[Previous: lines 981-1024]
John concludes his narration of Jesus's adult ministry.
“Omnia quae sera nuper mihi nocte canebat, [1025]-------
cùm caput ipsius in gremio mærore gravatum,
una eadem accumbens sponda, admotusque loquenti
sæpe reclinarem, mæsti solamen amoris.
Quid repetam, quæ sæpe vagi Iordanis ad undas
ediderit? quæ Judææ sub montibus altis? [1030]
Nunc cæcis vera involvens ambagibus ultro,
nunc manifesta palàm claro sermone loquutus,
duin populi circumsistunt, stipantque frequentes?
Nunc se principium rerum finemque canebat,
nunc veri fontem, atque homimum lucemque viamque. [1035]
Nos fortunatam prognatam hoc tempore prolem!
Nos felix tellus, nos secula laeta tulere!
Nobis divinam vocem, divina loquentis
verba haurire Dei propiùs saepe obtigit unis.
Scilicet hinc lustris veniet labentibus aetas, [1040]
cùm seri optabunt eadem vidisse nepotes.”
Talia Ioannes cunctis mirantibus ore
perstabat memorans; cùm protinus, ecce, tumultu
ingenti Solimûm irrumpit manus impia, et urbis
rectorem appellant, pœnasque uno ore reposcunt. [1045]
Diffugiunt ambo; et magnam stat adire parentem,
Ignaramque diu tantarum fallere rerum.
“Everything here he told me late one night, [1025]That's the end of Book 4: John's super-lengthy monologue narrating Jesus's adult life, coming on top of Book 3's super-length monologue from Joseph on Jesus's nativity. It's been a rocky road, often, translating these two books; and they sag, rather, on the reader's interest. From here we move on, in Book 5, to the crucifixion itself and then the epic concludes (Book 6) with the resurrection.
as my sorrow-weary head rested on his lap
reclining on the same couch, drawn to his words
and the solace of love they so often brought.
Why repeat what he often preached by Jordan's
waters? or from a high mountain-top? [1030]
Sometimes he would cloak his word in darkness,
sometimes speak clear brilliant speech, as all the
the people crowded around, as they often did.
He said he was the start and end of all,
the true fountain, the light and the way. [1035]
How lucky to live this time the child is born
into a joyous world and a happy prospect,
lucky to have heard god speaking divine truth:
his words have fallen on our ears alone.
Down the ages, generations will wish, [1040]
to have seen the healing things we have done.”
So John spoke, to general astonishment.
He would have said more, but a commotion
citizens of Jeruslaem burlying in
calling on the Ruler for punishment. [1045]
Both men fled; they decided to go to the mother,
though to keep her ignorant about events.
Long, though. Indeed, the problem Vida has set himself here is precisely Pilate's receptivity to these two lengthy monologues; his patience in listening to all this, and the massive accumulation of evidence not only for Jesus's innocence but his divinity, is going to make it tricky to narrate the Roman's later abandonment of him to the Jews and approval of his crucifixion. Or at least, tricky to do that without it painting Pilate not as a noble individual trying to do his best in tricky circumstances, but as a weasel and a coward. We'll have to read Book 5 to see how Vida copes with that.
The image at the top of the post is a vintage late-19thC photograph of Jerusalem.
[Next: Book 5, lines 1-12]
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