罗伯特·弗罗斯特

在这里你会发现长诗桦树诗人罗伯特·弗罗斯特

桦树

当我看到白桦树左弯右弯,越过一排排更直、颜色更深的树时,我总想是某个男孩在摇它们。但摇摆并不能让它们弯腰。冰暴就是这样。你一定经常看到它们在一个阳光明媚的冬天早晨雨后装满了冰。微风吹起时,它们咔哒咔哒地敲打着自己;微风吹起时,它们的珐琅质也被震裂,变得五彩缤纷。很快,太阳的温暖使它们脱落了晶莹的外壳,粉碎了,雪崩在雪壳上,这些碎玻璃堆积如山,需要清扫,你会以为天堂的内部圆顶已经倒塌了。他们被沉重的担子拖向枯干的蕨类植物,似乎不会折断;虽然它们一旦长时间低垂,就再也无法挺直身子:若干年后,你可能会在树林里看到它们的树干拱起,树叶落在地上,就像女孩们双手和膝盖跪在地上,把头发甩过头顶,让太阳把它们晒干。但我正想说,当真理插嘴时,她把冰风暴的事都说得很平常,我倒希望有个男孩在他出门去赶牛的时候把它们弄弯——某个离城太远,学不了棒球的男孩,无论夏天还是冬天,他唯一能玩的就是自己找的东西,可以一个人玩。他一棵接一棵地征服了他父亲的树,一次又一次地把它们骑倒,直到它们不再僵硬,没有一棵是软弱无力的,没有一棵是留给他征服的。 He learned all there was To learn about not launching out too soon And so not carrying the tree away Clear to the ground. He always kept his poise To the top branches, climbing carefully With the same pains you use to fill a cup Up to the brim, and even above the brim. Then he flung outward, feet first, with a swish, Kicking his way down through the air to the ground. So was I once myself a swinger of birches. And so I dream of going back to be. It's when I'm weary of considerations, And life is too much like a pathless wood Where your face burns and tickles with the cobwebs Broken across it, and one eye is weeping From a twig's having lashed across it open. I'd like to get away from earth awhile And then come back to it and begin over. May no fate willfully misunderstand me And half grant what I wish and snatch me away Not to return. Earth's the right place for love: I don't know where it's likely to go better. I'd like to go by climbing a birch tree And climb black branches up a snow-white trunk Toward heaven, till the tree could bear no more, But dipped its top and set me down again. That would be good both going and coming back. One could do worse than be a swinger of birches.