II. The Martian Texts

It is not always easy to represent a language and its pronunciation by means of the typographical characters of another. Happily the Martian, in spite of its strange appearance and the fifty millions of leagues which separate us from the red planet, is in reality so near neighbor to French that there is scarcely any difficulty in this case.

The dozen written texts[19] which we possess, and which Mlle. Smith either copied from a verbo-visual hallucination, or which were traced by her hand in an access of graphomotor automatism, are readily translated into French, since each Martian letter has its exact equivalent in the French alphabet. I have confined myself to placing accents on the vowels (there are none in the Martian writing), conformably to the pronunciation of Esenale at the moment of translation. It is only necessary to read the following texts aloud, articulating them as though they were French, in order to secure the Martian words almost exactly as they proceed from the mouth of Mlle. Smith; I say almost, because there still remains, naturally, in the speech of Esenale, as in that of every one, a special mannerism of strengthening certain syllables and slurring others—in short, that of delicate shades of accentuation, which cannot be adequately represented, and which the hearers did not attempt to take note of at the seances.

In the auditive or vocal texts, those which have not been obtained by writing, I have adopted the more probable orthography, according to the pronunciation of Esenale, but (with the exception of words known by means of the written texts) I naturally cannot guarantee their absolute correctness.

The manner in which Hélène takes down in pencil the Martian phrases which strike her ear is not of great assistance to us in that respect, because, as I have said above (p. [158]), she finds herself at the time of these verbo-auditive hallucinations in the situation of a person who hears some unknown words, and spells them as well as she is able, after a quite arbitrary and often faulty fashion. She writes, for example, “hezi darri né ciké taisse,” which, according to the pronunciation of Esenale and other written texts, should be “êzi darié siké tés”; or, again, “misse messe as si lé,” instead of “mis mess ass ilé.” We cannot, therefore, depend upon the orthography of Hélène, but I have naturally followed it in every case in which there seemed to be no good reason to depart from it. In stating that the following texts should be articulated like French, two remarks must be added: First, the final consonant, very rare in Martian, is always aspirated; the word ten is pronounced as in the French gluten; essat, like fat; amès, like aloes; mis and mess, like lis (flower), and mess (of an officer), etc. In the second place, for the different values of the e I have adopted the following rule: the e broad is always indicated by the accent grave è; the e medium, which is only found at the beginning and in the middle of a word, is marked with the acute accent é; the e short, by the acute accent at the end of a word (or before a final e mute), and by the circumflex at the beginning or in the middle; the e mute, or demi-mute, remains without accent.

The pronunciation, therefore, will be, for example, the e’s of the Martian words mété, bénézee, like those of the French words été, répétée; êvé, like rêvé, tès, as in Lutèce, etc.

There will be found in italics, underneath the Martian texts, their French equivalents, word for word, as given by Esenale in the manner described above (see pp. [166]-168).[20] I have also indicated the kind of automatism—auditive, visual, vocal, or graphic—by means of which each text was obtained, also the date of its appearance, and (in parentheses) that of the seance, often quite remote, at which it was translated. I have also added such explanations as seemed to me to be necessary.

1.métiche C.médache C.métaganiche S.kin’t’che
Monsieur C.Madame C.Mademoiselle S.quatre.
Mr. C.Mrs. C.Miss C.Four.

Vocal. February 2, 1896. See above, [p. 157].

2. dodé né ci haudan té mess métiche astané ké dé
Ceci est la maison du grand homme Astané que tu
mé véche.
as vu.

This is the house of the great man Astané, whom thou hast seen.

Auditive. About September 20, 1896 (translated November 2).—Heard by Hélène at the same time at which she had the vision of [Fig. 12] (see [p. 166]).

3. modé iné cé di cévouitche ni êvé ché kiné liné
Mère adorée, je te reconnais et suis ton petit Linet.

Adored mother, I recognize thee, and am thy little Linet.

Words addressed to Mme. Mirbel by her son Alexis (Esenale) in a scene of incarnation altogether analogous to that described on p. [156].

4. i modé mété modé modé iné palette is
O mère, tendre mère, mère bien-aimée, calme tout
ché péliché ché chiré né ci ten ti vi
ton souci, ton fils est près de toi.

Oh, mother, tender mother, dearly loved mother, calm all thy care, thy son is near thee.

Vocal. November 29, 1896 (translated same seance).—Spoken by Esenale and addressed to Mme. Mirbel, in a scene of incarnation analogous to the preceding. At the moment of translation, Esenale repeated, very distinctly, the last words, as follows: “né ci, est près [“is near”], ten ti vi, de toi (“thee”).” This was evidently an error, since it appears from numerous later texts that est près de toi corresponds to né ten ti vi; it follows that it would be natural to translate the word ci by là, ici, or tout, if these words had not been differently rendered in other texts. (A confusion of the adverb là with the article la, translated by ci in text 2, might also be suspected.)

5. i kiché ten ti si ké di êvé dé étéche mêné
Oh! pourquoi près de moi ne te tiens-tu toujours, amie
izé bénézée
enfin retrouvée!

Oh! Why dost thou not keep thyself always near me, friend, at last found again?

