【英文原著类】thegoldenthreshold(金色

THEGOLDENTHRESHOLD1THEGOLDENTHRESHOLDBySarojiniNaiduTHEGOLDENTHRESHOLD2INTRODUCTIONItisatmypersuasionthatthesepoemsarenowpublished.TheearliestofthemwerereadtomeinLondonin1896,whenthewriterwasseventeen;thelateronesweresenttomefromIndiain1904,whenshewastwenty-five;andtheybelong,Ithink,almostwhollytothosetwoperiods.Astheyseemedtometohaveanindividualbeautyoftheirown,Ithoughttheyoughttobepublished.Thewriterhesitated.Yourlettermademeveryproudandverysad,shewrote.IsitpossiblethatIhavewrittenversesthatare'filledwithbeauty,'andisitpossiblethatyoureallythinkthemworthyofbeinggiventotheworld?YouknowhowhighmyidealofArtis;andtomemypoorcasuallittlepoemsseemtobelessthanbeautiful--ImeanwiththatfinalenduringbeautythatIdesire.And,inanotherletter,shewrites:Iamnotapoetreally.Ihavethevisionandthedesire,butnotthevoice.IfIcouldwritejustonepoemfullofbeautyandthespiritofgreatness,Ishouldbeexultantlysilentforever;butIsingjustasthebirdsdo,andmysongsareasephemeral.Itisforthisbird-likequalityofsong,itseemstome,thattheyaretobevalued.Theyhint,inasortofdelicatelyevasiveway,atararetemperament,thetemperamentofawomanoftheEast,findingexpressionthroughaWesternlanguageandunderpartlyWesterninfluences.Theydonotexpressthewholeofthattemperament;buttheyexpress,Ithink,itsessence;andthereisanEasternmagicinthem.SarojiniChattopadhyaywasbornatHyderabadonFebruary13,1879.Herfather,Dr.AghorenathChattopadhyay,isdescendedfromtheancientfamilyofChattorajesofBhramangram,whowerenotedthroughoutEasternBengalaspatronsofSanskritlearning,andfortheirpracticeofYoga.HetookhisdegreeofDoctorofScienceattheUniversityofEdinburghin1877,andafterwardsstudiedbrilliantlyatBonn.OnhisreturntoIndiahefoundedtheNizamCollegeatHyderabad,andhassincelabouredincessantly,andatgreatpersonalsacrifice,inthecauseofeducation.Sarojiniwastheeldestofalargefamily,allofwhomweretaughtEnglishatanearlyage.I,shewrites,wasstubbornandrefusedtoTHEGOLDENTHRESHOLD3speakit.SoonedaywhenIwasnineyearsoldmyfatherpunishedme--theonlytimeIwaseverpunished--byshuttingmeinaroomaloneforawholeday.Icameoutofitafull-blownlinguist.Ihaveneverspokenanyotherlanguagetohim,ortomymother,whoalwaysspeakstomeinHindustani.Idon'tthinkIhadanyspecialhankeringtowritepoetryasalittlechild,thoughIwasofaveryfancifulanddreamynature.Mytrainingundermyfather'seyewasofasternlyscientificcharacter.HewasdeterminedthatIshouldbeagreatmathematicianorascientist,butthepoeticinstinct,whichIinheritedfromhimandalsofrommymother(whowrotesomelovelyBengalilyricsinheryouth)provedstronger.Oneday,whenIwaseleven,Iwassighingoverasuminalgebra:itWOULDN'Tcomeright;butinsteadawholepoemcametomesuddenly.Iwroteitdown.Fromthatdaymy'poeticcareer'began.AtthirteenIwrotealongpoemala'LadyoftheLake'--1300linesinsixdays.AtthirteenIwroteadramaof2000lines,afull-fledgedpassionatethingthatIbeganonthespurofthemomentwithoutforethought,justtospitemydoctorwhosaidIwasveryillandmustnottouchabook.Myhealthbrokedownpermanentlyaboutthistime,andmyregularstudiesbeingstoppedIreadvoraciously.Isupposethegreaterpartofmyreadingwasdonebetweenfourteenandsixteen.Iwroteanovel,Iwrotefatvolumesofjournals;Itookmyselfveryseriouslyinthosedays.Beforeshewasfifteenthegreatstruggleofherlifebegan.Dr.GovindurajuluNaidu,nowherhusband,is,thoughofanoldandhonourablefamily,notaBrahmin.Thedifferenceofcasterousedanequalopposition,notonlyonthesideofherfamily,butofhis;andin1895shewassenttoEngland,againstherwill,withaspecialscholarshipfromtheNizam.SheremainedinEngland,withanintervaloftravelinItaly,till1898,studyingfirstatKing'sCollege,London,then,tillherhealthagainbrokedown,atGirton.ShereturnedtoHyderabadinSeptember1898,andintheDecemberofthatyear,tothescandalofallIndia,brokethroughthebondsofcaste,andmarriedDr.Naidu.DoyouknowIhavesomeverybeautifulpoemsfloatingintheair,shewrotetomein1904;andifthegodsarekindIshallcastmysoullikeanetandcapturethem,THEGOLDENTHRESHOLD4thisyear.Ifthegodsarekind--andgrantmealittlemeasureofhealth.ItisallIneedtomakemylifeperfect,forthevery'SpiritofDelight'thatShelleywroteofdwellsinmylittlehome;itisfullofthemusicofbirdsinthegardenandchildreninthelongarchedverandah.Therearesongsaboutthechildreninthisbook;theyarecalledtheLordofBattles,theSunofVictory,theLotus-born,andtheJewelofDelight.Myancestorsforthousandsofyears,Ifindwritteninoneofherletters,havebeenloversoftheforestandmountaincaves,greatdreamers,greatscholars,greatascetics.Myfatherisadreamerhimself,agreatdreamer,agreatmanwhoselifehasbeenamagnificentfailure.IsupposeinthewholeofIndiatherearefewmenwhoselearningisgreaterthanhis,andIdon'tthinktherearemanymenmorebeloved.HehasagreatwhitebeardandtheprofileofHomer,andalaughthatbringstheroofdown.Hehaswastedallhismoneyontwogreatobjects:tohelpothers,andonalchemy.Heholdshugecourtseverydayinhisgardenofallthelearnedmenofallreligions--Rajahsandbeggarsandsaintsanddownrightvillainsalldelightfullymixedup,andalltreatedasone.Andthenhisalchemy!Ohdear,nightanddaytheexperimentsaregoingon,andeverymanwhobringsanewprescriptioniswelcomeasabrother.Butthisalchemyis,youknow,onlythematerialcounterpartofapoet'scravingforBeauty,theeternalB