All This Time
I looked out across
The river today,
I saw a city in the fog and an old church tower
Where the seagulls play.
I saw the sad shire horses walking home
In the sodium light
I saw two priests on the ferry
October geese on a cold winter's night
And all this time, the river flowed
Endlessly to the sea.
Two priests came round our house tonight
One young, one old, to offer prayers for the dying
To serve the final rite,
One to learn, one to teach,
Which way the cold wind blows
Fussing and flapping in priestly black
Like a murder of crows
And all this time, the river flowed
Endlessly to the sea
If I had my way I'd take a boat from the river
And I'd bury the old man,
I'd bury him at sea
Blessed are the poor, for they shall inherit the earth
Better to be poor than a fat man in the eye of a needle
And as these words were spoken I swear I hear
The old man laughing,
‘What good is a used up world, and how could it be
Worth having'
And all this time the river flowed
Endlessly like a silent tear
And all this time the river flowed
Father, if Jesus exists,
Then how come he never lived here.
The teachers told us, the Romans built this place
They built a wall and a temple, an edge of the empire
Garrison town,
They lived and they died, they prayed to their gods
But the stone gods did not make a sound
And their empire crumbled, 'til all that was left
Were the stones the workmen found
And all this time the river flowed
In the falling light of a northern sun
If I had my way I'd take a boat from the river
Men go crazy in congregations
But they only get better
One by one
One by one…
所有这个时刻
【英国】斯汀
(Sting, 1951~ )
李皖 译
郝佳 校译
我望向远处
越过那条河,
看见雾中的城市
一个古老教堂的塔尖
海鸥飞着。
我看见悲哀的马
在银白的光线中慢慢回家
我看见渡轮上两个神父
十月的鹅
在寒冷的冬夜里
所有这个时刻
河水流淌
不尽地流向海洋。
两位神父
今晚来到我们家
一个年轻,一个苍老,
为超度亡者
他们向上帝祷告
这是最后的仪式,
一方学习,一方训导,
寒冷的风
在向哪个方向吹
它们无端纷扰
惊动教士的黑衣
像乌鸦们的一次谋杀
所有这个时刻
河水流淌
不尽地流向海洋
如果我能如愿
我将从河上取一只小船
载上老者,
为他举行海葬
穷人是被祝福的
因为他们能继承大地
做一个穷人
胜过做针眼里一个胖子
当这些话说出口
我发誓我听到了
那老人的笑声,
“耗尽了的世界有什么好
它怎值得我们拥有”
所有这个时刻
河水流淌
永不停息
像寂静的眼泪
所有这个时刻
河水流淌
神父,如果耶稣存在,
为什么他从不出现在这里。
老师告诉我们
罗马人造出了这地方
他们建起高墙和庙宇
帝国的边界
卫城,
他们生生死死
向众神祷告
而石头的上帝从不作一声
帝国崩塌了
最后剩下来的
是这些石头,工人们制造的这些石头
所有这个时刻
河水流淌
在北方太阳的余光中
流淌
如果我能如愿
我将从河上取一只小船
人们在礼拜会上发疯
但他们情况越来越好
一个接一个
一个接一个……
*选自专辑《灵魂囚笼》(The Soul Cages,1991)。
《人间、地狱和天堂之歌》
——世界摇滚乐歌词集
李皖 译 郝佳 译校
出版发行 南京大学出版社
2012年5月第1版, 2012年9月第2次印刷
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