Leonard Cohen的空街

跟一位朋友聊到“四大皆空”的“空”以及弘一法师的“华枝春满，天心月圆”，他的出家和临终的“悲欣交集”，这位朋友说：“又是悲，又是喜，如何算空？既然诸法空相，干吗月圆花开？不住色身香味触法，这就是住。”

我却想到了前一阵在《纽约客》（March 2, 2009）上读到Leonard Cohen一首诗，里面有这么两句，“Some people say it’s empty/But that doesn’t mean it’s light”，深合我意，干脆把全诗抄录一下，留个mark。总之，在我看来，“空”不等于无一物，可喜可悲之“空”，正是高境。

A Street

by Leonard Cohen 

I used to be your favorite drunk

Good for one more laugh

Then we both ran out of luck

And luck was all we had

 

You put on a uniform

To fight the Civil War

I tried to join but no one liked

The side I’m fighting for

 

So let’s drink to when it’s over

And let’s drink to when we meet

I’ll be standing on this corner

Where there used to be a street

 

You left me with the dishes

And a baby in the bath

And you’re tight with the militias

You wear their camouflage

 

I guess that makes us equal

But I want to march with you

An extra in the sequel

To the old red-white-and-blue

 

So let’s drink to when it’s over

And let’s drink to when we meet

I’ll be standing on this corner

Where there used to be a street

 

I cried for you this morning

And I’ll cry for you again

But I’m not in charge of sorrow

So please don’t ask me when

 

I know the burden’s heavy

As you bear it through the night

Some people say it’s empty

But that doesn’t mean it’s light

 

So let’s drink to when it’s over

And let’s drink to when we meet

I’ll be standing on this corner

Where there used to be a street

 

It’s going to be September now

For many years to come

Every heart adjusting

To that strict September drum

 

I see the Ghost of Culture

With numbers on his wrist

Salute some new conclusion

Which all of us have missed

 

So let’s drink to when it’s over

And let’s drink to when we meet

I’ll be standing on this corner

Where there used to be a street