the unseen world and other essays-第57章

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＇60＇　〃Quand'　ebbe　detto　cio；　eon　gli　occhi　torti　　　Riprese　il　teschio　misero　coi　denti；　　　Che　furo　all'　osso；　come　d'un　can；　forti。〃　　　　Inferno；　XXXIII。　76。


That　is　in　the　grand　style；　and　so　is　the　following；　which　describes　those　sinners　locked　in　the　frozen　lake　below　Malebolge：

　　　　　〃Weeping　itself　there　does　not　let　them　weep；　　　　　　　And　grief　that　finds　a　barrier　in　the　eyes　　　　　　　Turns　itself　inward　to　increase　the　anguish。＇61＇

＇61＇　〃Lo　pianto　stesso　li　pianger　non　lascia；　　　E　il　duol；　che　trova　in　sugli　occhi　rintoppo；　　　Si　volve　in　entro　a　far　crescer　l'　ambascia。〃　　Inferno；　XXXIII。　94。


And　the　exclamation　of　one　of　these　poor　〃wretches　of　the　frozen　crust〃　is　an　exclamation　that　Shakespeare　might　have　written：

　　　　　〃Lift　from　mine　eyes　the　rigid　veils；　that　I　　　　　　　May　vent　the　sorrow　which　impregns　my　heart。〃＇62＇

＇62＇　〃Levatemi　dal　viso　i　duri　veli；　　　Si　ch'　io　sfoghi　il　dolor　che　il　cor　m'　impregna。〃　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Ib。　112。


There　is　nothing　in　Mr。　Cary's　translation　which　can　stand　a　comparison　with　that。　The　eighteenth　century　could　not　translate　like　that。　For　here　at　last　we　have　a　real　reproduction　of　the　antique。　In　the　Shakespearian　ring　of　these　lines　we　recognize　the　authentic　rendering　of　the　tones　of　the　only　man　since　the　Christian　era　who　could　speak　like　Shakespeare。

In　this　way　Mr。　Longfellow's　translation　is；　to　an　eminent　degree；　realistic。　It　is　a　work　conceived　and　executed　in　entire　accordance　with　the　spirit　of　our　time。　Mr。　Longfellow　has　set　about　making　a　reconstructive　translation；　and　he　has　succeeded　in　the　attempt。　In　view　of　what　he　has　done；　no　one　can　ever　wish　to　see　the　old　methods　of　Pope　and　Cary　again　resorted　to。　It　is　only　where　he　fails　to　be　truly　realistic　that　he　comes　short　of　success。　And；　as　already　hinted；　it　is　oftenest　through　sheer　excess　of　LITERALISM　that　he　ceases　to　be　realistic；　and　departs　from　the　spirit　of　his　author　instead　of　coming　nearer　to　it。　In　the　〃Paradiso；〃　Canto　X。　1…6；　his　method　leads　him　into　awkwardness：

　　　　　〃Looking　into　His　Son　with　all　the　love　　　　　　　Which　each　of　them　eternally　breathes　forth；　　　　　　　The　primal　and　unutterable　Power　　　　　　　Whate'er　before　the　mind　or　eye　revolves　　　　　　　With　so　much　order　made；　there　can　be　none　　　　　　　Who　this　beholds　without　enjoying　Him。〃


This　seems　clumsy　and　halting；　yet　it　is　an　extremely　literal　paraphrase　of　a　graceful　and　flowing　original：

　　　　　〃Guardando　nel　suo　figlio　con　l'　amore　　　　　　　　　　　　Che　l'　uno　e　l'　altro　eternalmente　spire；　　　　　　　　　　　　Lo　primo　ed　ineffabile　Valore；　　　　　　　Quanto　per　mente　o　per　loco　si　gira　　　　　　　　　　　　Con　tanto　ordine　fe'；　ch'　esser　non　puote　　　　　　　　　　　　Senza　gustar　di　lui　ehi　cio　rimira　〃

Now　to　turn　a　graceful　and　flowing　sentence　into　one　that　is　clumsy　and　halting　is　certainly　not　to　reproduce　it；　no　matter　how　exactly　the　separate　words　are　rendered；　or　how　closely　the　syntactic　constructions　match　each　other。　And　this　consideration　seems　conclusive　as　against　the　adequacy　of　the　literalist　method。　That　method　is　inadequate；　not　because　it　is　too　REALISTIC；　but　because　it　runs　continual　risk　of　being　too　VERBALISTIC。　It　has　recently　been　applied　to　the　translation　of　Dante　by　Mr。　Rossetti；　and　it　has　sometimes　led　him　to　write　curious　verses。　For　instance；　he　makes　Francesca　say　to　Dante；

　　　　　〃O　gracious　and　benignant　ANIMAL！〃

for

　　　　　〃O　animal　grazioso　e　benigno！〃

Mr。　Longfellow's　good　taste　has　prevented　his　doing　anything　like　this；　yet　Mr。　Rossetti's　extravagance　is　due　to　an　unswerving　adherence　to　the　very　rules　by　which　Mr。　Longfellow　has　been　guided。

