KINDNESS 良善

Kindness《良善》

——Naomi Shihab Nye


Before you know what kindness really is

要想知道良善到底是什么

you must lose things,

你得遭受损失，

feel the future dissolve in a moment

感受到前途在瞬间消亡

like salt in a weakened broth.

好比盐溶解于寡淡的肉汤。

What you held in your hand,

你攥在手里的东西，

what you counted and carefully saved,

你看重的、小心翼翼地保存的东西，

all this must go so you know

所有这些都得失去，你才会知道

how desolate the landscape can be

在不同的良善区域之间

between the regions of kindness.

景观会是多么凄凉。


How you ride and ride

你是怎样在车上坐呀坐

thinking the bus will never stop,

以为永远不会到站，

the passengers eating maize and chicken

吃着玉米和鸡肉的乘客

will stare out the window forever.

眼睛永远盯着窗外。


Before you learn the tender gravity of kindness,

要想领会良善之柔力，

you must travel where the Indian in a white poncho

你必须行万里路，看到

lies dead by the side of the road.

披着白色斗篷的印第安人死在路旁。

You must see how this could be you,

你必须明白那死者也可能是你，

how he too was someone

那死者也曾是这么一个人

who journeyed through the night with plans

怀揣着计划披星戴月赶路

and the simple breath that kept him alive.

一息尚存就砥砺前行。


Before you know kindness as the deepest thing inside,

要想知道良善是内心最深处的东西，

you must know sorrow as the other deepest thing.

你必须知道悲伤是内心最深处另一件事。

You must wake up with sorrow.

你必须带着悲伤醒来。

You must speak to it till your voice

你必须和它交谈，直到你的声音

catches the thread of all sorrows

抓住了所有悲伤的纤维

and you see the size of the cloth.

看见了纤维织成的布料的模样。


Then it is only kindness that makes sense anymore,

那时，只有良善才言之成理，

only kindness that ties your shoes

只有良善能为你系紧鞋带

and sends you out into the day to gaze at bread,

把你派往尘世购取面包，

only kindness that raises its head

只有良善抬起它的头颅

from the crowd of the world to say

在世上的芸芸众生前宣称

It is I you have been looking for,

你一直寻觅的就是我，

and then goes with you everywhere

接着良善与你结伴，去往任何地方

like a shadow or a friend.

如影随形，如知心伴侣。