WISLAWA SZYMBORSKA - A FEW WORDS ON THE SOUL

威絲拉娃．辛波絲卡 – 靈性的低語

譯者：Sophia L.

We have a soul at times.

我們擁有一絲靈性

No one’s got it non-stop,

沒人能掠取，它總是奔走不停

for keeps.

永遠變幻不定

Day after day,

日復一日

year after year

年復一年

may pass without it.

經歷了人生卻遺忘了靈性

Sometimes

有時，

it will settle for awhile

它會在那瞬間暫停

only in childhood’s fears and raptures.

只在童年時期的歡欣與恐懼

Sometimes only in astonishment

或是它只出現在驚異裡

that we are old.

當我們已年華老去。

It rarely lends a hand

它極少伸手援濟

in uphill tasks,

當你正面臨上坡難行

like moving furniture,

如同遷居

or lifting luggage,

將沉重的包袱舉起

or going miles in shoes that pinch.

或躡足走過荊棘滿佈的遠地

It usually steps out

它總是出人意表、超乎常情

whenever meat needs chopping

每當外在需要演進

or forms have to be filled.

或是形體也需豊盈

For every thousand conversations

在那數不清、千萬次的對話裡

it participates in one,

只有它唱著獨角戲

if even that,

即便如此

since it prefers silence.

自那時起它就愛上了靜寂

Just when our body goes from ache to pain,

唯有當我們的形體陷入水深火熱裡

it slips off-duty.

它才悄悄地溜去休息

It’s picky:

它非常挑剔

it doesn’t like seeing us in crowds,

不願看見我們置身人群

our hustling for a dubious advantage

我們打拼不過是為了不信實的利益

and creaky machinations make it sick.

被碾碎的陰謀使它窒息

Joy and sorrow

悲傷與歡喜

aren’t two different feelings for it.

對它而言都代表著相同的意義

It attends us

它將在我們的生命裡出席

only when the two are joined.

當兩者合而為一 

We can count on it

它可以讓我們托負期許

when we’re sure of nothing

當我們確實達到空無的心境

and curious about everything.

並且對萬事萬物開始感到好奇

Among the material objects

所有的事物裡

it favors clocks with pendulums

它最喜愛搖擺不定的計時器

and mirrors, which keep on working

以及鏡子，顯示著時光依舊向前行

even when no one is looking.

即使沒有人知悉 

It won’t say where it comes from

它從未告訴我們它來自哪裡

or when it’s taking off again,

或是何時它將再度遠離

though it’s clearly expecting such questions.

儘管它帶來的希望與問題是如此純淨

We need it

我們需要靈性

but apparently

這是無庸置疑

it needs us

然而它也需要我們

for some reason too.

為了某些相同的原因。