Mímir - 01.02.1974, Blaðsíða 14

THE HOUSE OF JUDGMENT
And there was silence in the House of Judgment,
and the Man came naked before God.
And God opened the Book of the Life of the
Man.
And God said to the Man, ”Thy life hath been
evil, and thou hast shown cruelty to those who
were in need of succour, and to those who lacked
help thou hast been bitter and hard of heart.
The poor called to thee and thou didst not
hearken, and thine ears were closed to the cry
of My afflicted. The inheritance of the fatherless
thou didst take unto thyself, and thou didst
send the foxes into the vineyard of thy neigh-
bour’s field. Thou didst take the bread of the
children and give it to the dogs to eat, and My
lepers who lived in the marshes, and were at
peace and praised Me, thou didst drive forth on
to the highways, and on Mine earth out of which
I made thee thou didst spill innocent blood."
And the Man made answer and said, "Even
so did L"
And again God opened the Book of the Life
of the Man.
And God said to the Man, "Thy life hath
been evil, and the Beauty I have shown thou
hast sought for, and the Good I have hidden
thou didst pass by. The walls of thy chamber
were painted with images, and from the bed of
thine abominations thou didst rise up to the
sound of flutes. Thou didst build seven altars to
the sins I have suffered, and didst eat of the thing
that may not be eaten, and the purple of thy
raiment was broidered with the three signs of
shame. Thine idols were neither of gold nor of
silver that endure, but of flesh that dieth. Thou
didst stain their hair with perfumes and put
pomegranates in their hands. Thou didst stain
their feet with saffron and spread carpets before
them. With antimony thou didst stain their
eyelids and their bodies thou didst smear with
myrrh. Thou didst bow thyself to the ground
before them, and the thrones of thine idols were
set in the sun. Thou didst show to the sun thy
shame and to the moon thy madness.”
And the Man made answer and said," Even
so did I."
And a third time God opened the Book of
the Life of the Man.
And God said to the Man, "Evil hath been
thy life, and with evil didst thou requite good,
and with wrongdoing kindness. The hands that
fed thee thou didst wound, and the breasts that
gave thee suck thou didst despise. He who came
to thee with water went away thirsting, and the
outlawed men who hid thee in their tents at
night thou didst betray before dawn. Thine
enemy who spared thee thou didst snare in an
ambush, and the friend who walked with thee
thou didst sell for a price, and to those who
brought thee Love thou didst ever give Lust in
thy turn.”
And the Man made answer and said, "Even
so did I."
And God closed the Book of the Life of the
Man, and said, "Surely 1 will send thee mto Hell.
Even into Hell will I send the.”
And the Man cried out, "Thou canst not."
And God said to the Man, "Wherefore can
I not send thee to Hell, and for what reason?”
"Because in Hell have I always lived," an-
swered the Man.
And there was silence in the House of Judg-
ment.
And after a space God spake, and said to the
Man, "Seeing that I may not send thee into
Hell, surely I will send thee unto Heaven. Even
unto Heaven will I send thee."
And the Man cried out, "Thou canst not."
And God said to the Man, "Wherefore can I
not send thee unto Heaven, and for what
reason?"
"Because never, and in no place, have I been
able to imagine it," answered the Man.
And there was silence in the House of Judg-
ment.
14