Auditive. December 4, 1896 (translated December 13). Fragment of a long discourse by Astané to Hélène, during an apparition which she had of him about nine o’clock in the evening, as she was about to go to bed. This sentence, which he uttered twice, is the only one which she has been able to recall with sufficient precision to note down immediately after the vision. She has the feeling of having understood Astané’s whole discourse while he was delivering it, and thinks she would have been able to translate it into French, perhaps not word for word, but in its general sense. She expected to transcribe it the following day, but in the morning when she awoke she was unable to recall either the words of Astané or their meaning, not even that of this sentence, written on the previous evening. Heard again, as the second part of the following text, in the seance of the 13th of December.

6. ti iche cêné éspênié ni ti êzi atèv astané êzi
De notre belle “Espénié” et de mon être Astané, mon
érié vizé é vi... i kiché ten ti si ké di êvé
âme descend à toi... oh! pourquoi près de moi ne te tiens-tu
dé étéche mêné izé bénézée
toujours, amie enfin retrouvée!

From our beautiful “Espénié” and from my being Astané, my soul descends to thee—Oh! why dost thou not keep thyself always near to me, friend, at last found again?

Auditive. December 13, 1896 (translated same seance).—Heard in the far-away voice of Astané, Hélène having all the while a painful sensation, as though the skin of her face around her eyes, on the back of her wrists and hands, was being torn off. In the translation the word Espénié remains as it is, being a proper name; the left index-finger (Leopold) points heavenward, and says that it might be rendered by terre, planète, demeure.

7. cé êvé plêva ti di bénèz éssat riz tès midée
Je suis chagrin de te retrouver vivant sur cette laide
durée cé ténassé riz iche éspênié vétéche ié ché atèv hêné
terre; je voudrais sur notre Espénié voir tout ton être s’élever
ni pové ten ti si éni zée métiché oné gudé ni zée darié
et rester près de moi; ici les hommes sont bons et les cœurs
grêvé
larges.

I am sorry to find you again living on this wretched earth; I would on our Espénié see all thy being raise itself and remain near me; here men are good and hearts large.

Auditive. December 15, 1896 (translated January 17, 1897).—Words spoken by Astané to Hélène in a morning vision. The following fragment of the letter in which she sent me this text merits being cited as an example of those quite frequent cases in which Mlle. Smith, without knowing the exact translation of the foreign words, nevertheless divines their general signification and comprehends them by their emotional equivalent. “This morning, at a quarter before six, I saw Astané at the foot of my bed. The general sense of his language was at that moment quite clear to my mind, and I give it to you as I understood it—that is, in as clear a manner as possible, having noted it down afterwards: ‘How much I regret your not having been born in our world; you would be much happier there, since everything is much better with us, people as well as things, and I would be so happy to have you near me.’ That is about what it seemed to me to mean; perhaps some day we may be able to be sure of it.”

8. amès mis tensée ladé si—amès ten tivé avé
Viens un instant vers moi, viens près d’un vieil
men—koumé ié ché pélésse—amès somé têsé
ami fondre tout ton chagrin: viens admirer ces
misaïmé—ké dé surès pit châmi—izâ méta ii
fleurs, que tu crois sans parfum, mais pourtant si
borêsé ti finaïmé—iâ izi dé séïmiré
pleines de senteurs!... Mais si tu comprendras!

Come towards me a moment, come near an old friend to melt away all thy sorrow; come to admire these flowers, which you believe without perfume, but yet so full of fragrance! But if thou couldst understand.

Auditive and vocal. January 31, 1897 (translated same seance).—Hélène, in hemisomnambulism, sees Astané, who tells her to repeat his words; she replies to him: “But speak plainly ... I will gladly repeat them ... but I do not understand very well....” Then she pronounces slowly and very distinctly the foregoing text, in groups of words, separated by a moment of silence (marked in the text by the sign—). It is remarked that these groups, with the exception of the sixth, correspond to the hemistiches of the French translation obtained in the same seance. After the sixth group Hélène remains silent for a long time, and finally says: “I cannot understand;” then utters the four last words, which are the reply of Astané to her objection.

9. ané éni ké éréduté cé ilassuné té imâ ni
C’est isi que, solitaire, ie m’approche du ciel et
bétiné chée durée
regarde ta terre.

It is here that, alone, I bring myself near to heaven and look upon the earth.

Auditive. February 24, 1897 (translated March 14).—Reclining in her easy-chair, after the noonday meal, Hélène hears this sentence, while at the same time she has the vision of a house, constructed by digging into a Martian mountain, and traversed by a sort of air-shafts, and which represents Astané’s observatory.

10. simandini lé lâmi mêné kizé pavi kiz atimi
Simandini, me voici! amie! quelle joie, quel bonheur!

Simandini, here I am! friend! what joy! what happiness!

Auditive. March 14, 1897 (translated same seance).—See following text.

11. i modé duméïné modé kêvi cé mache povini
O mère, ancienne mère, quand je peux arriver
poénêzé mûné é vi saliné éziné mimâ nikaïné modé
quelques instants vers toi j’oublie mes parents Nikaïné, mère!
—i men
—ô ami!

Oh, mother, former mother, when I can arrive a few instants near thee, I forget my parents Nikaïné, mother!—Oh friend!

