When he came to himself he knew not whether he had lain so a great while or a little; he felt feeble, and for a while he lay scarce moving, and beholding3 nought4, not even the sky above him. Presently he turned about and saw hard stone on either side, so he rose wearily and stood upon his feet, and knew that he was faint with hunger and thirst. Then he looked around him, and saw that he was in a narrow valley or cleft5 of the mountains amidst wan6 rocks, bare and waterless, where grew no blade of green; but he could see no further than the sides of that cleft, and he longed to be out of it that he might see whitherward to turn. Then he bethought him of his wallet, and set his hand to it and opened it, thinking to get victual thence; but lo! it was all spoilt and wasted. None the less, for all his feebleness, he turned and went toiling7 slowly along what seemed to be a path little trodden leading upward out of the cleft; and at last he reached the crest8 thereof, and sat him down on a rock on the other side; yet durst not raise his eyes awhile and look on the land, lest he should see death manifest therein. At last he looked, and saw that he was high up amongst the mountain-peaks: before him and on either hand was but a world of fallow stone rising ridge9 upon ridge like the waves of the wildest of the winter sea. The sun not far from its midmost shone down bright and hot on that wilderness10; yet was there no sign that any man had ever been there since the beginning of the world, save that the path aforesaid seemed to lead onward11 down the stony12 slope.
This way and that way and all about he gazed, straining his eyes if perchance he might see any diversity in the stony waste; and at last betwixt two peaks of the rock-wall on his left hand he descried13 a streak14 of green mingling15 with the cold blue of the distance; and he thought in his heart that this was the last he should see of the Glittering Plain. Then he spake aloud in that desert, and said, though there was none to hear: “Now is my last hour come; and here is Hallblithe of the Raven16 perishing, with his deeds undone17 and his longing18 unfulfilled, and his bridal-bed acold for ever. Long may the House of the Raven abide19 and flourish, with many a man and maiden20, valiant21 and fair and fruitful! O kindred, cast thy blessing22 on this man about to die here, doing none otherwise than ye would have him!”
He sat there a little while longer, and then he said to himself: “Death tarries; were it not well that I go to meet him, even as the cot-carle preventeth the mighty23 chieftain?”
Then he arose, and went painfully down the slope, steadying himself with the shaft24 of his gleaming spear; but all at once he stopped; for it seemed to him that he heard voices borne on the wind that blew up the mountain-side. But he shook his head and said: “Now forsooth beginneth the dream which shall last for ever; nowise am I beguiled25 by it.” None the less he strove the more eagerly with the wind and the way and his feebleness; yet did the weakness wax on him, so that it was but a little while ere he faltered26 and reeled and fell down once more in a swoon.
When he came to himself again he was no longer alone: a man was kneeling down by him and holding up his head, while another before him, as he opened his eyes, put a cup of wine to his lips. So Hallblithe drank and was refreshed; and presently they gave him bread, and he ate, and his heart was strengthened, and the happiness of life returned to it, and he lay back, and slept sweetly for a season.
When he awoke from that slumber27 he found that he had gotten back much of his strength again, and he sat up and looked around him, and saw three men sitting anigh, armed and girt with swords, yet in evil array, and sore travel-worn. One of these was very old, with long white hair hanging down; and another, though he was not so much stricken in years, still looked an old man of over sixty winters. The third was a man some forty years old, but sad and sorry and drooping28 of aspect.
So when they saw him stirring, they all fixed29 their eyes upon him, and the oldest man said: “Welcome to him who erst had no tidings for us!” And the second said: “Tell us now thy tidings.” But the third, the sorry man, cried out aloud, saying: “Where is the Land? Where is the Land?”
Said Hallblithe: “Meseemeth the land which ye seek is the land which I seek to flee from. And now I will not hide that meseemeth I have seen you before, and that was at Cleveland by the Sea when the days were happier.”
Then they all three bowed their heads in yea-say, and spake: “‘Where is the Land? Where is the Land?”
