The Bridge on the Drina - PDFDrive.com Page 39

  main body of reading of the young men at school in Sarajevo at that time

  consisted of works from the well-known and enormous German publishing

  list Reclams Universal-Bibliotek. These small, cheap booklets with yellow

  coversandexceptionallysmallprintwerethemainspiritualfoodavailabletothe

  students of that time; from them they could become acquainted not only with

  German literature, but with all the more important works in world literature in

  German translation. From them Galus drew his knowledge of modern German

  philosophers, especially Nietzsche and Stirner, and in his walks in Sarajevo

  alongthebanksoftheMiljačkaheldendlessdiscussionsaboutthemwithasort

  ofcoldpassion,innowaylinkinghisreadingwithhispersonallife,assomany

  youths often do. This type of young scholar just through his examinations,

  ripened too early and overloaded with all kinds of varied, chaotic and unco-

  ordinated knowledge, was not rare among the students of that time. A modest

  youthandagoodstudent,Galusknewthefreedomandtheunrestraintofyouth

  onlyinthedaringofhisthoughtsandtheexaggerationsofhisreading.

  Fehim Bahtijarević was a townsman on his mother's side only. His father had

  beenborninRogaticaandwasnow kadi(Moslemjudge)there,buthismother

  was from the great local family of Osmanagić. From his earliest childhood he

  had passed a part of the summer vacation in the town with his mother and her

  relatives. He was a slender youth, graceful and well formed, fine-boned but strong.Everythingabouthimwasmeasured,restrained,controlled.Thefineoval

  of his face was sunburnt, his skin browned with light touches of a dark bluish

  shade,hismovementsfewandabrupt;hiseyeswereblackwithblueshadingsin

  the whites and his glance burning but without sparkle. He had thick eyebrows

  whichmet,andafineblackdownonhisupperlip.Suchfacesarereminiscentof

  Persianminiatures.

  Thatsummerhetoohadmatriculatedandhewasnowwaitingtogetastategrant

  tostudyorientallanguagesinVienna.

  The two young men were continuing some conversation begun earlier. The

  subject was Bahtijarević's choice of studies. Galus was proving to him that he

  wouldbemakingamistakeintakinguporientalstudies.IngeneralGalusspoke

  muchmore,andmoreanimatedly,thanhiscompanionforhewasaccustomedto

  belistenedtoand«tolaydownthelaw,whileBahtijarevićspokeshortly,likea

  man who has his own fixed ideas and feels no need to convince anyone else.

  Like most young men who have read much, Galus spoke with a naïve

  satisfaction in words, picturesque expressions and comparisons, and with a

  tendency to generalize, whereas Bahtijarević spoke dryly, curtly, almost

  indifferently.

  Hiddenintheshadowsandrecliningonthestoneseats,StikovićandGlasičanin

  remainedsilentasiftheyhadtacitlyagreedtolistentotheconversationoftheir

  twocomradesonthebridge.

  Finishingtheconversationaboutstudies,Galussaidbelligerently:

  'InthatyouMoslems,youbegs'sons,oftenmakeamistake.Disconcertedbythe

  newtimes,younolongerknowyourexactandrightfulplaceintheworld.Your

  love for everything oriental is only a contemporary expression of your "will to power"; for you the eastern way of life and thought is very closely bound up withasocialandlegalorderwhichwasthebasisofyourcenturiesoflordship.

  That is understandable. But it in no way means that you have any sense for

  orientalismasastudy.Youareorientalsbutyouaremakingamistakewhenyou

  thinkthatyouaretherebycalledupontobeorientalists.Ingeneralyouhavenot

  gotthecallingorthetrueinclinationforscience.'

  'Really!'

