Ulysses was sitting on the beach on a Sunday morning. For some time, he had been observing the waves coming and going. The weather was pleasant, and the sunshine was profusely irradiating all around. In a series of chained alternating movements, the heat of the sun and the cool breeze that came from the sea went towards his presence. In that landscape, the manifestation of nature was evident: The birds sang exuberant songs, the coastal zone’s geography, with its nuanced colors and shapes, sculptured in a single cut-out what the eyes could catch, and on the horizon, a well-drawn dividing line delineated the sky and the sea. Also, it was impossible to ignore, on one hand, the instability of the small boats that were floating on the water and, on the other hand, the immemorial stability and constancy of the coconut trees stuck in the ground. The entire ambiance and its most diversified elements coexisted peacefully in that landscape. It was wonderful to stand on firm ground. However, things weren’t always like that.
It wasn’t the first time Ulysses went to the beach,
and that place had specifically been discovered recently – the coastal zone was
enormous. Since then, he has visited it frequently, especially on Sunday
mornings. The Sunday mornings on the beach were particularly appropriate for
the cultivation of thought and the most varied intellectual experiences. The
enlightened environment and generously abundant nature were exceptionally
inviting for the practice. In that place, different thoughts were passing through
Ulysses’ head, and each one was born spontaneously. There was nothing else to
impede it. The traveling memories were also present in his intellectual
experiences. So, certain aspects of the return journey to Ithaca occupied his
thoughts.
That travel was permeated by uncountable
difficulties. When Ulysses left Troy, he roamed the most improbable paths along
with his comrades. Navigating stormy waters and facing adverse situations
became something habitual in our character’s life over many years. The paradox
imposed itself omnipresently: At each time the boat gained the sea and
penetrated the recondite corners, Ulysses felt that, instead of following their
path, he and his comrades seemed to be getting more and more lost. However, the
presence of his comrades was always a key element that helped Ulysses keep his
trust alive so the situation could be successfully surpassed.
Ulysses spent most of the time talking to his
comrades on the different stretches of the journey. The topics were
diversified, as our character had a great appreciation for the art of
conversation. This was how the friendship bonds got stronger among them. Our
character and his comrades always exchanged their different impressions about
life. They certainly exchanged views on the difficulties and supported each
other so that they could get stronger. The middle station of life was the
appropriate time for doing so. With the dawn of maturity, travelers could
retrospectively evaluate their previous experiences and even dream of
everything that could happen throughout the years ahead. Then, the bond between
Ulysses and his comrades represented a cooperative liaison so that they could
deal with the force of nature and, if they could leave alive, come to Ithaca.
There were certainly critical moments. For example,
Ulysses got himself imagining how such a precarious boat could be able to face
the water agitation and sea revolt in the stormiest stretches. The boat in the
nights of darkness, adrift, and the period without water and food were
practically insupportable. However, Ithaca was always on the horizon, and it
would be from that that Ulysses would get the forces to keep on traveling home.
On the other hand, our character also made some comparisons. For example, to
understand the situation in which they were, Ulysses compared land travel to
sea travel. In land travel, it was possible to guarantee spatial orientation
through paths. There was a route traced on the ground on which it was possible
to hike. During the hike, the walker got the feeling of space advancement, that
is, the dislocation from the origin to the destination was evident. However, it
didn’t happen in sea travel! Ulysses and his comrades were thrown and helpless
in the instability and inconstancy of the sea. There wasn’t a path lined in
which it was possible to advance. It was not possible to visualize a path. The
travelers were completely disoriented, and they advanced according to the whim
of the blowing wind. This was how they reached the off-the-beaten-track places.
Ulysses doesn’t forget a rainy night full of
lightning, in particular. The darkness almost imposed itself in front of his
eyes. Our character and his comrades, however, went ahead and masterfully
bypassed the adverse situation. They ended up arriving on dry land; however,
the feeling of safety was ephemeral as there was a long browsing trajectory. On
the other hand, Ulysses always maintained Ithaca on his horizon.
Another memory that crossed Ulysses’ head was
remarkably disquieting. There was a travel stretch extremely dangerous. Ulysses
had already been warned about the dangerous siren song. At that time, there was
a myth according to which the sirens were a threat to sailors. When they sang
their songs, they seductively attracted the navigators. If they succumbed to
their charms, the sailors would lose their reason, their conscience, and their
sense of reality. Then, they were simply destroyed. In front of the imminent
danger, Ulysses organized his entire defense apparatus so that he could protect
himself and his comrades. On the other hand, our character thought how
unfortunate the navigators were when they were unable to mobilize their defense
apparatus so that they could protect themselves against danger. But the saddest
fact is that those navigators didn’t even have a defense apparatus!
According to the orientations previously received,
Ulysses and his comrades should put beeswax in the two ears to impede the
melodious notes, the supposed adequate pitch and the misleadingly agreeable
tone could reach their ears. The vocal singing seems to be an artistic
phenomenon pleasing to the ears; however, the siren song was a seductively
dangerous manifestation aiming to simply annihilate the sailor’s life. Ulysses
and his comrades, attentive and vigilant, prepared the defense apparatus, and
they crossed the stretch unharmed, though they received news that other
navigators had not survived.
Ulysses was still sitting on the beach, and his
thoughts freely walked. Then he pondered. Navigating stormy waters and facing
adverse situations would be something habitual for just certain moments in his
life. At this moment, after having navigated so much and going through
unbelievable situations, our character remembered the moment in which he came
home and the state in which it was. The scenario was distressing. His loved
ones had gone through unimaginable situations in his absence. It was painful to
see that. However, as he got rid of the outsiders who had invaded his home, it
was also extremely comforting to remember the moment of his reunion with
Telemachus and Penelope after so many years:
– And, after all this time, they had
imagined they wouldn’t meet me anymore and that I was dead.
Even with the facial and body traces changed due to
the disguise he needed to wear to enter his home, Ulysses never forgot that
Argus, his dog, was the only one who recognized him when he came home after the
long journey. Our character was deeply attached to the little animal, and it
was thrilling to have found him again. It wasn’t easy to get home after such a
long time. While wearing the disguise, the outsiders weren’t able to recognize
Ulysses. Indeed, it had been such a long time, and Ulysses, transformed by the
journey, was no longer the same person. Also, our character couldn’t but
remember his comrades who weren’t able to come to Ithaca along with him.
So, after having been sitting there for some hours,
contemplating the landscape and feeling the sea breeze and the sun on the skin,
our character stood up, took a walk, and inflated the lungs with beach air. The
beach is a place that brings about memories, and all those sensorial
impressions made Ulysses feel even more alive. Now, the short walk along the
seafront, on dry land, would take him to the beach restaurant so that he could
meet his friends and have a tranquil lunch together.
About the painting:
Vincent van Gogh
(1853 – 1890)
View
of the Sea at Scheveningen
The Hague, August
1882
Oil on paper on canvas
Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam (State of the Netherlands, bequest of A.E. Ribbius Peletier)
Brazilian Portuguese Translations, Brazilian Portuguese Translator #brazilianportuguesetranslations #brazilianportuguesetranslator