颂诗译选

失落的领袖

凌风 译

 

I

只为了盈把的银钱他离开了我们，
　　只为了一条带子缀在他的衣裳—
发现幸运的赐予一度使我们伤心，
　　失去了对她別的恩惠的钦仰；
那些布施金子的更能夠收买他，
　　使银子在他眼中失去了光芒；
我们供献的几文铜钱他哪还会在意！
　　高傲的心把紫衣当破布一样！
我们这批爱过他，跟过他，尊崇过他的，
　　曾生活煦育在他尊贵的，慈祥的眼光，
学习他伟大的语词，模仿他特有的调腔，
　　把他当我们的模式，不论生存或死亡！
莎士比亚是我们的，弥尔顿是我们的，
　　本恩斯，雪莱同着我们—他们从坟墓张望！
只有他，离开了改革的先锋队和自由人
只有他下沉成为落伍者，同奴隶列行。

II

我们要前进兴旺—不需要靠他在场；
　　不用他的曲调—我们有诗歌激励歌唱，
事功仍然要作成—当他在夸口他的冥想，
　　我们偏依然靜臥，让他去号令激扬；
勾销他的名字，记录下一个灵魂的失丧，
　　又一项事工的陨失，又一条路径荒涼，
又一次人的堕落，又一次对神的侮辱！
　　又一次魔鬼的胜利天使的忧伤！
生命的暗夜开始了：请他不要再回到我们中间！
　　那里准会有疑惑，痛苦和彷徨，
借我们有名的颂讚—微光的昏黃，
　　不再是欢乐自信的晨光！
我们来教导他好好打一仗—英勇的攻击吧，
　　在我们征服他之前威胁我们的心房；
然后让他接受新知识且等我们，
　　先到主宝座前，得赦免进入天堂。

 

The Lost Leader

by Robert Browning

I

Just for a handful of silver he left us,
　　Just for a riband to stick in his coat—
Found the one gift of which fortune bereft us,
　　Lost all the others she lets us devote;
They, with the gold to give, doled him out silver,
　　So much was theirs who so little allowed:
How all our copper had gone for his service!
　　Rags — were they purple, his heart had been proud!
We that had loved him so, followed him, honoured him,
　　Lived in his mild and magnificent eye,
Learned his great language, caught his clear accents,
　　Made him our pattern to live and to die!
Shakespeare was of us, Milton was for us,
　　Burns, Shelley, were with us—they watch from their graves!
He alone breaks from the van and the freemen
— He alone sinks to the rear and the slaves!

II

We shall march prospering—not through his presence;
　　Songs may inspirit us—not from his lyre;
Deeds will be done—While he boasts his quiescence,
　　Still bidding crouch whom the rest bade aspire:
Blot out his name, then, record one lost soul more,
　　One task more declined, one more footpath untrod,
One more devils'-triumph and sorrow for angels,
　　One wrong more to man, one more insult to God!
Life's night begins: let him never come back to us!
　　There would be doubt, hesitation and pain,
Forced praise on our part—the glimmer of twilight,
　　Never glad confident morning again!
Best fight on well, for we taught him—strike gallantly,
　　Menace our heart ere we master his own;
Then let him receive the new knowledge and wait us,
　　Pardoned in heaven, the first by the throne!

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　1843-1845

　　布朗宁（Robert Browning, 1812-1889）英国诗人，剧作家。
　　华德务茨（William Wordsworth, 1770-1850）曾是英国思想界及文坛领袖，为当时的少年一代所崇敬。到了晚年接受政府“桂冠诗人”的荣衔，拿了当权者的钱，言词就大不相同了。跟从他的年轻人都非常失望。
　　本诗作者布朗宁，比他年轻四十二岁，为他哀伤，作了悼诗，题为“失落的领袖”（“The Lost Leader”）。为了名与利失去了理想，不仅是一个人的失败。