The Lady of Shalott,夏洛特少女,又译镜中人生。维多利亚时代的桂冠诗人Alfred Tennyson Baron丁尼生(1809-1892)的一首诗。它是Idylls of the King(君王叙事组诗,又译国王之歌)中的一首。这是一部关于亚瑟王和他的圆桌骑士的长篇史诗。
该故事发生于《亚瑟王和他的圆桌骑士》的时代。夏洛特是一位美丽的女郎,被仙女囚禁在一个城堡里。这个城堡位于一个离亚瑟王王宫不远的一个孤岛上。这个仙女告诉她,亚瑟王王宫有个魔咒将会降祸于她,究竟是什么,没有告诉她。
夏洛特有一面镜子,这面镜子是她生活的重要部分,每天,她在城堡的塔楼上从这面镜子里看身后的世界,这是她唯一与世界沟通的工具。她从镜子里看到进进出出王宫的骑士和平民,也常常看到情侣在河边散步。她就把看到的场景用充满魔力的织布机织成挂毯,边织边歌唱。人们熟悉她的歌声,却从未见过她。
一天,当圆桌骑士中最出色的蓝斯洛(Lancelot)的身影在镜子中出现时,夏洛特疯狂地爱上了蓝斯洛,她决定要去王宫找蓝斯洛,就在她刚刚踏出城堡的门槛的时候,镜子突然碎了,她知道她的厄运就要来临了。为了向往的爱情,她选择了坦然面对,她要乘船划向那个城堡,如果能够见到他心爱的蓝斯洛,对她来说,死不足惜。她把亲手编织的美丽挂毯铺在船上,松开缆绳,唱着生命中最后的歌,任由小船顺流向下游的王宫漂去。她象那条在不知不觉间滑入河流无垠黑暗的小船,踏上了一条不知什么时候结束、会在哪儿终止的死亡之旅。她眺望王宫,等待时间停止的那刻……
(较原文有删节)
The Lady of Shalott PART I
On either side the river lie 在那条河的两岸,是一片
Long fields of barley and of rye, 种着大麦和黑麦的农田;
That clothe the wold and meet the sky; 麦覆盖着平野,远接长天
And thro' the field the road runs by 还有一条路穿行田野间,
To many-tower'd Camelot; 通向古堡卡默洛特;
(Camelot:亚瑟王宫廷所在地,意为灿烂繁华之地。)
And up and down the people go, 人们在那路上来来往往,
Gazing where the lilies blow把大片盛开的睡莲凝望——
Round an island there below,盛开在小岛的四面八方,
The island of Shalott.那就是小岛夏洛特。
Willows whiten, aspens quiver,柳树泛白光,山杨在颤抖,
Little breezes dusk and shiver拂过的风儿虽说极轻柔,
Thro' the wave that runs for ever也吹暗河面,把河水吹皱;
By the island in the river而河水在岛旁流啊流,
Flowing down to Camelot.永远流往卡默洛特。
Four gray walls, and four gray towers,灰色的四座角楼和四墙
Overlook a space of flowers,俯视着大片开花的地方;
And the silent isle imbowers在这寂静小岛上的绣房
The Lady of Shalott.深居着女郎夏洛特。
Only reapers, reaping early大麦长芒刺,收割人起早:
In among the bearded barley,只有田间的他们才听到
Hear a song that echoes cheerly一支轻快的歌回声袅绕——
From the river winding clearly,来自那蜿蜒而去的河道,
Down to tower'd Camelot:去往古堡卡默洛特。
And by the moon the reaper weary,凭着月光,疲乏的收割人
Piling sheaves in uplands airy,在多风的高处堆垛麦捆;
Listening, whispers ''Tis the fairy他们倾听着歌,低语出声:
Lady of Shalott.'“是那成仙的夏洛特。”
The Lady of Shalott PART II
There she weaves by night and day她在那里日夜地织着网,
A magic web with colours gay.织一块色彩鲜艳的魔网;
She has heard a whisper say,她听到一声低语在耳旁:
A curse is on her if she stay她得遭殃,倘她住手张望,
To look down to Camelot.张望那座卡默洛特。
She knows not what the 'curse' may be,得遭什么殃她可弄不清,
And so she weaveth steadily,所以她只顾织啊织不停,
And little other care hath she,其他的事情全然不经心——
The Lady of Shalott.她就是女郎夏洛特。
And moving thro' a mirror clear整年有镜子挂在她眼前,
That hangs before her all the year,就在那清澈的镜子里面,
Shadows of the world appear.有人间的种种影像出现;
There she sees the highway near由此她看见大路并不远——
Winding down to Camelot:逶迤通向卡默洛特。
And sometimes thro' the mirror blue有时在蓝莹莹的镜子里,
The knights come riding two and two:可看见联袂并辔的骑士;
She hath no loyal knight and true,但没有一位对她矢志不移,