  'No, you haven't. And when I say that, I am not saying anything insulting or

  offensive.Onthecontrary.Youaretheonlynoblesinthiscountry,oraleastyou

  were; for centuries you have enlarged, confirmed and defended your privileges byswordandpen,legally,religiouslyandbyforceofarms;thathasmadeofyou

  typicalwarriors,administratorsandlandowners,andthatclassofmennowhere

  intheworldworriesaboutabstractsciencesbutleavesthemtothosewhohave

  nothing else and can do nothing else. The true studies for you are law and

  economics, for you are men of practical knowledge. Such are men from the

  rulingclasses,alwaysandeverywhere.'

  'Youmeanthatweshouldremainuneducated?'

  'No,itdoesnotmeanthat,butitmeansthatyoumustremainwhatyouareor,if

  youlike,whatyouhavebeen;youmust,fornoonecanbeatthesametimewhat

  heisandthecontraryofwhatheis.'

  'Butwearenolongerarulingclasstoday.Todayweareallequal,'Bahtijarević

  brokeinoncemorewithatouchofirony,inwhichwasbothbitternessandpride.

  'Youarenot,naturallyyouarenot.Theconditionswhichatonetimemadeyou

  what you were have changed long ago, but that does not mean that you can

  changewiththesamespeed.Thisisnotthefirst,norwillitbethelast,instance

  of a social caste losing its reason for existence and yet remaining the same.

  Conditionsoflifechangebutaclassremainswhatitis,foronlysocanitexist

  andassuchitwilldie.'

  The conversation of the two unseen youths broke off for a moment, stifled by

  Bahtijarević'ssilence.

  In the clear June sky, above the dark mountains on the horizon, the moon

  appeared. The white plaque with the Turkish inscription suddenly shone in the

  moonlight,likeadimlylitwindowintheblue-blackdarkness.

  Bahtijarevićthensaidsomething,butinsolowavoicethatonlydisjointedand

  incomprehensiblewordsreachedStikovićandGlasičanin.Assoofteninyoung

  men's discussions, in which changes of subject are rapid and bold, the

  conversation was now about another matter. From the study of oriental

  languages,theyhadnowpassedontothecontentoftheinscriptiononthewhite

  plaquebeforethemandtothebridgeandhewhohadbuiltit.

  Galus's voice was the louder and more expressive. While agreeing with

  Bahtijarević's praises of Mehmed Pasha Sokolović and the Turkish

  administration of his times, which had made possible the building of such a

  bridge, he now developed his nationalist views on the past and present of the

  people, their culture and civilization (for in such student discussions each followshisowntrainofthought).

  'Youareright,'saidGalus.'Hemusthavebeenamanofgenius.Hewasnotthe

  firstnorthelastmanofourbloodwhodistinguishedhimselfintheserviceofa

  foreign empire. We have given hundreds of such men, statesmen, generals and

  artists,toStambul,RomeandVienna.Thesenseofournationalunificationina

  single,greatandpowerfulmodernstateliesjustinthat.Ourownforcesshould
/>   remain in our own country and develop there and make their contribution to

  generalcultureinournameandnotfromforeigncentres.'

  'Doyoureallythinkthatthose"centres"arosebychanceandthatitispossibleto

  createnewonesatwillwheneverandwhereveronelikes?'

  'Chanceornot,thatisnolongerthequestion;itisnotimportanthowtheyarose,

  butitisimportantthattodaytheyaredisappearing,thattheyhavefloweredand

  decayed,thattheymustmakewayfornewanddifferentcentres,throughwhich

  youngandfreenations,appearingforthefirsttimeonthestageofhistory,can

  expressthemselvesdirectly.'

  'DoyouthinkthatMehmedPashaSokolović,hadheremainedapeasant'schild

  upthereyonderatSokolovići,wouldhavebecomewhathebecameandwould,

  amongotherthings,havebuiltthisbridge ton whichwearenowtalking?'

