I. - EROTICISM CROWNED AT THE INDIANS, GREEK AND THE SEMITES

The knowledge of the work of Vatsyayana will allow to classify certainly the Indian poems that some consider as mystic and the others as the purely erotic. The most perfect model of these papers is _Gita Govinda_ or _Chant of the Herdsman _, by Jahadéva. Remarkable thing ( matter ? ), we find the application of rules drawn by our author there. The confidante of Radha spreads ( displays ? ) the qualities required ( demanded ? ) from the intermediaries and the messengers of love, and acts according to the principles of the title X, role of the Go-between. Of same Radha behaves as he ( it ? ) is said about the quarrels between lovers and raccommodements in the chapter VI of the title III, and in the chapter III of the title XI. There is not up to points drawn by teeth (chapter III of the title III) which see each other in the poem. This historic remark and the abundance of the images naturalists in him ( it ? ) _Gita Govinda _, with the exception of the comparisons borrowed ( taken ? ) from the moral nature which are frequently read in him ( it ? ) _Ramayana _, can leave no doubt on its exclusively erotic character; it is, rather that the mysticism, the sacred eroticism intended to make of the god the favourite, the idol of people sensualiste; it is obviously the character of all the krishnaïste poetry; and as, in India, the poetry becomes confused with the doctrine and with the cult, we can already pull ( fire ? ) an essential consequence at the nature of the krishnaïsme: this one is obviously all the opposite of the Buddhism, his ( her ? ) enemy brother, and more still the Christianity which under the report of the customs, kept ( guarded ? ) the Semitic tradition shapes to the mazdéenne severity. This consideration leads ( drives ? ) to another consequence, it is that he ( it ? ) is almost superfluous to discuss the priority of both religions krishnaïque and Christian, as made him ( it ? ) Jacolliot and Mgr. Laouénan, because these two religions different radically for the bottom of the doctrine, for the customs of their followers and for the life and the examples of their founders. It is the point of the highest importance there and that leads ( drives ? ) us to give as obliged complement to our work a translation of the songs of Jahadéva. To continue our comparison of the morality of Brahmes with that of Payens and Mazdéens or Semites, we shall add it a parallel of the song of _Gita Govinda_ with the poetic story of her ( it ? ) _Mort of Adonis_ and with him ( it ? ) _Cantique Cantiques_. To indicate the contrasts between the crowned corresponding poetries of three races is the best means to highlight the differences between their geniuses, their temperaments and their tendencies.

What dominates in him ( it ? ) _Gita Govinda _, it is the naturalism, the grace ( favour ? ) and the size ( greatness ? ), even the exuberance of the images; it is the reflection of a climate and a part of the country where the plant and animal administrations are quite powerful. It is the almost complete absence of spiritualism and even idealism. Under this last report the poetry of _Gita Govinda_ is lower than that of Védas. We feel ( smell ? ) the reduction in the Aryan genius already weighed down by the secular action of the hot climate of India and abatardi by the dishonest compromises materialists and idolâtriques of the Aryan brahmes with the natives of lower civilizations there. The physiolâtrie big of the Védas is distorted ( altered ? ) in the point to be unrecognizable. The honorable role of the woman in the primitive Aryan family got lost, she ( it ? ) is not more than the instrument of the pleasure. It is the role of Radha clans his ( her;its ? ) reports ( connections ? ) with Govinda; this one is really the only hero of the poem; everything relates to it to him, to his ( her;its ? ) pleasure, to its glorification.

It is to a certain extent the opposite in the sacred eroticism of the Greeks. The myths of Psyche and Adonis excite rather the goddesses, the queens of the beauty. The cult of Adonis is only a part ( party ? ), an episode of that of Venus. He was to be double because of his Syrian origin, because the Assyrians confused ( merged ? ) in their worship the male and female energies and sometimes gave the superiority to the last one. From there the union of Venus and Adonis in mythological hymns where the Greeks brought their ideal of grace ( favour ? ) and thoughtlessness. These qualities of the Aryan genius are the charm of the small poem of Bion, as generally of all the Greek literature.

The Semitic literature has a quite various character. What dominates there, it is the moral beauty and the austere conception. Doubtless she ( it ? ) borrows ( takes ? ) strong images from the big nature, from the mountains, from the rivers, from the sea, from the sky; but his ( her;its ? ) ideal is rather the justice, the charity, the wisdom, a God; what, in spite of an even resentful and exclusive patriotism, makes the superiority of its poetry, even on Védas. His ( her;its ? ) main qualities are the sobriety, the vigour and the passion. They are to him ( it ? ) _Cantique Chants _, the only erotic poem of the Semites. Contrary to what takes place for him ( it ? ) _Gita Govinda_ and _Hymne to Adonis _, this poem is the ecstasy of a woman. And, although by her ( its ? ) terms she ( it ? ) is bound not at all in the religion and she ( it ? ) is more really fascinated than the Indian poem and the Greek poem, this composition is so chaste by the expression that we were able, impartial, to take her ( it ? ) for a mystic interview ( maintenance ? ) of Salomon with the wisdom, or Christ with the Church.

Following these appreciations we give the translations of _Gita Govinda _, of him ( her;it ? ) _Hymne to Adonis_ and of _Cantique Cantiques_. Having read them, we can refer to these preliminary reflections to verify the correctness and maybe even to spread ( widen ? ) the reach.