渴望之书

我进不了深山
那系统不灵
我依赖药片
还得感谢上天

我沿那路程
从混乱到艺术
欲望为马
抑郁为车

我像天鹅航行
我像石头下沉
而时光远去
不理我的笑柄

我的纸太白
我的墨太淡
白昼不肯写下
夜用铅笔涂鸦

我的动物嚎叫
我的天使不安
却不许我
有丝毫悔怨

而有人将会
强我所难
我的心属于他
处之淡然

她将踏上小路
知我所言
我的意志切成两半
在自由之间

转瞬片刻
我们生命会相撞
那无尽的停摆
那敞开的门

而她将
为你这样的人诞生
敢为人
先继续向前

我知道她正到来
我知道她将顾盼
就是那渴望
就是这书

作者：莱昂纳德科恩

译者：北岛
上海译文出版社，2011年10月版

I can’t make the hills
The system is shot
I’m living on pills
for which I thank G-d

I followed the course
From chaos to art
Desire the horse
Depression the cart

I sailed like a swan
I sank like a rock
But time is long gone
Past my laughing stock

My page was too white
My ink was too thin
The day wouldn’t write
What the night pencilled in

My animal howls
My angel’s upset
But I’m not allowed
A trace of regret

For someone will use
What I couldn’t be
My heart will be hers
Impersonally

She’ll step on the path
She’ll see what I mean
My will cut in half
And freedom between

For less than a second
Our lives will collide
The endless suspended
The door open wide

Then she will be born
To someone like you
What no one has done
She’ll continue to do

I know she is coming
I know she will look
And that is the longing
And this is the book