Pastor de Hermas 86

1Em seguida veio examinar as pedras brancas e arredondadas e me disse: “Que faremos com estas pedras?” “Como hei de sabê-lo, senhor?” respondi.

1He next came to examine the white and rounded stones, and said to me, “What are we to do with these stones?” “How do I know, sir?” I replied.

2“Não tens intenções a respeito delas?” “Senhor,” respondi, “não conheço esta arte, nem sou canteiro, nem posso dizer.” “Não vês,” disse, “que são extremamente redondas? e se quiser torná-las retangulares, grande parte delas terá de ser cortada; pois algumas delas devem por necessidade ser postas na construção.” “Se, portanto,” disse eu, “devem, por que te atormentas e não escolhes de uma vez para a construção as que preferes e as ajustas nela?” Escolheu as maiores dentre elas e as brilhantes e talhou-as; e as virgens as carregaram e as ajustaram nas partes externas da construção.

2“Have you no intentions regarding them?” “Sir,” I answered, “I am not acquainted with this art, neither am I a stone-cutter, nor can I tell.” “Do you not see,” he said, “that they are exceedingly round? and if I wish to make them rectangular, a large portion of them must be cut away; for some of them must of necessity be put into the building.” “If therefore,” I said, “they must, why do you torment yourself, and not at once choose for the building those which you prefer, and fit them into it?” He selected the larger ones among them, and the shining ones, and hewed them; and the virgins carried and fitted them into the outside parts of the building.

3E as restantes que sobraram foram levadas e depositadas na planície de onde foram trazidas. Não foram, porém, rejeitadas, “porque,” disse, “resta ainda uma pequena adição a ser construída na torre. E o senhor desta torre quer que todas as pedras sejam ajustadas na construção, porque são extremamente brilhantes.” E foram chamadas doze mulheres, muito belas de forma, vestidas de negro e de cabelos desgrenhados. E estas mulheres me pareceram ferozes.

3And the rest which remained over were carried away, and laid down on the plain from which they were brought. They were not, however, rejected, “because,” he said, “there remains yet a little addition to be built to the tower. And the lord of this tower wishes all the stones to be fitted into the building, because they are exceedingly bright.” And twelve women were called, very beautiful in form, clothed in black, and with dishevelled hair. And these women seemed to me to be fierce.

4Mas o Pastor mandou-lhes que levantassem as pedras que foram rejeitadas da construção e as levassem para os montes de onde tinham sido trazidas. E elas ficaram alegres e levaram todas as pedras e as puseram no lugar de onde tinham sido tiradas. Ora, depois que todas as pedras foram removidas e já não havia uma só jazendo ao redor da torre, disse: “Demos a volta à torre e vejamos se há algum defeito nela.” Assim dei a volta à torre juntamente com ele.

4But the Shepherd commanded them to lift the stones that were rejected from the building, and to carry them away to the mountains from which they had been brought. And they were merry, and carried away all the stones, and put them in the place whence they had been taken. Now after all the stones were removed, and there was no longer a single one lying around the tower, he said, “Let us go round the tower and see, lest there be any defect in it.” So I went round the tower along with him.

5E o Pastor, vendo que a torre estava lindamente construída, alegrou-se extremamente; pois a torre estava edificada de tal modo que, ao vê-la, cobicei a sua construção, pois estava construída como se feita de uma só pedra, sem uma só junção. E a pedra parecia como talhada da rocha; tendo para mim o aspecto de um monólito.

5And the Shepherd, seeing that the tower was beautifully built, rejoiced exceedingly; for the tower was built in such a way, that, on seeing it, I coveted the building of it, for it was constructed as if built of one stone, without a single joining. And the stone seemed as if hewn out of the rock; having to me the appearance of a monolith.