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跨過新晨 (ACROSS A NEW DAWN)
- 庫皂 阿沃諾 著
- 山石 翻譯
Sometimes, we read the
有時候, 我們
lines in the green leaf
細讀葉片的紋理
run our fingers over the
我們用指頭撫摸
smooth of the precious wood
來自原始的林木
from our ancient trees;
珍貴的雕塑
Sometimes, even the sunset
有時候連夕陽也
puzzles, as we look
迷惑, 當我們
for the lines that propel the clouds,
尋找雲朵的昇點
the colour scheme
色彩的織合
with the multiple designs
是先前的藝術家
that the first artist put together
所繪製的多姿圖畫
There is dancing in the streets again
街道舞蹈再翩翩
the laughter of children rings
童孩的笑聲響徹
through the house
整個家
On the seaside, the ruins recent
海濱那剛被颳風
from the latest storms
蹂躪的廢墟
remind of ancestral wealth
憶起祖宗的遺產
pillaged purloined pawned
被一個白痴, 活若
by an unthinking grandfather
天王的公公
who lived the life of a lord
掠奪, 盜竊與出賣
and drove coming generations to
把繼下世代推向
despair and ruin
絕望與崩潰
* * * * *
But who says our time is up
但誰說時光不再
that the box maker and the digger
挖墳的與棺木匠
are in conference
在聚集會商
or that the preachers have aired their robes
道士被上了聖袍
and the choir and the drummers
跟唱詩團與鼓手
are in rehearsal ?
一起在排練 ?
No; where the worm eats
不, 蟲害之地
a grain grows.
穀子乃能茁長
the consultant deities
神通權貴的顧問
have measured the time
用一套繁複無終
with long winded
不變的詭論
arguments of eternity
來度量時光
And death, when he comes
當死神來到
to the door with his own
門檻獻出他
inimitable calling card
至尊的名片
shall find a homestead
他將發覺家園有
resurrected with laughter and dance
復甦的笑和舞蹈
and the festival of the meat
和盛擺嫩羊烤肉
of the young lamb and the red porridge
和紅玉米糊漿
of the new corn
的歡宴盛席
* * * * *
We are the celebrants
歡慶的我們是群
whose fields were
家園被惡棍
overrun by rogues
蹂躪, 原著的
and other bad men who
舞蹈被壞蛋用
interrupted our dance
猥褻和怪誕
with obscene songs and bad gestures
的歌舞搗亂
Someone said an ailing fish
有人說纏病的魚
swam up our lagoon
游來淺湖找
seeking a place to lay its load
一個根據原計劃
in consonance with the Original Plan
下卸負載的地方
Master, if you can be the oarsman
大師, 若您能上船
for our boat
當划手
please do it, do it.
求求您來吧
I asked you before
我曾經求您
once upon a shore
在我的家鄉
at home, where the
那裡的灘上
seafront has narrowed
海濱還繞着
to the brief space of childhood
短暫的童孩記憶
We welcome the travelers
我們歡迎漫遊者
come home on the new boat
回來這個新木所
fresh from the upright tree
建造的新船
(ACROSS A NEW DAWN - from“Promises of Hope: New and Selected Poems,”selected by Kofi Anyidoho, University of Nebraska Press and the African Poetry Book Fund, 2014)
