72

With days of hard travail I raised a temple. It had no doors or windows， its walls were thickly built with massive stones.

用了几天的苦工，我盖起一座庙宇。这庙里没有门窗，墙壁是用层石厚厚地垒起的。

I forgot all else， I shunned all the world， I gazed in rapt contemplation at the image I had set upon the altar.

我忘掉一切，我躲避大千世界，我神注目夺地凝视着我安放在龛里的偶像。

It was always night inside， and lit by the lamps of perfumed oil.

里面永远是黑夜，以香油的灯盏来照明。

The ceaseless smoke of incense wound my heart in its heavy coils.

不断的香烟，把我的心缭绕在沉重的螺旋里。

Sleepless， I carved on the walls fantastic figures in mazy bewildering lines——winged horses， flowers with human faces， woman with limbs like serpents.

我彻夜不眠，用扭曲混乱的线条在墙上刻画出一些奇异的图形——生翼的马，人面的花。四肢像蛇的女人。

No passage was left anywhere through which could enter the song of birds， the murmur of leaves or hum of the busy village.

我不在任何地方留下一线之路，使鸟的歌声，叶的细语，或村镇的喧嚣得以进入。

The only sound that echoed in its dark dome was that of incantations which I chanted.

在沉黑的仰顶上，唯一的声音是我礼赞的回响。

My mind became keen and still like a pointed flame， my senses swooned in ecstasy.

我的心思变得强烈而镇定，像一个尖尖的火焰。我的感官在狂欢中昏晕。

I knew not how time passed till the thunderstone had struck the temple， and a pain stung me through the heart.

我不知时间如何度过，直到巨雷震劈了这座庙宇，一阵剧痛刺穿我的心。

The lamp looked pale and ashamed； the carvings on the walls， like chained dreams， stared meaningless in the light as they fain hide themselves.

灯火显得苍白而羞愧；墙上的刻画像是被锁住的梦，无意义地瞪视着，仿佛要躲藏起来。

I looked at the image on the altar. I saw it smiling and alive with the living touch of God. The night I had imprisoned had spread its wings and vanished.

我看着龛上的偶像，我看见它微笑了，和神的活生生的接触，它活了起来。被我囚禁的黑夜，展起翅来飞逝了。

73

Infinite wealth is not yours， my patient and dusky mother dust！

无量的财富不是你的，我的耐心的微黑的尘土母亲。

You toil to fill the mouths of your children， but food is scarce.

你操劳着来填满你孩子们的嘴，但是粮食是很少的。

The gift of gladness that you have for us is never perfect.

你给我们的欢乐礼物，永远不是完全的。

The toys that you make for your children are fragile.

你给你孩子们做的玩具，是不牢的。

You cannot satisfy all our hungry hopes， but should I desert you for that？

你不能满足我们的一切渴望，但是我能为此就背弃你么？

Your smile which is shadowed with pain is sweet to my eyes.

你的含着痛苦阴影的微笑，对我的眼睛是甜柔的。

Your love which knows not fulfilment is dear to my heart.

你的永不满足的爱，对我的心是亲切的。

From your breast you have fed us with life but not immortality， that is why your eyes are ever wakeful.

从你的胸乳里，你是以生命而不是以不朽来哺育我们，因此你的眼睛永远是警醒的。

For ages you are working with colour and song， yet your heaven is not built， but only its sad suggestion.

你累年积代地用颜色和诗歌来工作，但是你的天堂还没有盖起，仅有天堂的愁苦的意味。

Over your creations of beauty there is the mist of tears.

你的美的创造上蒙着泪雾。

I will pour my songs into your mute heart， and my love into your love.

我将把我的诗歌倾注入你无言的心里，把我的爱倾注入你的爱中。

I will worship you with labour.

我将用劳动来礼拜你。

I have seen your tender face and I love your mournful dust， Mother Earth.

我看见过你的温慈的面庞，我爱你的悲哀的尘土，大地母亲。

74

In the world's audience hall， the simple blade of grass sits on the same carpet with the sunbeam and the of the midnight.

在世界的谒见堂里，一根朴素的草叶，和阳光与夜半的星辰坐在同一条毡褥上。

Thus my songs share their seats in the heart of the world with the music of the clouds and forests.

我的诗歌，也这样地和云彩与森林的音乐，在世界的心中平分席次。

But， you man of iches， your wealth has no part in the simple grandeur of the sun's glad gold and the mellow gleam of the musing moon.

