葛綠柯植物誌 (3)：Violets

繼續每週一首 Glück。其實我鮮少讀英詩，更幾乎從來不譯詩（因為太困難太麻煩了啊沒事何必），不過這幾星期下來忽然發現，以翻譯對詩做深讀、精讀真是非常有趣而且收穫良多……算是同時身為譯者和詩人的某種「特權」？（笑）

〈堇〉

因為在我們的世界

總隱藏著什麼

小而白

小而你稱之為

純淨的，我們不像你

那樣傷逝，親愛的

悲痛的主；你

不比我們

更迷失，在

山楂樹下，山楂端著

一捧捧凝鍊的珍珠：是什麼

帶你來到這裡，我們

希望你明白，儘管

你跪倒哭泣

一雙大手緊握

如此偉大卻絲毫

不知靈魂的本質

不知它永遠不死：可憐的悲傷的神

你從來沒有靈魂

或者你永不會失去

Violets

Because in our world

something is always hidden,

small and white,

small and what you call

pure, we do not grieve

as you grieve, dear

suffering master; you

are no more lost

than we are, under

the hawthorn tree, the hawthorn holding

balanced trays of pearls: what

has brought you among us

who would teach you, though

you kneel and weep,

clasping your great hands,

in all your greatness knowing

nothing of the soul's nature,

which is never to die: poor sad god,

either you never have one

or you never lose one.

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* 關於山楂（引自維基詞條）：
In Gaelic folklore, hawthorn (in Scottish Gaelic, sgitheach and in Irish, sceach) 'marks the entrance to the otherworld' and is strongly associated with the fairies.
哇這真是太有趣，感謝詩人阿芒指出這一點。然後我立刻聯想到 The Buried Giant 裡那叢令我好傷心又難忘的山楂！！