颂诗译选

传扬福音

凌风 译

主呼召我出去工作趁着白天；
警告可怜的灵魂转回切莫迟延：
決心尽快去传播主的道，
随学随教导同安波罗修一般。
时时想到我不能活得长久，
心中火热为得人灵魂爭战。
我讲道，不确知是否能再讲，
像将亡的人传给将亡的人！
啊，传道者该如何切望得人悔改，
谁知道教堂与墓园原是比邻？
看到人在传讲，在听，在死亡，
转眼从时间进入无尽的永恆！

　　贝克斯特（Richard Baxter, 1615-1691），英国清教徒教牧及作家。
　　曾任克伦威尔军牧。英王查理二世复辟后，曾因非国教立场而数次入狱。

Preaching the Gospel

This called me out to work while it was day;
And warn poor souls to turn without delay:
Resolving speedily thy Word to preach,
With Ambrose I at once did learn and teach.
Still thinking I had little time to live,
My fervent heart to win men's souls did strive.
I preach as never sure to preach again,
And as a dying man to dying men!
O how should preachers men's repenting crave
Who see how near the Church is to the grave?
And see that while we preach and hear, we die,
Rapt by swift time to vast eternity!

Richard Baxter, 1615-1691
English author, hymn writer, & preacher