Vocal. March 14, 1897 (translated same seance).—From the beginning of this seance Hélène complained of cold hands, then a great desire to weep, and of a buzzing in the ears, which kept increasing and in which she finally heard Astané address to her the Martian words of text 10. Immediately after she passes into full somnambulism; her respirations, very short and panting, rise to three per second, accompanied by synchronous movements of the left index-finger; then she stops suddenly with a long expiration, immediately followed by a deep inspiration: then her breast heaves, her face assumes an expression of suffering, and the left index-finger announces that it is Esenale (Alexis Mirbel) who is incarnated. After a series of spasms and hiccoughs, Hélène arises, and, placing herself behind Mme. Mirbel, takes her neck in her hands, bows her head upon hers, tenderly pats her cheek, and addresses to her the words of text No. 11 (except the two last words). Then she raises her head, and again, with panting respiration (accelerated to thirty inspirations in sixteen seconds), walks towards M. Lemaître (whose pupil Alexis Mirbel had been at the time of his death). She places her hands upon his shoulders, affectionately grasps his right hand, and with emotion and continued sobbing addresses to him the two words i men! After which she goes through the pantomime of extending her hand to Leopold and of allowing him to conduct her to a couch, where the translation of texts Nos. 10, 11, and 9 is obtained by the customary process, but not without difficulty.

12. lassuné ké nipuné ani tis dé machir mirivé
Approche, ne crains pas; bientôt tu pourras tracer
iche manir sé dé évenir toué chi amiché zé forimé
notre écriture, et tu posséderas dans tes mains les marques
ti viche tarviné
de notre langage.

Approach, fear not; soon thou wilt be able to trace our writing, and thou wilt possess in thy hands the signs of our language.

Auditive. May 23, 1897 (translated same seance).—Shortly after the beginning of the seance, Hélène, still being awake, has a vision of Astané, who addresses her in these words, which she repeats slowly and in a feeble voice. I give the text as it was heard and uniformly noted by several sitters, both at the moment of its utterance and at its subsequent translation. Many corrections, however, would be necessary, in order to make it correspond with the later written texts: ké nipuné ani, et ne crains pas (“and I am not afraid,” or, “and I do not fear”) should be changed to kié nipuné ani, ne crains pas (see text 17); sé or cé only stands here for et, which everywhere else is given as ni; viche is used in error for iche (unless the v was added for the sake of euphony, of which there is no other example) and tis for tiche.

13. (adèl) ané sini (yestad) i astané cé fimès astané mirâ
C’est vous, ô Astané, je meurs! Astané, adieu!

It is you, oh Astané, I am dying! Astané, farewell!

Vocal. Same seance as the preceding text, after which Hélène passes into full somnambulism, begins to weep, pants, holds her hand on her heart, and pronounces this sentence, mingling with it the two words Adèl and yestad, which are not Martian, but belong to the Oriental cycle; they also do not appear in the text as it was repeated at the time of its translation. This intrusion of terms foreign to the Martian dream is explained by the imminence of a Hindoo scene ready to appear, which occupied the latter half of the seance in which the Arab servant, Adèl, plays a leading rôle. The mingling of the two romances is greatly accentuated a few moments later, in a long discourse, devoid of r’s and very rich in sibilants, and spoken with so great volubility that it was impossible to gather a single word. At the time of the translation, at the close of the seance, this tirade was repeated with the same rapidity, preventing any notation; according to the French translation which followed, it concerned memories of the life of Simandini which Hélène recalled to Astané and in which there is much mention of the aforesaid Adèl (see Hindoo Cycle, Chap. VII.).

14. eupié zé palir né amé arvâ nini pédriné évaï
Eupié, le temps est venu; Arva nous quitte; sois
diviné lâmée ine vinâ té luné—pouzé men hantiné
heureux jusque au retour du jour.—Pouzé, ami fidèle,
êzi vraïni né touzé med vi ni ché chiré saïné—ké
mon désir est même pour toi et ton fils Saïné.—Que
zalisé téassé mianiné ni di daziné—eupié—pouzé
l’élément entier t’enveloppe et te garde!—Eupié!—Pouzé!

Eupié, the time has come; Arva leaves us; be happy till the return of the day. Pouzé, faithful friend, my wish is even for thee, and thy son Saïné.—May the entire element envelop thee and guard thee!—Eupié!—Pouzé!

Auditive. June 18, 1897 (translated June 20).—During a visit I made to Mlle. Smith she has a vision of two Martian personages walking on the shore of a lake, and she repeats this fragment of their conversation which she has heard. According to another text (No. 20), Arva is the Martian name of the sun.

15. modé tatinée cé ké mache radziré zé tarvini va
Mère chérie, je ne puis prononcer le langage où
nini nini triménêni ii adzi cé zé seïmiré vétiche i
nous nous comprenions si bien! Je le comprends cependant; ô
modé inée kévi bérimir m hed kévi machiri cé di triné
mère adorée, quand reviendra-t-il? Quand pourrai-je te parler
ti éstotiné ni bazée animina i modé cé méï adzi
de ma dernière et courte existence? O mére, je t’ai bien
ilinée i modé inée cé ké lé nazère ani—mirâ
reconnue, ô mère adorée, je ne me trompe pas!—Adieu
modé itatinée mirâ mirâ mirâ
mère chérie, adieu, adieu, adieu!

My dearest, I cannot pronounce the language in which we understood each other so well! I understand it, however; oh! adored mother, when will it return? When shall I be able to speak to thee of my last and short existence? Oh! mother, I have well recognized thee, oh! adored mother, I am not mistaken!—Farewell, dearest mother, farewell, farewell, farewell!

