silence -- a fable

by Edgar Allan Poe

ALCMAN . the mountain pinnacles slumber; valleys, crags and caves are silent .

" listen to_me," said the demon as he placed his hand upon my head ." the region of_which I speak is a dreary region in Libya, by_the borders of_the river Zaire . and there_is no quiet there, nor silence .

" the waters of_the river have a saffron and sickly hue; and_they flow not onwards to_the sea, but palpitate forever and forever beneath the red eye of_the sun with a tumultuous and convulsive motion . for many miles on either side of_the river's oozy bed is a pale desert of gigantic water-lilies . they sigh one unto the other in_that solitude, and stretch towards the heaven their long and ghastly necks, and nod to and fro their everlasting heads . and there_is an indistinct murmur which cometh out from among them like the rushing of subterrene water . and_they sigh one unto the other .

" but there_is a boundary to_their realm -- the boundary of_the dark, horrible, lofty forest . there, like the waves about_the Hebrides, the low underwood is agitated continually . but there_is no wind throughout_the heaven . and_the tall primeval trees rock eternally hither and thither with acrashing and mighty sound . and from their high summits, one by one, drop everlasting dews . and at_the roots strange poisonous flowers lie writhing in perturbed slumber . and overhead, with arustling and loud noise, the gray clouds rush westwardly forever, until they roll, a cataract, over the fiery wall of_the horizon . but there_is no wind throughout_the heaven . and by_the shores of_the river Zaire there_is neither quiet nor silence .

" it_was night, and_the rain fell; and falling, it_was rain, but, having fallen, it_was blood . and I stood in_the morass among_the tall and_the rain fell upon my head -- and_the lilies sighed one unto the other in_the solemnity of_their desolation .

" and, all at once, the moon arose through_the thin ghastly mist, and was crimson in color . and mine eyes fell upon a huge gray rock which stood by_the shore of_the river, and was lighted by_the light of_the moon . and_the rock was gray, and ghastly, and tall, -- and_the rock was gray . upon its front were characters engraven in_the stone; and I walked through_the morass of water-lilies, until I_came close unto the shore, that I_might read the characters upon_the stone . but I_could_not decypher them . and i_was going back into_the morass, when_the moon shone with a fuller red, and I turned and looked again upon_the rock, and upon_the characters; -- and_the characters were desolation .

" and I looked upwards, and there stood a man upon_the summit of_the rock; and I hid myself among_the water-lilies that I_might discover the actions of_the man . and_the man was tall and stately in form, and was wrapped up from_his shoulders to_his feet in_the toga of old Rome . and_the outlines of_his figure were indistinct -- but his features were the features of a deity; for_the mantle of_the night, and of_the mist, and of_the moon, and of_the dew, had left uncovered the features of_his face . and_his brow was lofty with thought, and_his eye wild with care; and, in_the few furrows upon his cheek I_read the fables of sorrow, and weariness, and disgust with mankind, and alonging after solitude .

" and_the man sat upon_the rock, and leaned his head upon his hand, and looked out upon_the desolation . he looked down into_the low unquiet shrubbery, and up into_the tall primeval trees, and up higher at_the rustling heaven, and into_the crimson moon . and I lay close within shelter of_the lilies, and observed the actions of_the man . and_the man trembled in_the solitude; -- but the night waned, and he sat upon_the rock .

" and_the man turned his attention from_the heaven, and looked out upon_the dreary river Zaire, and upon_the yellow ghastly waters, and upon_the pale legions of_the water-lilies . and_the man listened to_the sighs of_the water-lilies, and to_the murmur that came up from among them . and I lay close within my covert and observed the actions of_the man . and_the man trembled in_the solitude; -- but the night waned and he sat upon_the rock .

" then I went down into_the recesses of_the morass, and waded afar in among_the wilderness of_the lilies, and called unto the hippopotami which dwelt among_the fens in_the recesses of_the morass . and_the hippopotami heard my call, and came, with_the behemoth, unto the foot of_the rock, and roared loudly and fearfully beneath the moon . and I lay close within my covert and observed the actions of_the man . and_the man trembled in_the solitude; -- but the night waned and he sat upon_the rock .

" then I cursed the elements with_the curse of tumult; and a frightful tempest gathered in_the heaven where, before, there had_been no wind . and_the heaven became livid with_the violence of_the tempest -- and_the rain beat upon_the head of_the man -- and_the floods of_the river came down -- and_the river was tormented into foam -- and_the water-lilies shrieked within their beds -- and_the forest crumbled before_the wind -- and_the thunder rolled -- and_the lightning fell -- and_the rock rocked to its foundation . and I lay close within my covert and observed the actions of_the man . and_the man trembled in_the solitude; -- but the night waned and he sat upon_the rock .

" then I grew angry and cursed, with_the curse of silence, the river, and_the lilies, and_the wind, and_the forest, and_the heaven, and_the thunder, and_the sighs of_the water-lilies . and_they became accursed, and were still . and_the moon ceased to totter up its pathway to heaven -- and_the thunder died away -- and_the lightning did_not flash -- and_the clouds hung motionless -- and_the waters sunk to_their level and remained -- and_the trees ceased to rock -- and_the water-lilies sighed no more -- and_the murmur was heard no longer from among them, nor any shadow of sound throughout_the vast illimitable desert . and I looked upon_the characters of_the rock, and_they were changed; -- and_the characters were silence .

" and mine eyes fell upon_the countenance of_the man, and_his countenance was wan with terror . and, hurriedly, he raised his head from_his hand, and stood forth upon_the rock and listened . but there_was no voice throughout_the vast illimitable desert, and_the characters upon_the rock were silence . and_the man shuddered, and turned his face away, and fled afar off, in haste, so_that I beheld him no more ."

now there_are fine tales in_the volumes of_the Magi -- in_the iron- bound, melancholy volumes of_the Magi . therein, I_say, are glorious histories of_the heaven, and of_the earth, and of_the mighty sea -- and of_the Genii that over- ruled the sea, and_the earth, and_the lofty heaven . there_was much lore too in_the sayings which were said by_the Sybils; and holy, holy things were heard of old by_the dim leaves that trembled around Dodona -- but, as Allah liveth, that fable which the demon told me as he sat by my side in_the shadow of_the tomb, I hold to_be the most wonderful of all ! and as_the demon made an end of_his story, he fell back within_the cavity of_the tomb and laughed . and I_could_not laugh with_the demon, and he cursed me because I_could_not laugh . and_the lynx which dwelleth forever in_the tomb, came out therefrom, and lay down at_the feet of_the demon, and looked at him steadily in_the face .