玛丽·奥利弗《当死亡来临》

叶幽山

《当死亡来临》

玛丽·奥利弗

当死亡来临
像秋天里饥饿的熊
当死亡来临并取出钱包里所有亮闪闪的硬币

买下我，又把钱包啪地合紧；
当死亡来临
像水痘

当死亡来临
像两段肩胛骨之间的冰山，

我想带着满心好奇跨过那扇门，琢磨着：
会是什么样子呢，那黑暗的小屋？

从此以后我看待万物
都如兄弟和姐妹，
我看待时间无非是一个概念，
而永恒则是另一种可能性，

我会将每条生命当作一朵花，平凡如
田野上的雏菊，又独一无二，

每个名字都是唇齿间令人安心的乐曲，
像所有乐曲一样，终归沉寂，

每具身体都是勇敢的狮子，也是那
大地珍贵的宝藏。

当一切结束，我希望能够说这一生
我是嫁给惊奇的新娘。
我也是新郎，将世界拥入臂弯。

当一切结束，我不愿怀疑
此生是否过得独特而真实。

我不愿发现自己终日悲叹，恐惧，
或满心挣扎。

我不愿最后仅仅做了这个世界的过客




When Death Comes

Mary Olive

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