“Bankiet,” Witold Gombrowicz

ORIGINAL 

Machnąwszy rękami, Gnulo gestem najwyższej paniki złapał się za tyłek i niewiele myśląc jął uchodzić... biegł ku drzwiom, byle dalej od tego Arcykrólestwa. Zebrani ujrzeli, że król im ucieka... jeszcze chwila, a król ucieknie! I patrzyli na to w osłupieniu, albowiem nie można było zatrzymać króla... Któż śmiałby siłą zatrzymać króla?
- Za nim - żary czai starzec. - Za nim!
Chłodny powiew nocy owiał policzki dygnitarzy, gdy wypadli na plac przed zamkiem. Król uciekał środkiem ulicy, a w odległości kilkunastu kroków pędził kanclerz, pędził bankiet i bal. I oto arcygeniusz tego arcystatysty znów ujawnia się w całej arcysile swojej – albowiem SROMOTNA UCIECZKA KRÓLA STAJE SIĘ ATAKIEM JAKIMŚ i już nie wiadomo czy to KRÓL UCIEKA, czy też KRÓL PĘDZI W PRZESTRZEŃ NA CZELE BANKIETU! O, pędzące, furczące we wściekłym pędzie szarfy i odznaki ambasadorów, fiolety biskupów, fralki ministerialne i balowe toalety, o, cwał, arcycwał tylu możnowładców! Czegoś podobnego nigdy nie oglądały oczy gminu. Magnaci, właściciele ogromnych dóbr ziemskich, potomkowie naj świetniej szych rodzin galopowali obok oficerów sztabu generalnego, których galop stowarzyszał się z galopem wszechwładnych ministrów, z pędem marszałków, szambelanów, z cwałem rozpędzonych najznakomitszych dam dworu! O pęd, arcypęd marszałków, szambelanów, pęd ministrów, cwał ambasadorów w pomrokach nocy, w świetle latarń, pod sklepieniem niebios! Działa ozwały się na zamku. I król zaszarżował!
– Naprzód! – zakrzyknął. – Naprzód!
I arcyszarżując na czele arcyhufca swego arcykról przetoczył się w pomroce nocy!

VERSION A

Waving his arms, with a gesture of the utmost panic Slothbert seized himself by the backside and without a second thought started to run away... He ran toward the door, to get as far away as possible from that Archkingdom. The gathering saw that the king was getting away from them—another minute and he would get away! And they watched, stupefied, for the king could not be stopped... who would dare to stop the king by force?
“After him,” roared the old man. “After him!”
The cold breath of night blew on the cheeks of the dignitaries as they rushed out onto the square in front of the castle. The king ran away down the middle of the street, and ten or twenty paces behind him rushed the chancellor, the banquet, and the ball. And here the archgenius of that archstatesman once again reveals itself in all its archmight—for THE IGNOMINIOUS FLIGHT OF THE KING BECOMES SOME KIND OF ATTACK, and it is no longer clear whether THE KING IS FLEEING or whether, on the contrary, THE KING IS RUSHING FORWARD AT THE HEAD OF THE BANQUET! Oh, those rushing sashes and medals of the ambassadors, fluttering in the furious rush; the purple of the bishops; the ministerial dress coats and tail coats; oh, the canter, the archcanter of so many potentates! The common people had never seen such a thing before. Magnates, owners of vast tracts of land, descendants of the most splendid families, galloping alongside officers of the general staff, whose gallop was accompanied by the gallop of all-powerful ministers, with the rush of marshals, chamberlains, with the canter of most noble, rushing ladies of the court! Oh, the rush, the archrush of marshals and chamberlains, the rush of ministers, the canter of ambassadors in the darkness of night, by the light of lanterns, beneath the firmament of the heavens! Cannon sounded in the castle. And the king charged!
“Forward!” he cried. “Forward!”
And archcharging at the head of his archsquadron, the archking passed on into the dark of night!

VERSION B

Flapping his hands in a gesture of utter panic, Gnulo grabbed himself by the seat and without giving the matter another thought he took to his feet, he dashed to the door in order to get away as far as he could from the arch-kingdom. The gathering noticed that the king was escaping, another moment and he would have escaped. They looked upon this with bewilderment for the king could not be stopped. Who would dare hold back the king by force?
“After him!” the old man roared, “Get him!”
The cold night air blew on the cheeks of the dignitaries as they ran out into the square in front of the castle. The king sped down the middle of the street with the chancellor just a dozen steps behind him, followed by the banquet and the ball. The arch-genius of the arch-supernumerary again emerged in its full arch-power, for the shameful flight of the king now became an attack of some sort. No one could tell for sure whether the king had taken flight or whether the king was rushing into space at the head of the banquet. Oh, the ribbons and the orders of the ambassadors, the purple of the bishops, the tails of the ministers, the ballgowns rustling and flapping in this mad race! Oh, the galloping, the arch-galloping of so many magnates! The eyes of commoners had never beheld such a sight. Magnates, owners of large estates, scions of the most illustrious families, trotted side by side with the officers of the general staff whose canter was matched to the gallop of the all-powerful ministers, to the pace of the marshals and chamberlains, to the mad career of the finest ladies of the land Oh speed, oh arch-speed of marshals, chamberlains and ministers, oh mad career of ambassadors in the darkness of the night, in the light of lanterns, under the high arch of heavens! The castle guns roared. The king led the assault.
“Charge!” he cried; “Charge!” 
And leading the arch-assault, running at the head of his arch-detachment, the arch-king rumbled past in the darkness of the night.