Auditive. June 27, 1897 (translated same seance).—Mme. Mirbel being present, Hélène perceives Esenale, who remains in the vicinity of his mother and addresses these words to her. The “adieux” at the close were not spoken at that time, but were uttered by Esenale immediately following and as a complement of the translation; this is the only case (outside of text 36) in which he did not confine himself strictly to the texts already gathered and in which he permitted himself to introduce a new phrase, which otherwise does not contain a single unknown word; itatinée, chérie, is evidently a slip which should be corrected either to tatinée, chérie, or to it atinée, ô chérie. The precise French equivalent of triménêni is probably entretenions.

* 16. astané ésenâle pouzé mêné simandini mirâ
(Astané. Esenale. Pouzé. Amie Simandini, adieu!)

Astané. Esenale. Pouzeé. Friend Simandini, farewell!

Visual. August 22, 1897.—This text, for which there is no need of a translation, constitutes the first appearance of the Martian handwriting. See above, Fig. 21, and the résumé of that seance, pp. [203]-205.

* 17. taniré mis méch med mirivé éziné brimaξ ti tès
Prends un crayon pour tracer mes paroles de cet
tensée—azini dé améir mazi si somé iche nazina
instant. Alors tu viendras avec moi admirer notre nouveau
tranéï.—Simandini cé kié mache di pédriné tès luné ké cé
passage. Simandini, je ne puis te quitter ce jour. Que je
êvé diviné—patrinèz kié nipuné ani
suis heureux!—Alors ne crains pas!

Take a pencil to trace my words of this moment. Then thou wilt come with me to admire our new passage. Simandini, I cannot leave thee this day. How happy I am!—Then fear not!

Graphic. September 12, 1897 (translated same seance).—See p. [207] and [Fig. 23.]

* 18. modé tatinée lâmi mis mirâ ti ché bigâ kâ
Mère chérie, voici un adieu de ton enfant qui
ébrinié sanâ é vi idé di zé rénir—zé mess métich kâ é
pense tant à toi. On te le portera, le grand homme qui a
zé valini iminé—ni z [é] grani sidiné
le visage mince et le corps maigre.

My dearest, this is a farewell from thy child, who thinks so much of thee. The big man, who has a thin face and a slender body, will bear it to thee.

Fig. 25. Text No. 18 (October 10, 1897), written in pencil by Mlle. Smith, incarnating Esenale. Reproduction in autotype two-thirds of the natural size.

Fig. 26. Text No. 26 (August 21, 1898), which appeared in visual hallucination, and was copied by Mlle. Smith. Reproductions in autotype.

Auditive, then Graphic. October 10, 1897 (translated same seance).—Hélène has a vision of a Martian landscape, in which Esenale floats discarnate around the plants and speaks these words, which she repeats. (It is understood from the translation that this text was intended for Mme. Mirbel, who was then in the country, but to whom the person very clearly indicated by the final characteristic was about to pay a visit and could carry the message.) I then offer Hélène a pencil in the hope of obtaining this same text in writing; after various tergiversations and grimaces, denoting a state of increasing somnambulism, she finally takes the pencil between her index and middle fingers, tells Esenale that she still sees him and makes him sit down by her side, and then begins to write, completely absent and fascinated by the paper. The left index-finger (Leopold) informs us that it is Esenale himself who is writing by means of Hélène’s arm. Twice she interrupts herself in order to say to Esenale, “Oh! do not go yet, stay a little while longer!” She appears nervous and agitated, and often stops writing to stab her paper with her pencil or to make erasures or scribble on it (see [Fig. 25]); in the zé of the last line, she forgets the é (this did not prevent Esenale from pronouncing the word correctly at the time of its translation).

* 19. m[en] cé kié mache di triné sandiné téri
(Amie, je ne puis te parler longtemps comme
né êzi vraïni zou réch mirâ milé piri mirâ
est mon désir; plus tard, adieu adieu.)

(Friend, I cannot speak to thee a long time, as is my desire; later, farewell, farewell!)

Graphic, then Auditive. October 24, 1897 (there has never been any translation of this text, two words of which are still unknown).—Hélène first sees the table illumined by a green light in which some designs appear which she copies, and which give this text, except the two last letters of the first word, the place of which remains blank. Immediately after she hears Martian spoken, which she repeats. It is the same text; then she has a vision of Astané, Esenale, and a little girl whose name she hears as Niké; but this soon gives way to other non-Martian somnambulisms. (See [Fig. 25.])

* 20. Siké évaï diviné zé niké crizi capri né amé
Siké, sois heureux! Le petit oiseau noir est venu
orié antéch é êzé carimi ni êzi érié é nié pavinée hed
frapper hier à ma fenêtre, et mon âme a été joyeuse; il
lé sadri dé zé véchir tiziné Matêmi misaïmé kâ lé
me chanta: tu le verras demain.—Matêmi, fleur qui me
amèz essaté Arvâ ti éziné udâniξξ amès tès uri amès
fais vivre, soleil de mes songes, viens ce soir, viens
sandiné ten ti si évaï divinée Romé va né Siké
longtemps près de moi; sois heureuse!—Romé où est Siké?—Là-bas,
atrizi ten té taméch épizi
près du “taméche” rose.

Siké, be happy! The little black bird came yesterday rapping at my window, and my soul was joyful; he sang to me: Thou wilt see him to-morrow. Matêmi, flower which makes me live, sun of my dreams, come this evening; come for a long time to me; be happy!—Romé, where is Siké?—Yonder, near the “taméche” rose.

