हरिवंश

AFTER A STILL winter night I awoke with the impression that some question had been put to me, which I had been endeavoring in vain to answer in my sleep, as what — how — when — where? But there was dawning Nature, in whom all creatures live, looking in at my broad windows with serene and satisfied face, and no question on her lips. I awoke to an answered question, to Nature and daylight. The snow lying deep on the earth dotted with young pines, and the very slope of the hill on which my house is placed, seemed to say, Forward! Nature puts no question and answers none which we mortals ask. She has long ago taken her resolution. "O Prince, our eyes contemplate with admiration and transmit to the soul the wonderful and varied spectacle of this universe. The night veils without doubt a part of this glorious creation; but day comes to reveal to us this great work, which extends from earth even into the plains of the ether.



噢，王子。我們的眼睛在讚嘆，在靜觀，把這宇宙奇妙多變的景象傳達於靈魂。夜幕固然把造物的光輝部份掩遮，但白晝轉瞬來臨，揭示這偉大的作品，其廣大甚至從此土延伸至蒼穹。

已故的孟祥森（筆名孟東籬）在上個世紀末翻譯此段引文時，因為沒有網路，以他的博學多聞，仍註明此段引文出處不明。但我卻輕易的找到出自 《Harivansa》（訶利世系，或譯為哈利家譜）, 是印度二大史詩之一《摩訶婆羅多》的一個續章。《訶利世系》與《摩訶婆羅多》在實際內容上沒有什麼聯繫，但關於黑天的一些最主要的故事都是保存在此續章中。之前買的《湖濱書簡》，Letters to a Spiritual Seeker，梭羅亦有在給朋友的信中（1849/11/20）引用此史詩：

（那些學習瑜伽的人，從婆羅門那裡得到了努力的成果，）可擺脱一切枷鎖，像鳥在空中飛翔那樣的自由自在。
瑜伽者在沉思中，就能對造化有所貢獻；他能吸入神奇的香味，聽到美妙的事物。神體穿過他卻不傷害他，而與大自然吻合，使一切對他都恰到好處。他的一舉一動都鼓舞了大自然。

Free in this world, as the birds in the air, disengaged from every kind of chain.

Thus the Yogin, absorbed in contemplation, contributes for his part to creation : he breathes a divine perfume, he hears wonderful things . Divine forms traverse him without tearing him, and united to the nature which is proper to him, he goes, he acts, as animating original matter.

此書信集的編者在註釋提到梭羅於1849年9月11日自哈佛大學圖書館借出這套自梵文翻成法文的《Harivansa》，兩個月後，在給朋友的信中摘譯成英文。而1851年5月在修改《湖濱散記》而重讀此套書的同時，也在他的日記中記載了這兩段。因此可以推斷首揭引文應在此時加入《冬天的池》；梭羅說：正如其他的傳道者，寫完了我要講的，一段時日之後，我會再加進汲取自中國和印度經典的文字。

Like some other preachers, I have added my texts - derived from the Chinese and Hindoo scriptures – long after my discourse was written .