库雷的野天鹅

 

 

 

 

 

树木穿上美丽的秋装,

林中小径干涸

十月黄昏中

夕阳映照静谧的天空;

水面上、湖石间悠游的,

是五十九只天鹅。

第十九个秋天已降临在我的生命中,

在我第一次数过天鹅之后;

那次我还没数完之前,我看见,

天鹅突然飞跃起来,

散落,围转成不完整的大圈子,

用它们噗噗拍打着的翅膀。

看见那些漂亮的生物,

使我心中隐隐作痛。

人事已非,自从我

当年轻快地走着,

第一次在海边,黄昏时分听到,

他们挥翅如钟击般从头上飞过。

永不疲惫,双双对对,

不论它们踩在宜人的冷溪中,

或是飞向天际,

它们的心永远年轻;

不论流浪到何处,热情与胜利,

永远与它们同在。

然而现在它们悠游在平静的水上,

神秘的,美妙的;

它们将来会在什么样的灯心草堆中安窝,

会在什么的湖边或水塘,

愉悦人们的眼目——当我有一天醒来时,

发现它们全已飞走了?

 

THE WIDE SWANS AT COOLE

 

 

The trees are in their autumn beauty,

The woodland paths are dry,

Under the October twilight the water

Mirrors a still sky;

Upon the brimming water among the stones

Are nine- and- fifty swans.

The nineteenth autumn has come upon me

Since I first made my count;

I saw,before I had well finished,

All suddenly mount,

And scatter wheeling in great broken rings

Upon their clamorous wings.

I have looked upon those brilliant creatures,

And now my heart is sore.

All’s changed since I,hearing at twilight,

The first time on this shore,

The bell-beat of their wings my head,

Trod with a lighter tread.

Unwearied still , lover by lover ,

They paddle in the cold

Companionable streams or climb the air;

Their hearts have not grown old;

Passion or conquest,wander where they will ,

Attend upon them still ,

But now they drift on the still water,

Mysterious , beautiful ;

Among what rushes will they build ,

By what lake’s edge or pool

Delight men’s eyes when I awake some day

To find they have flown away?

William Bulter Yeats

 

爱尔兰诗人叶慈(William Bulter Yeats, 1865~1939)这首《库雷的野天鹅》可算是警世诗,也就是用简短有力的文字,点出人生的智慧。他从在库雷公园数天鹅的经验和感受,学习到人生智慧的功课。诗的开头描述公园秋高气爽的天气与水上悠游的天鹅,令人有清心舒爽的感觉,仿佛读者和叶慈一同走进公园欣赏美景。然后,读者开始进入叶慈的回忆中,感受他在十九年前第一次数天鹅的景像,进而分享他昔日的愉悦心情,分担今日人事已非的沧桑,以及渴慕天鹅的永恒性;天鹅永不疲倦,天鹅的心永远年轻,天鹅永远有热情与胜利。       叶慈的一生经历许多变故,因此,他的诗中明显表现出他追求“永恒”的心。对我们这些海外游子而言,“多变的人生”比起“永恒”来,实在是微不足道啊!毋怪乎我们都如英国文学大师鲁益师〈C. S. Lewis)所说:“我们的全人,就其特质看来,本是一道庞大的需求;不完全、未成型、虚空却又呶呶不休地向祂——那能够解开纠缠、聚合涣散的一位——发出呼求。”

 

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