Then Hallblithe arose to his feet, and said: “Ye have healed me of the sickness of death, and I will do what I may to heal you of your sickness of sorrow. Come up the pass with me, and I will show you the land afar off.”
Then they arose like young and brisk men, and he led them over the brow of the ridge into the little valley wherein he had first come to himself: there he showed them that glimpse of a green land betwixt the two peaks, which he had beheld30 e’en now; and they stood a while looking at it and weeping for joy.
Then spake the oldest of the seekers: “Show us the way to the land.”
“Nay31,” said Hallblithe, “I may not; for when I would depart thence, I might not go by mine own will, but was borne out hither, I wot not how. For when I came to the edge of the land against the will of the King, he smote32 me, and then cast me out. Therefore since I may not help you, find ye the land for yourselves, and let me go blessing you, and come out of this desert by the way whereby ye entered it. For I have an errand in the world.”
Spake the youngest of the seekers: “Now art thou become the yoke-fellow of Sorrow, and thou must wend, not whither thou wouldst, but whither she will: and she would have thee go forward toward life, not backward toward death.”
Said the midmost seeker: “If we let thee go further into the wilderness thou shalt surely die: for hence to the peopled parts, and the City of Merchants, whence we come, is a month’s journey: and there is neither meat nor drink, nor beast nor bird, nor any green thing all that way; and since we have found thee famishing, we may well deem that thou hast no victual. As to us we have but little; so that if it be much more than three days’ journey to the Glittering Plain, we may well starve and die within sight of the Acre of the Undying. Nevertheless that little will we share with thee if thou wilt33 help us to find that good land; so that thou mayst yet put away Sorrow, and take Joy again to thy board and bed.”
Hallblithe hung his head and answered nought; for he was confused by the meshes34 of ill-hap, and his soul grew sick with the bitterness of death. But the sad man spake again and said: “Thou hast an errand sayest thou? is it such as a dead man may do?”
Hallblithe pondered, and amidst the anguish35 of his despair was borne in on him a vision of the sea-waves lapping the side of a black ship, and a man therein: who but himself, set free to do his errand, and his heart was quickened within him, and he said: “I thank you, and I will wend back with you, since there is no road for me save back again into the trap.”
The three seekers seemed glad thereat, and the second one said: “Though death is pursuing, and life lieth ahead, yet will we not hasten thee unduly36. Time was when I was Captain of the Host, and learned how battles were lost by lack of rest. Therefore have thy sleep now, that thou mayst wax in strength for our helping37.”
Said Hallblithe: “I need not rest; I may not rest; I will not rest.”
Said the long-hoary elder: “And I command thee to rest; I who was once the king of a mighty folk.”
In sooth Hallblithe was now exceeding weary; so he laid him down and slept sweetly in the stony wilderness amidst those three seekers, the old, the sad, and the very old.
When he awoke he felt well and strong again, and he leapt to his feet and looked about him, and saw the three seekers stirring, and he deemed by the sun that it was early morning. The sad man brought forth39 bread and water and wine, and they broke their fast; and when they had done he spake and said: “Abideth now in wallet and bottle but one more full meal for us, and then no more save a few crumbs40 and a drop or two of wine if we husband it well.”
Said the second elder: “Get we to the road, then, and make haste. I have been seeking, and meseemeth, though the way be long, it is not utterly41 blind for us. Or look thou, Raven-son, is there not a path yonder that leadeth onward up to the brow of the ghyll again? and as I have seen, it leadeth on again down from the said brow.”
Forsooth there was a track that led through the stony tangle42 of the wilderness; so they took to the road with a good heart, and went all day, and saw no living thing, and not a blade of grass or a trickle43 of water: nought save the wan rocks under the sun; and though they trusted in their road that it led them aright, they saw no other glimpse of the Glittering Plain, because there rose a great ridge like a wall on the north side, and they went as it were down along a trench44 of the rocks, albeit45 it was whiles broken across by ghylls, and knolls46, and reefs.