Auditive, then Graphic. November 28, 1897 (translated same seance).—Fragments of conversation heard during the vision of the Martian fête described on p. [185]. Siké (a young man) and Matêmi (a young girl) form the first couple who pass by and walk off in the direction of a large bush with red flowers (taméche); then a second couple exchange the last words of the text while going to rejoin the first. After this vision, which she contemplated standing and described with much animation, Hélène seated herself and began to write the same Martian phrases. It is ascertained from Leopold that it was Astané who held her hand (in holding the pencil between the thumb and the index-finger—that is, after the manner of Leopold and not that of Hélène as she had held it in writing text No. 17). The writing being finished, Leopold directs that Hélène shall be made to seat herself on the couch for the scene of translation.

21. véchêsi têsée polluni avé métiche é vi ti
Voyons cette question, vieux homme; à toi de
bounié seïmiré ni triné
chercher, comprendre et parler.

Now this question, old man; it is for thee to seek, to understand and speak.

Auditive. January 15, 1898 (translated February 13).—Fragment of conversation between two Martian personages seen in a waking vision.

22. astané cé amès é vi chée brimi messé téri
Astané, je viens à toi; ta sagesse grande comme
ché pocrimé lé...
ton savoir me...

Astané, I come to thee; thy great wisdom as well as thy knowledge to me....

Auditive. About January 25, 1898 (translated February 13).—Vision, at six o’clock in the morning, of a young Martian girl (Matêmi?) traversing a tunnel through a mountain and arriving at the house of Astané, to whom she addresses this utterance, followed by many others which Hélène could not grasp with sufficient distinctness to note them down.

23. [A] paniné évaï kirimé zé miza ami grini
Panine, sois prudent, le “miza” va soulever;
ké chée éméche rès pazé—[B] pouzé tès luné soumini
que ta main se retire!—Pouzé, ce jour riant...
arvâ ii cen zé primi ti ché chiré kiz pavi luné—
Arva si beau... le revoir de ton fils... quel heureux jour—
[C] saïné êzi chiré izé lineï kizé pavi êzi mané
Saïné, mon fils, enfin debout! quelle joie!... Mon père
ni êzé modé tiziné êzi chiré êzi mané cé êvé adi
et ma mère... Demain, mon fils... Mon père, je suis bien
anâ
maintenant.

Paniné, be prudent, the “miza” is about to arise; remove thy hand! Pouzé, this laughing day ... Arva so beautiful ... The return of thy son ... What happy day—Saïné, my son, finally standing! What joy!... My father and my mother ... To-morrow, my son ... My father, I am well now.

Auditive. February 20, 1898 (translated same seance).—Very complicated Martian vision. First, three small, movable houses, like pavilions or Chinese kiosks, going about on little balls; in one of these, two unknown personages, one of whom puts her hand out of a small oval window, which occasions, on the part of her companion, the observation of the first sentence (A) of the text; at this instant, in fact, these rolling pavilions (miza) assume an oscillatory movement, which makes a noise like “tick-tack,” and then glide like a train upon rails. They go around a high red mountain and come into a sort of magnificent gorge or ravine, with slopes covered with extraordinary plants, and where they find white houses on an iron framework resembling piles. The two men then alight from their “miza,” chatting together, but Hélène can only hear fragments (B) of their conversation. A young man of sixteen to eighteen years of age comes to meet them, who has his head tied up in a kind of nightcap, and having no hair on the left side. Martian salutations are exchanged; they mutually strike their heads with their hands, etc. Hélène complains of hearing very confusedly that which they are saying, and can only repeat ends of sentences (C). She has pain in her heart, and Leopold dictates to me by the left index-finger, “Put her to sleep,” which presently leads to the customary scene of translation of the text.

24. saïné êzi chiré iée êzé pavi ché vinâ ine ruzzi
Saïné, mon fils, toute ma joie, ton retour au milieu
ti nini né mis mess assilé atimi... itéche...
de nous est un grand, immense bonheur... toujours...
furimir... nori
aimera... jamais.

Saïné, my son, all my joy; thy return to our circle is a great, an immense happiness ... always will love ... ever.

Auditive. March 11, 1898 (translated August 21).—“Yesterday morning, on jumping out of bed,” wrote Hélène to me, when sending me this text, “I had a vision of Mars, almost the same as that which I had before (at the seance of February 20). I saw again the rolling pavilions, the houses on piling, several personages, among them a young man who had no hair on one side of his head. I was able to note some words. It was very confused, and the last words were caught on the wing, when here and there something a little clear came to me....”

25. dé véchi ké ti éfi mervé éni
Tu vois que de choses superbes ici.

Thou seest what superb things (are) here.

Auditive. August 21, 1898 (translated same seance).—Waking vision of a river between two rose-colored mountains, with a bridge (like that in Fig. 9) which lowered itself into the water and disappeared in order to allow five or six boats to pass (like that in [Fig. 13]), then reappeared and was restored to its place. As Hélène describes all this, she hears a voice speaking to her the above Martian words of the text.

26. Astané né zé ten ti vi
Astané est là près de toi.

Astané is there, near to thee.

Visual. August 21, 1898 (translated same seance).—Following the preceding scene: Hélène perceives “in the air” (illumined and red—that of her Martian vision) some characters unknown to her, which she copies (see [Fig. 26]). I ask her, showing her the word zé (which elsewhere always stands for le), if she is not mistaken. She verifies it by comparing it with the imaginary model before her and affirms it to be correct.