  'Inthosetimes,certainly,hewouldnot.But,whenyoucometothinkofit,itwas

  nothardforStambultoputupsuchbuildings,whenittookfromus,andfromso

  manyothersubjectpeoples,notonlypropertyandmoney,butalsoourbestmen

  andourpurestblood.Ifyoustoptothinkwhatweareandhowmuchhasbeen

  stolenfromusthroughthecenturies,thenallthesebuildingsaremerelycrumbs.

  But when we finally achieve our national freedom and our independence, then

  ourmoneyandourbloodwillbeoursalone,andwillstayours.Everythingwill

  besolelyanduniquelyfortheimprovementofourownnationalculture,which

  willbearourmarkandournameandwhichwillbemindfulofthehappinessand

  prosperityofallourpeople.'

  Bahtijarevićremainedsilent,andthatsilence,likethemostlivelyandeloquent

  speech, provoked Galus. He raised his voice and continued in a sharper tone.

  Withallhisnaturalvivacityandallthevocabularythenprevalentinnationalist

  literature, he set out the plans and aims of the revolutionary youth movement.

  Allthelivingforcesoftheracemustbeawakenedandsetinaction.Undertheir

  blows the Austro-Hungarian monarchy, that prison of the peoples, would

  disintegrate as the Turkish Empire had disintegrated. All the antinational and reactionaryforceswhichtodayhinder,divideandlulltosleepournationalforces

  willberoutedandtrampledunderfoot.Allthiscanbedone,forthespiritofthe

  times in which we live is our strongest ally, for all the efforts of all the other small and oppressed nations support us. Modern nationalism will triumph over

  religious diversities and outmoded prejudice, will liberate our people from

  foreigninfluenceandexploitation.Thenwillthenationalstatebeborn.

  Galus then described all the advantages and beauties of the new national state

  whichwas'torallyalltheSouthernSlavsaroundSerbiaasasortofPiedmonton

  the basis of complete national unity, religious tolerance and civil equality. His

  speech mixed up bold words of uncertain meaning and expressions that

  accuratelyexpressedtheneedsofmodernlife,thedeepestdesiresofarace,most

  of which were destined to remain only desires, and the justified and attainable

  demands of everyday reality. It mingled the great truths which had ripened

  through the generations but which only youth could perceive in advance and

  daretoexpress,withtheeternalillusionswhichareneverextinguishedbutnever

  attainrealization,foronegenerationofyouthhandsthemontothenextlikethat

  mythological torch. In the young man's speech there were, naturally, many

  assertions which could not have stood up to the criticism of reality and many

  suppositionswhichcouldnot,perhaps,havebornetheproofofexperience,but

  in it too was that freshness, that precious essence which maintains and

  rejuvenatesthetreeofhumanity.

  Bahtijarevićremainedsilent.

  'You will see, Fehim,' Galus enthusiastically assured his friend as if it were a

  matter of the same night or the next morning, 'you will see. We shall create a

  state which will make the most precious contribution to the progress of

  humanity, in which every effort will be blessed, every sacrifice holy, every

  thoughtoriginalandexpressedinourownwords,andeverydeedmarkedwith

  thestampofourname.Thenv/ewillcarryoutworkwhichwillbetheresultof

  our free labour and the expression of our racial genius, put up buildings in

  comparison with which all that has been done in the centuries of foreign

  administration will appear like silly toys. We will bridge greater rivers and

  deeperabysses.Wewillbuildnew,greaterandbetterbridges,nottolinkforeign

  centreswithconqueredlandsbuttolinkourownlandswiththerestoftheworld.

  There cannot be any doubt any longer. We are destined to realize all that the

  generationsbefore us have aspired to; a state, born in freedom and founded on

  justice,likeapartofGod'sthoughtrealizedhereonearth.'