So at sunset they rested and ate their victual, for they were very weary; and thereafter they lay down, and slept as soundly as if they were in the best of the halls of men. On the morrow betimes they arose soberly and went their ways with few words, and, as they deemed, the path still led them onward. And now the great ridge on the north rose steeper and steeper, and their crossing it seemed not to be thought of; but their half-blind track failed them not. They rested at even, and ate and drank what little they had left, save a mouthful or two of wine, and then went on again by the light of the moon, which was so bright that they still saw their way. And it happened to Hallblithe, as mostly it does with men very travel-worn, that he went on and on scarce remembering where he was, or who his fellows were, or that he had any fellows.
So at midnight they lay down in the wilderness again, hungry and weary. They rose at dawn and went forward with waning47 hope: for now the mountain ridge on the north was close to their path, rising up along a sheer wall of pale stone over which nothing might go save the fowl48 flying; so that at first on that morning they looked for nothing save to lay their bones in that grievous desert where no man should find them.
But, as beset49 with famine, they fared on heavily down the narrow track, there came a hoarse50 cry from Hallblithe’s dry throat and it was as if his cry had been answered by another like to his; and the seekers turned and beheld him pointing to the cliff-side, and lo! half-way up the pale sun-litten crag stood two ravens51 in a cranny of the stone, flapping their wings and croaking52, with thrusting forth and twisting of their heads; and presently they came floating on the thin pure air high up over the heads of the wayfarers53, croaking for the pleasure of the meeting, as though they laughed thereat.
Then rose the heart of Hallblithe, and he smote his palms together, and fell to singing an old song of his people, amidst the rocks whereas few men had sung aforetime.
Whence are ye and whither, O fowl of our fathers?
What field have ye looked on, what acres unshorn?
What land have ye left where the battle-folk gathers,
And the war-helms are white o’er the paths of the corn?
What tale do ye bear of the people uncraven,
Where amidst the long hall-shadow sparkle the spears;
Where aloft on the hall-ridge now flappeth the raven,
And singeth the song of the nourishing years?
There gather the lads in the first of the morning,
While white lies the battle-day’s dew on the grass,
O fowl of our fathers, why now are ye resting?
Full fair after fight won shall yet be your nesting;
And your fledglings the sons of the kindred shall know.
Therewith he strode with his head upraised, and above him flew the ravens, croaking as if they answered his song in friendly fashion.
It was but a little after this that the path turned aside sharp toward the cliffs, and the seekers were abashed57 thereof, till Hallblithe running forward beheld a great cavern58 in the face of the cliff at the path’s ending: so he turned and cried on his fellows, and they hastened up, and presently stood before that cavern’s mouth with doubt and joy mingled59 in their minds; for now, mayhappen, they had reached the gate of the Glittering Plain, or mayhappen the gate of death.
The sad man hung his head and spake: “Doth not some new trap abide us? What do we here? is this aught save death?”
Spake the Elder of Elders: “Was not death on either hand e’en now, even as treason besetteth the king upon his throne?”
And the second said: “Yea, we were as the host which hath no road save through the multitude of foe-men.”
But Hallblithe laughed and said: “Why do ye hang back, then? As for me, if death be here, soon is mine errand sped.” Therewith he led the way into the dark of the cave, and the ravens hung about the crag overhead croaking, as the men left the light.
So was their way swallowed up in the cavern, and day and its time became nought to them; they went on and on, and became exceeding faint and weary, but rested not, for death was behind them. Whiles they deemed they heard waters running, and whiles the singing of fowl; and to Hallblithe it seemed that he heard his name called, so that he shouted back in answer; but all was still when the sound of his voice had died out.
At last, when they were pressing on again after a short while of resting, Hallblithe cried out that the cave was lightening: so they hastened onward, and the light grew till they could dimly see each other, and dimly they beheld the cave that it was both wide and high. Yet a little further, and their faces showed white to one another, and they could see the crannies of the rocks, and the bats hanging garlanded from the roof. So then they came to where the day streamed down bright on them from a break overhead, and lo! the sky and green leaves waving against it.
