TED2019
Sarah Kay: "A Bird Made of Birds"
莎拉•凱依: 〈用鳥群做成的鳥〉
Filmed:
Readability: 3
1,727,091 views
莎拉•凱依引用她的詩人朋友卡非•阿克巴的話：「你計畫要寫的詩，老天爺已經寫過了。」她藉著表演〈用鳥群做成的鳥〉這首詩，分享她如何找到和在哪裡找到詩的靈感。（莎拉•凱依也是 TED 的播客《某人敬上》（Sincerely, X）的主持人，請用「發光體」（Luminary）播客軟體收聽，網址：luminary.link/ted）
Sarah Kay - Poet
A performing poet since she was 14 years old, Sarah Kay is the founder of Project VOICE, an organization that uses spoken word poetry as a literacy and empowerment tool. Full bio
A performing poet since she was 14 years old, Sarah Kay is the founder of Project VOICE, an organization that uses spoken word poetry as a literacy and empowerment tool. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
00:12
I have a friend named Kaveh Akbar,
who is a fellow poet.
who is a fellow poet.
0
915
5227
我有個朋友名叫卡非•阿克巴，
他和我一樣是個詩人。
他和我一樣是個詩人。
00:18
And Kaveh found this photo online
1
6721
2773
在網路上，他發現一張
藍鯨心臟的解剖照片，
藍鯨心臟的解剖照片，
00:21
of the anatomical heart of a blue whale
2
9518
3662
00:25
that scientists had hung
on a hook from the ceiling,
on a hook from the ceiling,
3
13204
3810
科學家用鉤子把心臟
從天花板懸吊下來，
從天花板懸吊下來，
00:29
which is how they were able to observe
that the heart of a blue whale
that the heart of a blue whale
4
17038
3519
這樣他們就能看到
藍鯨的心臟之大，
容得下一個人站在裡面。
容得下一個人站在裡面。
00:32
is big enough that a person
can stand up fully inside of it.
can stand up fully inside of it.
5
20581
4390
00:37
And when Kaveh shared this photo online,
6
25499
2908
卡非在網路上分享這張照片時，
00:40
he did so with the caption,
7
28431
2150
加上了這樣的文字：
00:42
"This is another reminder
8
30605
2623
「這再度提醒你，
00:45
that the universe has already written
the poem you were planning on writing."
the poem you were planning on writing."
9
33252
5793
你計畫要寫的詩，
老天爺已經寫過了。」
老天爺已經寫過了。」
00:52
And when I first saw that,
I was horrified.
I was horrified.
10
40197
3050
我看見時，驚懼萬分。
00:55
I was like, "Come on, man!
I'm trying to invent new metaphors!
I'm trying to invent new metaphors!
11
43271
3530
我心想：「喂！
我還想發明新的隱喻呢！
我還想發明新的隱喻呢！
00:58
I'm trying to discover beauty
that hasn't been discovered yet.
that hasn't been discovered yet.
12
46825
2938
我還想發掘還沒被發現過的美。
01:01
What do you mean, the universe
is always going to get there before me?"
is always going to get there before me?"
13
49787
3397
你是說老天爺總會比我快一步嗎？」
01:05
And I know this isn't
a uniquely poet problem,
a uniquely poet problem,
14
53208
3560
我知道這不是只有詩人才有的問題，
01:08
but on days when the world
feels especially big
feels especially big
15
56792
5232
當我們感到世界太大、
01:14
or especially impossible
16
62048
2230
太不可思議、
01:16
or especially full of grandeur,
17
64302
3019
太壯麗宏偉時，
01:19
those are the days when I feel,
18
67345
1801
我就會感覺：
01:22
"What do I possibly have to contribute
19
70492
3241
「身為詩人，我還有甚麼
值得貢獻的呢？」
值得貢獻的呢？」
01:25
to all of this?"
