Foxgloves in the Gravel Pit by Olav H. Hauge
A gaping gash in
the forest, a torn wound,
chaotic and collapsed,
tufts of grass hang from
caved-in edges;
a steam shovel and
huge piles of stone
burn hot red in the sun;
flakes of mica
flash and flitter in
the rain-washed ground,
a wheelbarrow
sticks up out of the sand,
rotting bits of plank
lie strewn about.
Surrounded by outfields
and rough terrain.
By the paths and fields
are blackberry thickets
and young birches with
grass licking their legs.
The gravel pit lies there
abandoned and bare,
a spot of shame in the forest
- here a varied wilderness
begins to grow; that's how
mountain avens found hollows
below the glaciers, and that's how
alpine flowers found their place
high up on steep slopes.
Help to sow afresh: lives
and powerful forces are in play,
autumn wind and slashing rain.
Toppled tree stumps slip,
patches of sod slide down
furrows into the sandpit,
loose brush and small pines
settle in the gravel,
leaves and twigs
settle in the sand
and dissolve into loam,
scattered blades of grass
eke out a life amidst the stones,
here and there blue
harebells nod.
From all directions they come
and the gravel pit receives them:
wildflowers and grasses,
birds bring seeds that
take root in the sand,
blackberries come creeping
and grow into thickets.
From secret forest depths
come the foxgloves:
red grenadiers
with green spears
that storm toward their death
in the white gravel pit
- nowhere else in the forest
is there a fire such as this!
採石坑裡的毛地黃
森林裡一道
大張的空洞、撕裂的傷口，
紊亂又塌陷，
幾株雜草攀著
鬆動的邊緣；
蒸氣挖掘機和
聳起的龐大石堆
在日光照射下露出灼紅；
雲母碎片
在浸滿雨水的土地中
發出閃爍不定的光芒，
獨輪推車
高立在沙土中，
腐爛的木板
四散躺在地上。
在荒野和
惡地的環繞間。
在小路和野地旁
長著矮矮的黑莓叢
和幼小的樺樹
小草舔舐著他們的腳邊。
採石坑就在那裡
無人聞問地袒露著，
像森林裡一道恥辱的印記
—但就在這裡，各種野性生命
開始生長；就像
仙女木在冰川下
找到綻放的空間，就像
高山上的花朵找到
爬上陡坡盛開的方式。
幫忙播下新鮮的種子吧：生命
和強大的力量開始作用，
秋天的風和猛烈的暴雨。
倒下的樹墩滑動，
一塊塊泥土下移
在沙坑中造出田畦，
稀疏的灌木和矮松樹
在石礫中安身，
葉子和小樹枝
沉入沙中
化為沃土，
零星散落的草葉
在石塊中逼出生命，
遍及四處的藍色
風鈴草迎著風點頭讚許。
他們從四面八方而來
而採石坑殷勤歡迎：
野花和野草，
鳥兒帶來種子
在沙土中紮下根系，
黑莓悄悄地爬進來
長出叢叢綠意。
從森林最神秘的深處
毛地黃也來了：
這些扛著綠矛的
紅色擲彈兵
踏著震耳欲聾的腳步前仆後繼
躍入白色的採石坑殉身
—這座森林沒有任何地方
曾見過這樣盛大的野火！
毛地黃，@西寧植物園
