002-Letter/信

信

你如何謀殺你的家人
於我毫無意義
當你的嘴巴移動攀過我身體

而我知道你的夢
關於崩毀的城市和奔馳的馬
關於太過靠近的太陽
以及永無止息的夜

然這些於我毫無意義
我的身旁是你

我知道外頭戰事正猖獗
那是你發號施令
嬰兒遭到窒息而將領被取走首級

然血於我毫無意義
它無損於你的肉體

在你舌上嚐到血
也不致使我震驚
當我的雙臂變成你的毛髮

別以為我不知道
發生了啥事
當士兵們遭到屠殺
娼妓被拖到劍下

我寫這封信只是想要騙取你

於某日清晨我的腦袋
和其他將領們一起吊在
你家大門上滴血

而這一切皆在我預期
由此你將明白為何它於我毫無意義。

─李歐納柯恩《讓我們比擬神話》1956

─13 譯自《異地樂章》1993 / 2009.7

LETTER

How you murdered your family
means nothing to me
as your mouth moves across my body

And I know your dreams
of crumbling cities and galloping horses
of the sun coming too close
and the night never ending

but these mean nothing to me
beside your body

I know that outside a war is raging
That you issue orders
That babies are smothered and generals beheaded

But blood means nothing to me
It does not disturb your flesh

tasting blood on your tongue
does not shock me
as my arms grow into your hair

Do not think I do not understand
what happens
after the troops have been massacred
and the harlots put to the sword

And I write this only to rob you

that when one morning my head
hangs dripping with the other generals
from your house gate

that all this was anticipated
and so you will know that it meant nothing to me.

(by Leonard Cohen from "Let Us Compare Mythologies", 1956)

("Stranger Music--selected poems and songs", 1993)