20
73757
1426
01:28
Not long ago, I saw this video
that some of you may have seen.
that some of you may have seen.
21
76503
2929
不久前，我看到一個影片，
你們可能已經看過了。
你們可能已經看過了。
01:31
It makes the internet rounds
every couple of months.
every couple of months.
22
79456
2938
這影片每兩個月
就在網路上發燒一次。
就在網路上發燒一次。
01:34
There are these birds
that are called starlings,
that are called starlings,
23
82418
2545
有一種鳥叫做椋鳥，
01:36
and they fly in what's
called a "murmuration,"
called a "murmuration,"
24
84987
3476
牠們集體飛行的樣子，
稱為「鳥雲」，
稱為「鳥雲」，
01:40
which is generally
just a big cloud of birds.
just a big cloud of birds.
25
88487
2926
就是一大群鳥在天空飛翔，
樣子像朵雲。
樣子像朵雲。
01:43
And someone happened to catch
a quick video on their phone
a quick video on their phone
26
91940
3967
有人用手機捕捉到椋鳥飛行的短片。
01:47
of these starlings flying.
27
95931
2310
01:50
And at first, it's just an amorphous blob,
28
98265
3152
剛開始只是沒有特定隊形的一群鳥，
01:53
and then there's a moment
where the birds shift,
where the birds shift,
29
101441
2952
然後一瞬間，隊形開始變換，
01:56
and they form the shape of a starling
30
104417
4458
在天空中排成一隻椋鳥的形狀！
02:00
in the sky!
31
108899
1651
02:02
(Laughter)
32
110574
1009
（笑聲）
02:03
And as soon as I saw it, I was like,
33
111607
2023
我一看到這個景象，就心想：
02:05
(Gasps) "The universe has already
written the poem
written the poem
34
113654
2403
（喘氣聲）「你計畫要寫的詩，
02:08
you were planning on writing!"
35
116081
1567
老天爺已經寫過了。」
02:09
(Laughter)
36
117672
1080
（笑聲）
02:10
Except, for the first time,
it didn't fill me with despair.
it didn't fill me with despair.
37
118776
3290
但是這次，我並不感到絕望。
02:14
Instead, I thought, "OK.
38
122090
3054
我倒是想：「好吧，
02:17
Maybe it's not my job
to invent something new.
to invent something new.
39
125168
4741
我的任務可能不是發明新東西，
02:21
Maybe instead it's my job to listen
to what the universe is showing me
to what the universe is showing me
40
129933
5582
而是要聽聽老天爺要告訴我些甚麼，
02:28
and to keep myself open
to what the universe offers,
to what the universe offers,
41
136674
4493
然後以開放的心胸來面對，
02:33
so that when it's my turn,
42
141191
2485
等輪到我的時候，
02:35
I can hold something to the light,
43
143700
2429
我可以有東西可以呈現，
02:38
just for a moment,
44
146153
2049
就算只是一瞬間，
02:40
just for as long as I have.
45
148226
2234
只是我擁有的一瞬間。」
02:43
The universe has already written the poem
46
151942
4589
你計畫要寫的詩，
02:48
that you were planning on writing.
47
156555
3217
老天爺已經寫過了。
02:51
And this is why
48
159796
1687
這就是為什麼
02:53
you can do nothing
but point at the flock of starlings
but point at the flock of starlings
49
161507
5752
你只能指著那群鳥，
02:59
whose bodies rise and fall
in inherited choreography,
in inherited choreography,
50
167283
6125
看著牠們的身體以與生俱來的
舞姿上下移動，編起隊伍，
舞姿上下移動，編起隊伍，
03:05
swarming the sky in a sweeping curtain
51
173432
3773
成群飛翔，像是在天空中拉起窗簾，
03:09
that, for one blistering moment,
52
177229
3026
就在火熱的一瞬間，
03:12
forms the unmistakeable shape
53
180279
2562
排成那明顯的椋鳥形狀，
03:14
of a giant bird
54
182865
1659
03:16
flapping against the sky.
