The Life

1831

One poor son of the desert saw a dream.

There lay the grand Mediterranean Sea, overseen from three sides by the stiflingly hot shores of Africa, the bare deserts of Syria and the lively, bustling coast of Europe.

The ancient, solemn Egypt stood tall over the lifeless, still sea. Its stones, shaped into sphinxes, gazed out with unblinking grey eyes. It stood in all its imposing grandeur, nourished by the great Nile, all adorned with mysterious symbols and sacred beasts. It stood perfectly still, as if hypnotised, as if immune to decay.

The joyous Greece stretched out its many colonies. The sea teemed with isles draped in greenery. Cinnamons, grapevines and fig trees waved their heavy boughs. Countless columns, white as a young maiden's hands, stood out against the lush shadows. The graceful marble, brought to life by a masterful chisel, shyly admired its own beauty. Youthful priestesses with untamed curls cast impassioned glances. Reed kuvytsis, tympanums and other musical instruments, all cloaked in ivy, could be seen here and there. Ships thronged around Rhodes and Corfu like flies, their flags fluttering in the playful wind. And yet, it all stood perfectly still in its petrified grandeur.

There rose the iron Rome. Its numerous spears and swords bristled as it kept yearning for more and more, consumed by its avarice. Yet Rome, too, stood perfectly still.

The air hung stiff and frigid, charged with an uneasy stillness. The grand Mediterranean Sea lay unmoving, as if all nations were gathered to face the Final Judgement before the end of the world.

Egypt came forth and said: 'Listen to me, o peoples! I alone have found the key to the greatest mystery of life and man. All is in vain. The arts are worthless, earthly pleasures are meaningless, and the pursuit of worldly glory is all the more pathetic. Death, death rules the world and man! Death devours everything; everything lives for death alone. The resurrection is far, far away; will we ever see it at all? Away with desires and pleasures! Keep building the pyramid, you poor man, so that you may try and prolong your pitiful existence—if only by a little.'

The luminous Greek world spoke, bright as the sky, the morning and the youth. Its words were like the song of the kuvytsi: 'Life is for living! Cultivate your life and cultivate with it all its many pleasures. Whatever you do, do it all for pleasure. Look just how peaceful and splendid everything is in nature, how all things breathe in perfect harmony. Everything the gods possess can be found within the world, so learn to find it. Rejoice, o godlike and proud master of the world! Adorn your lovely head with laurels! Keep greed and avarice far from your proud and daring soul! The chisel, the palette and the flute were made to rule the world, while they themselves are ruled by beauty. Life is for living, life is for pleasure—so be worthy of pleasure!'.

Rome came forth and said: 'I found the key to life. Peace and calm are beneath man; they destroy him at his very core. Arts and pleasures are not grand enough for a man's soul. True joy is only found in aspirational desires. Pathetic is the life of any man or nation without grand deeds. It is glory you should yearn for, o man! Do you hear the whole world gathered at your feet, brandishing its spears? Do you see nations across the seas trembling at the sound of your name? All that you lay your eyes upon shall bow to your name. Keep aiming ever higher: if the world is boundless, so, too, can be your ambition. Wild and fierce, keep conquering the world; you shall thus one day conquer the heavens.'

Yet suddenly, Rome paused and turned its eagle-like gaze to the east. So did Greece, its beautiful eyes shimmering with joy. So did Egypt, its eyes dull and colourless.

The soil was barren, and the people were destitute. Behind an old, decrepit fence stood a lone jennet. In a wooden crib lay a baby; his immaculate Mother gazed upon him. A star shone above, illuminating the entire world with its wondrous light.

Egypt, cloaked in hieroglyphs, fell silent and lowered its pyramids. The gorgeous Greece cast an anxious glance, and Rome dropped its gaze to its iron pikes. Splendid Asia, the land of shepherd peoples, stopped to listen. Even Ararat, the ancient forefather of all, bowed down in awe...