The Invitation
邀 请
〔加拿大〕Oriah Mountain Dreamer
你为生存做了些什么，我不关心；
我想知道，
你的追求，
你是否敢于梦想去触碰你那内心的渴望。
你的年龄多大，我不关心；
我想知道，
你是否愿意像傻瓜一样不顾风险，
——为了爱，梦想还有活着就该有的冒险。
我不关心，是什么行星牵引着你的月亮，
我想知道，
你是否已触及自己悲伤的中心，
是否因生活的种种背叛而心胸开阔，
抑或因为害怕更大的痛苦而消沉封闭！
我想知道，
你是否能面对痛苦——我的或者你自己的，
而不必去隐藏、涂抹或修饰。
我想知道，
你是否能享受快乐——我的或者你自己的，
你是否能充满野性地舞蹈，让你从指端到足尖都被狂喜所充满，
而不会告诫我们要小心、要现实、要记住做人的禁忌。
我并不关心你告诉我的故事是否真实，
我想知道，
你是否能为了真实地对待自己而不怕别人失望，
你是否能承受背叛的指责而不出卖自己的灵魂。
我想知道，你是否能抛弃曾经的信念，而因此值得信赖；
我想知道，
你是否能发现美，即使它每天都不漂亮，
你是否能从它的存在中追寻你自己生命的源头。
我想知道，
你是否能与失败相伴——你的和我的，
却依然可以站立在湖边对着银色的满月放声大喊：
"是的，就是这样！"
我并不关心你在哪里生活或者你拥有多少金钱，
我想知道，
在一个悲伤、绝望、厌世和痛彻骨髓的夜晚之后，
你是否能起床，为养育孩子做那些需要的事情。
我并不关心你是谁，你是如何来到这里，
我想知道，你是否愿同我一起站在烈焰的中心，毫不退缩。
我并不关心你在哪里受到教育、你学了什么或者你同谁一起学习，
我想知道，
当一切都背弃了你，是什么在内心支撑你前行。
我想知道，
你是否能孤独地面对你自己，
你是否真正喜欢那些你在空寂之时留下的朋友。
The Invitation
By Oriah Mountain Dreamer
It doesn't interest me
what you do for a living.
I want to know
what you ache for
and if you dare to dream
of meeting your heart's longing.
It doesn't interest me
how old you are.
I want to know
if you will risk
looking like a fool
for love
for your dream
for the adventure of being alive.
It doesn't interest me
what planets are
squaring your moon…
I want to know
if you have touched
the centre of your own sorrow
if you have been opened
by life's betrayals
or have become shrivelled and closed
from fear of further pain.
I want to know
if you can sit with pain
mine or your own
without moving to hide it
or fade it
or fix it.
I want to know
if you can be with joy
mine or your own
if you can dance with wildness
and let the ecstasy fill you
to the tips of your fingers and toes
without cautioning us
to be careful
to be realistic
to remember the limitations
of being human.
It doesn't interest me
if the story you are telling me
is true.
I want to know if you can
disappoint another
to be true to yourself.
If you can bear
the accusation of betrayal
and not betray your own soul.
If you can be faithless
and therefore trustworthy.
I want to know if you can see Beauty
even when it is not pretty
every day.
And if you can source your own life
from its presence.
I want to know
if you can live with failure
yours and mine
and still stand at the edge of the lake
and shout to the silver of the full moon,
"Yes."
It doesn't interest me
to know where you live
or how much money you have.
I want to know if you can get up
after the night of grief and despair
weary and bruised to the bone
and do what needs to be done
to feed the children.
It doesn't interest me
who you know
or how you came to be here.
I want to know if you will stand
in the centre of the fire
with me
and not shrink back.
It doesn't interest me
where or what or with whom
you have studied.
I want to know
what sustains you
from the inside
when all else falls away.
I want to know
if you can be alone
with yourself
and if you truly like
the company you keep
in the empty moments.
