1.
The Champa Flower 金色花
(by 泰戈尔)
Supposing I became a champa flower, just for fun, and grew on a branch high up that tree and shook in the wind with laughter and danced upon the newly budded leaves, would you know me, mother?
假如我变成一朵金色花,只是为了好玩,长在那棵树的高枝上,笑哈哈地在风中摇摆,又在新生的树叶上跳舞,妈妈,你会认识我么?
You would call, "Baby, where are you?" and I should laugh to myself and keep quite quiet.
你要是叫道:“孩子,你在哪里呀?”我暗暗地在那里匿笑,却一声儿不响。
I should slyly open my petals and watch you at your work.
我要悄悄地开放花瓣儿,看着你工作。
When after your bath, with wet hair spread on your shoulders, you walked through the shadow of the champa tree to the little court where you say your prayers, you would notice the scent of the flower, but not know that it came from me.
当你沐浴后,湿发披在两肩,穿过金色花的林荫,走到你做祷告的小庭院时,你会嗅到这花的香气,却不知道这香气是从我身上来的。
When after the midday meal, you sat at the window reading Ramayana, and the tree's shadow fell over your hair and yourlap. I should fling my wee little shadow on to the page of your book, just where you were reading.
当你吃过中饭,坐在窗前读《罗摩衍那》,那棵树的阴影落在你的头发与膝上时,我便要投我的小小的影子在你的书页上,正投在你所读的地方。
But would you guess that it was the tiny shadow of your little child?
但是你会猜得出这就是你的小孩子的小影子么?
When in the evening you went to the cow-shed with the lighted lampin your hand. I should suddenly drop on to the earth again and be your own baby once more, and beg you to tell me a story.
当你黄昏时拿了灯到牛棚里去,我便要突然地再落到地上来,又成了你的孩子,求你讲个故事给我听。
"Where have you been, you naughty child?"
“你到哪里去了,你这坏孩子?”
"I won't tell you, mother." That's what you and I would say then.
“我不告诉你,妈妈。”这就是你同我那时所要说的话了。
2.
孩提的世界,空灵而纯净,或许有几分顽皮,但对母亲深深的爱与依恋却与生俱来。
泰戈尔在这首《金色花》中就化作了这样一个小孩子,以独特的方式与母亲嬉戏,天真无邪又有一丝狡黠。
年少时语文课本中第一次接触了这首小小的散文诗,便爱上了它。
不仅仅因为诗中孩子对母亲的眷念,更因为其中轻柔而灵动的文字,仿佛初夏的微风拂过,悦动而美好。
譬如“danced upon the newly budded leaves(在新生的树叶上跳舞)”,“slyly open my petals(悄悄地开放花瓣儿),“the tree's shadow fell over your hair and your lap (那棵树的阴影落在你的头发与膝上)”等等。
一帧帧鲜活的画面跃然纸上,既有故事的场景与节奏,又有诗歌的韵律与灵妙。
诗中的小孩子,仿佛是大自然的精灵,拥有世人不曾察觉的魔法,偷偷地与母亲玩儿起了捉迷藏。
而母亲温柔、慈爱而又虔诚,即使是小小地嗔怪,“Where have you been, you naughty child?”也定然是满眼的爱意。
当调皮的孩子得意地说,“I won't tell you, mother”亦是惹来读者忍俊不禁的笑意。
3.
世间父母与孩子之间的爱,大概是世间最无私而纯粹的情感了。
在姐姐家的小姑娘出生后,我亲眼见证了一个小小的生命从混混沌沌的状态,一点点蹒跚学步、牙牙学语,长成一个小小儿童。
看着她满是稚气的小嗓子一遍又一遍地喊着“妈妈”时,姐姐脸上溢满的幸福,才真正深深体会的孩子与母亲心灵的联结。
小姑娘还不足两岁,仍处于对这个世界的探索阶段,可是大人们嘴上说的简单指令,她也会屁颠屁颠地迈着小碎步去完成,累了困了饿了,只要妈妈才能哄好。
而做了母亲以后的老姐,从此以后有了软肋,又有了世间最牢固的铠甲。
生命的轮回最是奇妙,在啼哭中降临世上的孩子,在母亲的臂弯中长大,羽翼渐丰之后独自闯荡,而最终又为人父母,在抚育下一辈中真正懂得爱的意义。
偶尔某个瞬间,当惯了大人的我们,是不是也可以回到孩提时代,悄悄化作一朵金色花,与母亲一起捉迷藏呢~