说起Robinson Jeffers,恐怕也没几个人知道。我也是偶然机会“碰”上了。刚来美国先到的是Carmel/Monterey。这一带不仅风景如画,而且有很多写家子留恋不舍。往东的Salinas镇,有著名小说家John Steinbach,著名作《愤怒的葡萄》The Grapes of Wrath,令其获得1962年诺贝尔文学奖。Salinas镇设有The National Steinbeck Centre。当然有人指责John Steinbach有共产党人的倾向。往南边,著名作家Henry Miller在Big Sur度过了自己狂荡不羁的晚年,读过《北回归线》,Tropic of Cancer的人知道。但是Carmel/Monterey本地人还是愿意谈论自己认可的诗人Robinson Jeffers。所以作为那里的客人,我就借这几张不成气候的图片,晒一首诗,作为对那片美丽海岸线的认同。
Rock and Hawk by Robinson Jeffers
Here is a symbol in which Many high tragic thoughts Watch their own eyes.
This gray rock, standing tall On the headland, where the seawind Lets no tree grow,
Earthquake-proved, and signatured By ages of storms: on its peak A falcon has perched.
I think here is your emblem To hang in the future sky; Not the cross, not the hive,
But this; bright power, dark peace; Fierce consciousness joined with final Disinterestedness;
Life with calm death; the falcon's Realist eyes and act Married to the massive
Mysticism of stone, Which failure cannot cast down Nor success make proud.