Music

從《別在我墳前佇足啜泣》到《我們是七個》
前些時我在一位長輩的告別式上朗誦了一首詩：
別在我墳前啜泣心碎，我不在那裡長睡。我是雪花輕飛，　我是驟雨細墜。　暗夜星輝，我是靜室綻放的蓓蕾；寧靜清早，我是優雅翱翔的麗鳥。當坏土新堆，　　我化身愉悅美好，隨千風而吹。　別為我哭泣心碎，
我不在那裡長睡。
是我改譯自一首寫於1932年的英詩：
Do not stand at my grave and weep, I am not there, I do not sleep. I am in a thousand winds that blow,
I am the softly falling snow.
I am the gentle showers of rain, I am the fields of ripening grain. I am in the morning hush, I am in the graceful rush Of beautiful birds in circling flight, I am the starshine of the night. I am in the flowers that bloom, I am in a quiet room. I am in the birds that sing, I am in each lovely thing. Do not stand at my grave and cry,
I am not there. I do not die.
此詩系美國馬里蘭州巴爾的摩市的Mary Elizabeth Frye（1905-2004）為悼念猶太好友Margaret Schwarzkopf死於德國的母親而作。它藉由逝者以第一人稱，化身風花雪鳥等美好事物，向生者捎來我沒有死去，別在墳前為我啜泣的音訊。雖幽明永隔，卻若亡而存，很是感人。所以在送葬場合，
一再被朗讀。
在生死線外，
相對也有生者認墓中親人雖死猶生者。
英國詩人華滋華斯（William Wordsworth 1770-1850）有一首詩：《我們是七個》（《We are Seven》）就表達了這樣的意境。
一個八歲小女孩，共七個手足，死了哥哥姐姐兩個。作者問：「小姑娘啊！妳有幾個兄弟姐妹？」她回稱：「幾個呢？一共是七個。」作者質疑七個死了兩個，不是剩五個嗎？
她回說：「墳堆看得見，青綠一片，離我家門口十二步左右，
兩座墳相挨相靠。」
「那兒，我常常織我的毛襪，把手絹四邊縫好；我常常靠近墳頭坐下，
給他們唱一支小調。」
「先生，只要碰上了好天氣，太陽下了山，還不暗，我便把我的小粥碗端起，
上那兒吃我的晚飯。」
「我姐姐珍妮先走一步：她躺著，哼哼叫叫，上帝解除了她的痛苦，
她便悄悄地走掉。」
「她被安頓在墳地裡睡下；等她的墓草一乾，我們便在她墳邊玩耍───
我和哥哥約翰。」
「等到下了雪，地下一片白，我可以亂跑亂滑，我哥哥約翰卻又離開，
在姐姐身邊躺下。」
「有兩個進了天國，」作者說，「那你們還剩幾個？」小姑娘回答得又快又利索：
「先生！我們是七個。」
「可他們死啦，那兩個死啦！他們的靈魂在天國！」這些話說了也是白搭，小姑娘還是堅持回答：
「不，我們是七個！」
不是嗎？死亡是暫時躺下休息。別在我墳前佇足啜泣，
我們是七個！
註：《我們是七個》譯文引自中國翻譯名家楊德豫《華滋華斯抒情詩選》。
原文如下：
A simple child， That lightly draw its breath，And feels its life in every limb， What should it know of death？ I met a little cottage Girl: She was eight year old, she said: Her hair was thick with many a curl That clustered round herhead.She had a rustic, woodland air, And she was wildly clad:
He eyes were fair, and very far;-Her beauty rnade me glad.
"Sisters and brothers, little Maid, How rnany rnay you be?" "How many?Seven in all, "she Sad, And wondering looked at me. "And where are they? I pray you tell. She answered, "Seven are we;And two of us at Conway dwell, And two are gone to sea; "Two of us in the church-yard lie, My sister and my brother; And, in the church-yard cottage, I
Dwell near thern with my mother"
"You say that two at Conway dwell, And two are gone to sea, Yet ye are seven! -I Pray y0u tell,
" Sweet Maid, how this may be."
Then did the little Maid reply, "Seven boys and girls are we;Two of us in the church-yard lie
" Beneath the church-yard tree."
"You run about, my little Maid;Your limbs they are alive; If two are in the church-yard laid,
" Then ye are only five."
"Their giaves are green, they may be seen," The little Maid replied: "Twelve Steps or more from my mother's door
And they are side by skle.
"My stoching there I often knit, My kerchief ther I hem;And there upon the ground I sit,
And sing a sang to them.
"And often after sunset, Sir, When it is light and fair, I take my little potringer,
And eat my suppr there.
"The first that died was sister Jane;ln bed she moaning lay,
Till God released her of her Pain;And then she went away.
"So in the church-yard she was laid;And, when the grass was dry, Together round her grave we played,
My brother John and I."
"And when the ground was white with snow, And I could run and slide， My brother John was forced to go,
" And he lies by her side."
"How many are you ,then,"said I， “If they two are in heaven？” Quick was the little Maid's reply，
"O Master！we are seven."
"But they are dead；those two are dead！ Their spirits are in heavn！ ” ” Twas throwing words away；for still The little Maid would have her will， And said，"Nay，we are seven!"