上大學時偶遇泰戈爾的《The Gardener》，才開始對英語感興趣。其後一直找不到這本書，不料昨天竟然從圖書館借得。翻開書後的借書印戳，赫然看到最後一個印戳是1919年！五四運動那年！其餘印戳多是1917，即距今剛好100年了。此書基本完好，一個世紀以來，最多就是近十來年電子化不再使用印戳時有人借過而沒有留下痕跡。
貼一首喜歡的：
12
If you would be busy and fill your pitcher, come, O come to my
lake.
The water will cling round your feet and babble its secret.
The shadow of the coming rain is on the sands, and the clouds
hang low upon the blue lines of the trees like the heavy hair
above your eyebrows.
I know well the rhythm of your steps, they are beating in my
heart.
Come, O come to my lake, if you must fill your pitcher.
If you would be idle and sit listless and let your pitcher float
on the water, come, O come to my lake.
The grassy slope is green, and the wild flowers beyond number.
Your thoughts will stray out of your dark eyes like birds from
their nests.
Your veil will drop to your feet.
Come, O come to my lake if you must sit idle.
If you would leave off your play and dive in the water, come, O
come to my lake.
Let your blue mantle lie on the shore; the blue water will cover
you and hide you.
The waves will stand a-tiptoe to kiss your neck and whisper in
your ears.
Come, O come to my lake, if you would dive in the water.
If you must be mad and leap to your death, come, O come to my
lake.
It is cool and fathomlessly deep.
It is dark like a sleep that is dreamless.
There in its depths nights and days are one, and songs are
silence.
Come, O come to my lake, if you would plunge to your death.
覺得泰戈爾的詩也有某種嫵媚，跟李太白《月下獨酌》之類的詩篇的流轉酥潤、鬆動搖曳是相通的。這也許才是真正的詩才。雄渾奇崛並不那麽難做到，譬如李賀、辛棄疾、韓愈（最近才讀）。李太白的《將進酒》《秦王掃六合》之類不但雄奇，且生陶醉之感，就是因為他具備前一種素質。
偶感，一念，與詩友分享一下而已。
2017. 10
以上是舊帖，現在重讀那首詩，感到擁有大詩人程度的秉賦而心術不正是挺可怕的事情。這首詩如此真切溫柔，美麗而有感染力，仿佛死亡真的是引人入勝、美好的事情。幸而泰戈爾的詩皆潔淨純正，難以誤讀。大詩人光善良還不夠，善良有門檻有邊界，一但越過則可能為惡而把惡歸因於外部世界；大詩人必須有慈悲心才行，唯慈悲感通一切，無邊界，無底線。曾在一個普通的新浪博客讀到一句話，博主深刻喜愛梵高，她說：衹有足夠高貴的靈魂才能駕馭巨大的藝術天才。善哉斯言也，幸哉斯言也，我所熱愛的大詩人"恰好"都具備慈悲心：海子、屈原、李白、陶潛、魯米、泰戈爾。
