I AM A CORPSE
I AM A CORPSE (第2/3页)
cleavedhiminhalfwithasmoothstrokeofhisscimitar,causinghimtoconcludethatintheHereaftermangetssplitintwo.
Nonsense!Quitetheopposite,I’devensaythatsoulsdividedinlifemergeintheHereafter.Contrarytotheclaimsofsinfulinfidelswho’vefallenundertheswayoftheDevil,thereisindeedanotherworld,thankGod,andtheproofisthatI’mspeakingtoyoufromhere.I’vedied,butasyoucanplainlytell,Ihaven’tceasedtobe.Granted,Imustconfess,Ihaven’tencounteredtheriversflowingbesidethesilverandgoldkiosksofHeaven,thebroad-leavedtreesbearingplumpfruitandthebeautifulvirginsmentionedintheGloriousKoran—thoughIdoverywellrecallhowoftenandenthusiasticallyImadepicturesofthosewide-eyedhourisdescribedinthechapter“ThatWhichIsComing.”Noristhereatraceofthoseriversofmilk,wine,freshwaterandhoneydescribedwithsuchflourish,notintheKoran,butbyvisionarydreamerslikeIbnArabi.ButIhavenointentionoftemptingthefaithofthosewholiverightfullythroughtheirhopesandvisionsoftheOtherworld,soletmedeclarethatallI’veseenrelatesspecificallytomyownverypersonalcircumstances.Anybelieverwithevenalittleknowledgeoflifeafterdeathwouldknowthatamalcontentinmystatewouldbehard-pressedtoseetheriversofHeaven.
Inshort,I,whoamknownasMasterElegantEffendi,amdead,butIhavenotbeenburied,andthereforemysoulhasnotcompletelyleftmybody.Thisextraordinarysituation,althoughnaturallymycaseisn’tthefirst,hasinflictedhorriblesufferingupontheimmortalpartofme.ThoughIcannotfeelmycrushedskullormydecomposingbodycoveredinwounds,fullofbrokenbonesandpartiallysubmergedinice-coldwater,Idofeelthedeeptormentofmysoulstrugglingdesperatelytoescapeitsmortalcoil.It’sasifthewholeworld,alongwithmybody,werecontractingintoabolusofanguish.
IcanonlycomparethiscontractiontothesurprisingsenseofreleaseIfeltduringtheunequaledmomentofmydeath.Yes,Iinstantlyunderstoodthatthewretchwantedtokillmewhenheunexpectedlystruckmewithastoneandcrackedmyskull,butIdidn’tbelievehe’dfollowthrough.IsuddenlyrealizedIwasahopefulman,somethingIhadn’tbeenawareofwhilelivingmylifeintheshadowsbetweenworkshopandhousehold.Iclungpassionately
tolifewithmynails,myfingersandmyteeth,whichIsankintohisskin.Iwon’tboreyouwiththepainfuldetailsofthesubsequentblowsIreceived.
WheninthecourseofthisagonyIknewIwoulddie,anincrediblefeelingofrelieffilledme.Ifeltthisreliefduringthemomentofdeparture;myarrivaltothissidewassoothing,likethedreamofseeingoneselfasleep.Thesnow-andmud
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