(油畫， 刁卿蕙 繪)

《烏鴉》可說是美國詩人愛倫坡最著名的一首詩。共108行，分十八節，每節六行。作者自言“ O 是最圓潤低沉的元音，r 是最常使用的輔音”,而nevermore一字則是二者最完美的組合。為嚴謹結構，節奏韻文，此詩非但尾韻採abcbbb型式，更在每節重覆同樣的韻腳 "or” 四囘。除此之外，還運用大量的半諧音與頭韻修辭。

譯詩本就不易，譯文符合韻律，更是困難。如何不失原作的意念氣氛及文法，又能兼顧音韻，對譯者是個大挑戰。詩中女子名”Lenore”，發音應作“勒若爾”, 我將e輕聲發出，作  "蕾若伊"。由於要配合尾韻，第1和第4節，改了數囘，仍不甚滿意。

在網上看到一個特別的影音，作者不明，這年輕人以奇特的方式詮釋這首作於1845年的詩，令我耳目一新。

The Raven

by Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849）

Translated by Chinghuey Tiao

烏鴉

愛倫·坡 作

刁卿蕙 譯

Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,

Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore--

While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,

As of someone gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door--

"Tis some visitor," I muttered, "tapping at my chamber door--

Only this and nothing more."

從前的一個悲荒午夜，當我沉浸，虛乏疲憊，

在許多古雅怪異被遺忘的學問裏--

我打了盹，幾乎睡去，忽聞一陣叩拍聲，

像是有人溫和地拍，拍我房門輕輕地--

“定是有訪客，”我抱怨，”叩我房門輕輕地”--

除此無它矣”

Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December;

And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor.

Eagerly I wished the morrow;--vainly I had sought to borrow

From my books surcease of sorrow--sorrow for the lost Lenore--

For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore--

Nameless here for evermore.

噢，清楚地我記起那是在淒寒的十二月裏；

每簇將滅的殘火各自勾纏其幻影在地。

熱切地我盼翌日；--徒勞地借尋覓

我的書本消停悲傷—悲傷失去蕾若伊--

眾天使喚那罕有涵光的少女蕾若伊--

永遠無名在此地。

And the silken, sad, uncertain rustling of each purple curtain

Thrilled me--filled me with fantastic terrors never felt before;

So that now, to still the beating of my heart, I stood repeating,

"Tis some visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door--

Some late visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door;--

This it is and nothing more."

每片紫布簾，如絲，似愁，莫名唏嗦

我悚然--瀰漫未曾有過的恐怖驚異；

到這當兒，為平心悸，我起身反覆道，

“定是有訪客在門口哀求進我房裏--

有遲來的訪客在門口哀求進我房裏;--

就如此無它矣。”

Presently my soul grew stronger; hesitating then no longer,

"Sir," said I, "or Madam, truly your forgiveness I implore;

But the fact is I was napping, and so gently you came rapping,

And so faintly you came tapping, tapping at my chamber door,

That I scarce was sure I heard you"--here I opened wide the door;----

Darkness there and nothing more.

我魂魄即刻變壯；不再那麽徬徨，

“先生，”我說，”或女士，我求你原諒以誠意；

老實講我在打盹時，是你來輕拍門，

如此怯弱地你來叩，叩我房門輕輕地，

我幾乎不確定聼見”--這就開大了門為你；-----

除黑暗無它矣。

Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there wondering, fearing,

Doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before;

But the silence was unbroken, and the stillness gave no token,

And the only word there spoken was the whispered word, "Lenore?"

This I whispered, and an echo murmured back the word, "Lenore!"--

Merely this and nothing more.

深深瞪進黑暗處，久久竚立我驚怵，恐怖，

迷糊，發著從未有凡人膽敢發的夢囈；

但沉默未破，靜止無象，

只有一字吐出是那個耳語般的字，”蕾若伊？”

我低語，一個迴音喃喃傳囘那字，”蕾若伊!”

僅此無它矣。

Back into the chamber turning, all my soul within me burning,

Soon again I heard a tapping somewhat louder than before.

"Surely," said I, "surely that is something at my window lattice;

Let me see, then, what thereat is, and this mystery explore--

Let my heart be still a moment and this mystery explore;--

Tis the wind and nothing more!"

