoboverhim,asifoverone,thathoweverwilfulanderring,shecouldyetfinditinherhearttosaveandtobless.
FrombeneathhisslouchedhatAhabdroppedatearintothesea;nordidallthePacificcontainsuchwealthasthatoneweedrop.
Starbucksawtheoldman;sawhim,howheheavilyleanedovertheside;andheseemedtohearinhisowntrueheartthemeasurelesssobbingthatstoleoutofthecentreoftheserenityaround.
Carefulnottotouchhim,orbenoticedbyhim,heyetdrewneartohim,andstoodthere.
Ahabturned.
“Starbuck!”
“Sir.”
“Oh,Starbuck!itisamild,mildwind,andamildlookingsky.
Onsuchaday-verymuchsuchasweetnessasthis-Istruckmyfirstwhale-aboy-harpooneerofeighteen!Forty-forty-fortyyearsago!-ago!Fortyyearsofcontinualwhaling!
fortyyearsofprivation,andperil,andstorm-time!fortyyearsonthepitilesssea!
forfortyyearshasAhabforsakenthepeacefulland,forfortyyearstomakewaronthehorrorsofthedeep!
Ayeandyes,Starbuck,outofthosefortyyearsIhavenotspentthreeashore.
WhenIthinkofthislifeIhaveled;thedesolationofsolitudeithasbeen;themasoned,walled-townofaCaptain’sexclusiveness,whichadmitsbutsmallentrancetoanysympathyfromthegreencountrywithout-oh,weariness!heaviness!
Guinea-coastslaveryofsolitarycommand!
-whenIthinkofallthis;onlyhalf-suspected,notsokeenlyknowntomebefore-andhowforfortyyearsIhavefedupondrysaltedfare-fitemblemofthedrynourishmentofmysoul!
-whenthepoorestlandsmanhashadfreshfruittohisdailyhand,andbrokentheworld’sfreshbreadtomymouldycrusts-away,wholeoceansaway,fromthatyounggirl-wifeIweddedpastfifty,andsailedforCapeHornthenextday,leavingbutonedentinmymarriagepillow-wife?wife?
-ratherawidowwithherhusbandalive?
Aye,IwidowedthatpoorgirlwhenImarriedher,Starbuck;andthen,themadness,thefrenzy,theboilingbloodandthesmokingbrow,withwhich,forathousandloweringsoldAhabhasfuriously,foaminglychasedhisprey-moreademonthanaman!-aye,aye!
whatafortyyears’fool-fool-oldfool,hasoldAhabbeen!Whythisstrifeofthechase?
whyweary,andpalsythearmattheoar,andtheiron,andthelance?howthericherorbetterisAhabnow?Behold.Oh,Starbuck!
isitnothard,thatwiththiswearyloadIbear,onepoorlegshouldhavebeensnatchedfromunderme?
Here,brushthisoldhairaside;itblindsme,thatIseemtoweep.
Lockssogreydidnevergrowbutfromoutsomeashes!
ButdoIlookveryold,sovery,veryold,Starbuck?
Ifeeldeadlyfaint,bowed,andhumped,asthoughIwereAdam,staggeringbeneaththepiledcenturiessinceParadise.God!God!God!-crackmyheart!-stavemybrain!-mockery!mockery!
bitter,bitingmockeryofgreyhairs,haveIlivedenoughjoytowearye;andseemandfeelthusintolerablyold?Close!
standclosetome,Starbuck;letmelookintoahumaneye;itisbetterthantogazeintoseaorsky;betterthantogazeuponGod.
Bythegreenland;bythebrighthearthstone!
thisisthemagicglass,man;Iseemywifeandmychildinthineeye.No,no;stayonboard,onboard!
-lowernotwhenIdo;whenbrandedAhabgiveschasetoMobyDick.Thathazardshallnotbethine.No,no!
notwiththefarawayhomeIseeinthateye!”
“Oh,myCaptain!myCaptain!noblesoul!grandoldheart,afterall!
whyshouldanyonegivechasetothathatedfish!Awaywithme!letusflythesedeadlywaters!letushome!
Wifeandchild,too,areStarbuck’s-wifeandchildofhisbrotherly,sisterly,play-fellowyouth;evenasthine,sir,arethewifeandchildofthyloving,longing,paternaloldage!Away!letusaway!-thisinstantletmealterthecourse!
Howcheerily,howhilariously,OmyCaptain,wouldwebowlonourwaytoseeoldNantucketagain!
Ithink,sir,theyhavesomesuchmildbluedays,evenasthis,inNantucket.”
“Theyhave,theyhave.Ihaveseenthem-somesummerdaysinthemorning.
Aboutthistime-yes,itishisnoonnapnow-theboyvivaciouslywakes;sitsupinbed;andhismothertellshimofme,ofcannibaloldme;howIamabroaduponthedeep,butwillyetcomebacktodancehimagain.”
”’TismyMary,myMaryherself!Shepromisedthatmyboy,everymorning,shouldbecarriedtothehilltocatchthefirstglimpseofhisfather’ssail!Yes,yes!nomore!itisdone!weheadforNantucket!
Come,myCaptain,studyoutthecourse,andletusaway!See,see!theboy’sfacefromthewindow!theboy’shandonthehill!”
ButAhab’sglancewasaverted;likeablightedfruittreeheshook,andcasthislast,cinderedappletothesoil.
“Whatisit,whatnameless,inscrutable,unearthlythingisit;whatcozening,hiddenlordandmaster,andcruel,remorselessemperorcommandsme;thatagainstallnaturallovingsandlongings,Isokeeppushing,andcrowding,andjammingmyselfonallthetime;recklesslymakingmereadytodowhatinmyownproper,naturalheart,Idurstnotsomuchasdare?IsAhab,Ahab?
IsitI,God,orwho,thatliftsthisarm?
Butifthegreatsunmovenotofhimself;butisanerrand-boyinheaven;noronesinglestarcanrevolve,butbysomeinvisiblepower;howthencanthisonesmallheartbeat;thisonesmallbrainthinkthoughts;unlessGoddoesthatbeating,doesthatthinking,doesthatliving,andnotI.Byheaven,man,weareturnedroundandroundinthisworld,likeyonderwindlass,andFateisthehandspike.
Andallthetime,lo!
thatsmilingsky,andthisunsoundedsea!Look!seeyonAlbicore!
whoputitintohimtochaseandfangthatflying-fish?Wheredomurderersgo,man!
Who’stodoom,whenthejudgehimselfisdraggedtothebar?
Butitisamild,mildwind,andamildlookingsky;andtheairssmellsnow,asifitblewfromafar-awaymeadow;theyhavebeenmakinghaysomewhereundertheslopesoftheAndes,Starbuck,andthemowersaresleepingamongthenew-mownhay.Sleeping?
Aye,toilwehowwemay,weallsleepatlastonthefield.Sleep?
Aye,andrustamidgreenness;aslastyear’sscythesflungdown,andleftinthehalf-cutswarths-Starbuck!”
Butblanchedtoacorpse’shuewithdespair,theMatehadstolenaway.
Ahabcrossedthedecktogazeoverontheotherside;butstartedattworeflected,fixedeyesinthewaterthere,Fedallahwasmotionlesslyleaningoverthesamerail.
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