DavidTang（鄧永鏘）
IhateValentine'sDay(today)becauseIregarditassentimental.IfeelnauseouswhenIseethesyrupthatpervadessomeofthecardsandmessagessentonthisdate.St.Valentinewouldprobablyturninhisgraveifheknewhowhisnameistakeninvain.ButtherearetwogoodthingsaboutValentine'sDay.
First,itisaharmlessdistractionatthistimeoftheyearthatalwaysliftsmewiththereminderofspringandthebeginningofthebirds'matingseason;secondly,thedayalsoinvariablyremindsmeoflove-notsentimentallove,mindyou,butromanticlove-lovethatresidesinthemindandnotinmaterialthingsorearthlyevents.SoIwouldtodaymentionsomeofthebestkindoflovethatIknowof.Iwillconfineittopoetrybecausethereisnohigherexpressionoflovethanpoetry.(Howsadindeedthatwetodayhavesolittletodowithpoetry!)
OneofmyfavouritestpoemsonlovewaswrittenbyaWelshpoetnamedEdwardThomas.Itisespeciallymovingbecauseitidentifiesthegreatestkindoflovepossible-lovethatisfreelyandunconditionallygiven:-
Andyou,Helen,whatshouldIgiveyou?
SomanythingsIwouldgiveyou.
HadIaninfinitegreatstore
OfferedmeandIstoodbefore
Tochoose,Iwouldgiveyouyouth,
Allkindsoflovelinessandtruth,
Acleareyeasgoodasmine,
Lands,waters,flowers,wine,
Asmanychildrenasyourheart
Mightwishfor,afarbetterart
Thanminecanbe,allyouhavelost
Uponthetravellingwaterstossed,
Orgiventome,IfIcouldchoose
Freelyinthatgreattreasure-house
Anythingfromanyshelf,
Iwouldgiveyoubackyourself,
Andpowertodiscriminate
Whatyouwantandwantitnottoolate,
Manyfairdaysfreefromcare
Andhearttoenjoybothfoulandfair,
Andmyself,too,ifIcouldfind
Whereitlayhiddenanditprovedkind
Isn'tthismarvellousanddoesn'titmakeyousmile?
AnotherpoetwhoalwaysmakesmemarvelisPabloNeruda.(Ifyouhaven'tseenthefilm“IlPostino”inwhichNerudaappears,thenyouhaven'tseenthemostcharmingfilmevermade.)
NerudawroteinSpanishbuteveninEnglishtranslation,thebeautyofhiswordsdoesnotescape.Howaboutthesimpleline“…becauselovecannotalwaysflywithoutresting……”.Howperceptiveandsoelegant.Healsowrote:
Don'tgofaroff,notevenforaday,because-Because-Idon'tknowhowtosayit;adayislong
AndIwillbewaitingforyou,asinanemptystation
Whenthetrainsareparkedoffsomewhereelse,asleep.
Don'tleaveme,evenforanhour,because
Thenthelittledropsofanguishwillruntogether,
Thesmokethatroamslookingforahomewilldriftintome,chokingmylostheart.
Oh,mayyoursilhouetteneverdissolveonthebeach:
Mayyoureyelidsneverflutterintoemptydistance
Don'tleavemeforasecond,mydearest,
Becauseinthatmomentyou'llhavegonesofar
I'llwanderhazilyoveralltheearth,asking,
Willyoucomeback?Willyouleavemehere,dying?
Andtalkingaboutdying,JohnDonnewasanexpertbecauseasametaphysicalpoet,hewroteinhyperboles:-
WhenIamdead,anddoctorsknownotwhy,
Andmyfriends'curiosity
Willhavemecutuptosurveyeachpart
Whentheyshallfindyourpictureinmyheart.
Youthinkasuddendampoflove,
Willthroughalltheirsensesmove.
Andworkonthemaswe,andsoprefer
Yourmurder,tothenameofmassacre.
Whatamasterofimagination!Butbeingsimplytruthfulcanbeequallyeffective.ThatRupertBrookewasanincurableromanticwhoepitomizedsomuchyouthandbeautyduringtheFirstWorldWar:
SomewhilebeforethedawnIrose,andstept
Softlyalongthedimwaytoyourroom,
Andfindyousleepinginthequietgloom.
Andholinessaboutyouasyouslept
Ikneltthere;tillyourwakingfingerscrept
Aboutmyhead,andheldit.Ihadrest
UnhopedthissideofHeaven,beneathyourbreast,
Ikneltalongtime,still;norevenwept.
Itwasagreatwrongyoudidmeandforgain
Ofthatpoormoment'skindlinessandease,
Andsleepymother-comfort;
Childyouknow
Howeasilyloveleapsouttodreamslikethese,
Whohasseenthemtrue.Andlovethat'swakendso,
Takesalltoolongtolayasleepagain
Ihavealwaysadoredthispoemforitsgentleness,whichshowsthatlovedoesnothavetobepassionatetobeintense.Intensityalsoderivesfrommeregentleness.AndweneedgonofurtherthatourgreatChinesepoetChangChi（張籍）whowroteperhapsthegentlest,butalsothesaddest,poemIknow:
君知妾有夫，贈妾雙明珠；
感君纏綿意，繫在紅羅襦；
妾家高樓連苑起，良人執戟明光裏；
知君用心如明月，事夫誓擬同生死；
還君明珠雙淚垂，恨不相逢未嫁時。
Agoodtranslationis:
Knowing,fairSir,mymatrimonialthrall,
Twopearlsthousentestme,costlywithal,
AndI,seeingthatlovethyheartpossessed,
Iwrappedthemcoldlyinmysilkenvest.
Formineisahouseholdofhighdegree,
MyhusbandcaptainintheKing'sarmy.
Andmewithwitlikethineshouldsay
“Thetruthofwivesisforeveranday”
Withthetwopearls.Isendtheebacktwotears;
Tears-thatwedidnotmeetinearlieryears.
Peopledon'twritelikethisanymore!Lovecouldhardlyhavediminishedoverthecenturies,buthowimpoverishedandbanalweinthemodernagehavebecome!Let'sallreturntogoodoldproperromanceandsayandwriteagainthesweetestthingsthatmaymakelovesweeterstill.AsSt.Valentinesigned,beforehediedinprisoninalettertothejailer'sdaughterwithwhomhehadfalleninlove,“FromyourValentine”.
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作者為中國會創辦人，文章隔星期一刊出