27. siké kiz crizi hantiné hed é ébrinié rès amêré é
Siké, quel oiseau fidèle! il a pensé se réunir à
nini éssaté ti iche atimi matêmi hantiné hed né
nous, vivre de notre bonheur!—Matêmi fidèle, il est
hantiné êzi darié siké tès ousti ké zé badêni lassuné
fidèle mon cœur!—Siké, ce bateau que le vent approche
mazi trimazi hed é ti zi mazêté é poviné é nini zé priâni
avec force! il a de la peine à arriver à nous; le flot
é fouminé ivraïni idé é ti zi mazêté é vizêné zé
est puissant aujourd’hui; on a de la peine à distinguer le
chodé
“chodé.”

Fig. 27. Text No. 28 (October 8, 1898), written by Mlle. Smith, copying a text of Matêmi, seen in a visual hallucination. [The slight tremor of some of the lines is not in the original, but occurred in the copying of the text in the ink, which was written in pencil and too pale for reproduction.

Siké, what (a) faithful bird! he has thought to reunite himself to us, to live of our happiness!—Matêmi faithful, my heart is faithful!—Siké, this boat which the wind brings near with force! it has some difficulty in reaching us; the current is strong to-day; one has some difficulty in distinguishing the “chodé.”

Auditive. About the 4th of September, 1898 (translated October 16).—Hélène heard and noted this phrase at the same time at which she had the vision of the two young Martian people who were walking in a kind of flower-garden, and saw a boat arrive, like that in [Fig. 13.] The meaning of chodé has not been ascertained.

*28. men mess Astané cé amès é vi itéch li tès
Ami grand Astané, je viens à toi toujours par cet
alizé néümi assilé kâ ianiné êzi atèv ni lé
élément mystérieux, immense, qui enveloppe mon étre et me
tazié é vi med iéeξ éziné rabriξ ni tibraξ. men amès di
lance à toi pour toutes mes pensées et besoins. Ami, viens te
ouradé ké Matêmi uzénir chée kida ni ké chée brizi pi
souvenir que Matêmi attendra ta faveur, et que ta sagesse lui
dézanir. évaï diviné tès luné
répondra. Sois heureux ce jour.

Friend great Astané, I come to thee always by this element, mysterious, immense, which envelops my being and launches me to thee by all my thoughts and desires. Friend, come thou to remember that Matêmi will await thy favor, and that thy wisdom will answer him. Be happy to-day.

Visual. October 3, 1898 (translated October 16).—At a quarter before nine in the evening Mlle. Smith, desiring to obtain a communication from Leopold for herself and her mother, sat down in an easy-chair and gave herself up to meditation. Presently she hears the voice of Leopold telling her that he cannot manifest himself that evening, but that something much more interesting and important is being made ready. The room seems to her to become completely obscured, except the end of the table at which she is sitting, which is illumined with a golden light. A young Martian girl in a yellow robe and with long tresses then comes and seats herself beside her and begins to trace, without ink or paper, but with a point on the end of her index-finger, black figures on a white cylinder, at first placed on the table, afterwards on her knees, and which is unrolled as she writes. Hélène is near enough to see the characters clearly, and copies them in pencil on a sheet of paper (see [Fig. 27]), after which the vision vanishes and her mother and the room reappear.

29. sazêni kiché nipunêzé dodé né pit léziré bèz
Sazeni pourquoi craindre? Ceci est sans souffrance ni
neura évaï dastrée firêzi zé bodri né dorimé zé
danger, sois paisible; certainement le os est sain, le
pastri tubré né tuxé
sang seul est malade.

Sazeni, why fear? This is without suffering or danger, be peaceful; certainly the flesh is well, the blood alone is ill.

Auditive. October 14, 1898 (translated October 16).—Morning vision of an unknown gentleman and lady, the latter having her arm, spotted with red, applied to an instrument with three tubes placed on a shelf fastened to the wall. These words were spoken by the man; the lady said nothing.

30. modé ké hed oné chandêné têsé mûné ten ti
Mère, que ils sont délicieux ces moments près de
vi bigâ va bindié idé ti zâmé tensée zou réche
toi!—Enfant, où trouve on de meilleurs instants? plus tard
med ché atèv kiz fouminé zati
pour ton être quel puissant souvenir.

Mother, how delightful they are, these moments near to thee!—Child, where finds one better moments? later for thy being what (a) powerful remembrance.

Auditive. October 22, 1898 (translated December 18).—“At a quarter-past six in the morning; vision of a pebbly shore; earth of a red tint; immense sheet of water, of a bluish green. Two women are walking side by side. This was all I could gather of their conversation.”

Fig. 28. Text No. 31 (October 27, 1898), written by Mlle. Smith, incarnating Ramié. Natural size.

*31. Râmié bisti ti Espênié ché dimé ûni zi
Ramié habitant de Espénié, ton semblable par la
trimazi tié vadâzâξ di anizié banâ mirâξ Ramié di
force des “vadazas,” te envoie trois adieux. Ramié te
trinir tié toumaξ ti bé animinâ ni tiche di uzir nâmi
parlera des charmes de sa existence et bientôt te dira beaucoup
ti Espênié. évaï divinée
de Espénié. Sois heureuse!

Ramié, dweller in Espénié, thy like, by the force of the “vadazas,” sends thee three adieux. Ramié will speak to thee of the charms of his existence, and presently will tell thee much of Espénié. Be happy!

