Poem in Prose - The House of Judgment

闲过信陵饮 · 发表于 26-12-2003 16:07:30

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The House of Judgment By Oscar Wilde 
 
 
And there was silence in the House of Judgment, and the Man came 
naked before God. 
 
And God opened the Book of the Life of the Man. 
 
And God said to the Man, 'Thy life hath been evil, and thou hast 
shown cruelty to those who were in need of succour, and to those who 
lacked help thou hast been bitter and hard of heart. The poor 
called to thee and thou didst not hearken, and thine ears were 
closed to the cry of My afflicted. The inheritance of the 
fatherless thou didst take unto thyself, and thou didst send the 
foxes into the vineyard of thy neighbour's field. Thou didst take 
the bread of the children and give it to the dogs to eat, and My 
lepers who lived in the marshes, and were at peace and praised Me, 
thou didst drive forth on to the highways, and on Mine earth out of 
which I made thee thou didst spill innocent blood.' 
 
And the Man made answer and said, 'Even so did I.' 
 
And again God opened the Book of the Life of the Man. 
 
And God said to the Man, 'Thy life hath been evil, and the Beauty I 
have shown thou hast sought for, and the Good I have hidden thou 
didst pass by. The walls of thy chamber were painted with images, 
and from the bed of thine abominations thou didst rise up to the 
sound of flutes. Thou didst build seven altars to the sins I have 
suffered, and didst eat of the thing that may not be eaten, and the 
purple of thy raiment was broidered with the three signs of shame. 
Thine idols were neither of gold nor of silver that endure, but of 
flesh that dieth. Thou didst stain their hair with perfumes and put 
pomegranates in their hands. Thou didst stain their feet with 
saffron and spread carpets before them. With antimony thou didst 
stain their eyelids and their bodies thou didst smear with myrrh. 
Thou didst bow thyself to the ground before them, and the thrones of 
thine idols were set in the sun. Thou didst show to the sun thy 
shame and to the moon thy madness.' 
 
And the Man made answer and said, 'Even so did I.' 
 
And a third time God opened the Book of the Life of the Man. 
 
And God said to the Man, 'Evil hath been thy life, and with evil 
didst thou requite good, and with wrongdoing kindness. The hands 
that fed thee thou didst wound, and the breasts that gave thee suck 
thou didst despise. He who came to thee with water went away 
thirsting, and the outlawed men who hid thee in their tents at night 
thou didst betray before dawn. Thine enemy who spared thee thou 
didst snare in an ambush, and the friend who walked with thee thou 
didst sell for a price, and to those who brought thee Love thou 
didst ever give Lust in thy turn.' 
 
And the Man made answer and said, 'Even so did I.' 
 
And God closed the Book of the Life of the Man, and said, 'Surely I 
will send thee into Hell. Even into Hell will I send thee.' 
 
And the Man cried out, 'Thou canst not.' 
 
And God said to the Man, 'Wherefore can I not send thee to Hell, and 
for what reason?' 
 
'Because in Hell have I always lived,' answered the Man. 
 
And there was silence in the House of Judgment. 
 
And after a space God spake, and said to the Man, 'Seeing that I may 
not send thee into Hell, surely I will send thee unto Heaven. Even 
unto Heaven will I send thee.' 
 
And the Man cried out, 'Thou canst not.' 
 
And God said to the Man, 'Wherefore can I not send thee unto Heaven, 
and for what reason?' 
 
'Because never, and in no place, have I been able to imagine it,' 
answered the Man. 
 
And there was silence in the House of Judgment.

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[读者文摘] Poem in Prose - The House of Judgment

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