||
——好玩儿的字母(J)
上回玩儿了五月的M,接着就想玩儿六七月的J。抱歉的是没看见有趣的诗句,却看到一个沉甸甸的词儿,Jerusalem,那就读它吧。
今年春天流行《耶路撒冷三千年》(Jerusalem: The Biography, by Simon Sebag Montefiore, Alfred A. Knope, 2011)——耶路撒冷曾经是世界的中心,今天当然也是世界的焦点。在《圣经》(KJV, Revelation)里,“我看见那圣城,新的耶路撒冷从神的天国降下,犹如待嫁的新娘”(And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband)。它“碧玉为墙,精金为城,净如琉璃。”(And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass.)
在Simon 的眼里,“它是一个神的家园,两个人的首都,三个宗教的寺庙,是唯一存在于天宇和凡尘的城市(Jerusalem is the house of the one God, the capital of two peoples, the temple of three religions and she is the only city to exist twice—in heavenand on earth);它在天上,在人间,也在世界任何地方;处处都能找到新的耶路撒冷,人人都有自己心目中的耶路撒冷……
在William Blake的心目中,耶城是他的精神家园。他为Milton《失乐园》写的小诗,要把耶路撒冷建在青青的英格兰乐土(Till we have built Jerusalem In England's green and pleasant land),几乎成了“第二国歌”(http://blog.sciencenet.cn/blog-279992-596973.html);他还写过一首题为“耶路撒冷”的预言诗,直把耶城当成英格兰的化身:Jerusalem: The Emanation of the Giant Albion。全诗6000多行,洋溢着浪漫的乌托邦的情怀;我们玩儿字母的,没工夫去读(研究它的人很多,甚至还是英文系同学的学位论文题目)。这儿随便摘几行,仿佛又听到了前面那首歌:
England! awake! awake! awake!
Jerusalem thy Sister calls!
Why wilt thou sleep the sleep of death?
And close her from thy ancient walls.
Thy hills & valleys felt her feet,
Gently upon their bosoms move:
Thy gates beheld sweet Zions ways;
Then was a time of joy and love.
And now the time returns again:
Our souls exult & Londons towers,
Recieve the Lamb of God to dwell
In Englands green & pleasant bowers.
Blake为他的诗画了100幅图,这是第76幅,Albion在耶稣面前
Archiver|手机版|科学网 ( 京ICP备07017567号-12 )
GMT+8, 2024-9-28 07:13
Powered by ScienceNet.cn
Copyright © 2007- 中国科学报社