当死亡到来柳向阳 译

When Death Comes玛丽·奥利弗


当死亡到来
When death comes
像秋天里饥饿的熊;
like the hungry bear in autumn;
当死亡到来,拿出他钱包里所有明晃晃的硬币
when death comes and takes all the bright coins from his purse

收买我,啪地合上钱包,
to buy me, and snaps the purse shut;
当死亡到来
when death comes
像麻诊痘,
like the measle-pox

当死亡到来
when death comes
像肩胛之间的冰山,
like an iceberg between the shoulder blades,

我想跨过门,充满好奇地想着
I want to step through the door full of curiosity, wondering:
将会是什么样子,那黑暗小屋?
what is it going to be like, that cottage of darkness?

因此,我看万物
And therefore I look upon everything
犹如兄弟姐妹,
as a brotherhood and a sisterhood,
我看时间——不过一念,
and I look upon time as no more than an idea,
我把永恒看作另一种可能,
and I consider eternity as another possibility,

我把每个生命看作一朵花,平常
and I think of each life as a flower, as common
如一朵野地的雏菊,惟一,
as a field daisy, and as singular,

把每个名字看作口中令人舒畅的音乐,
and each name a comfortable music in the mouth,
如同所有的音乐,倾向寂静,
tending, as all music does, toward silence,

把每个身体看作一头勇敢的狮子,大地
and each body a lion of courage, and something
珍爱的某种事物。
precious to the earth.

当它结束,我想说:整个一生
When it's over, I want to say all my life
我都是一个嫁给了“惊奇” 的新娘。
I was a bride married to amazement.
都是那个新郎,把世界揽入怀中。
I was the bridegroom, taking the world into my arms.

到结束时,我不想疑惑
When it's over, I don't want to wonder
我是否度过了特别、真实的一生。
if I have made of my life something particular, and real.
我不想看自己叹息,恐惧,

或是充满争辩。
I don't want to find myself sighing and frightened,
我不想只是在这个世界上走了一遭,就结束。
or full of argument.

I don't want to end up simply having visited this world.


添加译本