《The Invitation》
一位加拿大女作家写的散文诗，译做生活的邀请函。这首散文诗的起因竟然是她参加过的一个再平常不过的聚会，聚会过后为了搞清楚她自己感觉到的空虚，她开始写下以下的文字。
by Oriah Mountain Dreamer
It doesn’t interest me what you do for a living.
I want to know what you ache for
and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart’s longing.
It doesn’t interest me how old you are.
I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool
for love
for your dream
for the adventure of being alive.
It doesn’t interest me what planets are squaring your moon.
I want to know if you have touched the centre of your own sorrow
if you have been opened by life’s betrayals
or have become shrivelled and closed
from fear of further pain.
I want to know if you can sit with pain
mine or your own
without moving to hide it
or fade it
or fix it.
I want to know if you can be with joy
mine or your own
if you can dance with wildness
and let the ecstasy fill you to the tips of your fingers and toes
without cautioning us
to be careful
to be realistic
to remember the limitations of being human.
It doesn’t interest me if the story you are telling me
is true.
I want to know if you can
disappoint another
to be true to yourself.
If you can bear the accusation of betrayal
and not betray your own soul.
If you can be faithless
and therefore trustworthy.
I want to know if you can see Beauty
even when it is not pretty
every day.
And if you can source your own life
from its presence.
I want to know if you can live with failure
yours and mine
and still stand at the edge of the lake
and shout to the silver of the full moon,
“Yes.”
It doesn’t interest me
to know where you live or how much money you have.
I want to know if you can get up
after the night of grief and despair
weary and bruised to the bone
and do what needs to be done
to feed the children.
It doesn’t interest me who you know
or how you came to be here.
I want to know if you will stand
in the centre of the fire
with me
and not shrink back.
It doesn’t interest me where or what or with whom
you have studied.
I want to know what sustains you
from the inside
when all else falls away.
I want to know if you can be alone
with yourself
and if you truly like the company you keep
in the empty moments.
我不在乎你如何谋生，
我只想了解你渴望什么，
你是否真的敢去想象实现你的渴望的那一天
我不在乎你年方几何，
我只想知道你是否会像个傻子一样投入
去爱
去追求梦想
去探寻生命的精彩
我不在乎哪些人围绕在你身边，犹如众星捧月，
我只想知道你是否曾触及过你心底的悲伤
生命中的背叛，是否曾在你的心上划开缺口，
或者出于对更多伤害的恐惧
你曾变得消沉
曾经封闭自己
我想知道，你能否真正与伤痛共处
——与我的或者你自己的，
而不是去掩饰它、淡忘它，
或过于在意它。
我想知道，你能否真正去享受快乐
——与我的或者你自己的，
翩翩起舞，无拘无束，
让激情从指尖到脚趾充满你的身体，
这一刻，
忘记谨小慎微，
忘记现实残酷，
忘记生命极限的束缚。
我不在乎你所讲的故事是否是真实的，
只想知道你能否
即使得罪别人，也要坚持你自己，
即使背负上背叛的苛责，也不背叛自己的灵魂，
为真正的值得信赖而放弃所谓的值得信赖。
我想知道，
你能否从每天平淡的点滴中发现美丽，
能否从生命的平凡之中寻找到她的意义。
我想知道，你能否坦然面对失败
——你的或者我的，
即使失败，也能站在湖边，
对着银色的圆月高喊：
“我可以。”
我不在乎你住在哪和收入多少，
我只想知道，当经历了彻夜的悲伤和绝望，
带着疲倦和彻骨之痛的你，
能否准时起床，
尽你的义务，
抚养你的孩子。
我不在乎你认识何人，
为何在此。
我只想知道，生命之火熊熊燃烧时，
你是否敢和我一起，
站在火焰中央，
毫不畏缩。
by Oriah Mountain Dreamer
It doesn’t interest me what you do for a living.
I want to know what you ache for
and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart’s longing.
It doesn’t interest me how old you are.
I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool
for love
for your dream
for the adventure of being alive.
It doesn’t interest me what planets are squaring your moon.
I want to know if you have touched the centre of your own sorrow
if you have been opened by life’s betrayals
or have become shrivelled and closed
from fear of further pain.
I want to know if you can sit with pain
mine or your own
without moving to hide it
or fade it
or fix it.
I want to know if you can be with joy
mine or your own
if you can dance with wildness
and let the ecstasy fill you to the tips of your fingers and toes
without cautioning us
to be careful
to be realistic
to remember the limitations of being human.
It doesn’t interest me if the story you are telling me
is true.
I want to know if you can
disappoint another
to be true to yourself.
If you can bear the accusation of betrayal
and not betray your own soul.
If you can be faithless
and therefore trustworthy.
I want to know if you can see Beauty
even when it is not pretty
every day.
And if you can source your own life
from its presence.
I want to know if you can live with failure
yours and mine
and still stand at the edge of the lake
and shout to the silver of the full moon,
“Yes.”
It doesn’t interest me
to know where you live or how much money you have.
I want to know if you can get up
after the night of grief and despair
weary and bruised to the bone
and do what needs to be done
to feed the children.
It doesn’t interest me who you know
or how you came to be here.
I want to know if you will stand
in the centre of the fire
with me
and not shrink back.
It doesn’t interest me where or what or with whom
you have studied.
I want to know what sustains you
from the inside
when all else falls away.
I want to know if you can be alone
with yourself
and if you truly like the company you keep
in the empty moments.
我不在乎你如何谋生，
我只想了解你渴望什么，
你是否真的敢去想象实现你的渴望的那一天
我不在乎你年方几何，
我只想知道你是否会像个傻子一样投入
去爱
去追求梦想
去探寻生命的精彩
我不在乎哪些人围绕在你身边，犹如众星捧月，
我只想知道你是否曾触及过你心底的悲伤
生命中的背叛，是否曾在你的心上划开缺口，
或者出于对更多伤害的恐惧
你曾变得消沉
曾经封闭自己
我想知道，你能否真正与伤痛共处
——与我的或者你自己的，
而不是去掩饰它、淡忘它，
或过于在意它。
我想知道，你能否真正去享受快乐
——与我的或者你自己的，
翩翩起舞，无拘无束，
让激情从指尖到脚趾充满你的身体，
这一刻，
忘记谨小慎微，
忘记现实残酷，
忘记生命极限的束缚。
我不在乎你所讲的故事是否是真实的，
只想知道你能否
即使得罪别人，也要坚持你自己，
即使背负上背叛的苛责，也不背叛自己的灵魂，
为真正的值得信赖而放弃所谓的值得信赖。
我想知道，
你能否从每天平淡的点滴中发现美丽，
能否从生命的平凡之中寻找到她的意义。
我想知道，你能否坦然面对失败
——你的或者我的，
即使失败，也能站在湖边，
对着银色的圆月高喊：
“我可以。”
我不在乎你住在哪和收入多少，
我只想知道，当经历了彻夜的悲伤和绝望，
带着疲倦和彻骨之痛的你，
能否准时起床，
尽你的义务，
抚养你的孩子。
我不在乎你认识何人，
为何在此。
我只想知道，生命之火熊熊燃烧时，
你是否敢和我一起，
站在火焰中央，
毫不畏缩。