To those way-worn men it seemed hard to clamber out that way, and especially to the elders: so they went on a little further to see if there were aught better abiding60 them, but when they found the daylight failing them again, they turned back to the place of the break in the roof, lest they should waste their strength and perish in the bowels61 of the mountain. So with much ado they hove up Hallblithe till he got him first on to a ledge62 of the rocky wall, and so, what by strength, what by cunning, into the daylight through the rent in the roof. So when he was without he made a rope of his girdle and strips from his raiment, for he was ever a deft63 craftsman64, and made a shift to heave up therewith the sad man, who was light and lithe1 of body; and then the two together dealt with the elders one after another, till they were all four on the face of the earth again.
The place whereto they had gotten was the side of a huge mountain, stony and steep, but set about with bushes, which seemed full fair to those wanderers amongst the rocks. This mountain-slope went down towards a fair green plain, which Hallblithe made no doubt was the outlying waste of the Glittering Plain: nay, he deemed that he could see afar off thereon the white walls of the Uttermost House. So much he told the seekers in few words; and then while they grovelled65 on the earth and wept for pure joy, whereas the sun was down and it was beginning to grow dusk, he went and looked around soberly to see if he might find water and any kind of victual; and presently a little down the hillside he came upon a place where a spring came gushing66 up out of the earth and ran down toward the plain; and about it was green grass growing plentifully68, and a little thicket69 of bramble and wilding fruit-trees. So he drank of the water, and plucked him a few wilding apples somewhat better than crabs70, and then went up the hill again and fetched the seekers to that mountain hostelry; and while they drank of the stream he plucked them apples and bramble-berries. For indeed they were as men out of their wits, and were dazed by the extremity71 of their jog, and as men long shut up in prison, to whom the world of men-folk hath become strange. Simple as the victual was, they were somewhat strengthened by it and by the plentiful67 water, and as night was now upon them, it was of no avail for them to go further: so they slept beneath the boughs72 of the thorn-bushes.
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1
lithe
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| adj.(指人、身体)柔软的，易弯的 | |
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ailed
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| v.生病( ail的过去式和过去分词 )；感到不舒服；处境困难；境况不佳 | |
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3
beholding
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| v.看，注视( behold的现在分词 )；瞧；看呀；（叙述中用于引出某人意外的出现）哎哟 | |
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nought
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| n.／adj.无，零 | |
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cleft
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| n.裂缝；adj.裂开的 | |
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wan
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| (wide area network)广域网 | |
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7
toiling
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| 长时间或辛苦地工作( toil的现在分词 )； 艰难缓慢地移动，跋涉 | |
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crest
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| n.顶点；饰章；羽冠；vt.达到顶点；vi.形成浪尖 | |
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ridge
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| n.山脊；鼻梁；分水岭 | |
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wilderness
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| n.杳无人烟的一片陆地、水等，荒漠 | |
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onward
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| adj.向前的，前进的；adv.向前，前进，在先 | |
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12
stony
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| adj.石头的，多石头的，冷酷的，无情的 | |
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descried
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| adj.被注意到的，被发现的，被看到的 | |
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streak
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| n.条理，斑纹，倾向，少许，痕迹；v.加条纹，变成条纹，奔驰，快速移动 | |
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15
mingling
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| adj.混合的 | |
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raven
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| n.渡鸟，乌鸦；adj.乌亮的 | |
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undone
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| a.未做完的，未完成的 | |
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longing
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| n.（for）渴望 | |
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abide
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| vi.遵守；坚持；vt.忍受 | |
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maiden
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| n.少女，处女；adj.未婚的，纯洁的，无经验的 | |
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valiant
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| adj.勇敢的，英勇的；n.勇士，勇敢的人 | |
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blessing
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| n.祈神赐福；祷告；祝福，祝愿 | |
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mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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shaft
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| n.(工具的)柄，杆状物 | |
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beguiled
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| v.欺骗( beguile的过去式和过去分词 )；使陶醉；使高兴；消磨（时间等） | |
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faltered
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| （嗓音）颤抖( falter的过去式和过去分词 )； 支吾其词； 蹒跚； 摇晃 | |
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27
slumber
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| n.睡眠，沉睡状态 | |
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28
drooping
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| adj. 下垂的，无力的 动词droop的现在分词 | |
