Maxim Gorky

“ They move gradually forward, they attack lustily, the rocks quiver under their stroke.
The waves are dying, they jump away, yet with untold fury they strike again.
All is tranformed into chaos.
Groan and thunder resound along the sea. One might say: the sea has heard from its bottom, and joined the sky.
The rocks fall down! under the last stroke they waver, and with a great crash they fall down a precipice, where dead waves are lying.
“Begone! shameful corpses,” roars the seas, to the overthrown rocks, “this is the tomb of warriors for liberty, here young waves are reposing!” ”

“ Neither death, nor war, doth us affright; for we desire liberty for our sea!”
The heart of mother storm palpitates, even more than the boiling blood of father hurricane. The words of these messengers remind them at once of their young and happy years, and they cast a benevolent look at the youths. Hark! From each mountain gorge, across the blue unbounded sea, sounds a joyful, sonorous challenge.
“We go, we go, we go to fight for liberty, liberty, liberty! Awake ye powerful waves, break the chains of slavery. ”

“ Another storm rocked them with a song, and merrily, without a sigh, ran out these waves into the boundless ocean!
But, alas! a gloomy, wicked, man-tyrant, envying their happiness, decided to deprive them of liberty. They should not leap so proudly over the powerful abyss; neither should they smile so charmingly up to the blue heaven above them, nor should they bask in the bright rays of the sun! ”

“ In great perplexity the waves continue tossing themselves against the rocks. A groan resounds in the sea. The gloomy waves run: “Treachery; Treachery!” they cry. “We admitted them as friends, and they have stolen away our liberty!” Mother storm begins to sob, and father hurricane with a roar runs towards the gloomy dam. “O rocks! O severe rocks! once you were free, you breathed with a feeling of liberty! Why have you stolen freedom from your little children?” Then the severe rocks become mournful. ”

“ What did he see, this dead hawk, in that endless space? And why do such as he torment their souls with the desire of soaring upwards to the sky? What attracts them there? I could also know everything if I would only soar for a while to the sky, he said, and straightway tried to accomplish it. Having rolled himself up, he jumped upwards and, like a ribbon, glittered in the sunshine. But those who are created for creeping only cannot soar upwards! He forgot that fact, and fell upon the rocks, but did not kill himself. ”

“ The powerful old waves hide themselves in labyrinths of the sea. Already they object to conventions, neither does the storm awake father hurricane!
Now the young waves roll sadly, neither laughter, nor song is heard about former liberty; and the sun scarce shines through the clouds. All is so gray, so sad around!
Hurrah! the young waves are not abased by the heavy yoke of slavery! Having collected their scattered forces, they boldly attack the enemy. They close and strike against the sharp rocks, all in vain! ”

“ How the waves rejoice as they see how the rocks are falling away, sinking like lead to the bottom! They jump, splash, and caress the sombre rocks!
Then they murmur, “What a delight! From the cold depths of earth come forth gloomy guests: let us welcome them then with joyful singing, warm words, and with tender caresses; we will play with them in the sea, we will glorify the goodness of the sun and of liberty!” ”

“ The rocks were moving under the pressure of the waves, and seemed to shiver under the poignant melody of the song:—
“To the fury of manly men we offer worship.
“In the fury of manly men is wisdom of life!
“The brave hawk, in the struggle with tyranny, then sheds thy blood! But the time will come when the warm blood of thy heart shall be as a real flame amidst the darkness of life, and in many bold hearts will spring up the desire for liberty and light. Oh! woe, then, to enemies of liberty; woe to the tyrant! ”

“ The rows of waves moved forward by more powerful ones! “Death or liberty!” With battle cry, they roll on towards the dark dam.
The glowing waves quiver. More and more quickly roll on the rows of waves. They came up running, they attack the rocks with their breasts—and fall dead. The spray of warm blood, like foam, runs high up the rocks, which are continually bathed in the blood of unconquerable knights. ”

“ With noise and roar they strike against the rocks, then retire; but again attack, even in death they add to their brother’s courage.
But the dam stands firm!
Continually the waves are rolling, one overtaking another, and neither end nor limit is seen.
The sea retires from its shores; all waves come back to their rows. A prolonged moan resounds over the vast expanse. Morning comes, a gray gloomy morning, the immovable rocks are still standing. Mother storm sobs over the waves, her children continually perish! ”

