泰戈爾(Rabindranath Tagore,1861-1941)
園丁集 六六 :試金石
一個流浪的狂人，在尋求試金石，他，蓬亂的頭髮，黃褐色的塵垢，身體消瘦的有如一個影子。他的嘴唇緊閉，宛如他那緊閉的心扉，他那正燃燒的雙眼，好像尋求伙伴螢火蟲的燈。
無垠的海洋在他面前怒號。
潺潺不息的波濤，不斷地訴說著那蘊藏的寶藏，嘲弄那些不了解它們語意的笨伯。
也許他而今已不存有啥子希望了，不過他並不罷休，因為探求已成為了他的生命—
正如海洋永遠伸展著它的手臂，為了向蒼穹探求那難以得到的一
正如繁星循環運行，在尋求那個永遠達不到的終點—
即使這樣，這帶著塵垢黃褐亂髮的狂人，依然徘徊在孤寂的海岸上尋找那試金石。
有一天，一個村童跑來尋問：「告訴我，你這繫在腰際的金鍊是從那兒來的？」
狂人吃了一驚—這原本是鐵鍊子，現在是真金的了；那並不是一 夢，不過他根本不曉得鍊子是甚麼時候改變的。
他瘋狂地敲擊著他的額頭—在那兒，啊！在那兒他竟毫不知情地達到了成功。
那已經成了一種習慣，撿起小鵝卵石，碰一碰鍊子，他不去察看是不是已有變化，就把石子扔掉了；狂人就是這樣把那試金石得而復失。
夕陽正在向西方低低地沉落，天空呈現著金黃色。
狂人，他的足跡踏上了歸途，重新去尋求那失落的寶物，他已精疲力盡，彎著腰，心灰意冷，宛如一棵連根拔起來的樹。
Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941)
THE GARDENER 66
A wandering madman was seeking the touchstone, with matted locks
tawny and dust-laden, and body worn to a shadow, his lips
tight-pressed, like the shut-up doors of his heart, his burning
eyes like the lamp of a glow-worm seeking its mate.
Before him the endless ocean roared.
The garrulous waves ceaselessly talked of hidden treasures,
mocking the ignorance that knew not their meaning.
Maybe he now had no hope remaining, yet he would not rest, for
the search had become his life, —
Just as the ocean for ever lifts its arms to the sky
for the
unattainable —
Just as the stars go in circles, yet seeking a goal that can
never be reached —
Even so on the lonely shore the madman with dusty tawny locks
still roamed in search of the touchstone.
One day a village boy came up and asked, "Tell me, where did you
come at this golden chain about your waist?"
The madman started - the chain that once was iron was verily gold;
it was not a dream, but he did not know when it had changed.
He struck his forehead wildly - where, O where had he without
knowing it achieved success?
It had grown into a habit, to pick up pebbles and touch the
chain, and to throw them away without looking to see if a
change had come; thus the madman found and lost the touchstone.
The sun was sinking low in the west, the sky was of gold.
The madman returned on his footsteps to seek anew the lost
treasure, with his strength gone, his body bent, and his heart
in the dust, like a tree uprooted.