Love at First Sight

sweetspot

Love at First Sight
by Wislawa Szymborska


. ~1 r6 i1 g! `$ F  nThey both thought
9 P" S& ~9 `; c7 `* b' s$ Tthat a sudden feeling had united them
" b2 O4 C+ S3 y+ W! aThis certainty is beautiful,
Even more beautiful than uncertainty.

' ]' _$ {& e' C' e' n8 K/ KThey thought they didn't know each other,
nothing had ever happened between them,
/ P/ f3 v6 q& D4 Y* q9 vThese streets, these stairs, this corridors,
' h' y. e  Q- P% f# E6 UWhere they could have met so long ago?
' ~5 y' b! u1 x6 f* d) U* c
2 B! u- K2 Q3 w- D# S. QI would like to ask them,
, X7 p/ a5 G5 s7 E% I1 g+ Zif they can remember -
0 h& X' `- ]% `* d' Uperhaps in a revolving door
0 ^2 D1 y# g" ]  O7 aface to face one day?
A "sorry" in the crowd?
9 p+ e2 A! |$ i( O"Wrong number" on the 'phone?
# U' U2 ?( [: F* V- but I know the answer.
% o& F# k! Q3 j4 l3 G9 oNo, they don't remember.
& R6 e9 `" y& X" Y) v: `) B) e
How surprised they would be
For such a long time already
( @6 z* f" X+ y' ], sFate has been playing with them.

Not quite yet ready
# p6 m9 W: ~; Tto change into destiny,
" H+ A7 ?6 K. @  Q0 h$ y1 I$ \: H& ?which brings them nearer and yet further,
cutting their path
+ h5 _/ g# w: l" o# mand stifling a laugh,
escaping ever further;
" L. v* k( ~3 f. D" }$ eThere were sings, indications,
: D( w  O5 g1 r" Kundecipherable, what does in matter.
Three years ago, perhaps
or even last Tuesday,
this leaf flying
from one shoulder to another?
7 [- Y, p' E  h+ U7 C% hSomething lost and gathered.
Who knows, perhaps a ball already
in the bushes, in childhood?

0 A' A; s! V2 }4 j( `6 ]) A. EThere were handles, door bells,
where, on the trace of a hand,
another hand was placed;
7 E1 P$ X- k: ssuitcases next to one another in the
7 p4 N+ R3 d/ Q( [left luggage.
/ n" _, ]9 T7 V$ N' `And maybe one night the same dream
forgotten on walking;
2 X  U2 x/ }$ f* B) W" q
But every beginning
is only a continuation
4 ~/ k: E; \5 x6 c6 Xand the book of fate is
always open in the middle.
Translation from Polish by Roman Gren
6 j" s- E  Q, l% R3 c5 kTranslation from French by Sarah Hardenberg

晓晓晓晓

向左走向右走里面有用这首诗的一节哎~!