颂诗译选
基督徒的呼召
不是常有旋风猛烈
像在可畏的何烈山，
不是常有焚烧荊棘的火焰
向米甸牧人的先知显现，
也不是那声音庄严
临到以色列的先知诗人，
也不是分岔火焰的舌头
也不是恩赐会说可畏的语言—
不常是有这些外表的记号
烈火和声音来自天上，
那神圣真理的信息
那从神来的呼召下降！
在人的心中觉醒
爱真实和公义，
热心追寻基督徒的理想
有力量去打基督徒的仗。
並不是限於男子汉的心房
才有这种神圣的影响，
妇女的心也能感觉到
超乎自己的溫暖欢狂！
像那女人为救主奔走
在撒玛利亚的城牆—
像那些与热诚的保罗
跟谦和的亚居拉同工一样；
或像那些谦和的人殉道
成了罗马聚观的盛景；
或像那些在阿尔卑斯山的家乡
奋勇为十字军战爭，
当沃德的青峦，颤动，听到，
传遍它死的幽谷，
使妇女们最后的残息
倾注出殉道者凯旋的歌声。
轻柔的，借着千般的事物
在我们的心灵上经过，
像和风抚过了细的琴弦，
或像云雾拂摸着草叶，
那乐音或是淡影，
留下奇異而新的记号，
对公义真实和恩慈的心灵
作出了轻柔的呼召。
噢，这样，如果些微真理和亮光，
闪过你等候的心间，
人类的需要缺欠，
展示在你心灵的眼前；
如果，为世人的忧苦沉思，
是你真诚的心愿，
不是为了你自己悲苦，
要使人欢乐缓释重担；
虽然全沒有可畏的预报，
也沒有外在的表现或记号；
虽然只有对里面的耳朵，
细语轻柔而声音微小；
虽然不可见，卻是从天上来，
降落，只像是吗哪下飘，
像夜露无声，要好好留意—
你天父爱的呼召！
卫理尔（John Greenleaf Whittier, 1807-1892）美国诗人，从早年自学，爱文学，是极为敬虔的贵格会（Quaker）传道人，強烈反奴役的领袖。
The Call of the Christian
Not always as the whirlwind's rush
On Herob's mount of fear,
Not always as the burning bush
To Midian's shepherd seer,
Nor as the aweful voice which came
To Israel's prophet bards,
Nor as the tongues of cloven flame,
Nor gift of fearful words,—
Not always thus, with outward sign
Of fire or voice from Heaven,
The message of a truth divine,
The call of God is given!
Awaking in the human heart
Love for the true and right, —
Zeal for the Christian's better part,
Strength for the Christian's fight.
Nor unto manhood's heart alone
The holy influence steals:
Warm with a rapture not its own,
The heart of woman feels!
As she who by Samaria's wall
The Saviour's errand sought, —
As those who with the fervent Paul
And meek Aquila wrought:
Or those meek ones whose martyrdom
Rome's gathered grandeur saw:
Or those who in their Alpine home
Braved the Crusader's war,
When the green Vaudois, trembling, heard,
Through all its vales of death,
The martyr's song of triumph poured
From woman's failing breath.
And gently, by a thousand things
Which o'er our spirit pass,
Like breezes o'er the harp's fine strings,
Or vapors o'er a glass,
Leaving their token strange and new
Of music or of shade,
The summons to the right and true
And merciful is made.
Oh, then, if gleams of truth and light
Flash o'er thy waiting mind,
Unfolding to thy mental sight
The wants of human-kind;
If, brooding over human grief,
The earnest wish is known
To soothe and gladden with relief
An anguish not thine own; —
Though heralded with naught of fear
Or outward sign or show;
Though only to the inward ear
It whispers soft and low;
Though dropping, as the manna fell,
Unseen, yet from above,
Noiseless as dew-fall, heed it well, —
Thy Father's call of love!
John Greenleaf Whittier, 1807-1892
American religious poet