轉身囘房裏，我内在全體靈魂燃起，

很快地我又聼見比之前更大聲的拍擊。

“當然，”我說，”當然那聲音來自我窗櫺；

我來看看，那邊有何物，就此探索神秘--

令我心跳暫歇就此探索神秘;--

是風無它矣!”

Open here I flung the shutter, when, with many a flirt and flutter,

In there stepped a stately Raven of the saintly days of yore;

Not the least obeisance made he; not a minute stopped or stayed he;

But, with mien of lord or lady, perched above my chamber door--

Perched upon a bust of Pallas just above my chamber door--

Perched, and sat, and nothing more.

我推開此處的百葉窗，這時，一陣急轉拍翅聲，

走進一隻莊嚴堂皇的烏鴉來自神聖歲月的往昔；

牠不表一絲禮敬；無片刻的止步或停留；

就，以君主或貴婦的態勢，往我房門上頭棲--

就往我房門上方一尊帕拉斯胸像上頭棲--

無其它，就是棲，與息。

Then this ebony bird beguiling my sad fancy into smiling,

By the grave and stern decorum of the countenance it wore,

"Though thy crest be shorn and shaven, thou," I said, "art sure no craven,

Ghastly, grim and ancient Raven wandering from the Nightly shore--

Tell me what thy lordly name is on the Nights Plutonian shore!"

Quoth the Raven "Nevermore."

之後這隻漆黑的鳥化我悲思為笑靨，

以牠臉上帶的莊重肅穆之禮儀，

“即使剪剃你羽冠，你，”我說，“也絕不退縮，

可怕，強頑的古老烏鴉自黑夜彼岸游移--

請賜告你在黑夜陰間彼岸的尊貴名籍!”

烏鴉曰”不復矣”。

Much I marvelled this ungainly fowl to hear discourse so plainly,

Though its answer little meaning--little relevancy bore;

For we cannot help agreeing that no living human being

Ever yet was blest with seeing bird above his chamber door--

Bird or beast upon the sculptured bust above his chamber door,

With such name as "Nevermore."

我相當讚嘆這醜鳥講得如此直率，

即使牠的囘答少意義—少有闗係；

因吾人不得不同意從無活人

有幸看過鳥在他房門上頭棲--

鳥或獸在他房門上方的彫塑胸像上頭棲

有名如此“不復矣。”

But the Raven, sitting lonely on the placid bust, spoke only

That one word, as if his soul in that one word he did outpour.

Nothing further then he uttered--not a feather then he fluttered--

Till I scarcely more than muttered "Other friends have flown before--

On the morrow he will leave me, as my hopes have flown before."

Then the bird said "Nevermore."

但此鳥，獨坐在蒼白胸像上，只說了

那一個字，好像牠傾注靈魂在那一字裏。

牠沒再説更多--沒震動一根毛羽--

直到我近乎喃喃自語”其它朋友們曾飛離--

明晨他就會離我而去，就像我的希望曾飛離。“

然此鳥說”不復矣。”

Startled at the stillness broken by reply so aptly spoken,

"Doubtless," said I, "what it utters is its only stock and store

Caught from some unhappy master whom unmerciful Disaster

Followed fast and followed faster till his songs one burden bore--

Till the dirges of his Hope that melancholy burden bore

Of Never--nevermore."

適時囘應打破沉寂使我驚異，

“無疑，”我說，“牠就只會發出牠記憶所及

得自某個不幸主子被慘酷災難

窮追復窮追直到他的歌重重壓積--

直到他希望輓歌的憂鬱重重壓積

成一字‘永—不復矣。’

But the Raven still beguiling my sad fancy into smiling,

Straight I wheeled a cushioned seat in front of bird, and bust and door;

Then, upon the velvet sinking, I betook myself to linking

Fancy unto fancy, thinking what this ominous bird of yore--

What this grim, ungainly, ghastly, gaunt and ominous bird of yore

Meant in croaking "Nevermore."

但這烏鴉仍化我悲思為笑靨，

面對鳥，胸像和門，我直接旋轉軟墊椅；

然後，沉陷在天鵝絨上，凝思連結

奇想接奇想，思索這不祥之鳥來自往昔--

究竟這強頑，難看，討厭，可怕的不祥之鳥來自往昔

嘎叫 “不復矣”是何意。

This I sat engaged in guessing, but no syllable expressing

To the fowl whose fiery eyes now burned into my bosoms core;

This and more I sat divining, with my head at ease reclining

On the cushions velvet lining that the lamp-light gloated oer,

But whose velvet violet lining with the lamp-light gloating oer,

She shall press, ah, nevermore!

