By John keats

《希臘古瓶頌》

濟慈 作 (1819年5月)

刁卿蕙 譯 (2013年5月)

1

Thou still unravishd bride of quietness,

汝似嫻靜新娘未迷情，

Thou foster-child of silence and slow time,

子乃寂與悠光所共育，

Sylvan historian, who canst thus express

林仙史者，誰能依之形容

A flowery tale more sweetly than our rhyme:

一段花話比吾韻更甜郁:

What leaf-fringd legend haunt about thy shape

何來鑲瓣傳奇縈汝貌

of deities or mortals, or of both,

屬神或凡胎，或得兼，

In Tempe or the dales of Arcady?

在天庇或阿凱迪谷地?

What men or gods are these? What maidens loth?

何許人或仙?少女何其厭?

What mad pursuit? What struggle to escape?

何以瘋逐? 何以爭逃?

What pipes and timbrels? What wild ecstasy?

何來笛與鼓? 何等狂喜?

2

Heard melodies are sweet, but those unheard

得聼之韻甜美，但未曾得聼

Are sweeter: therefore, ye soft pipes, play on;

更甜美:故，爾等柔笛，請繼續；

Not to the sensual ear, but, more endeard,

非為感官之耳，乃，更鍾情，

Pipe to the spirit ditties of no tone:

為精神吹奏無音小曲:

Fair youth, beneath the trees, thou canst not leave

美青年,在樹下,離不開

Thy song, nor ever can those trees be bare;

汝之歌，樹亦永不凋；

Bold lover, never, never canst thou kiss,

大膽情人，永不，永接不成吻，

Though winning near the goal - yet, do not grieve;

雖成功在即—然,且莫哀；

She cannot fade, though thou hast not thy bliss,

汝縱未得極樂，她不能隱，

For ever wilt thou love, and she be fair!

汝將永遠愛，她則永窈窕!

3

Ah, happy, happy boughs! that cannot shed

噢,快樂,快樂枝椏!不落棄

Your leaves, nor ever bid the spring adieu;

你之葉，亦不向春天道別；

And, happy melodist, unwearied,

而，快樂美曲家，不倦疲，

For ever piping songs for ever new;

永遠吹奏永遠新樂；

More happy love! more happy, happy love!

更多快樂愛！更多快樂,快樂愛！

For ever warm and still to be enjoyd,

永遠熱情更待神怡，

For ever panting, and for ever young;

永遠悸動，永遠年輕；

All breathing human passion far above,

遠超乎凡人熾愛，

That leaves a heart high-sorrowful and cloyd,

徒留顆心悲極發膩，

A burning forehead, and a parching tongue.

額滾燙，舌燥疼。

4

Who are these coming to the sacrifice?

何人前來獻祭犧牲?

To what green altar, O mysterious priest,

去何綠壇，噢 神秘祭司，

Leadst thou that heifer lowing at the skies,

汝引來牝犢低哞對青空，

And all her silken flanks with garlands drest?

她飾花環之脅柔如絲?

What little town by river or sea shore,

哪座小城依河或沿海岸，

Or mountain-built with peaceful citadel,

或傍山築起安寧城墎，

Is emptied of this folk, this pious morn?

空無居民，在此虔曦?

And, little town, thy streets for evermore

而，小城，街道今後永遠

Will silent be; and not a soul to tell

將寂沉；無孤魂敍説

Why thou art desolate, can eer return.

何以汝荒蕪，能否歸來兮。

5

O Attic shape!Fair attitude! with brede

噢 雅典之姿！美態！編列

Of marble men and maidens overwrought,

精雕大理石男與女，

With forest branches and the trodden weed;

於森林茂枝和踩過之草芥；

Thou, silent form, dost tease us out of thought

汝，默形，揶揄吾憚慮

As doth eternity: Cold Pastoral!

一如永恒: 冷冷牧曲！

When old age shall this generation waste,

當舊嵗把此代耗去，

Thou shalt remain, in midst of other woe

汝將續留，所處苦惱

Than ours, a friend to man, to whom thou sayst,

異於吾，與人友，對其語，

"Beauty is truth, truth beauty,"- that is all

“ 美即是真，真即美,”-只此句

Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know.

爾在世所明瞭，且只當明瞭。

(註)

1.Sylvan- 森林裏的神仙精靈。

2.Tempe(天庇)--希臘美麗河谷名。阿波羅與繆司出沒地。

3.Arcady(阿凱迪）--古牧歌中的理想家園。

4 heifer-- 牝犢，小母牛。

5.此詩分5節，各10行。中譯力求尾韻對稱原句。

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(後記）

這是濟慈24嵗死於肺病的前一年所作。194年後，同樣的五月裏，藉其韻腳細細游走於年輕詩人營造的時空傳奇，亦感悲欣，如此新鮮的眼，熾愛美的心！

他曾說"美的事物是種永恒的喜悅"。而這喜悅何其易碎，緃勤綴片羽，亦難成永恒吉光。

當見到醜惡，齒冷心寒時，幸可借你的翼，徜徉無盡天際；在晦暗不明的人生道途，幸可借妳的光，安步當車。此刻滿心歡喜，感念你/妳--我同樣皈依美的宗教，性靈上的姐妹與兄弟。