文化与艺术
聖誕新詩:禮物
2021-12-27
—— Bryan Hart

每個耶穌受難日,我都會重讀喬治·赫伯特的詩《祭物》("The Sacrifice")。在赫伯特的敘述中,基督通過63節詩句表達了自己的受難,每一行都充滿魅力和神學見解。這是一首對史上最偉大故事的精彩重述。

爲了模仿赫伯特描寫耶穌受難那樣寫聖誕的道成肉身,我根據《祭物》創作了《禮物》。它比《祭物》更短,並且也不是什麼傑作。但是正像其靈感來源一樣,它深植於道成肉身的神學啓示(神與我們同在)和令人心碎的美麗中(神與我們同在)。

在赫伯特作品的開頭,作者向道成肉身(「是我,凡有眼的都必尋見」)表達了敬意。在我的結尾詩節,我也同樣向耶穌的受難表達了敬意。把這兩句分開解讀是不恰當的。不過《祭物》強調的是耶穌對經歷悲痛的意願,而《禮物》則強調了祂的慷慨捨己。我寫的雖是一首現代詩,但我希望它是一首能幫助我們爲耶穌誕生的諸多榮耀獻上感恩的詩。神與我們同在!

The Gift

Come all ye burdened, lowly, and blind,

Come, all who are lost, that is, all mankind,

"To me, who took eyes that I might you find":

Was ever a gift like mine?

Who else but the Author of life itself

Would to descend from the heavenly shelf?

Into this tale I have written myself:

Was ever a gift like mine?

Of love and logos, of philosophy,

The sages dreamt, though only hazily;

But now, at last, can all be seen in Me:

Was ever a gift like mine?

Becoming low, my humiliation

Secures a more splendid transformation;

The lowest I'll raise in exaltation:

Was ever a gift like mine?

Oh Eve, who heeded what the serpent said,

The shame for commencing sin's crimson thread

Can end—Your seed has come to crush his head:

Was ever a gift like mine?

From Eden did the angels Adam send,

But now to his offspring they do commend

Me, the new Adam who will the world mend:

Was ever a gift like mine?

In Abraham all nations will be bless'd,

But how? Accomplishing it is my quest;

I come to dress them in my righteousness:

Was ever a gift like mine?

An ancient stump sends up a royal shoot,

A King to whom all kings will pay tribute;

But greater is the prize that I』ll impute:

Was ever a gift like mine?

From Bethlehem that King would come, 'twas said.

But I'll be more, their only House of Bread,

And give my body that all may be fed:

Was ever a gift like mine?

Do not ignore my genealogies;

Both sagas of human catastrophes

Are my share in our trade of fam'ly trees:

Was ever a gift like mine?

For I assume Joseph's ancestral shame,

Attaching its failure to my good name,

So my perfection all failures might claim:

Was ever a gift like mine?

Zechariah spoke of coming Sunrise

from God on high, to darkened souls supplies

My light, that mortals I'll immortalize:

Was ever a gift like mine?

Elizabeth carries within her womb

One to straighten my way, a voice from whom

Disciples will learn of the true Bridegroom:

Was ever a gift like mine?

A manger contains my body from cold,

The very one who does the cosmos hold;

The glories of Christmas are manifold!

Was ever a gift like mine?

Begotten not made, yet born of virgin,

Still a stranger myst'ry I illumine:

How sinners are made into God’s kinsmen:

Was ever a gift like mine?

The Shepherds hear first, for to them I am

Inaugurating my ovine program,

In which the Chief Shepherd becomes a Lamb:

Was ever a gift like mine?

Mary's heart is my childhood treasury,

Alas, a sword will bring it injury;

Fear not, I'll heal it in my Victory:

Was ever a gift like mine?

Simeon finds that for which many sought,

Open, his hands receive what can』t be bought;

My grace is never earned but only caught:

Was ever a gift like mine?

The Magi seek me via shining star,

Meet a heavenly Son, brighter by far

Than all other treasure, one without par:

Was ever a gift like mine?

 

Herod from his throne rules my land with might,

But finds in my infancy cause for fright;

Why, since his sins I have come to make white?

Was ever a gift like mine?

My parents to Egypt with me fly,

So as Israel I identify,

That their wanderings I might rectify:

Was ever a gift like mine?

Not only thirty years I'll be a man,

My flesh is permanent, so that I can

Be Advocate for an eternal span:

Was ever a gift like mine?

With sufferers I come to sympathize,

To take their pain and with them agonize;

In me their High Priest they』ll soon recognize:

Was ever a gift like mine?

