开始

“我是从哪儿来的，你，在哪儿把我捡起来的？”孩子问他的妈妈说。

她把孩子紧紧地搂在胸前，半哭半笑地答道——“你曾被我当做心愿藏在我的心里，我的宝贝。

“你曾存在于我孩童时代玩的泥娃娃身上；每天早晨我用泥土塑造我的神像，那时我反复地塑了又捏碎了的就是你。

“你曾和我们的家庭守护神一同受到祀奉，我崇拜家神时也就崇拜了你。

“你曾活在我所有的希望和爱情里，活在我的生命里，我母亲的生命里。

“在主宰着我们家庭的不死的精灵的膝上，你已经被抚育了好多代了。

“当我做女孩子的时候，我的心的花瓣儿张开，你就像一股花香似的散发出来。

“你的软软的温柔，在我的青春的肢体上开花了，像太阳出来之前的天空上的一片曙光。

“上天的第一宠儿，晨曦的孪生兄弟，你从世界的生命的溪流浮泛而下，终于停泊在我的心头。

“当我凝视你的脸蛋儿的时候，神秘之感淹没了我；你这属于一切人的，竟成了我的。

“为了怕失掉你，我把你紧紧地搂在胸前。是什么魔术把这世界的宝贝引到我这双纤小的手臂里来呢？”

THE BEGINNING

“WHERE have Icome from,where did you pick me up?”thebaby asked its mother.

She answered half crying,half laughing,and clasping the babyto her breast,—“You were hidden in my heart as its desire,mydarling.

You were in the dolls of my childhood’s games;and when withclay Imade the image of my god every morning,I made andunmade you then.

You were enshrined with our household deity,in his worship Iworshipped you.

In all my hopes and my loves,in my life,in the life of mymother you have lived.

In the lap of the deathless Spirit who rules our home you havebeen nursed for ages.

When in girlhood my heart was opening its petals,you hoveredas afragrance about it.

Your tender softness bloomed in my youthful limbs,like aglowin the sky before the sunrise.

Heaven’s first darling,twin-born with the morning light,youhave floated down the stream of the world’s life,and at last youhave stranded on my heart.

As Igaze on your face,mystery overwhelms me;you whobelong to all have become mine.

For fear of losing you Ihold you tight to my breast.What magichas snared the world’s treasure in these slender arms of mine?”