Trans-Atlantyk

by Witold Gombrowicz

  Sidling then along the fence, beyond the Bushes, I skirt: and there rustling, hopping and as if horses … since heavily they hop, groan. And also Heaving but as if Human. And now as if a Grunt quiet, Stifled, or kicking or Treading. And perchance quite a number, although not Dogs, not Horses, likewise not People. Closer still amidst the bushes I went till in the murkiness, some fifty steps away, a large Heap I saw … Since as a Heap it stood behind the trees, and as if Hopped, as if Randy, as if with Tooth and claw, yet Restrained, as if on the spot with Hooves stamped… and Snorting, grunting, quiet, stifled, or perchance a Groan and nigh human … Thus this sight so Painful and so Awesome, Dreadsome, so O’erdreadsome, that into a pillar of salt I turned and as if frozen could not move.

  Now one of these creatures in clumsy hops came closer to me (and indeed as a rider on a horse, the which when exercising a horse with a spur Trains it and with a bit restrains it)—and the Baron it was! The Baron on Ciumkala! And anon another Horseman rode up in whom the Accomptant I recognized: he, heavily Tramping, on Cieciszowski sat and him with a spur pinched and with a bit restrained, so that Cieciszowski snorted, grunted! Rasped then the Accomptant quietly, Fearsomely: “Everything ready?” “Ready,” rasped the Baron fearsomely. “Not yet!” rasped the Accomptant with fear. “We are not Dread enough yet! Still more Spur to our Horses! Let them bolt! And only when that Cavalry of ours becomes arch-hellish will I give a sign to attack, and we will Strike! And after we Strike, we will Trample! And after we trample, we will Expunge! And we will Vanquish, Vanquish!”

  “We will vanquish!” rasped Ciumkala with a grunt, with a black rasp. “We will vanquish for we are Dread, Dread. Oh, Strike, Kill, Awe, Awe, Mount, Mount! Strike, Kill,” they rasped. “Strike-Kill!”

  Hearing these words, the which in the night quietude of the park as mad sounded, I made a jump and through the bushes to the house ran, and the door behind me as on Pestilence I shut. God, God, God …

  But there needs be a warning so that doors, windows they would close, to arms, to arms! Oh, Hell-hounds! But what’s this, what’s this? What is this Sound that Resounds? Now I look: All pairs are dancing! More, more, more! Likewise dances Ignacy, with Panna Tuska he dances, and so briskly, gallantly turns, so bravely swirls that she in his hands whirrs … and so amazed are the Old that they give him applause … Yet when he Stamps someone there Stamps, and likewise when he Jumps someone Jumps … And no one else perchance that was but Horatio who for the dance Panna Muszka took and so swiftly Swirls, Twists that she whirrs, whirrs, whirrs! Ergo, the twain Tap, Stamp, Turn now right now left, Twist so that as tops their misses! Oh, they are dancing, dancing! And when Ignac jumps, Horatio Jumps, when Horatio tramps, Ignac stamps. Bang! And boom, and bam boom, and bam bam boom bam! Boombam, Boombam, Boombam, bam, bam, boom, boom, in a Boombam they dance!

  In a Boombam! Boombam’s voice as a Drum ever stronger sounds! Gonzalo in a black Mantilla-cloak, like a Hat, twice through the whole hall passed and with his applause the dancers he honoured. And I, hearing the Boombam’s call, my head lowered and my eyelids lowered somewhat… and now so Empty, Empty that as a Drum empty! … But the Minister sprang at me: “By God!” he cries, “what’s this! Perchance they have Besotted themselves! To the Devil with such a Dance, indeed now they drown out the Music so they should be taken by the scruff and thrown out! …” But Ignac Boomed, whereupon Horatio Bammed, Bam, Bam, Boom, Boom, so that window panes shudder and cups and likewise saucers jump, so that the floor groans! Other dancers there still tried to dance, to complement, as this is a Kulig, a Kulig, Mazurka, Mazurka, but not a chance! No more a Kulig, just Boombam, Boombam, and in a corner they have gathered, they see and they hear Boom, Boom, Boom, Bam, Bam, Boombam as a Horse thunders! Tomasz a long knife took, the which for cutting Meat, and as if would cut Meat… yet into a jacket’s pocket dropped the knife …