  Bahtijarević remained silent. Even Galus's voice lowered in tone. As his ideas becamemoreexalted,hisvoicebecamelowerandlower,hoarserandhoarser,till

  it became a strong and passionate whisper and was finally lost in the great

  silence of the night. At last both young men were silent. But none the less

  Bahtijarević's silence seemed a thing apart, heavy and obstinate in the night. It

  seemedlikeanimpassablewallinthedarknesswhichbytheveryweightofits

  existenceresolutelyrejectedallthattheotherhadsaid,andexpresseditsdumb,

  clearandunalterableopinion.

  Thefoundationsoftheworldandthebasesoflifeandhumanrelationshipsinit

  havebeenfixedforcenturies.Thatdoesnotmeanthattheydonotchange,but

  measured by the length of human existence they appear eternal. The relation

  between their endurance and the length of human existence is the same as the

  relation between the uneasy, moving and swift surface of a river and its stable

  and solid bed whose changes are slow and imperceptible. The very idea of the

  change of these 'centres' is unhealthy and unacceptable. That would be as if

  someonewishedtochangeandmeasurethesourcesofgreatriversorthesitesof

  mountains.Thedesireforsuddenchangesandthethoughtoftheirrealizationby

  forceoftenappearsamongmenlikeadiseaseandgainsgroundmainlyinyoung

  brains;onlythesebrainsdonotthinkastheyshould,donotamounttoanything

  in the end and the heads that think thus do not remain long on their shoulders.

  Foritisnothumandesiresthatdisposeandadministerthethingsoftheworld.

  Desire is like a wind; it shifts the dust from one place to another, sometimes

  darkens the whole horizon, but in the end calms down and falls and leaves the

  oldandeternalpictureoftheworld.Lastingdeedsarerealizedonthisearthonly

  byGod'swill,andmanisonlyHisblindandhumbletool.Adeedwhichisborn

  ofdesire,humandesire,eitherdoesnotlivetil
lrealizationorisnotlasting;inno

  caseisthatgood.Allthesetumultuousdesiresanddaringwordsunderthenight

  skyonthe kapia willnotchangeanythingbasically;theywillpass,beneaththe

  greatandpermanentrealitiesoftheworldandwillbelostwherealldesiresand

  winds are stilled. In truth great men and great buildings rise and will rise only where they are appointed to arise in God's thought, in their right place

  independentofemptytransientdesiresandhumanvanity.'

  ButBahtijarevićdidnotutterasingleoneofthesewords.Thosewho,likethis

  Moslemyouthofnoblefamily,carrytheirphilosophyintheirblood,liveanddie

  accordingtoit,donotknowhowtoexpressitinwords,orfeeltheneedtodoso.

  AfterthislongsilenceStikovićandGlasičaninonlysawoneorotherofthepair

  of unseen comrades throw a cigarette stub over the parapet and watched it fall

  likeashootingstarinagreatcurvefromthebridgeintotheDrina.Atthesame time they heard the two friends slowly and softly moving away towards the

  marketplace.Thesoundoftheirfootstepswassoonlost.

  Aloneoncemore,StikovićandGlasičaninstartedandlookedatoneanotheras

  thoughtheyhadonlyjustmet.

  In the pale moonlight their faces showed in bright and dark surfaces sharply

  defined,sothattheyseemedmucholderthaninfacttheywere.Theglowfrom

  their cigarettes had a sort of phosphorescence. Both were depressed. Their

  reasonswerequitedifferent,butthedepressionwasmutual.Bothhadthesame

  wish;togetupandgohome.Butbothseemedasifnailedtothestoneseatsstill

  warmfromtheday'ssunlight.Theconversationofthatpairofyoungcomrades

  whichtheybychanceoverheardhadbeenwelcometothemasapostponement

  oftheirownconversationandmutualexplanation.Butnowitcouldnolongerbe

  avoided.

  'Did you hear Herak and his arguments?' Stiković spoke first, referring to the

  evening'sdiscussion,andatoncefelttheweaknessofhisposition.

  Glasičanin, who for his part felt the momentary advantage of his position as

  arbiter,didnotreplyatonce.