但是，你这富有的人，你的财富，在太阳的喜悦的金光和沉思的月亮的柔光这种单纯的光彩里，却占不了一份。

The blessing of the all-embracing sky is not shed upon it.

包罗万象的天空的祝福，没有洒在它的上面。

And when death appears， it pales and withers and crumbles into dust.

等到死亡出现的时候，它就苍白枯萎，碎成尘土了。

75

At midnight the would-be ascetic announced：

夜半，那个自称的苦行人宣告说：

"This is the time to give up my home and seek for God. Ah， who has held me so long in delusion here？"

"弃家求神的时候到了。呵，谁把我牵住在妄想里这么久呢？"

God whispered， "I，" but the ears of the man were stopped.

神低声道："是我。"但是这个人的耳朵是塞住的。

With a baby asleep at her breast lay his wife， peacefully sleeping on one side of the bed.

他的妻子和吃奶的孩子一同躺着，安静地睡在床的那边。

The man said， "Who are you that have fooled me so long？"

这个人说："什么人把我骗了这么久呢？"

The voice said again， "They are God，" but he heard if not.

声音又说："是神。"但是他听不见。

The baby cried out in its dream， nesting close to its mother.

婴儿在梦中哭了，挨向他的母亲。

God commanded， "Stop， fool， leave not thy home，" but still he heart not.

神命令说："别走，傻子，不要离开你的家。"但是他还是听不见。

God sighed and complained， "Why does my servant wander to seek me， forsaking me？"

神叹息又委屈地说："为什么我的仆人要把我丢下，而到处去找我呢？"

76

The fire was on before the temple.

庙前的集会正在进行。

It had rained from the early morning and the day came to its end.

从一早起就下雨，这一天快过尽了。

Brighter than all the gladness of the crowd was the bright smile of a girl who bought for a farthing a whistle of palm leaf.

比一切群众的欢乐还光辉的，是一个花一文钱买到一个棕叶哨子的小女孩的光辉的微笑。

The shrill joy of that whistle floated above all laughter and noise.

哨子的尖脆欢乐的声音，在一切笑语喧哗之上飘浮。

An endless throng of people came and jostled together. The road was muddy， the river in flood， the field under water in ceaseless rain.

无尽的人流挤在一起，路上泥泞，河水在涨，雨在不停地下着，田地都没在水里。

Greater than all the troubles of the crowd was a little boy's trouble——he had not a farthing to buy a painted stick.

比一切群众的烦恼更深的，是一个小男孩的烦恼——他连买那根带颜色的小棍的一文钱都没有。

His wistful eyes gazing at the shop made this whole meeting of men so pitiful.

他苦闷的眼睛望着那间小店，使得这整个人类的集会变成可悲悯的。

77

The workman and his wife from the west country are busy digging to make bricks of the kiln.

西乡来的工人和他的妻子正忙着替砖窖挖土。

Their little daughter goes to the landing-place by the river； there she has no end of scouring and scrubbing of the pots and pans.

他们的小女儿到河边的渡头上；她无休无息地擦洗锅盘。

Her littler brother， with shaven head and brown， naked mud-covered limbs， follows after her and waits patiently on the high bank at her bidding.

她的小弟弟，光着头，赤裸着黧黑的涂满泥土的身躯，跟着她，听她的话，在高高的河岸上耐心地等着她。

She goes back home with the full pitcher poised on her head， the shining brass pot in her left hand， holding the child with her right——she the tiny servant of her mother， grave with the weight of the household cares.

她顶着满瓶的水，平稳地走回家去，左手提着发亮的铜壶，右手拉着那个孩子——

她是妈妈的小丫头，繁重的家务使她变得严肃了。

One day I saw this naked boy sitting with legs outstretched.

有一天我看见那赤裸的孩子伸着腿坐着，

In the water his sister sat rubbing a drinking-pot with a handful of earth， turning it round and round.

他姐姐坐在水里，用一把土在转来转去地擦洗一把水壶。

Near by a soft-haired lamb stood gazing along the bank.

一只毛茸茸的小羊，在河岸上吃草。

It came close to where the boy sat and suddenly bleated aloud， and the child started up and screamed.

它走过这孩子身边，忽然大叫了一声，孩子吓得哭喊起来。

His sister left off cleaning her pot and ran up.

他姐姐放下水壶跑上岸来。

She took up her brother in one arm and the lamb in the other， and dividing her caresses between them bound in one bond of affection the offspring of beast and man.

她一只手抱起弟弟，一只手抱起小羊，把她的爱抚分成两半，人类和动物的后代在慈爱的连结中合一了。