朗讀《夜鶯頌》節選,選自珍藏版《英國詩歌選集》 王佐良 金立群選編,金立群注釋
選自約翰﹒濟慈(1796-1821)《夜鶯頌》
Ode to a Nightingale
John Keats
7
Thou wast not born for death, immortalBird!
No hungry generations tread thee down;
The voice I hear this passing night washeard
In ancient days by emperors and clown;
Perhaps the self-same song that found apath
Through the sad heart of Ruth, when, sickfor home,
She stood in tears amid the alien corn;
The same that oft-times hath
Charmed magic casements, opening on thefoam
Of perilous seas, in faery lands forlorn.
8
Forlorn! the very word is like a bell
To toll me back from thee to my sole self!
Adieu! the fancy cannot cheat so well
As she is famed to do, deceiving elf.
Adieu! adieu! thy plaintive anthem fades
Past the near meadows, over the stillstream,
Up the hill-side; and now 'tis buried deep
In the next valley glades.
Was it a vision, or a waking dream
Fled is that music --- Do I wake or sleep ?
濟慈,英國浪漫主義詩人代表。他說,美即是真,真即是美。此詩作于1819年,乃是濟慈創作的巔峰時期。夜鶯生活在林間,遠離人世憂患,以其世代經久不息的歌聲,成為永生的象征。《夜鶯頌》有一個中心的矛盾:夜鶯所代表的的想象世界和詩人所處的現實世界的矛盾。詩人聽到夜鶯的歌聲,隨著進入想象世界,然而在最神往的時候,一聲凄涼就把他趕回現實,這時候韻律直瀉而下,最后以一問結束,留下了余音。
附參考譯文:
永生的鳥呵,你不會死去!
饑餓的世代無法將你蹂躪;
今夜,我偶然聽到的歌曲
曾使古代的帝王和村夫喜悅;
或許這同樣的歌也曾激蕩
路得憂郁的心,使她不禁落淚,
站在異邦的谷田里想著家;
就是這聲音常常
在失掉了的仙域里引動窗扉:
一個美女望著大海險惡的浪花。
呵,失掉了!這句話好比一聲鐘
使我猛醒到我站腳的地方!
別了!幻想,這騙人的妖童,
不能老耍弄它盛傳的伎倆。
別了!別了!你怨訴的歌聲
流過草坪,越過幽靜的溪水,
溜上山坡;而此時,它正深深
埋在附近的溪谷中:
那歌聲去了:——我是睡?是醒?
噫,這是個幻覺,還是夢寐?
:?]???