大門緩緩打開
進門的是我父親
那年我九歲
他身影聳立，高我許多
藍眼睛閃閃發光
聲音極為冷酷
他說:「我有預感，
你知道我堅強又聖潔，
我必須完成神指示的工作。」
於是，我們開始爬山
我跑步、他走路上山
他的斧頭是由黃金鑄成
在我們停下來飲酒之時
森林變得更小
湖泊像極了女士的化妝鏡
父親接著擲出酒瓶
瓶子不久後摔碎
接著他把手放到我身上
我以為我看見了老鷹
也許是禿鷹
我不能確定
然後父親開始搭建祭壇
他一度轉頭看我
我猜他知道我不會閃躲
現在建造祭壇
犧牲我們孩子的人
你們絕不可再犯
這是陰謀，不是預感
你們絕不可被誘惑
無論誘惑你的是惡魔還是神靈
現在站在孩子上方的人
你們的手斧鈍了，血腥
你們並未在場目睹
當我躺在山上
父親的雙手
隨著美麗…美麗的話語顫抖
現在叫我教友的你
抱歉，我一定要問:
「這是出於誰的主意?」
當一切歸於塵埃
如果必要 我會殺了你
如果能夠 我會幫助你
當一切歸於塵埃
如果必要 我會幫助你
如果能夠 我會殺了你
孔雀打開了牠的羽扇
請寬恕我們身上的制服
－無論是身處和平之人或深陷戰爭之人。
====================================================
<Story of Issac >
The door it opened slowly,
my father he came in,
I was nine years old.
And he stood so tall above me,
and his blue eyes they were shining
and his voice was very cold.
He said, "I've had a vision
and you know I'm strong and holy,
I must do what I've been told."
So we started up the mountain,
I was running, he was walking,
and his axe was made of burning gold.
The trees they got much smaller,
the lake like a lady's mirror
when we stopped to drink some wine.
Then he threw the bottle over,
broke a minute later
and he put his hand on mine.
I thought I saw an eagle
but it might have been a vulture,
I never could decide.
Then my father built an altar,
he looked once behind his shoulder,
I guess he knew I would not hide.
You who build these altars now
to sacrifice our children,
you must not do it anymore.
A scheme is not a vision
and you never have been tempted
by a demon or a god.
You who stand above them now,
your hatchets blunt and bloody,
# you were not there before:
When I lay upon a mountain
and my father's hand was trembling
with the beauty, I mean the beauty of the word.
And if you call me Brother now,
forgive me but I must inquire:
"Just according to whose plan?"
When it all comes down to dust
I will kill you if I must,
I will help you if I can.
When it all comes down to dust
I will help you if I must,
I'll kill you if I can.
And mercy on our uniform,
man of peace, man of war－
the peacock spreads his fan!
===Everyman's Library pocket poet: Leonard Cohen p86 ===