開(kāi)始

“我是從哪兒來(lái)的，你，在哪兒把我撿起來(lái)的？”孩子問(wèn)他的媽媽說(shuō)。

她把孩子緊緊地?fù)г谛厍?，半哭半笑地答道——“你曾被我?dāng)做心愿藏在我的心里，我的寶貝。

“你曾存在于我孩童時(shí)代玩的泥娃娃身上；每天早晨我用泥土塑造我的神像，那時(shí)我反復(fù)地塑了又捏碎了的就是你。

“你曾和我們的家庭守護(hù)神一同受到祀奉，我崇拜家神時(shí)也就崇拜了你。

“你曾活在我所有的希望和愛(ài)情里，活在我的生命里，我母親的生命里。

“在主宰著我們家庭的不死的精靈的膝上，你已經(jīng)被撫育了好多代了。

“當(dāng)我做女孩子的時(shí)候，我的心的花瓣兒張開(kāi)，你就像一股花香似的散發(fā)出來(lái)。

“你的軟軟的溫柔，在我的青春的肢體上開(kāi)花了，像太陽(yáng)出來(lái)之前的天空上的一片曙光。

“上天的第一寵兒，晨曦的孿生兄弟，你從世界的生命的溪流浮泛而下，終于停泊在我的心頭。

“當(dāng)我凝視你的臉蛋兒的時(shí)候，神秘之感淹沒(méi)了我；你這屬于一切人的，竟成了我的。

“為了怕失掉你，我把你緊緊地?fù)г谛厍?。是什么魔術(shù)把這世界的寶貝引到我這雙纖小的手臂里來(lái)呢？”

THE BEGINNING

“WHERE have Icome from,where did you pick me up?”thebaby asked its mother.

She answered half crying,half laughing,and clasping the babyto her breast,—“You were hidden in my heart as its desire,mydarling.

You were in the dolls of my childhood’s games;and when withclay Imade the image of my god every morning,I made andunmade you then.

You were enshrined with our household deity,in his worship Iworshipped you.

In all my hopes and my loves,in my life,in the life of mymother you have lived.

In the lap of the deathless Spirit who rules our home you havebeen nursed for ages.

When in girlhood my heart was opening its petals,you hoveredas afragrance about it.

Your tender softness bloomed in my youthful limbs,like aglowin the sky before the sunrise.

Heaven’s first darling,twin-born with the morning light,youhave floated down the stream of the world’s life,and at last youhave stranded on my heart.

As Igaze on your face,mystery overwhelms me;you whobelong to all have become mine.

For fear of losing you Ihold you tight to my breast.What magichas snared the world’s treasure in these slender arms of mine?”