  So fain would I cry Filicide, Filicide! Yet Patricide! As now in Jumps, Stamps, Boom, bam Ignac unbound in boom with Horatio out-booming booms, booms, booms! Boom into a Lamp Horatio, Bam into a lamp Ignacy, but Boom bam Horatio into a vase, Ignacy bam into a vase; and boom Horatio into Tomasz!

  God! Tomasz to the ground fell! …

  Tomasz to the ground fell! … And here Bam, bam Ignac with his Bam swoops, oh, and he will Bam, bam into that Father of his, he will Bam, oh likewise he will Bam, Bam …

  Oh Son, Son, Son! May the Father die! The Son’s the thing, oh indeed! And the Devil, the Devil, and the Devil, perchance the Devil, let the Devil, the Devil, oh the Devil, the Devil, the Devil, Bam the Devil, Boom the Devil! Swoops Ignac! Let what is to become become! Let it Be! Let Son murder Father! And now in this Sin, mortal, common, in this Shame, in this lechery, naught but the Boombam’s call and the Galloping of the arch-hellish cavalry and the thunder of a Murder! And a shame before People!

  A shame before People, a shame! Since ’tis, lookye, as if Barefoot, in breeches, and as if you had a Shirt between the teeth, as if you a Turnip, raw, a Carrot bite, as if you somewhere behind a Barn relieved yourself, and as if Naked along a field you ran, and as if an Oaf, and as if you scratched yourself behind the ear, and a shame, a shame, a shame as in a Shirt! Oh, oh! a shame before people! Oh God, God, the Devil, the Devil, but indeed he is now Swooping, Swooping, likewise now he will that Father of his bam, will bam with that bam of his, him will Bam! Jesus, Maria, Jesus, and what shame, bitter, nagging, and what Shame there will be, indeed he will him bam, bam, bam! But what’s this, what’s this? Oh, perchance Salvation! Oh what’s this, how’s this, what’s this? Ah, perchance Salvation! Since, whilst he so at his Father Swoops, Swoops, Swoops, and yet Swoops, is Swooping, nigh, nigh Swooping down, upon him Laughter, oh, on him Laughter, Laughter, God, God, he into Laughter perchance, oh, he into Laughter and so he into Laughter, into Laughter is Swooping and aloft he Swoops! Ah, aloft Swoops! Laughter then, Laughter! The Minister his belly clutched, with laughter bammed! And Boom, Bam, Pyckal the Baron by the belly clutched, and the Accomptant Cieciszowski clutched, and with Laughter they boomed, bammed, Bam, Bam; there the Elders titter so they Totter, here Pani Dowalewiczowa squeals, tears sheds, squeals and Bam, Boom roars; Spits, snorts from laughter the reverend Parson, and Muszka and Tuska so Skip about now their noses are besnotted! Laughter then Boomed! Totters Chairman Pucek! And by the wall they Gasp, well-nigh Piss, and there again Stifle, now perchance Can no more; here again one from laughter a Stitch so in Stitches, or Chokes and indeed through his ears sprays, there again on the floor another sat, his legs stretched out, and Soars, Roars with laughter shaking, quaking and Shakes, shakes… And another even swelled with that Swelling! So they Boom! Thereupon somewhat quietened. Then again now this, now that, first one, whereupon another, and presently three, four, presently five Bam, Boom with laughter Boom, Boom Out, into arms each other take, Totter, now lightly, now heavily together they Pitch and now one the other, one with the other but Boom boom oh Guffaw, Guffaw so much that perchance they Boom. And so from Laughter into Laughter, they with laughter Boom, with laughter bam, boom, boom, bam Boom! …

  * In Polish, karawan = hearse; karawana = caravan (a company of merchants or pilgrims traveling together). In Spanish, caravanas = mobile homes.