FLICKERING CANDLE史春波, 乔治·奥康奈尔 译
搖晃的燭光何福仁
PoemWikiOne Rome’s above ground, another below. At the surface, new cultures live with old. Underground, stark contrast. If the cliché’s still true, all roads lead to Rome, and today’s Rome rests on Roman bones. I’m not religious, but passing through the dark, twisting catacombs, I feel an odd piety, a respect. I can’t help but imagine early Christians fleeing persecution above, practicing their faith below.
羅馬有地上羅馬，也有地下羅馬。地上羅馬，新和舊的文化並存，比對；地下羅馬，同樣是新與舊，予人強烈的今昔之感。俗云：條條大路通羅馬；但羅馬的起點，也許得從地下開始，由下而上。我不是教徒，走下黯黑曲折的羅馬地窟，竟也產生一種虔誠、敬仰之情，遙想當年拓荒期的信徒，忠於所信，為了逃避地上的逼害，走向地下，而地上，還不知道什麼叫多元共存……
lines of flickering candles
trace like moles the winding catacombs.
All silent, the air gone thin,
eyes closed, muttering dreams,
their glinting spears and blades
In the arena, not a patch of green,
only a pitiless red sun, the roar
From the world’s far corners
we tred these catacombs together,
facing the same direction.
We tire, stumble, rise again,
The weary find on either side
a niche carved from white chalk.
shall rise, branch and trunk
we hack the pathways to our cells,
join hands for praiseful song,
cut in stone these loaves and fish,
the names, the years, the dead.
with grapes and olive trees,