João Gaspar Simões - Crítica I.

Comecei a ler Crítica. I, de João Gaspar Simões (JGS), numa edição da Livraria Latina, do Porto, datada de 1942. O livro começa por um Preâmbulo, com duas partes, a primeira intitulada A crítica literária contemporânea em França e Portugal, e a segunda Sobre a Crítica. A segunda parte chama-se A Prosa e o Romance Contemporâneo, a terceira O problema do romance, e por fim vêm um apêndice, intitulado Considerações melancólicas a propósito de uma carta do Sr. Aquilino Ribeiro, e um index.

O livro inclui, recupera obviamente textos escritos em diferentes ocasiões. Numa explicação prévia, em que JGS nos informa logo ao início que o Preâmbulo é-o na verdade, não só para o presente Crítica. I ("meu primeiro volume de crítica"), mas para os volumes que se lhe seguirem, são referidas as datas e os locais de muitos desses textos, nomeademente das críticas a autores portugueses e brasileiros.

Na explicação prévia JGS afirma admitir (págs. 18 e 19) que a crítica tanto pode ser interpretativa, como judicativa. A primeira estudará os vários elementos que integram uma obra, sejam eles ideológicos, psicológicos, estéticos, morais ou sociais. A segunda pretenderá ir até às pretensões do autor, e verificar se elas foram realizadas, pressupondo obviamente a primeira.

A Segunda Viagem de Sinbad

When it was the Five Hundred and Forty-fourth Night,

She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Sindbad the Seaman continued in these words:—My wonder redoubled and I remembered a story I had heard aforetime of pilgrims and travellers, how in a certain island dwelleth a huge bird, called the “Rukh” which feedeth its young on elephants; and I was certified that the dome which caught my sight was none other than a Rukh’s egg. As I looked and wondered at the marvellous works of the Almighty, the bird alighted on the dome and brooded over it with its wings covering it and its legs stretched out behind it on the ground, and in this posture it fell asleep, glory be to Him who sleepeth not! When I saw this, I arose and, unwinding my turband from my head, doubled it and twisted it into a rope, with which I girt my middle and bound my waist fast to the legs of the Rukh, saying in myself, “Peradventure, this bird may carry me to a land of cities and inhabitants, and that will be better than abiding in this desert island.” I passed the night watching and fearing to sleep, lest the bird should fly away with me unawares; and, as soon as the dawn broke and morn shone, the Rukh rose off its egg and spreading its wings with a great cry flew up into the air dragging me with it; nor ceased it to soar and to tower till I thought it had reached the limit of the firmament; after which it descended, earthwards, little by little, till it lighted on the top of a high hill. As soon as I found myself on the hard ground, I made haste to unbind myself, quaking for fear of the bird, though it took no heed of me nor even felt me; and, loosing my turband from its feet, I made off with my best speed. Presently, I saw it catch up in its huge claws something from the earth and rise with it high in air, and observing it narrowly I saw it to be a serpent big of bulk and gigantic of girth, wherewith it flew away clean out of sight. I marvelled at this and faring forwards found myself on a peak overlooking a valley, exceeding great and wide and deep, and bounded by vast mountains that spired high in air: none could descry their summits, for the excess of their height, nor was any able to climb up thereto. When I saw this, I blamed myself for that which I had done and said, “Would Heaven I had tarried in the island! It was better than this wild desert; for there I had at least fruits to eat and water to drink, and here are neither trees nor fruits nor streams. But there is no Majesty and there is no Might save in Allah, the Glorious, the Great! Verily, as often as I am quit of one peril, I fall into a worse danger and a more grievous.” However, I took courage and walking along the Wady found that its soil was of diamond, the stone wherewith they pierce minerals and precious stones and porcelain and the onyx, for that it is a dense stone and a dure, whereon neither iron nor hardhead hath effect, neither can we cut off aught therefrom nor break it, save by means of leadstone. Moreover, the valley swarmed with snakes and vipers, each big as a palm tree, that would have made but one gulp of an elephant; and they came out by night, hiding during the day, lest the Rukhs and eagles pounce on them and tear them to pieces, as was their wont, why I wot not. And I repented of what I had done and said, “By Allah, I have made haste to bring destruction upon myself!” The day began to wane as I went along and I looked about for a place where I might pass the night, being in fear of the serpents; and I took no thought of meat and drink in my concern for my life. Presently, I caught sight of a cave nearhand, with a narrow doorway; so I entered and seeing a great stone close to the mouth, I rolled it up and stopped the entrance, saying to myself, “I am safe here for the night; and as soon as it is day, I will go forth and see what destiny will do.” Then I looked within the cave and saw to the upper end a great serpent brooding on her eggs, at which my flesh quaked and my hair stood on end; but I raised my eyes to Heaven and, committing my case to fate and lot, abode all that night without sleep till daybreak, when I rolled back the stone from the mouth of the cave and went forth, staggering like a drunken man and giddy with watching and fear and hunger. As in this sore case I walked along the valley, behold, there fell down before me a slaughtered beast; but I saw no one, whereat I marvelled with great marvel and presently remembered a story I had heard aforetime of traders and pilgrims and travellers; how the mountains where are the diamonds are full of perils and terrors, nor can any fare through them; but the merchants who traffic in diamonds have a device by which they obtain them, that is to say, they take a sheep and slaughter and skin it and cut it in pieces and cast them down from the mountain-tops into the valley-sole, where the meat being fresh and sticky with blood, some of the gems cleave to it. There they leave it till mid-day, when the eagles and vultures swoop down upon it and carry it in their claws to the mountain-summits, whereupon the merchants come and shout at them and scare them away from the meat. Then they come and, taking the diamonds which they find sticking to it, go their ways with them and leave the meat to the birds and beasts; nor can any come at the diamonds but by this device,—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.

