Carpe Diem是拉丁语,意为seize the day,把握今朝。古罗马诗人Horace最早在他的诗歌里使用这个短语(把握今朝,明天不可知不可信),后来这个主题不断被各代诗人重复使用,可见人生代代,对生命和时间的感触是相似的。一般说到这类诗歌,最著名的是英国诗人Robert Herrick的“To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time":
Gather ye rose-buds while ye may,
Old Time is still a-flying;
And this same flower that smiles today
Tomorrow will be dying.
The glorious lamp of heaven, the sun,
The higher he’s a-getting,
The sooner will his race be run,
And nearer he’s to setting.
That age is best which is the first,
When youth and blood are warmer;
But being spent, the worse, and worst
Times still succeed the former.
Then be not coy, but use your time,
And while ye may, go marry;
For having lost but once your prime,
You may forever tarry.
不过我最喜欢的是雪莱这首诗,顺便附上查良铮的翻译:
The flower that smiles to-day
To-morrow dies;
All that we wish to stay
Tempts and then flies.
What is this world’s delight?
Lightning that mocks the night,
Brief even as bright.
Virtue, how frail it is!
Friendship how rare!
Love, how it sells poor bliss
For proud despair!
But we, though soon they fall,
Survive their joy, and all
Which ours we call.
Whilst skies are blue and bright,
Whilst flowers are gay,
Whilst eyes that change ere night
Make glad the day;
Whilst yet the calm hours creep,
Dream thou—and from thy sleep
Then wake to weep.
今天还微笑的花朵
明天就会枯萎;
我们愿留贮的一切
诱一诱人就飞。
什么是这世上的欢乐?
它是嘲笑黑夜的闪电,
虽明亮,却短暂。
唉,美德!它多么脆弱!
友情多不易看见!
爱情售卖可怜的幸福,
你得拿绝望交换!
但我们仍旧得活下去,
尽管失去了这些喜悦,
以及“我们的”一切。
趁天空还明媚,蔚蓝,
趁着花朵鲜艳,
趁眼睛看来一切美好,
还没临到夜晚:
呵,趁现在时流还平静,
作你的梦吧——且憩息,
等醒来再哭泣。
雪莱不到三十岁就离开了这个世界,终于可以在美梦中憩息,不用等醒来哭泣了。