《当死亡来临》玛丽·奥利弗

《当死亡来临》

玛丽·奥利弗
翻译：忒绿

当死亡像秋天里
饥饿的熊一样来临；
当死亡过来，掏出所有闪亮的硬币

买下我，然后啪的一声合上钱包；
当死亡像麻疹
一样来临；

当死亡像肩胛骨间
的冰山一样来临，

我满怀好奇地跨过那扇门，想知道：
那间黑暗的小屋里，会是怎样的一番景象？

因此，我视万物
为兄弟姐妹，
视时间不过是一个想法，
视永恒为另一种可能性，

视每个生命是一朵花，普通
如野雏菊，却又独一无二，

每个名字都是口中一首舒缓的音乐，
如同所有音乐一样，趋向寂静，

每个躯体都是一头勇敢的雄狮，均是
大地的珍宝。

当一切结束时，我想要说：我一生
是一位新娘，嫁给了惊奇；
是一位新郎，把整个世界拥入怀中。

当一切结束时，我不愿怀疑
自己的人生是否真实而独特。
我不愿发现自己满是叹息与恐惧，
或充满争论。

我不愿最终发现我只是来访过这个世界。


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.