While perusing the pages of a daily paper, I stumbled upon a poignant letter penned by a noble gentleman. With grace and gentle wording, he narrated to unfamiliar parties his sad and melancholic experience during an ordinary walk among the Titans.
Noble and gentle indeed, I wish to emphasize the intention behind these attributes. I mean, as I have been doing for a while now, consistently, almost habitually. I aim to understand.
Gathering these stories like precious gems enclosed within a casket, I safeguard the tales imbued within every single word. Noble and gentle, therefore, it might surprise you, if you’re not already aware, that “gentile” has origins more noble than “noble,” while the latter draws its nobility from the concept of gentleness.
At least at first glance, if we were word archaeologists, like intrinsic philologists, we might arrive at GENS for GENTILES and at GNOS(CERE) for GNOBILEM. However, if we also had a hint of anthropological sensibility, we should pair this Narrow Philology with the notion held by “the italic people of the early alphabets” regarding hereditary nobility and personal fame.
Those fortunate enough to interact with the Greeks, in friendship with the Hellenists, would keep these words under meticulous observation in their treasure chest, conducting a careful internal analysis upon their closure.
And blessed be those afflicted by the diabolical ailment called Etruscology, dreaming of Purified Princes and Lordly Castles.
Gentle, noble, sir. Gentle Noble Sir, you who walk unaware of the brine through the village streets, just as the air along the Via Salaria might have been for a noble gentle sir from Veii, who once descended with his men into the great emporium of brigands; the Tiburtine Free Port, the Roman Black Market.
And the drums of the vulgar, the vulgares, roll,
this non-people without surnames, un-gentled, dis-named.
So far, so good, as the protagonist of “La Haine” by Kassowitz (or however it’s spelled) said, but what will the conclusion be? The earth was touched, like a wounded mother, when insults flew.
I’d like to emphasize that it struck me not to discern from the author’s text whether the insults were playful, as in a theater, or genuinely angry in tone.
If I must believe what I read, it leaves me hanging. If I must believe that the author’s emotional state in the letter was just a form of literary expression or stylistic virtuosity – which would align well with his grace but clash with mine; that is, if literature as mere invention is vanity, whereas writing that I’d like to pass on to future generations respects the words and constantly seeks to bring them from memory into light.
When we rewrite dead words, we make them live again, verbs become flesh.
I firmly believe that the time of the spirit has come. Not a return, not an echo of the Twenties. A time of a new, newborn spirit.
And when I think of a newborn spirit, I can’t help but reflect on Thought at its origins.
Even if I can’t know anything about its origins, I can at least try to understand as much as possible, with all the determination I possess or will possess, of the times that have reached me through the writings.
I’m not talking about the writings that an average Italian would understand talking to a compatriot in 2019, but about the diverse ensemble we singularly call Writing, as the subject of Philosophy.
In conclusion, put aside the idea that I’m talking about a relatively recent Middle Eastern text (not just the Pentateuch). I’m not just talking about Writing as a fundamental science, along with History and Mathematics, but also as a holistic science that embraces the entire spirit, preserves it, unifies it without violence or totalitarianism.
Hence, I’ve convinced myself that the best response to give to a letter from which we couldn’t precisely deduce the emotional component and the truthfulness of the facts, or what we would have seen if we had observed and heard the alleged insults, is the following:
“And if GENS exists, the NOBILE is born.”
Notes:
1. Perusing: This means to read something carefully or thoroughly.
2. Titans: Here, it’s used metaphorically to refer to significant or imposing figures or things, much like the Titans in Greek mythology were powerful figures.
3. Gathering these stories like precious gems enclosed within a casket: The author is metaphorically comparing the act of collecting stories to cherishing valuable gems kept within a precious box.
4. Narrow Philology: Refers to the specific or detailed study of words or language in a particular context.
5. Etruscology: The study of the Etruscan civilization, an ancient culture in Italy.
6. Un-gentled, dis-named: The author plays with words to indicate that these people lack gentleness and names, suggesting a derogatory state of being without proper recognition or status.
7. La Haine: A French film by Mathieu Kassovitz.
8. Literature as mere invention is vanity, whereas writing that I’d like to pass on to future generations respects the words and constantly seeks to bring them from memory into light: The author contrasts literature (fictional creation) with writing that aims to preserve and respect historical truths or experiences.
9. When we rewrite dead words, we make them live again, verbs become flesh: This metaphorically suggests that by revisiting or reusing old or forgotten words, they regain vitality and relevance.
10. GENS exists, the NOBILE is born: It’s a philosophical or metaphorical assertion implying that when the concept of ‘GENS’ (related to lineage, origin, or community) exists, a noble or dignified entity (NOBILE) emerges or is recognized.
These explanations should provide a clearer understanding of the complex passages within the text.
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