藝文走廊 ✐2018-01-01

頌詩譯選

基督徒的呼召

凌風 譯

 

不是常有旋風猛烈
  像在可畏的何烈山,
不是常有焚燒荊棘的火焰
  向米甸牧人的先知顯現,
也不是那聲音莊嚴
  臨到以色列的先知詩人,
也不是分岔火焰的舌頭
  也不是恩賜會說可畏的語言—

不常是有這些外表的記號
  烈火和聲音來自天上,
那神聖真理的信息
  那從神來的呼召下降!
在人的心中覺醒
  愛真實和公義,
熱心追尋基督徒的理想
  有力量去打基督徒的仗。

並不是限於男子漢的心房
  才有這種神聖的影響,
婦女的心也能感覺到
  超乎自己的溫暖歡狂!
像那女人為救主奔走
  在撒瑪利亞的城牆—
像那些與熱誠的保羅
  跟謙和的亞居拉同工一樣;

或像那些謙和的人殉道
  成了羅馬聚觀的盛景;
或像那些在阿爾卑斯山的家鄉
  奮勇為十字軍戰爭,
當沃德的青巒,顫動,聽到,
  傳遍它死的幽谷,
使婦女們最後的殘息
  傾注出殉道者凱旋的歌聲。

輕柔的,藉着千般的事物
  在我們的心靈上經過,
像和風撫過了細的琴弦,
  或像雲霧拂摸着草葉,
那樂音或是淡影,
  留下奇異而新的記號,
對公義真實和恩慈的心靈
  作出了輕柔的呼召。

噢,這樣,如果些微真理和亮光,
  閃過你等候的心間,
人類的需要缺欠,
  展示在你心靈的眼前;
如果,為世人的憂苦沉思,
  是你真誠的心願,
不是為了你自己悲苦,
  要使人歡樂緩釋重擔;

雖然全沒有可畏的預報,
  也沒有外在的表現或記號;
雖然只有對裏面的耳朵,
  細語輕柔而聲音微小;
雖然不可見,卻是從天上來,
  降落,只像是嗎哪下飄,
像夜露無聲,要好好留意—
  你天父愛的呼召!

  衛理爾(John Greenleaf Whittier, 1807-1892)美國詩人,從早年自學,愛文學,是極為敬虔的貴格會(Quaker)傳道人,強烈反奴役的領袖。

 

The Call of the Christian

Not always as the whirlwind's rush
  On Herob's mount of fear,
Not always as the burning bush
  To Midian's shepherd seer,
Nor as the aweful voice which came
  To Israel's prophet bards,
Nor as the tongues of cloven flame,
  Nor gift of fearful words,—

Not always thus, with outward sign
  Of fire or voice from Heaven,
The message of a truth divine,
  The call of God is given!
Awaking in the human heart
  Love for the true and right, —
Zeal for the Christian's better part,
  Strength for the Christian's fight.

Nor unto manhood's heart alone
  The holy influence steals:
Warm with a rapture not its own,
  The heart of woman feels!
As she who by Samaria's wall
  The Saviour's errand sought, —
As those who with the fervent Paul
  And meek Aquila wrought:

Or those meek ones whose martyrdom
  Rome's gathered grandeur saw:
Or those who in their Alpine home
  Braved the Crusader's war,
When the green Vaudois, trembling, heard,
  Through all its vales of death,
The martyr's song of triumph poured
  From woman's failing breath.

And gently, by a thousand things
  Which o'er our spirit pass,
Like breezes o'er the harp's fine strings,
  Or vapors o'er a glass,
Leaving their token strange and new
  Of music or of shade,
The summons to the right and true
  And merciful is made.

Oh, then, if gleams of truth and light
  Flash o'er thy waiting mind,
Unfolding to thy mental sight
  The wants of human-kind;
If, brooding over human grief,
  The earnest wish is known
To soothe and gladden with relief
  An anguish not thine own; —

Though heralded with naught of fear
  Or outward sign or show;
Though only to the inward ear
  It whispers soft and low;
Though dropping, as the manna fell,
  Unseen, yet from above,
Noiseless as dew-fall, heed it well, —
  Thy Father's call of love!


John Greenleaf Whittier, 1807-1892
American religious poet

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