頌詩譯選

沙中的名字

凌風 譯

我獨自走在海洋的岸邊，
手裏拿著珠光的貝殼一片：
我彎下腰寫了在沙的上面
我的名字 — 那年 — 那月那天。
從那裏我繼續再往前走，
又轉身回望了一下背後；
一個大浪捲來又高又急，
把我的名字沖洗去了無痕跡。

因此我想，不用再過多久
我在地上的印記將一無存留：
黑色遺忘之海的巨浪
將要湧來淹沒遍地迷茫
我所曾踏過的沙灘
時間，存在，都不復可見，
我—我的日子—我用的名字，
留不下可尋的一蹤一跡。

但是，祂數計所有的沙粒
也掌握著眾水在祂的手裏，
我知道有一個永存的冊籍
在我的名下注記，
所有我肉身的動作措施，
所有我心魂的意念營思，
在這短暫一生中都被記錄
為要得榮耀或是受羞辱。

　　　　顧爾德（Hannah F. Gould, 1789-1865），美國詩人。

A Name in the Sand

　　 　　Hanna Flagg Gould

Alone I walked the ocean strand;
A pearly shell was in my hand:
I stooped and wrote upon the sand
My name — the year — the day.
As onward from the spot I passed,
One lingering look behind I cast;
A wave came rolling high and fast,
And washed my lines away.

And so, methought, 'twill shortly be
With every mark on earth from me:
A wave of dark Oblivion's sea
Will sweep across the place
Where I have trod the sandy shore
Of time, and been, to be no more,
Of me—my day—the name I bore,
To leave nor track nor trace.

And yet, with Him who counts the sands

And holds the waters in His hands,
I know a lasting record stands
Inscribed against my name,
Of all this mortal part has wrought,
Of all this thinking soul has thought,
And from these fleeting moments caught
For glory or for shame.

　　　　Hannah Flagg Gould (1789-1865), American poet