Silence -- aFable

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 adreary region in Libya, by_the borders of_the river Zaire .And there_is no quiet there, nor silence .

"The waters of_the river have asaffron and sickly hue; and_they flow not onwards to_the sea, but palpitate forever and forever beneath the red eye of_the sun with atumultuous and convulsive motion .For many miles on either side of_the river's oozy bed is apale 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 aboundary 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, acataract, 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 ahuge 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 afuller 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 aman 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 adeity; 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 afrightful 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 .