我坐著專心猜想，但無言形容

那鳥的炯炯目光此時烙進我胸臆；

我坐著多加揣度，放鬆斜倚頭

在燈光帶笑看的天鵝絨襯墊裡，

但是誰的紫色天鵝絨襯裡帶了燈光的笑意，

她應會壓平，噢，不復矣!

Then, methought, the air grew denser, perfumed from an unseen censer

Swung by Seraphim whose foot-falls tinkled on the tufted floor.

"Wretch," I cried, "thy God hath lent thee--by these angels he hath sent thee

Respite--respite and nepenthe, from thy memories of Lenore;

Quaff, oh quaff this kind nepenthe and forget this lost Lenore!"

Quoth the Raven "Nevermore."

後來，我認爲，空氣變濃，隱形薰爐搖出香，

六翼天使們的清脆腳步聲響上穗飾之地

”可憐人，”我呼喊，”你的神已借你--由這些天使祂已送你

暫息--暫息和忘憂葯，使你不再記憶蕾若伊；

痛飲，噢痛飲這種忘憂葯忘掉失去蕾若伊!”

烏鴉曰”不復矣。”

"Prophet!" said I, "thing of evil!--prophet still, if bird or devil!--

Whether Tempter sent, or whether tempest tossed thee here ashore,

Desolate yet all undaunted, on this desert land enchanted--

On this home by Horror haunted--tell me truly, I implore--

Is there--is there balm in Gilead?--tell me--tell me, I implore!"

Quoth the Raven "Nevermore."

“先知！” 我說，”邪物!—仍是先知，不論鳥或魔!--

不管是撒旦派來，還是風暴將你抛到此陸地，

雖孤寂卻全無懼，在這被蠱惑的荒原--

在這被恐懼縈繞的家園--誠實地告訴我，我懇乞--

那兒--那兒可有乳香在基列?--告訴我--告訴我，我懇乞！”

烏鴉曰 ”不復矣。”

"Prophet!" said I, "thing of evil--prophet still, if bird or devil!

By that Heaven that bends above us--by that God we both adore--

Tell this soul with sorrow laden if, within the distant Aidenn,

It shall clasp a sainted maiden whom the angels name Lenore--

Clasp a rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore."

Quoth the Raven "Nevermore."

“先知!”我說，”邪物—仍是先知，不論鳥或魔!

奉垂注吾等的上天--奉吾等皆信的上帝--

告訴這背負悲傷的靈魂是否，在遙遠的伊甸裏，

它攫獲一位聖女眾天使喚作蕾若伊--

攫獲一罕有涵光的少女眾天使喚作蕾若伊。”

烏鴉曰”不復矣。”

"Be that word our sign in parting, bird or fiend!" I shrieked, upstarting--

"Get thee back into the tempest and the Nights Plutonian shore!

Leave no black plume as a token of that lie thy soul hath spoken!

Leave my loneliness unbroken!--quit the bust above my door!

Take thy beak from out my heart, and take thy form from off my door!"

Quoth the Raven "Nevermore."

“ 就讓那字預示我們的別離，鳥或惡魔!“我尖聲，爆叫—

“滾囘你的風暴和黑夜的陰間彼岸裏!

別留下黑羽成爲你靈魂說謊的證據!

留下我的完整寂寞!---將我門上的胸像棄!

將你喙拔除我心外，將你形自我門上消移!

烏鴉曰”不復矣。”

And the Raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting

On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door;

And his eyes have all the seeming of a demons that is dreaming,

And the lamp-light oer him streaming throws his shadow on the floor;

And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor

Shall be lifted--nevermore!

那烏鴉，未倏地飛走，坐著不動，坐著不動

就在我房門上方那蒼白帕拉斯胸像的上頭棲

牠的眼神帶了所有魔鬼似的迷離，

燈光流瀉其上將牠的影子投在地；

我的魂魄隨黑影飄躺在地

將被擧起--不復矣!