Livro Poesia Africana di Rivolta

Este livro foi editado em 1969, pela editora Laterza, de Bari. A edição foi orientada por Giuseppe Tavani, que também se encarregou das traduções, com a colaboração de Maria Vargas, a qual, segundo algumas informações que me deram, seria na verdade Maria Lamas, a jornalista, autora e activista política. Inclui poemas de Agostinho Neto, Costa Andrade, José Craveirinha, Kaoberdiano Dambará, Alda do Espírito Santo, Aguinaldo Fonseca, Mário Fonseca, Armando Guebusa, António Jacinto, Marcelino dos Santos, Gabriel Mariano, Ovídio Martins, Rui de Noronha, Jorge Rebelo, Aires de Almeida Santos, Arnaldo Santos, Onésimo Silveira, Noémia de Sousa, Francisco-José Tenreiro, Sérgio Vieira.

O livro foi-me emprestado pelo Manuel Simões, a quem muito agradeço. Tem uma interessante introdução da autoria do ensaísta angolano Mário de Andrade (Mário Pinto de Andrade, 1928-1990), que também escreveu um apêndice La Poesia Africana di Espressione Portoghese. A seguir uma cronologia da repressão e da revolta armada, elaborada por Maria Vargas, seguindo-se umas notas bio-bibliográficas sobre os autores seleccionados. Termina com um glossário das palavras africanas não traduzidas, algumas das quais são puramente e simplesmente palavras portuguesas.

Permito-me transcrever aqui, com a devida vénia, um poema de Gabriel Mariano, poeta de S. Nicolau de Cabo Verde, (José Gabriel Lopes da Silva, 1928-2002), que figura na página 106 de Poesia Africana di Rivolta.

Capataz de escravos
é o que tu és meu irmão comissário.

Não os vês seguindo
nos porões seguindo?
Quem dizes tu que eles são
nos porões dormindo?
Quem dizes tu que eles são
nos porões comendo?
Quem dizes tu que eles são
nos porões cantando?

Quem dizes tu que eles são comissário ad hoc? Porcos?

Porco, não, comissário ad hoc
porco não canta.
Eles os que seguem nos porões cantando
são homens de carne como tu irmão
de carne e nervos como tu irmão.

Tu segues em camarote fino, reservado, preparado irmão

tu segues em camarote fino
e eles nos porões cantando.

Tu o que és comissário
irmão de sangue, irmão de sofrimento
tu o que és (choremos lágrimas na traição comum)
tu o que és...

