《當死亡來臨》瑪麗·奧利弗

《當死亡來臨》

瑪麗·奧利弗
翻譯：忒綠

當死亡像秋天裏
饑餓的熊一樣來臨；
當死亡過來，掏出所有閃亮的硬幣

買下我，然後啪的一聲合上錢包；
當死亡像麻疹
一樣來臨；

當死亡像肩胛骨間
的冰山一樣來臨，

我滿懷好奇地跨過那扇門，想知道：
那間黑暗的小屋裏，會是怎樣的一番景象？

因此，我視萬物
為兄弟姐妹，
視時間不過是一個想法，
視永恒為另一種可能性，

視每個生命是一朵花，普通
如野雛菊，卻又獨一無二，

每個名字都是口中一首舒緩的音樂，
如同所有音樂一樣，趨向寂靜，

每個軀體都是一頭勇敢的雄獅，均是
大地的珍寶。

當一切結束時，我想要說：我一生
是一位新娘，嫁給了驚奇；
是一位新郎，把整個世界擁入懷中。

當一切結束時，我不願懷疑
自己的人生是否真實而獨特。
我不願發現自己滿是歎息與恐懼，
或充滿爭論。

我不願最終發現我隻是來訪過這個世界。


When Death Comes
by Mary Oliver

When death comes 
like the hungry bear in autumn; 
when death comes and takes all the bright coins from his purse

to buy me, and snaps the purse shut; 
when death comes 
like the measle-pox;

when death comes 
like an iceberg between the shoulder blades,

I want to step through the door full of curiosity, wondering: 
what is it going to be like, that cottage of darkness?

And therefore I look upon everything 
as a brotherhood and a sisterhood, 
and I look upon time as no more than an idea, 
and I consider eternity as another possibility,

and I think of each life as a flower, as common 
as a field daisy, and as singular,

and each name a comfortable music in the mouth, 
tending, as all music does, toward silence,

and each body a lion of courage, and something 
precious to the earth.

When it's over, I want to say: all my life 
I was a bride married to amazement. 
I was the bridegroom, taking the world into my arms.

When it's over, I don't want to wonder 
if I have made of my life something particular, and real.
I don't want to find myself sighing and frightened, 
or full of argument.

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