啞巴畫眉 Mute Hwamei

圖片來源

(這也是一篇之前寫了沒有馬上用到的文章，為了寫這篇文章，我又看了不少畫眉鳥的資料，聽了不少畫眉鳥唱歌。這篇文章用的專有名詞應該比竹子那篇少了，不過要把這種東方鳥用英文表達出來，幫我翻譯的弟兄，據說在翻譯時，也是頭昏腦脹，好像被啾啾聲包圍攻擊一樣...)

鄭明析老師曾養過一隻畫眉鳥。這隻畫眉鳥相當善鳴，常在老師傳講話語時啼唱呼應，令人拍案叫絕。太會唱了的關係，老師給它一個響亮亮的名字：「明歌手」。

明歌手與老師之間，有著深刻的故事與情感，但由於檢疫法的規定，身為鳥類的明歌手無法進入韓國，只能拜託他人照顧，幾年後因達壽限而過世了。

想念明歌手的老師，想再養一隻畫眉鳥，無奈韓國並不是畫眉鳥的棲息地，即使想要找一隻畫眉鳥也是困難重重，找遍整個國家的鳥禽市場，也沒有畫眉鳥的下落。

老師為這件事禱告了一個月，感受到聖子回應：「如果你去找，我也會一起找。」不久，一名弟子在首爾找到了養畫眉鳥的人，那養鳥人並且願意分給老師飼養。

有意思的是，那人擁有的畫眉鳥，竟分成會「很會啼叫的鳥」和「不會啼叫的鳥」。老師體會到：「畫眉鳥本來是很會唱歌的鳥，但聖子會配合人當下的處境，不會按照人的想法來賜下。」於是老師要了「啞巴鳥」回來，養在月明洞。

老師讓人在照顧那隻啞巴畫眉時，播放過去明歌手啼唱時留下來的錄音，受到明歌手的感召，漸漸地，那啞巴畫眉也開口了，脫離了啞巴的行列，正朝向新一代明歌手邁進。

明明畫眉鳥是很會唱歌的鳥類，為什麼出現啞巴鳥呢？又為什麼聖子給老師的體會是要回啞巴鳥呢？

畫眉鳥鳴聲宏亮，音韻多變且委婉動聽，並且善仿其他的鳥鳴聲、獸叫聲和蟲鳴，因而極具豢養的樂趣。一般而言，畫眉鳥愛鳴是天性，失性不鳴，往往是因為罹患疾病，或是受到了驚嚇，也有因為氣候冷熱變化過大，喉管適應不良而失音的。雖不知新一代明歌手先前變成啞巴的確切原因，不過最大的可能應該是受到了驚嚇。

對畫眉鳥來說，會導致失性閉口的驚嚇，除了讓生命感受到威脅的驚嚇之外，還有一種是氣勢受到威脅的驚嚇。鳴唱實力相當的畫眉鳥若聚在一起，彼此模仿學口，會出現加乘效果，越唱越好；但若驟然讓唱功明顯落後的畫眉鳥與實力堅強的唱將面對面接觸，勝負立判的衝擊太大，落敗的畫眉鳥就可能從此閉口不啼。

想必啞巴畫眉因有老師派人細心照料，又有月明洞的靈氣薰陶，過去受到的驚嚇漸漸平復。老師再讓它聆聽過去明歌手留下的錄音，既可學口，又沒有面對面的壓力威脅，難怪先前失去了的天性能夠被找回來，而再次成為得以享受鳴唱喜悅的畫眉鳥。過去明歌手所傳唱過的旋律與心情，也就如此由它的嫡傳弟子延續下去。

如果老師要回的是會鳴唱的畫眉鳥，故事不會這麼深刻。果然聖子給了老師絕妙的體會。

不只是這隻啞巴畫眉蛻變了，攝理中的許多人，也是在遇見這歷史後，原本被世上壓制的美好天性，再次被尋了回來，過去從未被看好過的，從此卻變得閃閃發光。

神以著甘甜奧妙的話語和無窮無盡的愛照料我們，平復我們過去所積累的負面情緒及想法，又賜給我們能看著模仿學習的標竿來實際操練並成長。看著啞巴畫眉的故事，我們體會到，那就是我們的故事，真的唯有感謝而已。

R used to own a pet Hwamei (Leucodioptron canorus). This Hwamei sang beautifully, and often sang while R delivering messages. R named this bird Great Singer (Myeong Ga Su)[i], because of its heavenly voice.

There were many stories between Great Singer and R, but because of the restrictions of animal quarantine law of South Korea, Great Singer could not be brought back with R. It was left in the hands of others to be taken care of. Later, it passed away due to old age.

Missing Great Singer greatly, R wanted to find another Hwamei in South Korea. However, South Korea is not one of Hwamei’s habitats, which makes finding the specie even more difficult. After searching all the avian markets in South Korea, R could not find even one.

After R prayed for this for about a month, he got Holy Son’s response: “If you continue to search, I will search with you”. Shortly after, a disciple of R found someone who petted Hwamei in Seoul, and he was willing to give R one of his pet Hawmei.

It was interesting that the person owned two kinds of Hawmei, one could sing beautifully, but the other one could not sing at all. R realized: “Hawmei is a type of bird that can sing beautifully. But Holy Son gives according to one’s situation, not based on what one’s thought.” Therefore, R asked for the mute Hwamei, and kept it at WMD.

R asked the bird’s caretaker to play recordings of Great Singer’s singings to the mute Hwamei. From the inspiration of Great Singer, with time, the mute Hwamei started to sing. It is no longer muted; it is becoming the new Great Singer.

Why Hwamei is mute since it’s specie with great ability in singing? And why Holy Son gave R realization to ask for the mute Hwamei?

Hwamei sings loudly. The range of melody is wide and sound is pretty. It can also impersonate the voices of other birds, animals, and insects, which makes it to be one of the most popular pet birds. Generally speaking, it’s in Hwamei’s nature to sing. Losing its voice can be because of sickness or shock. Other reason can be throat’s inability due to sudden change in climate. Although the cause of the new Great Singer’s inability to sing previously is unknown, the most probable cause is shock.

To a Hwamei, shocks that cause it to mute can be from either life-threatening situation, or low self-confidence from competition. When a Hwamei with similar abilities are singing together, that friendly competition can have a compounded effect; hence each bird will improve its ability to sing. However, if two Hwamei with too steep difference in skill sing together suddenly, the shock of result can be too great so that the losing Hwamei may never sing again.

The R appointed caretaker’s effort, and the spiritual purity of WMD must have calmed the once-muted Hwamei, so its lost singing nature can be rediscovered, and starts to sing again. R let the new Hwamei hears the recording of Great Singer gives it a chance to learn how to sing without the pressure of a face to face confrontation.

If R had asked for the singing Hwamei, this story would not be this deep. Holy Son gave R a great realization.

This is not a story only about the change of a mute Hwamei. Many members in Providence rediscover God-given nature that was suppressed by the world. What was not valued now is shine like sparkling gold.

God nurtures us with sweet, deep words and love; heals us from all the negative thoughts. He gives us a visible yardstick to study and impersonate, to practice and grow based on his life and actions. After read about the story of the mute Hwamei, we have realized: that’s our story. We gave all our thanks to God.

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[i] Myeong Ga Su: Ga Su means singer, Myeong is part of R’s name; also the sound means Great Singer.