A Psalm of Life – 人生頌

（舊作）

詩歌並不象數據一樣給人精準的信息，但它在傳遞信息的同時，attempts to communicate attitudes, feelings, and interpretations. 詩歌的情感能喚起讀者的共鳴，而讓人在平凡的生活中，享受心靈的洗禮。這也許就是所謂的“詩意人生”。

 

The great German Poet, Goethe, was once asked by a friend what he would suggest as a daily exercises for spiritual betterment. He said:

“I would like to read a noble poem.

I would like to see a beautiful picture.

I would like to hear a bit of inspiring music.

I would like to meet a great soul.

 

下麵是正在背的美國詩人Wadsworth的一首詩歌，並試翻了一下。

 

A Psalm of Life

--By Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

 

Tell me not in mournful numbers,

Life is but an empty dream!

For the soul is dead that slumbers,

And thing’s are not what they seem.

Life is real! Life is earnest!

And te grave is not its goal;

Dust thou are, to dust thou returnest,

Was not spoken of the soul.

 

Not enjoyment, and not sorrow,

Is our destined end or way;

But to act, that each tomorrow

Find us further than today.

Art is long, and Time is fleeting,

And our hearts, though stout and brave,

Still, like muffled drums, are beating

Funeral marches to the grave.

 

Is the world’s broad field of battle,

In the bivouac of Lif,

Be not like dumb, driven cattle!

Be a hero in the strife!

Trust no Future, howe’er pleasant!

Let the dead Past bury its dead!

Act, --act in the living Present!

Heart within, and God o’erhead!

 

Lives of great men all remind us

We can make our lives sublime,

And, departing, leave behind us

Footprints on the sand of time.

 

Footprints, that perhaps another,

Sailing o’er life’s solemn min,

A forlorn and shipwrecked brother,

Seeing, shall take heart again.

 

Let us, then, be up and doing,

With a heart for any fate;

Still achieving, still pursuing,

Learning to labor and to wait.

 

人生頌

   --Translated by 中年囈語

 

請不要在悲傷的詩句裏告訴我：

“人生隻是一場夢！”

靈魂睡著，也就意味死了，

事物並不象所見的一樣。

生活是真切的，也是誠摯的！

生活的目標並不是邁向死亡之塚，

 “人來於塵土，歸於塵土”。

隻是指軀殼，而非靈魂。

 

我們命定的目標和道路，

不是享樂，也不是受苦；

而是行動，讓每個明天，

都比今天進一步。

智慧無窮，但時光飛逝，

但我們的心，盡管勇敢堅強，

卻象那沉悶的大鼓，敲響著，

蜿蜒地向墓地行走。

 

在這如戰場般浩渺的世界，

在這生命的每個營地，

不要象那啞然失措，被茫然驅使的畜牲，

要象那戰鬥中的英雄！

不要指望著將來，不管它多美幻！

讓死亡的過去掩埋，

行動，就在現在行動！

用胸膛裏的心，和頭頂上上帝的神明！

 

過往的偉人告訴我們：

我們可以讓自己的生活變得更高尚，

並且，在我們離開世界的時候，

留下腳印在時間的沙上。

 

腳印，

也許能讓那些在莊嚴的人生大海裏航行的兄弟們，

在慘遭沉船或絕望的時刻，

看到它時一顆心能振作起來。

 

讓我們振作起來做點什麽，

不管命運如何；

始終努力，繼續追求，

學會勞作，也學會等待！