《荷马墓上的一朵玫瑰》,1842 年
A Rose from homer’s Grave, 1842
东方所有的歌曲都讲述着夜莺在静谧的星光之夜对玫瑰的爱恋。
All the songs of the east speak of the love of the nightingale for the rose in the silent starlight night.
长着翅膀的歌手为芬芳的花朵唱着小夜曲。
the winged songster serenades the fragrant flowers.
在士麦那不远的地方,商人赶着满载货物的骆驼,骆驼们在高大的松树下面、经过圣地时骄傲地昂着长脖子。就在那里,我看到了一丛玫瑰。
Not far from Smyrna, where the merchant drives his loaded camels, proudly arching their long necks as they journey beneath the lofty pines over holy ground, I saw a hedge of roses.
斑鸠在高大树木的树枝间飞翔,当阳光洒在它的翅膀上时,翅膀闪烁着,仿佛是珍珠母一般。
the turtle-dove flew among the branches of the tall trees, and as the sunbeams fell upon her wings, they glistened as if they were mother-of-pearl.
在那丛玫瑰上长着一朵花,比所有的花都要美丽,夜莺向她倾诉着自己的哀愁;但玫瑰却默不作声,甚至没有一颗露珠像同情的泪水那样落在她的花瓣上。
on the rose-bush grew a flower, more beautiful than them all, and to her the nightingale sung of his woes; but the rose remained silent, not even a dewdrop lay like a tear of sympathy on her leaves.
最后,她低下头看着一堆石头,说道:“世界上最伟大的歌手就安息在这里;我要在他的墓上散发我的芬芳,当暴风雨把我的花瓣吹散时,我要让它们落在这座墓上。
At last she bowed her head over a heap of stones, and said, “here rests the greatest singer in the world; over his tomb will I spread my fragrance, and on it I will let my leaves fall when the storm scatters them.
歌唱过特洛伊的他已化为尘土,而我就是从那片土地上生长出来的。
he who sung of troy became earth, and from that earth I have sprung.
我,一朵来自荷马墓上的玫瑰,太过高傲,不屑为一只夜莺绽放。”
I, a rose from the grave of homer, am too lofty to bloom for a nightingale.”
然后夜莺就一直唱啊唱,直至死去。
then the nightingale sung himself to death.
一个赶骆驼的人路过,带着他满载的骆驼和黑奴;他的小儿子发现了这只死去的鸟,把这只可爱的歌手埋葬在了伟大的荷马的墓里,而玫瑰则在风中颤抖着。
A camel-driver came by, with his loaded camels and his black slaves; his little son found the dead bird, and buried the lovely songster in the grave of the great homer, while the rose trembled in the wind.
夜晚来临,玫瑰把花瓣裹得更紧了,然后进入了梦乡:这就是她的梦。
the evening came, and the rose wrapped her leaves more closely round her, and dreamed: and this was her dream.
那是个阳光明媚的好天气;一群陌生人走近了,他们是来荷马墓朝圣的。
It was a fair sunshiny day; a crowd of strangers drew near who had undertaken a pilgrimage to the grave of homer.
在这些陌生人当中,有一位来自北方的吟游诗人,那是云朵和绚丽的北极光的故乡。
Among the strangers was a minstrel from the north, the home of the clouds and the brilliant lights of the aurora borealis.
他摘下了这朵玫瑰,把它夹在一本书里,然后带着它去了世界上一个遥远的地方,他的祖国。
he plucked the rose and placed it in a book, and carried it away into a distant part of the world, his fatherland.
玫瑰因悲伤而枯萎了,夹在他在自己家里翻开的那本书的书页之间,他说道:“这里有一朵来自荷马墓上的玫瑰。”
the rose faded with grief, and lay between the leaves of the book, which he opened in his own home, saying, “here is a rose from the grave of homer.”
然后这朵花从梦中醒来,在风中颤抖着。
then the flower awoke from her dream, and trembled in the wind.
一滴露珠从花瓣上落到了歌手的墓上。
A drop of dew fell from the leaves upon the singer’s grave.
太阳升起了,这朵花绽放得比以往任何时候都更加美丽。
the sun rose, and the flower bloomed more 美丽 than ever.
天气很热,而她仍然在自己温暖的亚洲。
the day was hot, and she was still in her own warm Asia.
接着,脚步声传来,像玫瑰在梦中见过的那些陌生人走了过来,其中有一位来自北方的诗人;他摘下了这朵玫瑰,在她鲜嫩的花蕊上亲了一下,然后带着她去了云朵和北极光的故乡。
then footsteps approached, strangers, such as the rose had seen in her dream, came by, and among them was a poet from the north; he plucked the rose, pressed a kiss upon her fresh mouth, and carried her away to the home of the clouds and the northern lights.
现在,这朵花就像木乃伊一样,安放在他的《伊利亚特》里,而且,就像在她的梦里一样,当他翻开书时,她听到他说道:“这里有一朵来自荷马墓上的玫瑰。”
Like a mummy, the flower now rests in his “Iliad,” and, as in her dream, she hears him say, as he opens the book, “here is a rose from the grave of homer.”