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.

66

一个流浪的疯子在寻找点金石。

他褐黄的头发乱蓬蓬地蒙着尘土，身体瘦得像个影子。

他双唇紧闭，就像他的紧闭的心门。

他的烧红的眼睛就像萤火虫的灯亮在寻找他的爱侣。

无边的海在他面前怒吼。

喧哗的波浪，在不停地谈论那隐藏的珠宝，

嘲笑那不懂得它们的意思的愚人。

也许现在他不再有希望了，

但是他不肯休息，

因为寻求变成他的生命——

就像海洋永远向天伸臂要求不可得到的东西——

就像星辰绕着圈走，

却要寻找一个永不能到达的目标——

在那寂寞的海边，那头发垢乱的疯子，

也仍旧徘徊着寻找点金石。

有一天，一个村童走上来问：

“告诉我，你腰上的那条金链是从

哪里来的呢？”

疯子吓了一跳——

那条本来是铁的链子真的变成金的了；

这不是一场梦，

但是他不知道是什么时候变成的。

他狂乱地敲着自己的前额——

什么时候，啊，什么时候在他的不知不觉之中得到成功了呢？

拾起小石去碰碰那条链子，

然后不看看变化与否，又把它扔掉，这已成了习惯；

就是这样，这疯子找到了又失掉了那块点金石。

太阳西沉，天空灿金。

疯子沿着自己的脚印走回，去寻找他失去的珍宝。

他气力尽消，身体弯曲，

他的心像连根拔起的树一样，

萎垂在尘土里了。