The Project Gutenberg eBook of O Melro (Fragmento), by Abílio Manuel Guerra Junqueiro

Todos os direitos de propriedade d'esta obra no Imperio do Brazil pertencem ao Ill.^mo e Ex.^mo Sr. Commendador Bibiano Antonio de Moraes e Almeida, subdito brazileiro .

BERNARDO PINDELLA

O MELRO

O melro, eu conheci-o:
Era negro, vibrante, luzidio,
Madrugador, jovial;
Logo de manhã cedo
Começava a soltar d'entre o arvoredo
Verdadeiras risadas de cristal.
E assim que o padre cura abria a porta
Que dá para o passal,
Repicando umas finas ironias,
O melro d'entre a horta
Dizia-lhe: «Bons dias!»
E o velho padre cura
Não gostava d'aquellas cortezias.

O cura era um velhote conservado
Malicioso, alegre, prasenteiro;
Não tinha pombas brancas no telhado,
Nem rosas no canteiro:
Andava ás lebres pelo monte, a pé,
Livre de rheumatismos,
Graças a Deos, e graças a Nóe.
O melro despresava os exorcismos
Que o padre lhe dizia:
Cantava, assobiava alegremente;
Até que ultimamente
O velho disse um dia:

«Nada, já não tem geito! este ladrão
Dá cabo dos trigaes!
Qual seria a rasão
Porque Deos fez os melros e os pardaes?!»

E o melro no entretanto,
Honesto como um santo,
Mal vinha no oriente
A madrugada clara
Já elle andava jovial, inquieto,
Comendo alegremente, honradamente,
Todos os parasitas da seara
Desde a formiga ao mais pequeno insecto.
E apesar d'isto o rude proletario,
O bom trabalhador,
Nunca exigiu augmento de salario.

Foi para a eira o trigo;
E armando uns espantalhos
Disse o abbade comsigo:
«Acabaram-se as penas e os trabalhos.»
Mas logo de manhã, maldito espanto!
O abbade, inda na cama,
Ouviu do melro o costumado canto;
Ficou ardendo em chamma;
Pega na caçadeira
Levanta-se d'um salto,
E vê o melro a assobiar na eira
Em cima do seu velho chapéu alto!
Chegou a coisa a termo
Que o bom do padre cura andava enfermo,
Não fallava nem ria,
Minado por tão intimo desgosto;
E o vermelho oleoso do seu rosto
Tornava-se amarello dia a dia.
E foi tal a paixão, a desventura,
(Muito embora o leitor não me acredite)
Que o bom do padre cura
Perdera… o appetite!

Andando no quintal um certo dia
Lendo em voz alta o Velho Testamento
Enxergou por acaso (que alegria!
Que ditoso momento!)
Um ninho com seis melros escondido
Entre uma carvalheira.
E ao vel-os exclamou enfurecido:

«A mãe comeu o fructo prohibido;
Esse fructo era a minha sementeira:
Era o pão, e era o milho;
Transmittiu-se o peccado.
E, se a mãe não pagou, que pague o filho.
É doutrina da Egreja. Estou vingado!»

E engaiolando os pobres passaritos
Soltava exclamações:
«É uma praga. Maldictos!
Dão-me cabo de tudo estes ladrões!
Raios os partam! andae lá que emfim…»

Vinha tombando a noite silenciosa;
E caía por sobre a naturesa
Uma serena paz religiosa,
Uma bella tristesa
Harmonica, viril, indefinida.
A luz crepuscular
Infiltra-nos na alma dolorida
Um mysticismo heroico e salutar.
As arvores, de luz inda doiradas,
Sobre os montes longiquos, solitarios,
Tinham tomado as fórmas rendilhadas
Das plantas dos herbarios.
Recolhiam-se a casa os lavradores.
Dormiam virginaes as coisas mansas:
Os rebanhos e as flores,
As aves e as creanças.
Ia subindo a escada o velho abbade;
A sua negra, athletica figura
Destacava na frouxa claridade,
Como uma nodoa escura.
E introduzindo a chave no portal
Murmurou entre dentes:

Nasceu a lua. As folhas dos arbustos
Tinham o brilho meigo, avelludado
Do sorriso dos martyres, dos justos.
Um effluvio dormente e perfumado
Embebedava as seivas luxuriantes.
Todas as forças vivas da materia
Murmuravam dialogos gigantes
Pela amplidão etherea.
São precisos silencios virginaes,
Disposições sympathicas, nervosas,
Para ouvir estas fallas silenciosas
Dos mudos vegetaes.
As orvalhadas, frescas espessuras
Presentiam-se quasi a germinar.
Desmaiavam-se as candidas verduras
Nos magnetismos brancos do luar.

E n'isto o melro foi direito ao ninho.
Para o agasalhar andou buscando
Umas pennugens doces como arminho,
Um feltrosito assetinado e brando.
Chegou lá, e viu tudo.
Partiu como uma frecha; e louco e mudo
Correu por todo o matagal; em vão!
Mas eis que solta de repente um grito
Indo encontrar os filhos na prisão.

«Foi aquelle homem negro.—Quando veio
Chamei, chamei… Andavas tu na horta…
Ai que susto, que susto! Elle é tão feio!…
Tive-lhe tanto medo!… Abre esta porta,
E esconde-nos debaixo da tua aza!
Olha, já vão florindo as assucenas;
Vamos a construir a nossa casa
N'um bonito logar…
Ai! quem me dera, minha mãe, ter pennas
Para vôar, vôar!»

«Senhor! Senhor!
É por ventura crime ou é peccado
Que eu tenha muito amor
A estes innocentes?!
Ó natureza, ó Deos, como consentes
Que me roubem assim os meus filhinhos,
Os filhos que eu criei!
Quanta dor, quanto amor, quantos carinhos,
Quanta noite perdida
Nem eu sei…
E tudo, tudo em vão!
Filhos da minha vida!
Filhos do coração!!…
Não bastaria a natureza inteira,
Não bastaria o ceo para voardes,
E prendem-vos assim d'esta maneira!…
Covardes!
A luz, a luz, o movimento insano
Eis o aguilhão, a fé que nos abraza…
Encarcerar a aza
É encarcerar o pensamento humano.
A culpa tive-a eu! quasi á noitinha
Parti, deixei-os sós…
A culpa tive-a eu, a culpa é minha,
De mais ninguem!… Que atroz!
E eu devia sabel-o!
Eu tinha obrigação de adevinhar…
Remorso eterno! eterno pesadello!…

Falta-me a luz e o ar!… Oh, quem me dera
Ser abutre ou ser féra
Para partir o carcere maldicto!…
E como a noite é limpida e formosa!
Nem um ai, nem um grito…
Que noite triste! oh noite silenciosa!…»

E a natureza fresca, omnipotente,
Sorria castamente
Com o sorriso alegre dos heroes.
Nas sebes orvalhadas,
Entre folhas luzentas como espadas,
Cantavam rouxinoes.

Os vegetaes felizes
Mergulhavam as sofregas raizes
A procurar na terra as seivas boas,
Com a avidez e as raivas tenebrosas
Das pequeninas feras vigorosas
Sugando á noite os peitos das leoas.
A lua triste, a lua merencorea,
Desdemona marmorea,
Rolava pelo azul da immensidade,
Immersa n'uma luz serena e fria,
Branca como a harmonia,
Pura como a verdade.
E entre a luz do luar e os sons e as flores,
Na atonia cruel das grandes dores,
O melro solitario
Jazia inerte, exanime, sereno,
Bem como outr'ora a mãe do Nazareno
Na noite do calvario!…

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