繁星之夜

“他用全部精力追求了一件世界上最简单，最普通的东西，那就是太阳。"

1889年，荷兰后印象派画家文森特·凡高（Vincent  Van Gogh)在St.Remy精神病院画下了最受世人爱戴的作品《The Starry Night》。这幅画展现了一个高度夸张变形与充满强烈震撼力的星空景象。整个画面似乎被一股汹涌动荡的激流所吞噬。风景在发狂，山在骚动，月亮、星云在旋转；而那翻卷缭绕，直上云端的柏树，看起来象是一团巨大的黑色火舌，反映出画家躁动不安的情感和狂迷的幻觉世界。对凡高来说，画中的图象充满着象征的涵意。一轮从月蚀中走出来的月亮，暗示着某种神性，让人联想到凡高乐于提起的一句雨果的话：“上帝是月蚀中的灯塔”。而那巨大的，形如火焰的柏树，以及夜空中飞过的卷龙一样的星云，象征着人类的挣扎与奋斗的精神。
《Vincent》这首歌是美国民谣歌手Don McLean为纪念凡高的《The Starry Night》而作，收录在他张那风靡乐坛的专辑《American Pie》里。McLean用原声吉他自始至终伴着他叙事诗似的歌，用华丽的词藻描绘凡高灿若向日葵般的生命，同时又以朴实无华的语言倾诉凡高内心的痛苦，表达了对这位天才画家深深的理解与敬意。《The Starry Night》现存放于纽约“Museum of Modern Art”内，每天开始及完结时，艺术馆都会播放Don McLean的这首《Vincent》名曲。

Starry starry night
paint your palette blue and grey
look out on a summer's day
with eyes that know the darkness in my soul.
Shadows on the hills
sketch the trees and the daffodils
catch the breeze and the winter chills
in colors on the snowy linen land.

And now I understand
what you tried to say to me
and how you suffered for your sanity
and how you tried to set them free.
They would not listen they did not know how
perhaps they'll listen now.

Starry starry night
flaming flowers that brightly blaze
swirling clouds in violet haze
reflect in Vincent's eyes of China blue.
Colors changing hue
morning fields of amber grain
weathered faces lined in pain
are smoothed beneath the artist's loving hand.

And now I understand
what you tried to say to me
and how you suffered for your sanity
and how you tried to set them free.
They would not listen they did not know how
perhaps they'll listen now.
For they could not love you
but still your love was true
and when no hope was left in sight on that
starry starry night.
You took your life as lovers often do,
But I could have told you Vincent
this world was never meant for one as beautiful as you.

Starry starry night
portraits hung in empty halls
frameless heads on nameless walls
with eyes that watch the world and can't forget.
Like the stranger that you've met
the ragged men in ragged clothes
the silver thorn of bloddy rose
lie crushed and broken on the virgin snow.

And now I think I know
what you tried to say to me
and how you suffered for your sanity
and how you tried to set them free.
They would not listen they're not listening still
perhaps they never will.