An October Sunrise
I was up the next morning be fore the October sunrise, and away through the wild and the woodland. The rising of the sun was noble in the cold and warmth of it peeping down the spread of light, he raised his shoulder heavily over the edge of grey mountain and wavering length of upland. Beneath his gaze the dew-fogs dipped, and crept to crept to the hollow places; then stole away in line and column, holding skirts, and clinging subtly at the sheltering corners where rock hung over grassland, while the brave lines of the hills came forth, one beyond other gliding.
The woods arose in folds, like drapery of awakened mountains, stately with a depth of awe, and memory of the tempests. Autumn’s mellow hand was upon them, as they owned already, touched with gold and red and olive, and their joy towards the sun was less to a bridegroom than a father.
Yet before the floating impress of the woods could clear it self, suddenly the gladsome light leaped over hill and valley, casting amber, blue, and purple, and a tint of rich red rose; according to the scene they lit on, and the curtain flung around; yet all alike dispelling fear and the cloven hoof of darkness, all on the wings of hope advancing, and proclaiming, “God is here!” then life and joy sprang reassured from every crouching hollow; every flower, and bud and bird had a fluttering sense of them; and all the flashing of God’s gaze merged into soft beneficence.
So, perhaps, shall break upon us that eternal morning, when crag and chasm shall be no more, neither hill and valley, nor great unvintaged ocean; but all things shall arise, and shine in the light of the Father’s countenance, because itself is risen.
十月的日出
第二天凌晨,在十月的太陽(yáng)升起之前,我已經(jīng)起身并穿過(guò)了曠野和叢林。十月的清晨乍寒還暖,日出的景象非常壯觀。透過(guò)一片晨曦,朝日從朦朧的山岡和起伏連綿的高地過(guò)際,沉重地抬起肩頭。在它的逼視下,蒙蒙的霧氣向下沉降,落到洼地里去,接著一絲絲一縷縷地悄悄飄散,而在草地之上懸?guī)r之下的那些隱秘角落里,霧氣卻還不愿散去,同時(shí)群山的雄姿接二連三地顯現(xiàn)出來(lái)。
森林也層層疊疊地顯現(xiàn),宛若剛剛蘇醒的山巒的斗篷,端莊威嚴(yán),并帶著狂風(fēng)暴雨的回憶。秋天成熟的手已經(jīng)在撫摸這些山林,因?yàn)樗鼈兊念伾呀?jīng)改變,染上了金黃,丹紅和橄欖綠。它們對(duì)朝日所懷的一片喜悅,像是要奉獻(xiàn)給一個(gè)新郎,更像是要奉獻(xiàn)給一位父親。
然而,在樹(shù)林那流動(dòng)的景色逝去之前,歡悅的晨光突然躍出了峰巒和山谷,光線所及,把照到的地方和周?chē)纳址謩e染成青色,紫色,琥珀色和富麗的紅玫瑰色。光線照到哪里,那里就如同一幅幕布被掀開(kāi)。而所有的一切都同樣在驅(qū)散恐懼和黑暗的魔影;所有的一切都展開(kāi)希望的翅膀,向前習(xí)翔,并大聲宣告:“上帝在這里!”于是生命和歡樂(lè)從每一個(gè)蜷伏的洞穴里信心十足地欣然躍出;一切花朵,蓓蕾和鳥(niǎo)雀都感到了生命和歡樂(lè)而抖動(dòng)起來(lái);上帝的凝視匯合成溫柔的恩澤。
也許,那永恒的晨光就會(huì)這樣降臨人間,那時(shí)不再有險(xiǎn)崖溝壑,不再有峰巒山谷,也不再有浩瀚無(wú)際的海洋;萬(wàn)物都將踴躍升騰,在造物主慈愛(ài)的光芒中生輝,因?yàn)樘?yáng)已經(jīng)升起。