Some People Like Poetry

20060714
Some People Like Poetry

26圖文集

攝於芬蘭, Porvoo小鎮, 夏2004

SOME PEOPLE LIKE POETRY

written by Wistawa Szymborska

Some people--
that means not everyone.
Not even most of them, only a few.
Not counting school, where you have to,
and poets themselves,
you might end up with something like two per thousand.

Like--
but then, you can like chicken noodle soup,
or compliments, or the color blue,
your old scarf,
your own way,
petting the dog.

Poetry--
but what is poetry anyway?
More than one rickety answer
has tumbled since that question was first raised.
But I just keep on not knowing, and I cling to that
like a redemptive handrail.


有一些人愛讀詩

有一些人--
不是每一個人
並不是大多數,只有少數而已.
學生不算,因為他們非讀詩不可
詩人也不算
那麼大概每壹千人之中只有兩個.

就像是--
然而,你也可以愛喝雞湯,
愛接受讚美,或愛藍色,
愛自己的舊圍巾,
自己的行事方式,
撫摸自己的愛犬.

詩--
什麼是詩?
各式各樣的說法
眾說紛云沒有定論.
不知道也好,我牢牢抓住這未定論
就像抓住救命的扶手.