Capataz de escravos é o que tu és
Comissário Ad Hoc.

B.Traven - I

Lembram-se de O Tesouro de Serra Madre? O filme de John Huston de 1948, que conta com uma interpretação "à maneira" de Humphrey Bogart? O argumento foi elaborado a partir de uma história de B. Traven, que também colaborou directamente na preparação do filme.

B. Traven levou uma vida aventurosa, que nunca quis dar a conhecer. A revista semanal do El País (El País Semanal) de 5 de Abril de 2009 traz um artigo de Julia Luzán, que o refere como um rei do disfarce, enumerando algumas identidades que teria assumido ao longo da sua vida. B. Traven terá mesmo espalhado pistas falsas sobre a sua identidade. B. Traven chegou a afirmar: a história da minha vida é comigo. Parece que a única data certa que se conhece da sua vida é a da sua morte: 26 de Março de 1969. Chegou a fazer correr o boato de que era Jack London, que este teria fingido a sua morte em 1916 (suicidou-se na Califórnia), e reaparecido como B. Traven.

Quando faleceu a viúva declarou que o seu nome era Traven Torsvan Croves, e que teria nascido em Chicago a 3 de Maio de 1890. Contudo não se encontraram registos que confirmem estas declarações.

Conta-se que a revista Life terá oferecido 5.000 dólares a quem descobrisse um pista para resolver o mistério Traven. Julia Luzán falou com a viúva, Rosa Elena Luján, e esta acedeu a mostrar várias fotografias de B. Traven, que figuram no artigo do El País Semanal de 5 de Abril de 2009.

Na internet (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B._Traven) encontram-se várias referências a B. Traven. Terá assumido diferentes identidades ao longo da sua vida. Uma terá sido a de Ret Marut, participante na tentativa de implantar uma república soviética na Baviera, no início da década de 1920. Terá pertencido aos conselhos operários implantados na altura na Alemanha. A violenta repressão que se abateu sobre os revolucionários fez com que Ret Marut tenha sido condenado à morte. Era editor de uma revista anarquista, Der Ziegelbrenner (à letra, O Queimador de Tijolos).

Uma referência interessante a B. Traven é a que lhe faz Jack D. Forbes, no seu livro Columbus and Other Cannibals, de 1992. Jack D. Forbes foi professor de estudos nativos americanos (American Native Studies) na Universidade de Davis, na Califórnia. Hoje é professor emérito. No capítulo VI, sobre como o processo de corrupção leva as pessoas à demência e as transforma em opressores, refere Government, uma história que B. Traven escreveu na década de 1930, e que faz parte das Jungle Novels, no qual aborda as lutas sociais no México, sobretudo em Chiapas, nos anos que se seguiram à revolução de 1910. Conta a história de Gabriel Orduñez, um ladino (mexicano de fala espanhola e sangue mestiço) que é levado a tornar-se agente de índios, que explora duramente.

As simpatias de B. Traven pelos explorados e oprimidos são manifestas. As suas ideias são sem dúvida anticapitalistas e pró-anarquistas.

A Segunda Viagem de Sinbad

Know, O my brother, that I was living a most comfortable and enjoyable life, in all solace and delight, as I told you yesterday, --And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.

