沃尔特·惠特曼,我自己的歌, 章节十四

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星座 |
分类: 美国文学 |
章节十四
野鹅领着鹅群飞过寒冷的夜空,
他说,“呀一哼,”传来的声音像是对我发出的邀请,
自作聪明者可能认为它毫无意义,但是我仔细倾听,
找到了它的用意和它在寒空中的地位。
北方的快蹄鹿,门槛上的猫,山雀,草原犬鼠,
吸着奶、在咕哝着的母猪身旁的小猪群,
火鸡的幼雏和半张着翅膀的母火鸡,
我在它们和自己身上看到了同一个古老法则。
我的脚一踏上大地就跳出一百种温情柔意,
它们蔑视我为描述它们而作出的最大努力。
我迷恋于在户外成长,
那些在牛马中生活的,那些尝到海洋或树林滋味的人,
造船和驾驶船只的人,挥动铁斧和大槌的人,和赶马的人,
我可以接连好几个星期和他们同吃同睡。
最平凡,最低贱,最靠拢,最容易接近的是“我”,
我寻找机会,为了巨大的收获而付出代价,
我装饰自己,把自己交托给第一个愿意接受我的人,
Section 14
The wild gander leads his flock through the cool
night,
Ya-honk he says, and
sounds it down to me like an invitation,
The pert may suppose it meaningless, but I listening
close,
Find its purpose and place up there toward the
wintry sky.
The sharp-hoof'd moose of the north, the cat on the
house-sill, the chickadee, the prairie-dog,
The litter of the grunting sow as they tug at her
teats,
The brood of the turkey-hen and she with her
half-spread wings,
I see in them and myself the same old law.
The press of my foot to the earth springs a hundred
affections,
They scorn the best I can do to relate them.
I am enamour'd of growing out-doors,
Of men that live among cattle or taste of the ocean
or woods,
Of the builders and steerers of ships and the
wielders of axes and mauls, and the drivers of horses,
I can eat and sleep with them week in and week
out.
What is commonest, cheapest, nearest, easiest, is
Me,
Me going in for my chances, spending for vast
returns,
Adorning myself to bestow myself on the first that
will take me,
Not asking the sky to come down to my good
will,
Scattering it freely forever.