荷马墓上的一朵玫瑰
ALL the songs of the east speak of the love of the nightingale for the rose in the silent starlight night. The winged songster serenades serenade n.小夜曲v.唱小夜曲 the fragrant flowers.
东方所有的歌曲都歌颂着夜莺对玫瑰花的爱情。在星光闪耀着的静夜中,这只有翼的歌手就为他芬芳的花儿唱一首情歌。
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. The turtledove flew among the branches of the tall trees, and as the sunbeams fell upon her wings. They glistened as if they were motherofpearl. On the rosebush 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 dewdrop n.露珠, 露滴 lay like a tear of sympathy on her leaves. 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. He who sung of Troy became earth, and from that earth I have sprung. I, a rose from the grave of Homer, am too lofty to bloom for a nightingale.” Then the nightingale sung himself to death. A cameldriver came by, with his loaded camels and his black slaves. His little son found the dead bird, and buried the lovely songstersongster n.歌唱家 in the grave of the great Homer, while the rose trembled in the wind.
距离士麦那不远的地方,在高大的松树下,商人赶着一群背负重物的骆驼。这群牲口骄傲地昂起它们的长脖子,在这神圣的土地上行走。我看到开满了花的玫瑰树所组成的篱笆。野鸽子在高大的枝杈间飞翔。当太阳光照射到它们身上时,它们的翅膀闪闪发光,像珍珠一样。玫瑰树篱笆长着一朵花,美于其中的任何一朵。夜莺对它唱出爱情的哀愁。可是这朵玫瑰始终沉默不语,它的叶子上连一颗作为同情的眼泪的露珠都没有。它只是面对着几块大石头垂下头。“这儿躺着世界上最伟大的歌手!”玫瑰花说,“在他的墓上我散发着香气。当暴风雨侵袭时候,我的花瓣落到它身上,这位《特洛伊》的歌唱者成了这块土地中的尘土,我从这尘土中发芽,生长。我是荷马墓上长出的一枝玫瑰。我太神圣了,我不能够为一个平凡的夜莺开出花来。”于是,夜莺就就独自歌唱,直到死去。赶骆驼的商人带着黑奴和驮着东西的牲口走来了。他的小儿子看到了那只死去的鸟,他把这只小小的歌手埋到伟大的荷马的墓中,此时,那朵玫瑰花在风中颤抖。
The evening came, and the rose wrapped her leaves more closely round her, and dreamed. And this was her dream.
黄昏降临。玫瑰花紧紧地收起它的花瓣,做了一个梦,下面就是好的梦。
It was a fair sunshiny day. A crowd of strangers drew near who had undertaken a pilgrimagepilgrimage n.朝圣vi.朝拜, 朝圣 to the grave of Homer. Among the strangers was a minstrel from the north, the home of the clouds and the brilliant lights of the aurora borealis. He plucked the rose and placed it in a book, and carried it away into a distant part of the world, his fatherland. 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.”
在一个美丽的、阳光普照的日子,一群佛兰克人——异国人——来参拜荷马的坟墓。在这些异国人之中有一位歌手,他来自北国,来自云朵和北极光的故乡。他摘下这朵玫瑰,把它夹在一本书中,接着把它带到世界的另一部分——他的遥远的祖国里来。回到家中,他把书打开,这朵玫瑰已经在悲哀中了,静静地躺在书页之间。他在家里把这本书打开,他念叨着:“这是从荷马的墓上摘下的一枝玫瑰。”
Then the flower awoke from her dream, and trembled in the wind. A drop of dew fell from the leaves upon the singers grave. The sun rose, and the flower bloomed more beautiful than ever. The day was hot, and she was still in her own warm Asia. 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.
这朵花从梦中醒来,还在风中发抖。一颗露珠从她的花瓣上降落在这位歌手的墓上。太阳升起来了,玫瑰花开得比以前还要美丽。天气渐渐暖和起来,她依然生长在温暖的亚洲。脚步声在这时响起来了。玫瑰花在梦里所见到的那群佛兰克人来了,有一位北国的诗人是这些异国人中的一分子,他伸手摘下这支玫瑰,在它新鲜的嘴唇上亲吻了一下,然后把它带到云彩和北极光的故乡去。
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.”
这朵花的躯体像木乃伊一样,现在躺在他的《伊利亚特》里。听到他打开这本书,如她梦中一样,说:“这是荷马墓上的一朵玫瑰。”