颂诗译选

沙中的名字

凌风 译

我独自走在海洋的岸边，
手里拿著珠光的贝壳一片：
我弯下腰写了在沙的上面
我的名字 — 那年 — 那月那天。
从那里我继续再往前走，
又转身回望了一下背后；
一个大浪卷来又高又急，
把我的名字冲洗去了无痕跡。

因此我想，不用再过多久
我在地上的印记将一无存留：
黑色遗忘之海的巨浪
将要涌来淹沒遍地迷茫
我所曾踏过的沙滩
时间，存在，都不复可见，
我—我的日子—我用的名字，
留不下可寻的一蹤一跡。

但是，祂数计所有的沙粒
也掌握著众水在祂的手里，
我知道有一个永存的冊籍
在我的名下注记，
所有我肉身的动作措施，
所有我心魂的意念营思，
在这短暂一生中都被记录
为要得荣耀或是受羞辱。

　　　　顾尔德（Hannah F. Gould, 1789-1865），美国诗人。

A Name in the Sand

　　 　　Hanna Flagg Gould

Alone I walked the ocean strand;
A pearly shell was in my hand:
I stooped and wrote upon the sand
My name — the year — the day.
As onward from the spot I passed,
One lingering look behind I cast;
A wave came rolling high and fast,
And washed my lines away.

And so, methought, 'twill shortly be
With every mark on earth from me:
A wave of dark Oblivion's sea
Will sweep across the place
Where I have trod the sandy shore
Of time, and been, to be no more,
Of me—my day—the name I bore,
To leave nor track nor trace.

And yet, with Him who counts the sands

And holds the waters in His hands,
I know a lasting record stands
Inscribed against my name,
Of all this mortal part has wrought,
Of all this thinking soul has thought,
And from these fleeting moments caught
For glory or for shame.

　　　　Hannah Flagg Gould (1789-1865), American poet