——好玩儿的字母（J）

上回玩儿了五月的M，接着就想玩儿六七月的J。抱歉的是没看见有趣的诗句，却看到一个沉甸甸的词儿，Jerusalem，那就读它吧。 

今年春天流行《耶路撒冷三千年》（Jerusalem: The Biography, by Simon Sebag Montefiore, Alfred A. Knope, 2011）——耶路撒冷曾经是世界的中心，今天当然也是世界的焦点。在《圣经》（KJV, Revelation）里，“我看见那圣城，新的耶路撒冷从神的天国降下，犹如待嫁的新娘”（And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband）。它“碧玉为墙，精金为城，净如琉璃。”（And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass.）

在Simon 的眼里，“它是一个神的家园，两个人的首都，三个宗教的寺庙，是唯一存在于天宇和凡尘的城市（Jerusalem is the house of the one God, the capital of two peoples, the temple of three religions and she is the only city to exist twice—in heavenand on earth）；它在天上，在人间，也在世界任何地方；处处都能找到新的耶路撒冷，人人都有自己心目中的耶路撒冷……

在William Blake的心目中，耶城是他的精神家园。他为Milton《失乐园》写的小诗，要把耶路撒冷建在青青的英格兰乐土（Till we have built Jerusalem In England's green and pleasant land），几乎成了“第二国歌”（http://blog.sciencenet.cn/blog-279992-596973.html）；他还写过一首题为“耶路撒冷”的预言诗，直把耶城当成英格兰的化身：Jerusalem: The Emanation of the Giant Albion。全诗6000多行，洋溢着浪漫的乌托邦的情怀；我们玩儿字母的，没工夫去读（研究它的人很多，甚至还是英文系同学的学位论文题目）。这儿随便摘几行，仿佛又听到了前面那首歌： 

England! awake! awake! awake!

Jerusalem thy Sister calls!

Why wilt thou sleep the sleep of death?

And close her from thy ancient walls.

Thy hills & valleys felt her feet,

Gently upon their bosoms move:

Thy gates beheld sweet Zions ways;

Then was a time of joy and love.

And now the time returns again:  

Our souls exult & Londons towers,

Recieve the Lamb of God to dwell

In Englands green & pleasant bowers.

Blake为他的诗画了100幅图，这是第76幅，Albion在耶稣面前