55
184548
2162
在天空中揮舞著巨大的翅膀。
03:19
It is why your mouth forms an "o"
56
187351
4035
這時你的嘴巴張成「o」的形狀，
03:23
that is not a gasp,
57
191410
1474
但這不是個吃驚的表情，
03:24
but rather, the beginning of,
58
192908
2560
而是正要開口說：
03:27
"Oh. Of course."
59
195492
2807
｢哦！當然了。｣
03:30
As in, of course the heart of a blue whale
is as large as a house
is as large as a house
60
198323
6089
當然藍鯨的心臟跟房子一樣大，
03:36
with chambers tall enough
to fit a person standing.
to fit a person standing.
61
204436
4336
心室裡容得下一個人站在裡面。
03:40
Of course a fig becomes possible
62
208796
3899
當然無花果得以結果，
03:44
when a lady wasp lays her eggs
inside a flower,
inside a flower,
63
212719
4527
因為雌黃蜂在花裡產下蛋後，
03:49
dies and decomposes,
64
217270
2915
在花中死去並腐朽，
03:52
the fruit, evidence of her transformation.
65
220209
3716
無花果實，就是她生命變幻的證據。
03:55
Sometimes, the poem is so bright,
66
223949
3414
有時候，你的詩太巧妙，
03:59
your silly language will not stick to it.
67
227387
3274
文字太愚蠢，描寫不出那巧妙。
04:02
Sometimes, the poem is so true,
68
230685
3334
有時候，你的詩太真實，
04:06
nobody will believe you.
69
234043
2328
反而沒有人相信你。
04:08
I am a bird
70
236395
2703
我是一隻用鳥群
04:11
made of birds.
71
239122
2718
做成的鳥。
04:13
This blue heart a house
you can stand up inside of.
you can stand up inside of.
72
241864
3921
我是一個跟房子一樣大的藍色心臟，
你可以站在裡面。
你可以站在裡面。
04:17
I am dying
73
245809
2304
我將死，
04:20
here
74
248137
1660
在此，
04:21
inside this flower.
75
249821
3583
在這朵花裡。
04:26
It is OK.
76
254140
1755
沒有關係，
04:27
It is what I was put here to do.
77
255919
2980
這就是我此生要做的。
04:30
Take this fruit.
78
258923
2594
請享用這果實，
04:33
It is what I have to offer.
79
261541
2659
這是我所能貢獻的。
04:36
It may not be first,
80
264224
2152
這可能不是第一個果實，
04:38
or ever best,
81
266400
1980
或最好的果實，
04:40
but it is the only way to be sure
82
268404
2590
但因這果實，我確定
04:43
that I lived at all.
83
271018
2396
我曾經活過。
04:46
(Applause)
84
274094
6194
（掌聲）
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Sarah Kay - PoetA performing poet since she was 14 years old, Sarah Kay is the founder of Project VOICE, an organization that uses spoken word poetry as a literacy and empowerment tool.
Why you should listen
Plenty of 14-year-old girls write poetry. But few hide under the bar of the famous Bowery Poetry Club in Manhattan’s East Village absorbing the talents of New York’s most exciting poets. Not only did Sarah Kay do that -- she also had the guts to take its stage and hold her own against performers at least a decade her senior. Her talent for weaving words into poignant, funny, and powerful performances paid off.
Sarah holds a Masters degree in the art of teaching from Brown University and an honorary doctorate in humane letters from Grinnell College. Her first book, B, was ranked the number one poetry book on Amazon.com. Her second book, No Matter the Wreckage, is available from Write Bloody Publishing.
Sarah also founded Project VOICE, an organization that uses spoken word poetry as a literacy and empowerment tool. Project VOICE runs performances and workshops to encourage people to engage in creative self-expression in schools and communities around the world.
Sarah Kay | Speaker | TED.com