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29
fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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30
beheld
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| v.看，注视( behold的过去式和过去分词 )；瞧；看呀；（叙述中用于引出某人意外的出现）哎哟 | |
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nay
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| adv.不；n.反对票，投反对票者 | |
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smote
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| v.猛打，重击，打击( smite的过去式 ) | |
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wilt
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| v.(使)植物凋谢或枯萎；(指人)疲倦，衰弱 | |
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meshes
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| 网孔( mesh的名词复数 )； 网状物； 陷阱； 困境 | |
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anguish
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| n.(尤指心灵上的)极度痛苦，烦恼 | |
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unduly
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| adv.过度地，不适当地 | |
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helping
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| n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的 | |
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lawful
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| adj.法律许可的，守法的，合法的 | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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crumbs
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| int. (表示惊讶)哎呀 n. 碎屑 名词crumb的复数形式 | |
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41
utterly
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| adv.完全地，绝对地 | |
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tangle
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| n.纠缠；缠结；混乱；v.(使)缠绕；变乱 | |
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43
trickle
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| vi.淌，滴，流出，慢慢移动，逐渐消散 | |
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44
trench
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| n./v.(挖)沟，(挖)战壕 | |
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45
albeit
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| conj.即使；纵使；虽然 | |
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46
knolls
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| n.小圆丘，小土墩( knoll的名词复数 ) | |
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47
waning
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| adj.（月亮）渐亏的，逐渐减弱或变小的n.月亏v.衰落( wane的现在分词 )；（月）亏；变小；变暗淡 | |
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fowl
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| n.家禽，鸡，禽肉 | |
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beset
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| v.镶嵌；困扰，包围 | |
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50
hoarse
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| adj.嘶哑的，沙哑的 | |
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51
ravens
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| n.低质煤；渡鸦( raven的名词复数 ) | |
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52
croaking
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| v.呱呱地叫( croak的现在分词 )；用粗的声音说 | |
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wayfarers
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| n.旅人，（尤指）徒步旅行者( wayfarer的名词复数 ) | |
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trot
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| n.疾走，慢跑；n.老太婆；现成译本；(复数）trots:腹泻（与the 连用）；v.小跑，快步走，赶紧 | |
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whine
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| v.哀号，号哭；n.哀鸣 | |
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56
foe
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| n.敌人，仇敌 | |
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abashed
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| adj.窘迫的，尴尬的v.使羞愧，使局促，使窘迫( abash的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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cavern
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| n.洞穴，大山洞 | |
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mingled
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| 混合，混入( mingle的过去式和过去分词 )； 混进，与…交往[联系] | |
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abiding
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| adj.永久的，持久的，不变的 | |
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bowels
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| n.肠，内脏，内部；肠( bowel的名词复数 )；内部，最深处 | |
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ledge
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| n.壁架，架状突出物；岩架，岩礁 | |
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deft
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| adj.灵巧的，熟练的（a deft hand 能手） | |
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64
craftsman
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| n.技工，精于一门工艺的匠人 | |
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65
grovelled
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| v.卑躬屈节，奴颜婢膝( grovel的过去式和过去分词 )；趴 | |
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66
gushing
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| adj.迸出的；涌出的；喷出的；过分热情的v.喷，涌( gush的现在分词 )；滔滔不绝地说话 | |
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plentiful
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| adj.富裕的，丰富的 | |
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plentifully
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| adv. 许多地，丰饶地 | |
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69
thicket
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| n.灌木丛，树林 | |
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70
crabs
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| n.蟹( crab的名词复数 )；阴虱寄生病；蟹肉v.捕蟹( crab的第三人称单数 ) | |
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extremity
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| n.末端，尽头；尽力；终极；极度 | |
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boughs
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| 大树枝( bough的名词复数 ) | |
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