Good　taste　and　poetic　genius　are；　however；　better　than　the　best　of　rules；　and　so；　after　all　said　and　done；　we　can　only　conclude　that　Mr。　Longfellow　has　given　us　a　great　and　noble　work　not　likely　soon　to　be　equalled。　Leopardi　somewhere；　in　speaking　of　the　early　Italian　translators　of　the　classics　and　their　well…earned　popularity；　says；　who　knows　but　Caro　will　live　in　men's　remembrance　as　long　as　Virgil？　〃La　belie　destinee；〃　adds　Sainte…Beuve；　〃de　ne　pouvoir　plus　mourir；　sinon　avec　un　immortel！〃　Apart　from　Mr。　Longfellow's　other　titles　to　undying　fame；　such　a　destiny　is　surely　marked　out　for　him；　and　throughout　the　English　portions　of　the　world　his　name　will　always　be　associated　with　that　of　the　great　Florentine。

　　　　　June；　1867。



XII。　PAINE'S　〃ST。　PETER。〃

For　music…lovers　in　America　the　great　event　of　the　season　has　been　the　performance　of　Mr。　Paine's　oratorio；　〃St。　Peter；〃　at　Portland；　June　3。　This　event　is　important；　not　only　as　the　first　appearance　of　an　American　oratorio；　but　also　as　the　first　direct　proof　we　have　had　of　the　existence　of　creative　musical　genius　in　this　country。　For　Mr。　Paine's　Mass　in　Da　work　which　was　brought　out　with　great　success　several　years　ago　in　Berlinhas；　for　some　reason　or　other；　never　been　performed　here。　And；　with　the　exception　of　Mr。　Paine；　we　know　of　no　American　hitherto　who　has　shown　either　the　genius　or　the　culture　requisite　for　writing　music　in　the　grand　style；　although　there　is　some　of　the　Kapellmeister　music；　written　by　our　leading　organists　and　choristers；　which　deserves　honourable　mention。　Concerning　the　rank　likely　to　be　assigned　by　posterity　to　〃St。　Peter；〃　it　would　be　foolish　now　to　speculate；　and　it　would　be　equally　unwise　to　bring　it　into　direct　comparison　with　masterpieces　like　the　〃Messiah；〃　〃Elijah；〃　and　〃St。　Paul；〃　the　greatness　of　which　has　been　so　long　acknowledged。　Longer　familiarity　with　the　work　is　needed　before　such　comparisons；　always　of　somewhat　doubtful　value；　can　be　profitably　undertaken。　But　it　must　at　least　be　said；　as　the　net　result　of　our　impressions　derived　both　from　previous　study　of　the　score　and　from　hearing；　the　performance　at　Portland；　that　Mr。　Paine's　oratorio　has　fairly　earned　for　itself　the　right　to　be　judged　by　the　same　high　standard　which　we　apply　to　these　noble　works　of　Mendelssohn　and　Handel。

In　our　limited　space　we　can　give　only　the　briefest　description　of　the　general　structure　of　the　work。　The　founding　of　Christianity；　as　illustrated　in　four　principal　scenes　of　the　life　of　St。　Peter；　supplies　the　material　for　the　dramatic　development　of　the　subject。　The　overture；　beginning　with　an　adagio　movement　in　B…flat　minor；　gives　expression　to　the　vague　yearnings　of　that　time　of　doubt　and　hesitancy　when　the　〃oracles　were　dumb；〃　and　the　dawning　of　a　new　era　of　stronger　and　diviner　faith　was　matter　of　presentiment　rather　than　of　definite　hope　or　expectation。　Though　the　tonality　is　at　first　firmly　established；　yet　as　the　movement　becomes　more　agitated；　the　final　tendency　of　the　modulations　also　becomes　uncertain；　and　for　a　few　bars　it　would　seem　as　if　the　key　of　F…sharp　minor　might　be　the　point　of　destination。　But　after　a　short　melody　by　the　wind　instruments；　accompanied　by　a　rapid　upward　movement　of　strings；　the　dominant　chord　of　C　major　asserts　itself；　being　repeated；　with　sundry　inversions；　through　a　dozen　bars；　and　leading　directly　into　the　triumphant　and　majestic　chorus；　〃　The　time　is　fulfilled；　and　the　kingdom　of　heaven　is　at　hand。〃　The　second　subject；　introduced　by　the　word　〃repent〃　descending　through　the　interval　of　a　diminished　seventh　and　contrasted　with　the　florid　counterpoint　of　the　phrase；　〃and　believe　the　glad　tidings　of　God；〃　is　a　masterpiece　of　contrapuntal　writing；　and；　if　performed　by　a　choir　of　three　or　four　hundred　voices；　would　produce　an　overpowering　effect。　The　divine　call　of　Simon　Peter　and　his　brethren　is　next　described　in　a　tenor　recitative；　and　the　acceptance　of　the　glad　tidings　is　expressed　in　an　aria；　〃The　spirit　of　the　Lord　is　upon　me；〃　which；　by　an　original　but　appropriate　conception；　is　given　to　the　soprano　voice。　In　the　next　number；　the　disciples　are　dramatically　represented　by　twelve　basses　and　tenors；　singing　in　four…part　harmony；　and　alternating　or　combining　with　the　full　chorus　in　description　of　the　aims　of　the　new　religion。　The　poem　ends　with　the　choral；　〃How　lovely　shines　the　Morning　Star！〃　Then　follows　the　sublime　scene　from　Matthew　xvi。　14…18；　where　Peter　declares　his　master　to　be　〃the　Christ；　the　Son　of　the　living　God；〃one　of　the　most　impressive　scenes；　we　have　always　thought；　in　the　gospel　history；　and　here　not　inadequately　treated。　The　feeli