“ The hurricane runs in front, heaving out the rocks with force. At once with a battle shout, and armed with the courage of despair, valiantly move the new bodies of waves. They will fall, or they will destroy this dam, or the sea will be their tomb! ”

“ The noise grew louder and louder. It seemed like the thunder of breaking waves, covered with angry foam, leaving behind in their passage the victims of cruelty on the sandy waste.
The crowd ran forward, dispersed by the whips of Cossacks and the coming of horses. They ran in confusion and disorder, like a flock of scattered sheep.
It was possible to conceal oneself in the court-yard by jumping through the fence, but no one thought of that; all ran in the same direction, in spite of the lashes of the Cossacks’ whips, which fell on their heads and backs. ”

“ The deaf rocks do not quake the least bit, only an echo is heard, carrying onward over the sea the moaning of those breasts, broken against the rocks. The sea sobs. Years pass on. Many years pass on. Many, many young waves have torn their breasts against the rocks. It grows darker, twilight is falling over the sea. The waves become calm, and succumb.
“Let us wait until we are stronger’”
Years pass by, youthful waves become manly; they send messengers everywhere to awake the sleepers; they summon all waves for bloody fight. Gray-headed waves shake their heads, and refuse. ”

“ It seems at every moment as if all would awake and resound with the splendid harmony of unspeakably sweet sounds. The sounds will show the true mysteries of existence, which will enlighten the soul. Time having faded like some ignis-fatuus, will not the soul be carried off into the dark blue space, where, while meeting the rays of twinkling stars, it will also distinguish the splendid music of revelation? ”

“ The mountains, overgrown with trees which are fantastically twisted by the north-east winds, with mighty summits, rise towards the sky into azure immensity above them. Their rough sharp contours become rounded, and embraced by the warm light mists of the southern night, are plunged in a deep musing. ”

“ They gore their breasts against the rocks!
Frightened people come together, with pity the fishermen look on the sea; the young waves perish in such an uneven fight. Their hearts swell with pain, and these men cry out in prayer to God to stop this fighting and to give the waves the victory. ”

“ A band of men were shouting this, dragging something behind them. This thing was a man, or rather a corpse, half naked, with dried up flesh, bruised and bleeding, covered with mud and feathers. The legs were tied with a cord. The men drew it along the street, and it marked the path behind them with a pool of black blood. The skinny arms of this miserable remnant of a man were bathed in blood, and between them, where the shoulder-blades meet, a terrible shapeless ball full of holes was bumping on the stones—it was the head of the dead man. ”

“ He lies and philosophises, not caring if I listen to him, and not paying the slightest attention to me, as if he were talking with the sea: “A man who is faithful to God, goes to paradise. But he who does not serve God and His prophet does not go there. Perhaps He is now looking at this foam. ”

“ Some man leant out of the window and watched it disappear. His broad face expressed grief and sorrow, but I did not notice any hatred in it.
A peasant with a black beard appeared at another window, holding a cushion. In a moment he tore the cushion open and feathers rilled the court-yard.
“It snows! Just look! Your noses will be frozen!” he was shouting, looking at the white down, which was covering the heads of the crowd. The mob cried:
“Come here! Little Jews are found in the nest!” ”

“ Without knowing the earthly longing for something, they think about the sky, looking for life in a hot desert, but finding only emptiness. There is a great deal of light, but lack of food, and lack of any support for living creatures. ”

“ By his action this tyrant forced Gorky’s father to leave the parental home in Tobolsk.
Arriving at Nijni-Novogrod he occupied himself with a trade, and afterwards married the daughter of a rich merchant, who was the grandfather of Gorky on his mother’s side.
Gorky’s maternal grandfather was formerly a common “burlak” (a workman drawing the vessels on the river Volga) . By wit and a strong will he became possessed of a fortune, which facts Gorky records in his novel “Tom Gordiejev.” But soon afterwards his grandfather lost the whole of his fortune ”