第13章 A MOTHER'S LOVE 妈妈的爱
A mother's love! —
how sweet the name!
What is a Mother's Love? —
A noble, pure, and tender flame,
Enkindled from above,
To bless a heart of earthly mould—
The warmest love that can grow cold; —
This is a Mother's Love.
To bring a helpless babe to light,
Then, while it lies forlorn,
To gaze upon that dearest sight,
And feel herself new-born;
In its existence lose her own,
And live and breathe in it alone; —
Thin is a Mother's Love.
In weakness in her arms to bear,
To cherish on her breast,
Feed it from Love's own fountain there.
And lull it there to rest;
Then while it slumbers watch its breath,
As if to guard from instant death; —
This is a Mother's Love.
To mark its growth from day to flay,
I to opening charms admire,
Catch from its eye the earliest ray
Of intellectual fire;
To smile and listen while it talks,
And lend a finger when it walks; —
This is a Mother's Love.
And can a Mother's Love grow cold—
Can she forget her boy?
His pleading innocence behold,
Nor weep for grief—for joy?
A mother may forget her child,
While wolves devour it on the wild; —
Is this a Mother's Love?
Ten thousand voices answer, “No!”
Ye clasp your babes and kiss;
Your bosoms yearn, your eyes overflow;
Yet, ah! remember this:—
The infant reared alone for earth,
May live, may die—
to curse his birth; —
Is this a Mother's Love?
Blest infant! whom his mother taught
Early to seek the Lord,
And poured upon his dawning thought
The day-spring of the Word:
This was the Lesson to her son, —
Time is Eternity begun; —
Behold that Mother's Love!
Blest mother! who in Wisdom's path,
By her own parent trod,
Thus taught her son to flee the wrath,
And know the fear of God:
Ah, youth!
like him enjoy your prime, —
Begin Eternity in time,
Taught by that Mother's love.
That Mother's Love! —
how sweet the name
What was that Mother's Love? —
The noblest, purest, tenderest flame,
That kindles from above
Within a heart of earthly mould, —
As much of heaven as heart can hold, —
Nor through eternity grows old; —
This was that Mother's Love.
—MONTGOMERY.
Words
admire,wonder at.
cherish,rapport.
dawning,opening.
devour,consume.
enjoy,delight in.
enkindled,inflamed.
eternity,futurity.
existence,life.
forlorn,helpless.
fountain,spring.
innocence,simplicity.
instant,Immediate.
intellectual,mental.
reared,trained.
remember,recollect.
slumbers,sleeps.
tenderest,most susceptible.
yearn,long.
妈妈的爱！
多么美的名称啊！
什么是妈妈的爱呢！
是高贵，纯粹而温柔的火焰，
在上天闪耀，
祝福那尘世间的人儿，
渐而冷却的最温暖的爱；
这就是妈妈的爱。
把一个无助的婴儿带到光明的地方，
然后，孤单地躺在那里，
凝视着那最亲爱的眼神，
感受自己得到新生；
有了他之后自己就失去了存在，
只为他而活而呼吸；
这就是妈妈的爱。
她虚弱地张开手臂，
把他珍惜地拥在怀里，
用爱本身的喷泉喂食他。
哄着他在那里睡着；
然后他睡着的时候，看着他呼吸，
生怕死亡会突然降临似的；
这就是妈妈的爱。
从第一天开始就观察他的成长，
我羡慕着那毫无保留的爱，
从他的眼中捕捉到最初的光彩，
那智慧的火焰；
当他说话的时候微笑着，聆听着，
他走路的时候用手扶着；
这就是妈妈的爱。
妈妈的爱会不会变冷呢？
她会忘记自己的孩子吗？
他那祈求纯洁的眼睛，
不是为忧伤而哭泣，而是因为高兴？
一个妈妈怎能忘记自己的孩子，
当荒野里的狼群把它吞噬的时候，
这还是妈妈的爱吗？
一万个声音答道，“不是！”
你拍打着你的孩子，亲吻他；
你的胸脯渴望着，你的眼睛流着泪；
但是，啊！记住吧：
婴儿是为这尘世独自而来的，
他生，他也会死，
这是他一出生的时候就有的诅咒；
这是妈妈的爱吗？
保佑这婴儿吧！妈妈！
早早教他找寻上帝，
在他启蒙的想法上，倾注了
上帝春日般的话语，
这是给她儿子的一课，
永恒的时间开始了；
看看妈妈的爱吧！
保佑那妈妈吧！她在智慧的路上，
教育她的孩子，
教她的孩子从愤怒中逃离，
知道对上帝心存畏惧，
啊，年轻人！
就像他一样享受自己的风华正茂吧，
开始永恒的时间，
这是他妈妈的爱交给他的。
那就是妈妈的爱！
多么美的名字啊！
什么是妈妈的爱？
最高贵，最纯粹，最温柔的火焰，
在上天闪耀，
在一颗尘世的人儿心中绽放，
上天和心灵能承受的极限，
永远也不会变老，
这就是妈妈的爱。
——蒙哥马利