Darkness
Breu (trecho inicial)
I had a dream, which was not all a dream.
Eu
tive um sonho que não foi de todo um sonho.
The bright sun was extinguish’d, and the stars
A
luz do sol estava extinta, enquanto estrelas
Did wander darkling in the eternal space,
Erravam
pelo espaço, escuras e sem rumo;
Rayless, and pathless, and the icy earth
Enregelada, a Terra trôpega oscilava
Swung blind and blackening in the moonless air;
Sem
lua no vazio, às cegas e soturna;
Morn came and went – and came, and brought no day,
Veio
a manhã, se foi, voltou – não trouxe o dia;
And men forgot their passions in the dread
E os
homens, no pavor de tanto cataclismo,
Of this their desolation; and all hearts
Perderam
suas paixões; os corações gelaram
Were chill’d into a selfish prayer for light:
Numa
egoísta prece pela luz: viviam
And they did live by watchfires – and the thrones,
Acerca
das fogueiras – tronos e palácios
The palaces of crowned kings – the huts,
De
imperadores coroados – os casebres,
The habitations of all things which dwell,
E a
habitação de tudo o que morava ardia
Were burnt for beacons; cities were consum’d,
Para
os fanais; cidades foram consumidas,
And men were gather’d round their blazing homes
E os
homens se ajuntavam ao redor dos lares
To look once more into each other’s face;
Em
fogo para olhar mais uma vez a face
Happy were those who dwelt within the eye
Uns
dos outros; felizes os que se abrigaram
Of the volcanos, and their mountain-torch:
No
olho dos vulcões, montanhas-facho; tudo
A fearful hope was all the world contain’d;
O
que o mundo continha então era a esperança
Forests were set on fire – but hour by hour
Atônita;
as florestas todas incendiadas –
They fell and faded – and the crackling trunks
Vinham
abaixo de hora em hora, o tronco dava
Extinguish’d with a crash – and all was black.
O
derradeiro estalo, desabava e rápido
The brows of men by the despairing light
Sumia
– e a cor de tudo era o carvão. A
cara
Wore an unearthly aspect, as by fits
Dos
homens sob a luz desoladora tinha
The flashes fell upon them; some lay down
Aspecto
tão bizarro como se riscada
And hid their eyes and wept; and some did rest
De
raios; uns choravam, ocultando os olhos;
Their chins upon their clenched hands, and smil’d;
Alguns
sorriam, segurando o queixo; e outros,
And others hurried to and fro, and fed
Num
vaivém frenético jogavam óleo
Their
funeral piles with fuel, and look’d up
Em
suas próprias piras funerais; no agito
With mad disquietude on the dull sky,
Febril,
miravam um céu monótono, borrão
The pall of a past world; and then again
De
um mundo já passado; e a praguejar, rolavam
With curses cast them down upon the dust,
No
pó, rangendo os dentes e soltando uivos:
And gnash’d their teeth and howl’d: the wild birds
shriek’d
Os pássaros selvagens, aterrorizados,
And, terrified, did flutter on the ground,
Batiam
contra a terra as asas imprestáveis;
