iad58 | Ночной восход (Reply)

تولدتان مبارک،

غزل بد صحبت و ساعت را نيكو شمرديم
محل بد جنّت بگو كى تا او ره سپرديم
جبل بد مقصود ما ليكن بالا نرفتيم
عسل بد مطلوب ما ليكن مىها نخورديم

شكستم اوهام دانائى در قلب مخمور
نشستم در پاى زيبارو با حسّ مستور
كه هستم بر تلّ بالاتر از تخت ارتور
و مستم از خمر گيراتر از خون انگور

Tæxt-e Ærtur is Arthur's Seat, a mountain in the middle of Edinburgh. I had a gorgeous view of it from the window of my study bedroom, a sight I loved as soon as I moved in, on a misty morning in October 1991. (The view of the city from the top of the mountain, as I found out before long, was no less remarkable. Especially on a sunny day.)

I was given a schedule of a week's worth of social events for new residents. One of the items went like this: ‘Stupidity. A walk up Arthur's Seat, at 2am.’

‘Rightly is it called so,’ I thought: one doesn't climb mountains at night in one's whole mind, and that's a fact.

The matter was talked about in the refectory, and people agreed with me, mostly. There was only one fellow who said he might go, and quipped by way of explanation: ‘You'll do it sooner or later; why not do it with everyone else?’

I was sure I'd never do it, and on that occasion I didn't. But the programme was repeated every autumn, and the next year – or was it the year after that – I joined the lot. We went up the hill at 2am, in a long line of everybody, equipped with an electric torch, choosing a gently sloping path.

During the rest of my time in Edinburgh I did the same thing on my own many times. I climbed Arthur's Seat at night, at all hours, without any light, often opting for unfamiliar, steep and stony roads, just for the thrill.

Аю-Даг	577 m
Arthur's Seat	251 m
Кучук-Аю	16 m

Сравниваю высоты Седалища Артура и партенитских гор и вижу, что оно ниже Медведя-горы только в два раза, зато раз в 16 выше Медвежонка. Тогда почему же мне казалось, что оно более похоже на Малого медведя, нежели на Большого? (А казалось именно так.) В том ли было дело, что на Седалище можно было забраться по легкой пологой тропе (хотя можно выбрать и трудный путь), причем везде травка (на худой конец и скатиться не страшно), а Медвежонок — нагой камень, дороги неровные и сорваться довольно невыгодно — внизу скалы?

Тем не менее ночной подъем (и спуск!) был совершен. В очень приятной компании.

Head sünnipäeva,