nada the lily- 第35部分

all　those　who　were　present　at　the　burial　were　made　into　a　regiment　and

commanded　that　they　should　dwell　by　the　grave　for　the　space　of　a　year。

They　were　many；　my　father；　but　I　was　not　one　of　them。　Also　Chaka　gave

orders　that　no　crops　should　be　sown　that　year；　that　the　milk　of　the

cows　should　be　spilled　upon　the　ground；　and　that　no　woman　should　give

birth　to　a　child　for　a　full　year；　and　that　if　any　should　dare　to　bear

children；　then　that　they　should　be　slain　and　their　husbands　with　them。

And　for　a　space　of　some　months　these　things　were　done；　my　father；　and

great　sorrow　came　upon　the　land。



Then　for　a　little　while　there　was　quiet；　and　Chaka　went　about　heavily；

and　he　wept　often；　and　we　who　waited　on　him　wept　also　as　we　walked；

till　at　length　it　came　about　by　use　that　we　could　weep　without　ceasing

for　many　hours。　No　angry　woman　can　weep　as　we　wept　in　those　days；　it

was　an　art；　my　father；　for　the　teaching　of　which　I　received　many

cattle；　for　woe　to　him　who　had　no　tears　in　those　days。　Then　it　was

also　that　Chaka　sent　out　the　captain　and　fifty　soldiers　to　search　for

Umslopogaas；　for；　though　he　said　nothing　more　to　me　of　this　matter；　he

did　not　believe　all　the　tale　that　I　had　told　him　of　the　death　of

Umslopogaas　in　the　jaws　of　a　lion　and　the　tale　of　those　who　were　with

me。　How　that　company　fared　at　the　hands　of　Umslopogaas　and　of　Galazi

the　Wolf；　and　at　the　fangs　of　the　people　black　and　grey；　I　have　told

you；　my　father。　None　of　them　ever　came　back　again。　In　after　days　it

was　reported　to　the　king　that　these　soldiers　were　missing；　never

having　returned；　but　he　only　laughed；　saying　that　the　lion　which　ate

Umslopogaas；　son　of　Mopo；　was　a　fierce　one；　and　had　eaten　them　also。



At　last　came　the　night　of　the　new　moon；　that　dreadful　night　to　be

followed　by　a　more　dreadful　morrow。　I　sat　in　the　kraal　of　Chaka；　and

he　put　his　arm　about　my　neck　and　groaned　and　wept　for　his　mother；　whom

he　had　murdered；　and　I　groaned　also；　but　I　did　not　weep；　because　it

was　dark；　and　on　the　morrow　I　must　weep　much　in　the　sight　of　king　and

men。　Therefore；　I　spared　my　tears；　lest　they　should　fail　me　in　my

need。



All　night　long　the　people　drew　on　from　every　side　towards　the　kraal；

and；　as　they　came　in　thousands　and　tens　of　thousands；　they　filled　the

night　with　their　cries；　till　it　seemed　as　though　the　whole　world　were

mourning；　and　loudly。　None　might　cease　their　crying；　and　none　dared　to

drink　so　much　as　a　cup　of　water。　The　daylight　came；　and　Chaka　rose；

saying；　〃Come；　let　us　go　forth；　Mopo；　and　look　on　those　who　mourn　with

us。〃　So　we　went　out；　and　after　us　came　men　armed　with　clubs　to　do　the

bidding　of　the　king。



Outside　the　kraal　the　people　were　gathered；　and　their　number　was

countless　as　the　leaves　upon　the　trees。　On　every　side　the　land　was

black　with　them；　as　at　times　the　veldt　is　black　with　game。　When　they

saw　the　king　they　ceased　from　their　howling　and　sang　the　war…song；

then　once　again　they　howled；　and　Chaka　walked　among　them　weeping。　Now；

my　father；　the　sight　became　dreadful；　for；　as　the　sun　rose　higher　the

day　grew　hot；　and　utter　weariness　came　upon　the　people；　who　were

packed　together　like　herds　of　cattle；　and；　though　oxen　slain　in

sacrifice　lay　around；　they　might　neither　eat　nor　drink。　Some　fell　to

the　ground；　and　were　trampled　to　death；　others　took　too　much　snuff　to

make　them　weep；　others　stained　their　eyes　with　saliva；　others　walked

to　and　fro；　their　tongues　hanging　from　their　jaws；　while　groans　broke

from　their　parched　throats。



〃Now；　Mopo；　we　shall　learn　who　are　the　wizards　that　have　brought　these

ills　upon　us；〃　said　the　king；　〃and　who　are　the　true…hearted　men。〃



As　we　spoke　we　cam　upon　a　man；　a　chief　of　renown。　He　was　named

Zwaumbana；　chief　of　the　Amabovus；　and　with　him　were　his　wives　and

followers。　This　man　could　weep　no　more；　he　gasped　with　thirst　and

heat。　The　king　looked　at　him。



〃See；　Mopo；〃　he　said；　〃see　that　brute　who　has　no　tears　for　my　mother

who　is　dead！　Oh；　the　monster　without　a　heart！　Shall　such　as　he　live　to

look　upon　the　sun；　while　I　and　thou　must　weep；　Mopo？　Never！　never！

Take　him　away；　and　all　those　who　are　with　him！　Take　them　away；　the

people　without　hearts；　who　do　not　weep　because　my　mother　is　dead　by

witchcraft！〃



And　Chaka　walked　on　weeping；　and　I　followed　also　weeping；　but　the

chief　Zwaumbana　and　those　with　him　were　all　slain　by　those　who　do　the

bidding　of　the　king；　and　the　slayers　also　must　weep　as　they　slew。