Graphic. October 27, 1898 (translated December 18).—“Ten minutes to one in the afternoon. No vision, but a severe cramp in the right arm and a strong impulse to take pencil and paper. I write, I know not why.” (It is seen by the translation given two months later that the text refers to the first manifestation of Ramié and is an announcement of the ultra-Martian vision which came a few days later.) See [Fig. 28.] The term vadazas, which has never been explained, has not a Martian appearance, and appears to have been borrowed from the Hindoo cycle. As to Espénié, see text No. 6.

32. anâ évaï maniké é bétiné mis tié attanâ
Maintenant sois attentive à regarder un des mondes
kâ di médinié bétinié tès tapié ni bée atèv kavivé
qui te entourent. Regarde ce “tapié” et ses êtres étranges.
danda anâ
Silence maintenant!

Now be attentive to behold one of the worlds which surround thee. Look at that “tapié” and its strange beings. Silence now!

Auditive. November 2, 1898 (translated December 18).—Hélène has a morning vision of a Martian (Ramié) who encircles her waist with one arm and with the other shows her, while speaking these words, a strange tableau (tapié) containing extraordinary beings speaking the unknown language of the following text. At the moment the vision is effaced Hélène writes, without perceiving that she has done so, text No. 34. (For further details, see the following chapter on the Ultra-Martian.)

33.baksanaktopanoksik
sirimanêbéviniâ-ti-mis-méticheivrétoué
rameauvertnom de un hommesacrédans

étipvanésanimbatamissemtanak
viniâ-ti-misé-bigâazânimapriniéimizikramâziné
nom de une enfant mal entré sous panier bleu
vanemsébimmazaktataksakam
viniâ-ti-mis-zakidatriniétuzévâmégâmié
nom de un animalcachémaladetristepleure.

Branch green—name of a man—sacred—in—name of a child—bad—entered—under—basket—blue—name of an animal—hidden—ill—sad—weeps.

Auditive, as to the non-Martian text (see following chapter) which Hélène heard spoken on the 2d of November by the strange beings of the tableau of the preceding vision. Vocal, as to the Martian translation of this text, which was given by Astané (incarnated in Hélène and speaking the unknown language by her mouth, followed by its Martian equivalent for each word), in the seance of the 18th of December, 1898. Immediately after, Astané yielded his place to Esenale, who in turn repeated the Martian phrase, translating it word for word into French by the customary process.

Fig. 29. Text No. 34 (November 2, 1898), written by Mlle. Smith, incarnating Ramié. Natural size.

*34. Ramié di pédrinié anâ né ériné diviné
Ramié te quitte maintenant, est satisfait, heureux

té mûné ten ti vi. hed dassinié mis abadâ ti ché
du moment près de toi. Il garde un peu de ton
atèv ni di parêzié banâ mirâξ.—évaï divinée
être et te laisse trois adieux. Sois heureuse!

Ramié leaves thee now, is satisfied, happy for the moment near to thee. He retains a little of thy being and leaves thee three adieux. Be happy.

Graphic. November 2, 1898 (translated December 18).—Hélène only perceived after its accomplishment that her hand, which she felt “firmly held,” had written this text at the close of the preceding vision (see [Fig. 29]).

35. [A] attanâ zabiné pi ten té iche tarvini mabûré
Monde arriéré, très près du nôtre, langage grossier,
nubé téri zée atèv [B] Astané êzi dabé fouminé ni
curieux comme les êtres!—Astané, mon maître puissant et
ié ti takâ tubré né bibé ti zé umêzé
tout de pouvoir, seul est capable de le faire.

Hidden world, very near to ours, coarse language, curious like the beings.—Astané, my powerful master and all powerful, alone is capable of doing it.

Auditive. December 5, 1898 (translated December 18).—Working by lamp-light at seven o’clock in the morning, Hélène again had a vision of the Martian (Ramié) who had clasped her waist with one arm while showing her something with a gesture of the other (probably the tableau of the preceding vision, though Hélène did not see it) and uttering the first phrase of it (A). The second phrase (B) is the reply of this same Martian to a mental question of Hélène asking him to translate the strange language of the other day. (She must, therefore, have understood the meaning of the first phrase in order to have replied to it by her appropriate mental question.)

Fig. 30. Text No. 37 (March 24, 1899), written by Mlle. Smith, incarnating Astané. [Collection of M. Lemaître.] Owing to a defect of the stereotype plate a dot is lacking on the first letter.

36. [A] aé aé aé aé lassunié lâmi rêzé aé aé aé
Aé, aé, aé, aé!—Approche; voici Rêzé... aé, aé, aé,
aé niké bulié va né ozâmié zitêni primêni—[B] ozâmié
aé, petit Bulié... où est Ozamié? Zitêni, Primêni... Ozamié,
viniâ ti mis bigâ kêmâ zitêni viniâ ti misé bigâ kêmisi
nom de un enfant mâle; Zitêni, nom de une enfant femelle;
primêni viniâ ti misé bigâ kêmisi
Priméni, nom de une enfant femelle.

Aé, aé, aé, aé! Approach, here is Rézá ... aé, aé, aé, aé, little Bulié ... where is Ozamié? Zitêni, Primêni ... Ozamié, name of a male child; Zitêni, name of a female child; Primêni, name of a female child.

Fig. 31. Text No. 38 (March 30, 1899), written by Mlle. Smith copying a text of Ramié, who appeared to her in a visual hallucination. [Collection of M. Lemaître.]

