Mary Robinson – Strašidelná pláž

The Haunted Beach

Strašidelná pláž

Upon a lonely desart Beach
   Where the white foam was scatter'd,
A little shed uprear'd its head
   Though lofty Barks were shatter'd.
The Sea-weeds gath'ring near the door,
   A sombre path display'd;
And, all around, the deaf'ning roar,
Re-echo'd on the chalky shore,
   By the green billows made.

Above, a jutting cliff was seen
   Where Sea Birds hover'd, craving;
And all around, the craggs were bound
   With weeds—for ever waving.
And here and there, a cavern wide
   Its shad'wy jaws display'd;
And near the sands, at ebb of tide,
A shiver'd mast was seen to ride
   Where the green billows stray'd.

And often, while the moaning wind
   Stole o'er the Summer Ocean;
The moonlight scene, was all serene,
   The waters scarce in motion:
Then, while the smoothly slanting sand
   The tall cliff wrapp'd in shade,
The Fisherman beheld a band
Of Spectres, gliding hand in hand—
   Where the green billows play'd.

And pale their faces were, as snow,
   And sullenly they wander'd:
And to the skies with hollow eyes
   They look'd as though they ponder'd.
And sometimes, from their hammock shroud,
   They dismal howlings made,
And while the blast blew strong and loud
The clear moon mark'd the ghastly croud,
   Where the green billows play'd!

And then, above the haunted hut
   The Curlews screaming hover'd;
And the low door with furious roar
   The frothy breakers cover'd.
For, in the Fisherman's lone shed
   A MURDER'D MAN was laid,
With ten wide gashes in his head
And deep was made his sandy bed
   Where the green billows play'd.

A Shipwreck'd Mariner was he,
   Doom'd from his home to sever;
Who swore to be thro' wind and sea
   Firm and undaunted ever!
And when the wave resistless roll'd,
   About his arm he made
A packet rich of Spanish gold,
And, like a British sailor, bold,
   Plung'd, where the billows play'd!

The Spectre band, his messmates brave
   Sunk in the yawning ocean,
While to the mast he lash'd him fast
   And brav'd the storm's commotion.
The winter moon, upon the sand
   A silv'ry carpet made,
And mark'd the Sailor reach the land,
And mark'd his murd'rer wash his hand
   Where the green billows play'd.

And since that hour the Fisherman
   Has toil'd and toil'd in vain!
For all the night, the moony light
   Gleams on the specter'd main!
And when the skies are veil'd in gloom,
   The Murd'rer's liquid way
Bounds o'er the deeply yawning tomb,
And flashing fires the sands illume,
   Where the green billows play!

Full thirty years his task has been,
   Day after day more weary;
For Heav'n design'd, his guilty mind
   Should dwell on prospects dreary.
Bound by a strong and mystic chain,
   He has not pow'r to stray;
But, destin'd mis'ry to sustain,
He wastes, in Solitude and Pain—
   A loathsome life away.

Na osamelej pláži v nič,

   kde biela pena praskala

o vraky pyšných plachetníc,

   chalúpka hlavu dvíhala.

Na prahu kopy morských rias,

   pochmúrny chodník k nim;

a mocný rev sa niesol zas

v ozvene pozdĺž pobrežia,

   k tým vlnám zeleným.

Na nimi ostrý útes čnel,

   tam vtáky chceli vznášať sa;

navôkol skaly odeté

   do rias – čo večne vlnia sa.

tam tiene zubmi jaskyňu

   hneď mohli vyceriť;

pri piesku odliv prílivu

roztriasol sťažeň k pohybu,

   vĺn, zbehov zelených.

A často, vietor plačúci

   nad letným oceánom vial;

mesačný výjav v náručí

   vodami takmer nehýbal:

mrvil sa piesok jemne tu,

   v tieň útes vztýčený,

tam rybár uzrel perepúť

prízrakov pospolu sa hnúť –

   vo vlnách zelených.

Ich tváre bledé ako sneh

   sa zachmúrené túlali:

prázdny zrak k nebu ochotne  

   upreli, sťaby dumali.

A spoza rubáša by hneď 

   pochmúrne vytie ich

van silný, hlasný rozoznel,

mátožný zástup žiaril v tme,

   vo vlnách zelených!

Nad strašidelnou chyžou tam

   hvizdáky v letku škriekali;

spenené vlny rachotiac

   na dvere s revom trieskali.

Tam v pustej chyži rybárskej 

   MUŽ ležal ZVRAŽDENÝ,

mal desať rán on na hlave,

v piesočnom lôžku oťažel

   vo vlnách zelených.

Bol stroskotancom, navzdory

   osudu z domu vyhnaný;

more i vietor pokoril

   pevný a plný odvahy!

Keď klbko vĺn sa valilo,

   mech zlata, nelenil,  

hneď schmatol, sťa Brit, vášnivo,

smelo sa, drzo vnoril on

 do tých vĺn zelených!

Z posádky sú už prízraky,

   oceán zívol, vošli dnu,

on v besnej búrke nestratil

   um, pripútal sa ku sťažňu.  

Do piesku zimná luna stlie

   koberec striebrený,

aha, tam mornár na breh šiel,

tam vrah si ruky umyl tiež

   vo vlnách zelených.

Odvtedy rybár márne sa

   hrdlačí, drie a lopotí!

Po celú noc svit mesiaca

   prízračné more vysvieti!

Keď nebo šero zahalí,

   zrie chodník vražedný

skrz hrobku medzi vodami,

lesk ohňov piesok opáli

   pri vlnách zelených.

Trápi sa svojim údelom

už tridsať rokov, deň za dňom;

pre vinný um beznádejou  

je Eden, chmúrnou vyhliadkou.

Púta ho reťaz mystická,

vzdorovať nemieni,

len trpieť odsúdený má,

v samote život premrhá —

v bolesti na zemi.