Presently　we　came　upon　another　man；　who；　seeing　the　king；　took　snuff

secretly　to　bring　tears　to　his　eyes。　But　the　glance　of　Chaka　was

quick；　and　he　noted　it。



〃Look　at　him；　Mopo；〃　he　said；　〃look　at　the　wizard　who　has　no　tears；

though　my　mother　is　dead　by　witchcraft。　See；　he　takes　snuff　to　bring

tears　to　his　eyes　that　are　dry　with　wickedness。　Take　him　away；　the

heartless　brute！　Oh；　take　him　away！〃



So　this　one　also　was　killed；　and　these　were　but　the　first　of

thousands；　for　presently　Chaka　grew　mad　with　wickedness；　with　fury；

and　with　the　lust　of　blood。　He　walked　to　and　fro；　weeping；　going　now

and　again　into　his　hut　to　drink　beer；　and　I　with　him；　for　he　said　that

we　who　sorrowed　must　have　food。　And　ever　as　he　walked　he　would　wave

his　arm　or　his　assegai；　saying；　〃Take　them　away；　the　heartless　brutes；

who　do　not　weep　because　my　mother　is　dead；〃　and　those　who　chanced　to

stand　before　his　arm　were　killed；　till　at　length　the　slayers　could

slay　no　more；　and　themselves　were　slain；　because　their　strength　had

failed　them；　and　they　had　no　more　tears。　And　I　also；　I　must　slay；　lest

if　I　slew　not　I　should　myself　be　slain。



And　now；　at　length；　the　people　also　went　mad　with　their　thirst　and　the

fury　of　their　fear。　They　fell　upon　each　other；　killing　each　other；

every　man　who　had　a　foe　sought　him　out　and　killed　him。　None　were

spared；　the　place　was　but　a　shambles；　there　on　that　day　died　full

seven　thousand　men；　and　still　Chaka　walked　weeping　among　them；　saying；

〃Take　them　away；　the　heartless　brutes；　take　them　away！〃　Yet；　my

father；　there　was　cunning　in　his　cruelty；　for　though　he　destroyed　many

for　sport　alone；　also　he　slew　on　this　day　all　those　whom　he　hated　or

whom　he　feared。



At　length　the　night　came　down；　the　sun　sank　red　that　day；　all　the　sky

was　like　blood；　and　blood　was　all　the　earth　beneath。　Then　the　killing

ceased；　because　none　had　now　the　strength　to　kill；　and　the　people　lay

panting　in　heaps　upon　the　ground；　the　living　and　the　dead　together。　I

looked　at　them；　and　saw　that　if　they　were　not　allowed　to　eat　and

drink；　before　day　dawned　again　the　most　of　them　would　be　dead；　and　I

spoke　to　the　king；　for　I　cared　little　in　that　hour　if　I　lived　or　died；

even　my　hope　of　vengeance　was　forgotten　in　the　sickness　of　my　heart。



〃A　mourning　indeed；　O　King；〃　I　said；　〃a　merry　mourning　for　true…

hearted　men；　but　for　wizards　a　mourning　such　as　they　do　not　love。　I

think　that　thy　sorrows　are　avenged；　O　King；　thy　sorrows　and　mine

also。〃



〃Not　so；　Mopo；〃　answered　the　king；　〃this　is　but　the　beginning；　our

mourning　was　merry　to…day；　it　shall　be　merrier　to…morrow。〃



〃To…morrow；　O　King；　few　will　be　left　to　mourn；　for　the　land　will　be

swept　of　men。〃



〃Why；　Mopo；　son　of　Makedama？　But　a　few　have　perished　of　all　the

thousands　who　are　gathered　together。　Number　the　people　and　they　will

not　be　missed。〃



〃But　a　few　have　died　beneath　the　assegai　and　the　kerrie；　O　King。　Yet

hunger　and　thirst　shall　finish　the　spear's　work。　The　people　have

neither　eaten　nor　drunk　for　a　day　and　a　night；　and　for　a　day　and　a

night　they　have　wailed　and　moaned。　Look　without；　Black　One；　there　they

lie　in　heaps　with　the　dead。　By　to…morrow's　light　they　also　will　be

dead　or　dying。〃



Now；　Chaka　thought　awhile；　and　he　saw　that　the　work　would　go　too　far；

leaving　him　but　a　small　people　over　whom　to　rule。



〃It　is　hard；　Mopo；〃　he　said；　〃that　thou　and　I　must　mourn　alone　over

our　woes　while　these　dogs　feast　and　make　merry。　Yet；　because　of　the

gentleness　of　my　heart；　I　will　deal　gently　with　them。　Go　out；　son　of

Makedama；　and　bid　my　children　eat　and　drink　if　they　have　the　heart；

for　this　mourning　is　ended。　Scarcely　will　Unandi；　my　mother；　sleep

well；　seeing　that　so　little　blood　has　been　shed　on　her　gravesurely

her　spirit　will　haunt　my　dreams。　Yet；　because　of　the　gentleness　of　my

heart；　I　declare　this　mourning　ended。　Let　my　children　eat　and　drink；

if；　indeed；　they　have　the　heart。〃



〃Happy　are　the　people　over　whom　such　a　king　is　set；〃　I　said　in　answer。

Then　I　went　out　and　told　the　words　of　Chaka　to　the　chiefs　and

captains；　and　those　of　them　who　had　the　voice　left　to　them　praised　the

goodness　of　the　king。　But　the　most　gave　over　sucking　the　dew　from

their　sticks；　and　rushed　to　the　water　like　cattle　that　have　wandered

five　days　in　the　desert；　and　drank　their　fill。　Some　of　them　were

trampled　to　death　in　the　water。



Afterwards　I　slept　as　I　might　best；　it　was　not　well；　my　father；　for　I

knew　that　Chaka　was　not　yet　gutted　with　slaughter。



On　the　morrow　ma