When it was the Five Hundred and Forty-third Night,

She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Sindbad the Seaman's guests were all gathered together he thus bespake them:--I was living a most enjoyable life until one day my mind became possessed with the thought of travelling about the world of men and seeing their cities and islands; and a longing seized me to traffic and to make money by trade. Upon this resolve I took a great store of cash and, buying goods and gear fit for travel, bound them up in bales. Then I went down to the river-bank, where I found a noble ship and brand-new about to sail, equipped with sails of fine cloth and well manned and provided; so I took passage in her, with a number of other merchants, and after embarking our goods we weighed anchor the same day. Right fair was our voyage and we sailed from place to place and from isle to isle; and whenever we anchored we met a crowd of merchants and notables and customers, and we took to buying and selling and bartering. At last Destiny brought us to an island, fair and verdant, in trees abundant, with yellow-ripe fruits luxuriant, and flowers fragrant and birds warbling soft descant; and streams crystalline and radiant; but no sign of man showed to the descrier, no, not a blower of the fire. The captain made fast with us to this island, and the merchants and sailors landed and walked about, enjoying the shade of the trees and the song of the birds, that chanted the praises of the One, the Victorious, and marvelling at the works of the Omnipotent King. I landed with the rest; and, sitting down by a spring of sweet water that welled up among the trees, took out some vivers I had with me and ate of that which Allah Almighty had allotted unto me. And so sweet was the zephyr and so fragrant were the flowers, that presently I waxed drowsy and, lying down in that place, was soon drowned in sleep. When I awoke, I found myself alone, for the ship had sailed and left me behind, nor had one of the merchants or sailors bethought himself of me. I seared the island right and left, but found neither man nor Jinn, whereat I was beyond measure troubled and my gall was like to burst for stress of chagrin and anguish and concern, because I was left quite alone, without aught of wordly gear or meat or drink, weary and heart-broken. So I gave myself up for lost and said, "Not always doth the crock escape the shock. I was saved the first time by finding one who brought me from the desert island to an inhabited place, but now there is no hope for me." Then I fell to weeping and wailing and gave myself up to an access of rage, blaming myself for having again ventured upon the perils and hardships of voyage, whenas I was at my ease in mine own house in mine own land, taking my pleasure with good meat and good drink and good clothes and lacking nothing, neither money nor goods. And I repented me of having left Baghdad, and this the more after all the travails and dangers I had undergone in my first voyage, wherein I had so narrowly escaped destruction, and exclaimed "Verily we are Allah's and unto Him we are returning!" I was indeed even as one mad and Jinn-struck and presently I rose and walked about the island, right and left and every whither, unable for trouble to sit or tarry in any one place. Then I climbed a tall tree and looked in all directions, but saw nothing save sky and sea and trees and birds and isles and sands. However, after a while my eager glances fell upon some great white thing, afar off in the interior of the island; so I came down from the tree and made for that which I had seen; and behold, it was a huge white dome rising high in air and of vast compass. I walked all around it, but found no door thereto, nor could I muster strength or nimbleness by reason of its exceeding smoothness and slipperiness. So I marked the spot where I stood and went round about the dome to measure its circumference which I found fifty good paces. And as I stood, casting about how to gain an entrance the day being near its fall and the sun being near the horizon, behold, the sun was suddenly hidden from me and the air became dull and dark. Methought a cloud had come over the sun, but it was the season of summer; so I marvelled at this and lifting my head looked steadfastly at the sky, when I saw that the cloud was none other than an enormous bird, of gigantic girth and inordinately wide of wing which, as it flew through the air, veiled the sun and hid it from the island. At this sight my wonder redoubled and I remembered a story,--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.

Álvaro de Campos

APOSTILA

Aproveitar o tempo!
Mas o que é o tempo para que eu o aproveite?
Aproveitar o tempo!
Nenhum dia sem linha ...
O trabalho honesto e superior...
O trabalho à Virgílio, à Milton...
Mas é tão difícil ser honesto ou ser superior!
É tão pouco provável ser Milton ou ser Virgílio!

Aproveitar o tempo!
Tirar da alma os bocados precisos - nem mais nem menos -
Para com eles juntar os cubos ajustados
Que fazem gravuras certas na história
(E estão certas também do lado de baixo, que se não vê)...
Pôr as sensações em castelo de cartas, pobre China dos serões,
E os pensamentos em dominó, igual contra igual,
E a vontade em carambola difícil...
Imagens de jogos ou de paciências ou de passatempos -
Imagens da vida, imagens das vidas, imagem da Vida...

Verbalismo...
Sim, verbalismo...
Aproveitar o tempo!
Não ter um minuto que o exame de consciência desconheça...
Não ter um acto indefinido nem factício...
Não ter um movimento desconforme com propósitos...
Boas-maneiras da alma...
Elegância de persistir...

Aproveitar o tempo!
Meu coração está cansado como um mendigo verdadeiro.
Meu cérebro está pronto como um fardo posto ao canto.
Mau canto (verbalismo!) está tal como está e é triste.
Aproveitar o tempo!
Desde que comecei a escrever passaram cinco minutos.
Aproveitei-os ou não?
Se não sei se os aproveitei, que saberei de outros minutos?