Auditive. March 8, 1899 (translated June 4).—Hélène heard the phrase (A) during the vision of which the description follows. At the translation, as the sitters did not at once understand that the three first words are proper names, Esenale adds the phrase (B) with its French signification. “I was unable to go to sleep yesterday evening. At half-past eleven everything around me was suddenly lighted up, and the vivid light permitted me to distinguish surrounding objects. I arose this morning with a very clear remembrance of that which I then saw. A tableau was formed in that light, and I had more before me than the interior of a Martian house—an immense square hall, around which shelves were fastened, or rather little tables suspended and fastened to the wall. Each of these tables contained a baby, but not at all bundled up; all the movements of these little infants were free, and a simple linen cloth was thrown round the body. They might be said to be lying on yellow moss. I could not say with what the tables were covered. Some men with strange beasts were circulating round the hall; these beasts had large flat heads, almost without hair, and large, very soft eyes, like those of seals; their bodies, slightly hairy, resembled somewhat those of roes in our country, except for their large and flat tails; they had large udders, to which the men present fitted a square instrument with a tube, which was offered to each infant, who was thus fed with the milk of these beasts. I heard cries, a great hurly-burly, and it was with difficulty that I could note these few words [of this text]. This vision lasted about a quarter of an hour; then everything gradually disappeared, and in a minute after I was in a sound sleep.”

*37. Astané bounié zé buzi ti di triné nâmi ni
Astané cherche le moyen de te parler beaucoup et
ti di umêzé séïmiré bi tarvini
de te faire comprendre son langage.

Astané searches for the means to speak to thee much and to make thee understand his language.

Graphic. March 24, 1899 (translated June 4).—“Half-past six in the morning. Vision of Astané. I was standing, about to put on my slippers. He spoke to me, but I could not understand him. I took this sheet of paper and a pencil; he spoke to me no more, but seized my hand which held the pencil. I wrote under this pressure; I understood nothing, for this is as Hebrew to me. My hand was released; I raised my head to see Astané, but he had disappeared” (see [Fig. 30]).

*38. fédié amès Ramié di uzénir tès luné amès zé
Fédié, viens; Ramié te attendra ce jour; viens, le
boua trinir
frère parlera.

Fédié, come; Ramié will await thee to-day; come, the brother will speak.

Visual. March 30, 1899 (translated June 4).—Seated at her toilet-table, at half-past nine o’clock in the evening, Hélène found herself suddenly enveloped in a rose-colored fog, which hid one part of the furniture from her, then was dissipated, allowing her to see, at the farther end of her room, “a strange hall, lighted with rose-colored globes fastened to the wall.” Nearer to her appeared a table suspended in the air, and a man in Martian costume, who wrote with a kind of nail fastened to his right index-finger. “I lean towards this man; I wish to place my left hand on this imaginary table, but my hand falls into empty space, and I have great difficulty in restoring it to its normal position. It was stiff, and for some moments felt very weak.” Happily the idea occurred to her to take pencil and paper and copy “the characters which the Martian, whom I had seen several times before [Ramié], traced; and with extreme difficulty—since they were much smaller than mine—I succeeded in reproducing them” (the Martian text of [Fig. 31]). All this lasted about a quarter of an hour. I went immediately to bed, and saw nothing more that evening, nor on the following day.

Fig. 32. Text No. 39 (April 1, 1899), written by Mlle. Smith, incarnating Ramié. [Collection of M. Lemaître.] Natural size.

*39. Ramié pondé acâmi andélir téri antéch
Ramié, savant astronome, apparaîtra comme hier
iri é vi anâ. riz vi banâ mirâξ ti Ramié ni
souvent à toi maintenant. Sur toi trois adieux de Ramié et
Astané. évaï divinée
Astané. Sois heureuse!

Ramié, learned astronomer, will appear as yesterday often to thee now. Upon thee three adieux from Ramié and Astané. Be happy!

Graphic. April 1, 1899 (translated June 4).—“Again, on going to bed at five minutes past ten, a new vision of the personage seen day before yesterday [Ramié]. I thought he was about to speak, but no sound issued from his lips. I quickly take pencil and paper, and feel my right arm seized by him, and I begin to trace the strange handwriting attached hereto (see [Fig. 32]). He is very affectionate; his bearing, his look, everything breathes both goodness and strangeness. He leaves me really charmed.”

40. ramié ébanâ dizênâ zivênié ni bi vraïni
Ramié, lentement, profondément, étudie, et son désir
assilé né ten ti rès kalâmé astané êzi dabé né zi
immense est près de se accomplir. Astané mon maître est là
med lé godané ni ankôné évaï bané zizazi divinée
pour me aider et réjouir. Sois trois fois heureuse!

Ramié, slowly, deeply studies, and his great desire is near to being accomplished. Astané, my master, is there to aid me and to rejoice. Mayst thou be thrice happy!

Auditive. June 4, 1899 (translated same seance).—Hemisomnambulism, in which Hélène, without having a vision, hears a voice addressing words to her, from which, with some difficulty, she collected the preceding sentences.

41. To these texts, forming sentences, in order to complete the whole, some isolated words must be added, gathered on various occasions, the meaning of which is obtained with sufficient certainty, either from the French context in which they were framed, or from Hélène’s description of the objects which they designated. These words are chèke, papier (“paper”); chinit, bague (“ring”); asnète, espèce de paravent (“kind of screen”). Anini Nikaîné, proper name of a little girl (see [p. 176]), probably the Martian sister of Esenale, who floats beside her, invisible to her, and watches over her during an illness, after the fashion of spirit protectors. Béniel, proper name of our earth, as seen from Mars (which is called Durée in texts 7 and 9).