
Sara Teasdale 莎拉、蒂絲黛兒這位美國女詩人的詩,『忘掉它』,詩中似有所指,與其說是「忘掉一段掛念的戀情」,倒不如說是「忘掉生命中一段曾經燦爛過的記憶」。中文翻譯為余光中老師在「今日世界出版社」出版的《美國現代詩選》。
Let be forgotten 忘掉它
忘掉它,像忘掉一朵花,
像忘掉煉過黃金的火焰,
忘掉它,永遠永遠。時間是良友,
它會使我們變成老年。
如果有人問起,就說已忘記,
在很早很早的往昔,
像花,像火,像靜悄悄的足音
在早被忘記的雪裡。
Let it be forgotten
Let it be forgotten, as a flower is forgotten,
Forgotten as a fire that once singeing gold,
Let it be forgotten, for ever and ever,
Time is a kind friend, he will make us old.
If anyone asks, say it was forgotten
Long and long ago,
As a flower, as a fire, as a hushed footfall,
In a long forgotten snow.
Copy right: "The Collected Poems of Sara Teasdale", 1959, New York, The Macmillan Company.
「在雪中被遺忘的足印」,九百年前蘇東坡就已經用了這個意象,希望女詩人蒂絲黛兒不會被指控為抄襲。
《和子由澠池懷舊》 蘇東坡
人生到處知何似?應似飛鴻踏雪泥;
泥上偶然留指爪,鴻飛那復計東西?
老僧已死成新塔,壞壁無由見舊題;
往日崎嶇還記否?路長人困蹇驢嘶。