颂诗译选
讚美神
成功了！
钟声鸣起砲声响
好消息传遍各方。
铜钟搖摆又震盪！
巨砲鸣放又鸣放，
把欢乐传到各城各乡！
鸣，钟啊！
每一声都在传扬
那时刻把罪恶埋葬。
嘹亮而悠长，让每人听到
使能听的耳朵分享
时间和永恆的欢狂！
我们要跪下：
那里传的是神自己的声息，
此地就是圣地。
主啊，赦免我们！我们算什么，
我们的眼竟看见这样的荣耀，
这声音传进我们的耳朵里！
因为主
乘驾着旋风；
祂在地震中发声；
祂用祂的雷电
打碎了铜门，
使铁牆分崩！
嘹亮而悠长
如同那古老的歌声激扬；
同米利暗在红海边欢唱：
祂打到大能的军长；
把马和骑士淹沒埋葬；
祂得到荣耀的胜利！
我们何敢
在我们悲痛中如此祷告
祂所作的超过我们所求所想？
祂大能的右手
在任何时间或地上
在日光下伸出像今天一样？
今天的神蹟，
使古时的神话歌谣或传说，
比来都黯淡无光；
当战爭残忍的杖
公义的律法白花绽放，
人的烈怒竟成为颂扬！
涂抹掉！
所有外面和所有內里
让新的生命再开始过；
宇宙呼吸得更自由
当沉重的咒诅轧过死亡
也埋葬了罪恶。
成功了！
当太阳环绕
带着这声音。
它要使忧伤欢欣，
它要使哑口者有声音，
使欢乐围绕全地传闻！
挥搖鸣响，
欢乐的钟声！清晨的翅膀
把讚美歌声带到远方！
那声音是断开锁鍊，
宣告万国上主掌权，
唯有祂是主是神！
LAUS DEO!
[On hearing the bells ring on the passage of the Constitutional Amendment abolishing slavery.]
It is done!
Clang to bell and roar of gun
Send the tidings up and down.
How the belfries rock and reel!
How the great guns, peal on peal,
Fling the joy from town to town!
Ring, O bells!
Every stroke exulting tells
Of the burial hour of crime.
Loud and long, that all may hear,
Ring for every listening ear
Of Eternity and Time!
Let us kneel:
God’s own voice is in that peal,
And this spot is holy ground.
Lord, forgive us! What are we,
That our eyes this glory see,
That our ears heard the sound!
For the Lord
On the whirlwind is abroad;
In the earthquake He has spoken;
He has smitten with His thunder
The iron wall asunder,
And the gates of brass are broken!
Loud and long
Lift the old exulting song;
Sing with Miriam by the sea:
He has cast the mighty down;
Horse and rider sink and drown;
He has triumphed gloriously!
Did we dare,
In our agony of prayer,
Ask for more than He has done?
When was ever His right hand
Over any time or land
Stretched as now beneath the sun?
How they pale,
Ancient myth and song and tale,
In this wonder of our days,
When the cruel rod of war
Blossoms white with righteous law,
And the wrath of man is praise!
Blotted out!
All within and all about
Shall a fresher life begin;
Freer breathe the universe
As it rolls its heavy curse
On the dead and buried sin.
It is done!
In the circuit of the sun
Shall the sound thereof go forth.
It shall bid the sad rejoice,
It shall give the dumb a voice
It shall belt with joy the earth!
Ring and swing,
Bells of joy! On morning’s wing
Send the song of praise abroad!
With a sound of broken chains,
Tell the nations that He reigns,
Who alone is Lord and God!
John Greenleaf Whittier, 1807-1892