Is this not why I』ve come? I』m born to die

As ransom for many, their souls I』ll buy,

That all wretchedness I might beautify:

Was ever a gift like mine?

 

The tree of life I made, for man’s good;

The cross of death men made, not knowing I would,

As a carpenter’s son, trade wood for wood:

Was ever a gift like mine?

So, as angels sang celestial chorus,

Immanuel will be the most joyous

Carol men will ever sing: "God with us!"

Never was a gift like mine.

禮物

來吧,凡勞苦擔重擔、卑賤和瞎眼的,

來吧,凡失喪的,就是所有人類,

「是我,凡有眼的都必尋見」:

有何禮物像我?

除了生命的作者本身

還有誰會從高天降下?

進入我自己譜寫的故事中:

有何禮物像我?

聖人只在朦朧中夢見過;

所謂愛和真理,哲學

但如今,一切終將在我之中得見:

有何禮物像我?

降爲卑微,

我的屈辱成全了那更加壯麗的轉變

我必高舉最微小的:

有何禮物像我?

哦,聽信毒蛇之言的夏娃啊,

挑起罪惡猩紅之線的恥辱啊

將會結束——你的後裔要來擊碎他的頭:

有何禮物像我?

 

被天使從伊甸園驅逐的亞當,

如今他們聽命於他的後裔

我,來修正世界的新亞當:

有何禮物像我?

 

萬民因亞伯拉罕得福,

但如今?完成這福便是我的使命;

我來爲他們披戴義袍:

有何禮物像我?

古老的樹丕長出真枝條,

萬王所供奉的那王;

而我爲擔罪付上極重的代價:

有何禮物像我?

預言說,王將誕生於伯利恆。

而我不止作王,還要作他們的糧倉,

捨身餵養他們:

有何禮物像我?

不要輕忽我的宗譜;

一切人類大災難

是我爲家族替罪的分:

有何禮物像我?

我拿走約瑟先祖的恥辱,

使其過失與我的美名相連,

所有的失敗都因我完全:

有何禮物像我?

撒迦利亞傳講那將要來的晨光

從至高之神而來,給那黑暗中的靈魂

我的光,使凡人不朽:

有何禮物像我?

在伊利莎白的子宮裡

從那修直我路的呼喊聲中

門徒得以認識那真新郎:

有何禮物像我?

在寒冷中承載我身的馬槽,

托住宇宙的那一位;

彰顯聖誕的諸多榮耀!

有何禮物像我?

由童女生下,受生而非受造,

仍然是奇妙奧祕的啓示:

罪人何以稱爲神的家屬:

有何禮物像我?

牧羊人先聽到,

我向他們宣佈我的牧羊計劃,

就是爲首的牧羊人成爲羊羔:

有何禮物像我?

 

馬利亞的心是我兒時的至寶,

可嘆,一把劍會將它刺傷;

別怕,我的得勝將醫治它:

有何禮物像我?

西門找到了那眾人所尋的,

伸開,他的手收到了那無價之寶;

我的恩典從不能賺取只能領受:

有何禮物像我?

 

博士在閃亮之星的帶領下找到我,

尋到高天之子,

比其他寶藏更加在遠處熠熠生輝,無暇無疵:

有何禮物像我?

希律王在寶座上帶著權柄統治我的王國,

但卻在我的誕生中戰兢;

何必呢,我來是爲將他的罪孽塗抹變白,

有何禮物像我?

父母帶著我逃到埃及,

如同我民以色列,

我將結束他們的漂泊:

有何禮物像我?

我不止成爲肉身三十年,

我的身體是永恆的,

做那永遠的見證:

有何禮物像我?

我來憐憫苦難中的人,

拿走他們的痛苦和掙扎;

他們認出我是至高的大祭司:

有何禮物像我?

 

這難道不是我到來的理由嗎?我向死而生

做多人的贖價,買贖他們的靈魂,

重寫一切悲劇的結局:

有何禮物像我?

我爲人的益處而造的生命樹;

人所打造象徵死亡的十字架,

木匠之子,以木換木

有何禮物像我?

 

所以,當天使高唱頌歌,

以馬內利至高的喜樂

人們將永遠高歌:「神與我們同在!」

沒有禮物像我。

 


譯:小芝麻;校:JFX。原文刊載於福音聯盟英文網站:New Christmas Poem: 'The Gift'.

Bryan Hart(布萊恩·哈特)和他的太太金伯利以及四個孩子住在北卡羅來納的莫爾黑德城(Morehead City)。他在一港教會(One Harbor Church)當牧師。
標籤
藝術
聖誕
讚美