布莱恩特的诗 -- 美国诗歌巡礼(2)

翻译了《乌鸦》后就想,何不以翻译诗人代表作的方式对英语国家的诗人做个巡礼?于是就先有了美国诗歌巡礼这个系列博客。

 

威廉 卡伦 布莱恩特(William Cullen Bryant,1794 -1878)是美国首位自然派诗人。详细的资料见文后的链接。

埃德加 爱伦 坡在他的《诗歌原则》(The Poetic Principle)一文中对布莱恩特评价很高,尤其欣赏他的《六月》这首诗:

“这里,韵律的流淌是如此的饱满,再没有比它更悦耳的了。强烈的悲哀从诗人关于他墓地看似愉悦的言语表面涌出,我们感到触及灵魂的震颤 – 震颤中有诗意的提升…… 留下的是一种心情舒畅的悲伤。”

(The rhythmical flow, here, is even voluptuous—nothing could be more melodious. The intense melancholy which seems to well up, perforce, to the surface of all the poet's cheerful sayings about his grave, we find thrilling us to the soul—while there is the truest poetic elevation in the thrill... the impression left is one of a pleasurable sadness.)

    译完此诗后,使我不禁想起庄子 “生时乐生,死时乐死”的故事。此诗可以与陶渊明《形影神赠答诗》一起欣赏。我很高兴地发现有个美国诗人竟然有道家创始人之一庄子的境界。就诗歌风格来看,陶诗庄重,而布莱恩特的诗显得活泼。

《六月》这首诗的韵脚是AB, AB, CC, B, DD。

 

June六月

作者:布莱恩特

翻译:秋子树

 

I gazed upon the glorious sky
And the green mountains round,
And thought that when I came to lie
At rest within the ground,
"Twere pleasant, that in flowery June,
When brooks send up a cheerful tune,
And groves a joyous sound,
The sexton's hand, my grave to make,
The rich, green mountain-turf should break.


我凝视辉煌的天际

和周围的葱翠群山,

就想 当我躺下安息

在大地之下的坟间

多花的六月充满了欢笑

潺潺小溪奏出欢快曲调,

小树林里喜气洋溢,

教堂司事铲掉绿油油的草皮

好空出一块地做我的墓地。


A cell within the frozen mould,
A coffin borne through sleet,
And icy clods above it rolled,
While fierce the tempests beat--
Away!--I will not think of these--
Blue be the sky and soft the breeze,
Earth green beneath the feet,
And be the damp mould gently pressed
Into my narrow place of rest.


小室挖在冰冻的泥中,

一幅棺材穿行在雨凇,

冻土纷纷从上面落下,

狂风暴雨在不停吹打 --

走开!-- 我才不想这些 --

愿天蓝蓝,风软软,

脚下的大地绿油油,

轻轻捶打那潮湿的墓壁

镶进准备给我安息的空隙。


There through the long, long summer hours,
The golden light should lie,
And thick young herbs and groups of flowers
Stand in their beauty by.
The oriole should build and tell
His love-tale close beside my cell;
The idle butterfly
Should rest him there, and there be heard
The housewife bee and humming-bird.


夏日那长长的白天,

洒满了金色的阳光,

绿草丛丛百花鲜,

草青青,花竞放。

金莺一边在我小屋旁筑巢,

一边啁啾它的老相好;

慵懒的蝴蝶不慌不忙

停在旁,还有忙碌的工蜂

和蜂鸟的嗡嗡。


And what if cheerful shouts at noon
Come, from the village sent,
Or songs of maids, beneath the moon

With fairy laughter blent?
And what if, in the evening light,
Betrothed lovers walk in sight
Of my low monument?
I would the lovely scene around
Might know no sadder sight nor sound.


中午或有快乐的喧闹

来自附近的村庄,

或月光下有少女歌声的美妙

混合着笑语的叮当,

甚至披着苍色的夜光,

有订了婚的情侣徜徉

在我低矮的墓碑旁。

我就会知道那是多么可爱的情景

没有凄惨的声,没有哀伤的影。


I know that I no more should see
The season's glorious show,
Nor would its brightness shine for me,
Nor its wild music flow;
But if, around my place of sleep,
The friends I love should come to weep,
They might not haste to go.
Soft airs, and song, and light, and bloom
Should keep them lingering by my tomb.


我知道到时我再也看不见

这个季节的好时光,

再也没有明亮的光线

也听不到音乐奏响;

不过如果在我的安息地,

有好朋友来哭泣,

他们离开时将不会那样匆忙。

温柔的空气,歌声,光,和花

将留住他们在我坟旁盘桓


These to their softened hearts should bear
The thought of what has been,
And speak of one who cannot share
The gladness of the scene;
Whose part, in all the pomp that fills
The circuit of the summer hills,
Is that his grave is green;
And deeply would their hearts rejoice
To hear again his living voice.


他们被感动了的心将记住

活在当下,珍惜今生,

并会谈到 有旧时的朋友

不能分享当时的良辰美景。

在夏季山峦的巡回里

有他添加的一份壮丽,

他的墓地是否绿草常青;

他们的内心一定会充满欢欣

因为再次听到他生动的声音。

 

附:

1.     威廉 卡伦 布莱恩特生平

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Cullen_Bryant

2. 威廉 卡伦 布莱恩特的其他诗歌

http://www.poemhunter.com/william-cullen-bryant/poems/?search=June&B1=Search






听雨潇潇 (2011-12-19 09:16:49)

继续欣赏!

天地一弘 (2011-12-19 11:42:52)

活在当下,珍惜今生。

秋子树 (2011-12-19 14:02:16)

好高兴在这里看到潇潇的留言!

秋子树 (2011-12-19 14:03:22)

握手!谢谢。共勉。

tulipow (2011-12-19 14:16:51)

欣赏欣赏!仰慕欣赏!

秋子树 (2011-12-19 14:30:16)

谢谢!握手!

海云 (2011-12-19 23:53:00)

欢迎,又多了位诗人。

民鸣 (2011-12-24 15:15:07)

秋子树:祝圣诞快乐,新年吉祥,万事如意!