For the Raindrop

200612290851雨滴

40圖文集

 

FOR THE RAINDROP

Mirza Ghalib, Urdu poet, (1797-1869)

For the raindrop, joy is in entering the river --

Unbearable pain becomes its own cure.

Travel far enough into sorrow, tears turn to sighing;

In this way we learn how water can die into air.

When, after heavy rain, the clouds disperse,

Is it not that they've wept themselves clear to the end?

If you want to know the miracle, how wind can polish a mirror,

Look: the shining glass grows green in spring.

It's the rose's folding, that creates the desire to see--

In every color and circumstance, may the eyes be open for what comes.

 

~translated by Jane Hirshfield

 

昨天深夜接到電話

胃癌末期的朋友腎衰竭了

今天要住進安寧病房了

朋友才40出頭

是傑出的骨科醫生

為人風趣樂觀又是運動健將

有愛他的美麗老婆跟三個可愛的女兒

怎麼會這樣?怎麼會這樣?怎麼會這樣?怎麼會這樣?怎麼會這樣?怎麼會這樣?!!!!!!

掛了電話, 我先生說: This is life...

前年這個時候, 我送走我的一個學生

30歲出頭, 才剛拿到碩士, 通過專業考, 準備在人生的舞臺上大展身手

肝癌在短短幾個月就奪走他年輕的生命

怎麼會這樣?怎麼會這樣?怎麼會這樣?怎麼會這樣?怎麼會這樣?怎麼會這樣?!!!!!!

怎麼喊怎麼問都沒有用也沒有答案

You prepare for one sorrow,

but another comes.

It is not like the weather,

you cannot brace yourself,

the unreadiness is all.      ( from Derek Walcott's Oddjob, A Bull Terrier)

昨天氣象局播報今天氣溫會驟降

我們可以穿大衣裹圍巾禦寒

但是對讓人措手不及的哀傷

完全無法防禦

只能逆來順受

再怎麼準備還是措手不及啊!

睡不著又焦慮的時候

什麼都看不下去, 只有讀詩

寥寥幾句, 卻有足夠的力道撫平紊亂的心緒...

上面這首Ghalib 的詩就在失眠的清晨發揮了他的作用

照片是我兩年前夏天在芬蘭鄉間拍攝到的雨後天晴清徹如鏡面的湖景...

 

每一個人遲早都要面對死亡

進入大化

就像雨滴落入湖中

水蒸發成空氣

人來

人往

Life goes on...

P. S.  我們的朋友陳醫師於2006年的最後一天走了

走得很平靜

I believe he is in a better place where there is no more pain...

"Be of good hope in the face of death.

Believe in this one truth for certain,

that no evil can befall a good man either in life or death,

and that his fate is not a matter of indifference to the gods. "

~ Socrates