[法國尼斯，一九五六年一月七日]－蔗尾蜂房

[法國尼斯，一九五六年一月七日]
--Sylvia Plath, 羅浩原譯

前往旺斯——向陽的山丘上一座小巧、
未商業化、步調緩慢又平靜的小鎮。
徒步至馬諦斯禮拜堂——

小巧、清淨、線條簡潔。
白牆配藍瓦頂
在太陽下閃閃發光。卻關門了！

一週只對外開放兩天。
一位好心又多話的農夫對我說
每天都有有錢人開著大汽車

從義大利、德國、瑞典等國過來，
都吃了閉門羹，
就算願捐大筆香油錢。

我孤寂地漫步到高牆圍繞的修女院後方，
在可以窺見禮拜堂的一隅之處寫生，
自覺像仙境外的愛麗斯，看著白鴿與橘樹。

當我返回前門睜睜地望著
隔著鐵欄杆一臉悵然，
我哭了起來。

我知道裡面有多麼美好，
一片純白任陽光
從青碧輝黃的彩繪玻璃窗灑下。

此時我聽到有人說「別哭了，進來吧」，
大修女讓我進去，
卻拒絕了所有坐汽車來的貴人們。

我在陽光的正中心跪下
在天空、海洋、太陽的顏色、
在純白的禮拜堂的正中心跪下。

「您人真好」，我喃喃自語。
修女微笑著。
「這是神的慈悲」。這就是愛。

P.S.此作原文是Sylvia Plath寫給母親的信，由筆者重新排版斷句譯成。

Quoted from: Sylvia Plath, Aurelia Schober Plath, ed., Letters Home: Correspondence 1950-1963 (New York: HarperPerennial, 1992), p.203-5.

[Nice, France January 7, 1956]
--Sylvia Plath

To Vence—small, on a sun-warmed hill,
uncommercial, slow, peaceful.
Walked to Matisse cathedral—

Small, pure, clean-cut.
White, with blue tile roof
Sparkling in the sun. But shut!

Only open to public two days a week.
A kindly talkative peasant told me stories
Of how rich people came daily in large cars

From Italy, Germany, Sweden, etc.,
And were not admitted,
Even for large sums of Money.

I was desolate and wandered to the back of the walled nunnery,
Where I could see a corner of the Chapel and sketched it,
Feeling like Alice outside the garden, watching the white doves and orange trees.

Then I went back to the front and stared
With my face through the barred gate.
I began to cry.

I knew it was so lovely inside,
Pure white with the sun
Through the blue, yellow, and green stained windows.

Then I heard a voice, “Ne pleurez plus, entrez,”
And the Mother Superior let me in,
After denying all the wealthy people in cars.

I just knelt in the heart of sun
And the colors of sky, sea, and sun,
In the pure white heart of the Chapel.

“Vous être si gentille,” I stammered.
The nun smile.
“C’est la miséricorde de Dieu.” It was love.