48

THE morning sea of silence broke into ripples of bird songs; and the flowers were all merry by the roadside; and the wealth of gold was scattered through the rift of the clouds while we busily went on our way and paid no heed.

We sang no glad songs nor played; we went not to the village for barter; we spoke not a word nor smiled; we lingered not on the way. We quickened our pace more and more as the time sped by.

The sun rose to the mid sky and doves cooed in the shade. Withered leaves danced and whirled in the hot air of noon. The shepherd boy drowsed and dreamed in the shadow of the banyan tree, and I laid myself down by the water and stretched my tired limbs on the grass.

My companions laughed at me in scorn; they held their heads high and hurried on; they never looked back nor rested; they vanished in the distant blue haze. They crossed many meadows and hills, and passed through strange, far-away countries. All honour to you, heroic host of the interminable path! Mockery and reproach pricked me to rise, but found no response in me. I gave myself up for lost in the depth of a glad humiliation—in the shadow of a dim delight.

The repose of the sun-embroidered green gloom slowly spread over my heart. I forgot for what I had travelled, and I surrendered my mind without struggle to the maze of shadows and songs.

At last, when I woke from my slumber and opened my eyes, I saw thee standing by me, flooding my sleep with thy smile. How I had feared that the path was long and wearisome, and the struggle to reach thee was hard!

48

清晨的静海，漾起鸟语的微波；

路旁的繁花，争妍斗艳；

在我们匆忙赶路无心理睬的时候，

云隙中散射出灿烂的金光。

我们不唱欢歌，也不嬉游；

我们也不到村集上去交易；

我们一语不发，也不微笑；

我们不在路上流连。

时间流逝，我们也加速了脚步。

太阳升到中天，鸽子在凉荫中叫唤。

枯叶在正午的炎风中飞舞。

牧童在榕树下做他的倦梦。

我在水边卧下，

在草地上展布我困乏的四肢。

我的同伴们嘲笑我；

他们抬头疾走；

他们不回顾也不休息；

他们消失在远远的碧霭之中。

他们穿过许多山林，经过生疏遥远的地方。

长途上的英雄队伍啊，光荣是属于你们的！

讥笑和责备要促我起立，但我却没有反应。

我甘心没落在乐受的耻辱的深处——

在模糊的快乐阴影之中。

阳光织成的绿荫的幽静，慢慢地笼罩着我的心。

我忘记了旅行的目的，

我无抵抗地把我的心灵交给阴影与歌曲的迷宫。

最后，我从沉睡中睁开眼，

我看见你站在我身旁，

我的睡眠沐浴在你的微笑之中。

我从前是如何地惧怕，怕这道路的遥远困难，

到你面前的努力是多么艰苦啊！