David Whyte : In The Beginning

Photo by David Whyte

In The Beginning / David Whyte
太初

Sometimes simplicity rises
like a blossom of fire
from the white silk of your own skin.

有時，單純升起
如一朵火焰之花綻放
於你雪白的肌膚絲綢之上。

You were there in the beginning
you heard the story, you heard the merciless
and tender words telling you where you had to go.

太初之始，你就在那兒了。
你聽了那個故事，你聽了那段
無情而溫柔的話，指示你該去的地方。

Exile is never easy and the journey
itself leaves a bitter taste. But then,
when you heard that voice, you had to go.

放逐不曾是易事，而旅程
總在味蕾殘留苦澀。然而，
一旦聽見那聲音，就必須前往。

You couldn't sit by the fire, you couldn't live
so close to the live flame of that compassion
you had to go out in the world and make it your own
so you could come back with
that flame in your voice, saying listen...
this warmth, this unbearable light, this fearful love...
It is all here, it is all here.

你無法待在火旁，你無法活在
距離慈悲熾熱舞焰太近的地方。
你必須出走，走入世界，並讓火成為己有。
如此，你才能歸來，
語音裡承載火焰，說著，聽好...
這股溫暖，這難以承受的光，這令人畏懼的愛...
全都在這兒。都在這兒。

(Mary May 譯）

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