(Passageira que viajavas tantas vezes no mesmo compartimento comigo
No comboio suburbano,
Chegaste a interessar-te por mim?
Aproveitei o tempo olhando para ti?
Qual foi o ritmo do nosso sossego no comboio andante?
Qual foi o entendimento que não chegámos a ter?
Qual foi a vida que houve nisto? Que foi isto à vida?)

Aproveitar o tempo!...
Ah, deixem-me não aproveitar nada!
Nem tempo, nem ser, nem memórias de tempo ou de ser!
Deixem-me ser uma folha de árvore, titilada por brisas,
A poeira de uma estrada, involuntária e sozinha,
O regato casual das chuvas que vão acabando,
O vinco deixado na estrada pelas rodas enquanto não vêm outras,
O pião do garoto, que vai a parar,
E oscila, no mesmo movimento que o da terra,
E estremece, no mesmo movimento que o da alma,
E cai como caem os deuses, no chão do Destino.


Obrigado ao Fernando Cabral Martins, "Ficções do Interlúdio". Ed. Assírio & Alvim. 1998.

Hieronymus Bosch - O Jardim das Delícias

Hieronymus Bosch, pseudónimo de Jeroen van Aeken
(c. 1450 - 1516)
Artista e gravador neerlandês. Este quadro terá sido pintado entre 1480 e 1490.
Está no Museu do Prado, em Madrid.

Rembrandt

A RONDA DA NOITE - 1642


Mudança de turno da companhia do Capitão Frans Cocq.


Obrigado ao WebMuseum.

Trouble Along the Way

Trata-se de um filme de 1953, realizado por Michael Curtiz (1886-1962), realizador de origem húngara, cujo filme mais conhecido é sem dúvida Casablanca, com Humphrey Bogart e Ingrid Bergman. Este filme, Trouble Along the Way, que se estreou em Portugal em Junho de 1954, no cinema Império, com o título Barreiras Vencidas, causou-me bastante impressão quando o vi.

Era bastante novo na altura, já não me lembro do ano. Salvo foi no Odeon, esse velho cinema da Rua do Condes, onde costumavam passar filmes cor de rosa. Este não é bem desse tipo. Trata-se da história de um treinador de futebol americano, já veterano, alcoólico, traído pela esposa, e que luta para conservar a filha, ainda novita, e com um jeito grande para o futebol americano. O papel é desempenhado pelo John Wayne, de quem eu era fã nos meus anos de juventude. O filme tem imensas peripécias, o treinador veterano é alvo de acusações sobre a contratação de jogadores, cujos pormenores já não sou capaz de precisar. Ficaram-me a relação do pai com a filha, a interpretação do John Wayne (soberba! quem disse que ele era mau actor?) e dos restantes, destacando-se Donna Reed e Charles Coburn.

Acho que John Wayne, como actor, era condicionado por vários factores, como a estatura e a carranca pesada. Mas conseguia, neste filme, transmitir uma sensação de fragilidade e de emotividade nas relações afectivas, não condizente com a imagem que deixou. Muitos outros não seriam capazes daquela interpretação. Pesou, é claro, no seu trabalho, a excelência do realizador.

Os elementos que aqui utilizei recolhi-os na Cinemateca e no IMDB - Internet Movie Database.

Soeiro Pereira Gomes (1909-1934)

Escritor, político, cidadão, que Alhandra nunca esquecerá. Ver biografia em www.vidaslusofonas.pt.

Manuel da Fonseca - Cerromaior

Li este livro ontem. Nunca o tinha lido. Manuel da Fonseca escreveu-o em 1943, o ano em que eu nasci. Li-o numa edição de 2000, da Planeta Agostini, que julgo reproduzir a que saiu em 1981, com a chancela da Caminho. Tem um prefácio do autor, datado de 1982. Conta que a censura fez cortes ao original e que, tendo extraviado o original, teve de o reconstituir, já depois do 25 de Abril.

