With The Face
by Laura Riding (1901-1991)
With the face goes a mirror
As with the mind a world.
Likeness tells the doubting eye
That strangeness is not strange.
At an early hour and knowledge
Identity not yet familiar
Looks back upon itself from later,
And seems itself.
To-day seems now.
With reality-to-be goes time.
With the mind goes a world.
With the heart goes a weather.
With the face goes a mirror
As with the body a fear.
Young self goes staring to the wall
Where dumb futurity speaks calm,
And between then and then
Forebeing grows of age.
The mirror mixes with the eye.
Soon will it be the very eye.
Soon will the eye that was
The very mirror be.
Death, the final image, will shine
Transparently not otherwise
Than as the dark sun described
With such faint brightnesses.
伴随脸的是镜子
译/行路人 2018.07.16
伴随脸的是镜子
正如伴随思想的是世界。
相似的事物告诉疑惑的眼
奇异的事物并不奇异。
年幼识浅时
尚不能自我认知；
跨越多年后回头审视
依稀认得当初的自己。
今天似乎是现在。
伴随未来现实的是时间。
伴随思想的是世界。
伴随感情的是风云变幻。
伴随脸的是镜子
就如伴随身体的是恐惧。
年轻的自己盯着那墙走上去
看沉默的未来讲述着岁月静好，
在那时与那时之间
来日的生命一天天老去。
镜子与眼混叠。
没多久它就成了那眼。
没多久那眼就成了
那曾经的镜子。
死亡，那最后的影像，
只能透明地闪耀；
恰如传说中的黑太阳
发出微弱的光亮。
-
Laura Riding Jackson was an American poet, critic, novelist, essayist and short story writer