Julgo que nalguns passos se encontram certas dissonâncias, que serão resultado desses cortes, e de uma recuperação incompleta. Mas o livro é extraordinário. Com algumas personagens tipo, e uma descrição do ambiente natural e social brilhante. Manuel da Fonseca conseguiu criar um enredo dramático, inserido num meio que ele criou, mas que reproduz obviamente o seu Alentejo natal. Trata-se de um romance curto, mas muito rigoroso e eficaz.

Julgo que este romance já foi levado ao cinema. Nunca vi o filme.

Sinbad

When it was the Five Hundred and Forty-second Night,

She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Sindbad the Seaman said to the captain, "These bales are mine, the goods which Allah hath given me," the other exclaimed, "There is no Majesty and there is no Might save in Allah, the Glorious, the Great! Verily, there is neither conscience nor good faith left among men!" said I, "O Rais, what mean these words, seeing that I have told thee my case?" And he answered, "Because thou heardest me say that I had with me goods whose owner was drowned, thou thinkest to take them without right; but this is forbidden by law to thee, for we saw him drown before our eyes, together with many other passengers, nor was one of them saved. So how canst thou pretend that thou art the owner of the goods?" "O captain," said I, "listen to my story and give heed to my words, and my truth will be manifest to thee; for lying and leasing are the letter-marks of the hypocrites." Then I recounted to him all that had befallen me since I sailed from Baghdad with him to the time when we came to the fish-island where we were nearly drowned; and I reminded him of certain matters which had passed between us; whereupon both he and the merchants were certified at the truth of my story and recognized me and gave me joy of my deliverance, saying, "By Allah, we thought not that thou hadst escaped drowning! But the Lord hath granted thee new life." Then they delivered my bales to me, and I found my name written thereon, nor was aught thereof lacking. So I opened them and making up a present for King Mihrjan of the finest and costliest of the contents, caused the sailors carry it up to the palace, where I went in to the King and laid my present at his feet, acquainting him with what had happened, especially concerning the ship and my goods; whereat he wondered with exceeding wonder and the truth of all that I had told him was made manifest to him. His affection for me redoubled after that and he showed me exceeding honour and bestowed on me a great present in return for mine. Then I sold my bales and what other matters I owned making a great profit on them, and bought me other goods and gear of the growth and fashion of the island-city. When the merchants were about to start on their homeward voyage, I embarked on board the ship all that I possessed, and going in to the King, thanked him for all his favours and friendship and craved his leave to return to my own land and friends. He farewelled me and bestowed on me great store of the country-stuffs and produce; and I took leave of him and embarked. Then we set sail and fared on nights and days, by the permission of Allah Almighty; and Fortune served us and Fate favoured us, so that we arrived in safety at Bassorah-city where I landed rejoiced at my safe return to my natal soil. After a short stay, I set out for Baghdad, the House of Peace, with store of goods and commodities of great price. Reaching the city in due time, I went straight to my own quarter and entered my house where all my friends and kinsfolk came to greet me. Then I bought me eunuchs and concubines, servants and negro slaves till I had a large establishment, and I bought me houses, and lands and gardens, till I was richer and in better case than before, and returned to enjoy the society of my friends and familiars more assiduously than ever, forgetting all I had suffered of fatigue and hardship and strangerhood and every peril of travel; and I applied myself to all manner joys and solaces and delights, eating the dantiest viands and drinking the deliciousest wines; and my wealth allowed this state of things to endure. "This, then, is the story of my first voyage, and to-morrow, Inshallah! I will tell you the tale of the second of my seven voyages." (Saith he who telleth the tale), Then Sindbad the Seaman made Sindbad the Landsman sup with him and bade give him an hundred gold pieces, saying, "Thou hast cheered us with thy company this day." The Porter thanked him and, taking the gift, went his way, pondering that which he had heard and marvelling mightily at what things betide mankind. He passed the night in his own place and with early morning repaired to the abode of Sindbad the Seaman, who received him with honour and seated him by his side. As soon as the rest of the company was assembled, he set meat and drink before them and, when they had well eaten and drunken and were merry and in cheerful case, he took up his discourse and recounted to them in these words the narrative of




The Second Voyage of Sindbad the Seaman.