The Lady of Shalott.对她这女郎夏洛特。
But in her web she still delights然而她总喜欢织她的网,
To weave the mirror's magic sights,织上她镜中古怪的景象;
For often thro' the silent nights因为常常在寂静的晚上,
A funeral, with plumes and lights,有送葬队伍,有羽饰、火光、
And music, went to Camelot:音乐去往卡默洛特。
Or when the moon was overhead,有时候,月亮在当空照耀,
Came two young lovers lately wed;一对新婚的恋人会来到,
"I am half-sick of shadows," She said 我可讨厌这影像”,她说道——
The Lady of Shalott. 她就是女郎夏洛特。
The Lady of Shalott PART III
A bow-shot from her bower-eaves,她的闺房一箭之遥处,
He rode between the barley-sheaves,有位骑手在麦捆间驰过;
The sun came dazzling thro' the leaves,叶间筛下的阳光在闪烁,
And flamed upon the brazen greaves叫勇士的金甲亮得像火——
Of bold Sir Lancelot.这是骑士蓝斯洛。
(蓝斯洛骑士:亚瑟王的第一位骑士。)
A red-cross knight for ever kneel'd他的盾牌上有一个图案:
To a lady in his shield,红十字骑士跪在女士前;
That sparkled on the yellow field,这盾在金黄色田间忽闪,
Beside remote Shalott.远处是小岛夏洛特。
His broad clear brow in sunlight glow'd;他开朗的脸上闪着阳光,
On burnish'd hooves his war-horse trode;战马锃亮的蹄踏在地上,
From underneath his helmet flow'd骑马的他一路朝前直闯,
His coal-black curls as on he rode,盔下的漆黑鬈发在飘扬,
As he rode down to Camelot.他呀驰向卡默洛特。
From the bank and from the river岸上的本人、河里的倒影,
He flash'd into the crystal mirror,一起映进那水晶的明镜;
'Tirra lirra,' by the river岸上传来了啦啦的歌声,
Sang Sir Lancelot.唱的人是蓝斯洛。
She left the web, she left the loom,她离开织机、离开织的网,
She made three paces thro' the room,她三步两步走过她闺房,
She saw the water-lily bloom,她看见睡莲的花儿开放,
She saw the helmet and the plume,看见那盔顶的鸟羽飘扬,
She look'd down to Camelot.她望着那卡默洛特。
Out flew the web and floated wide;那网飞出窗,直朝远处飘,
The mirror crack'd from side to side;那镜子一裂两半地碎掉,
'The curse is come upon me!' cried她喊道,“我呀已在劫难逃”——
The Lady of Shalott.她就是女郎夏洛特。
The Lady of Shalott PART IV
In the stormy east-wind straining,萎黄的树林已日渐凋零,
The pale yellow woods were waning,正在狂烈的东风里挣扎;
The broad stream in his banks complaining,宽阔的河在两岸间呻吟,
Heavily the low sky raining低沉的天空大雨下不停,
Over tower'd Camelot;洒向城堡卡默洛特。
Down she came and found a boat她出门来到一株柳树前,
Beneath a willow left afloat,找到遗在那里的一条船,
And round about the prow she wrote就把几个字写在船头边:
The Lady of Shalott.岛上的女郎夏洛特
And down the river's dim expanse—那河的水面上幽暗昏沉;
Like some bold seer in a trance,像个恍惚的勇敢占卜人
Seeing all his own mischance— 预见到自己的全部不幸——
With a glassy countenance她那木然而呆滞的眼睛
Did she look to Camelot.遥望着那卡默洛特。
And at the closing of the day天光将冥的茫茫暮色里,
She loosed the chain, and down she lay;她解开船索,躺下在船底,
The broad stream bore her far away,让宽阔的河载着她远去,
The Lady of Shalott.载着这女郎夏洛特。
Heard a carol, mournful, holy,他们听见的歌忧郁圣洁,
Chanted loudly, chanted lowly,一会声音高,一会声音低,
Till her blood was frozen slowly,唱到她血液渐渐地冷却,
And her eyes were darken'd wholly,唱到她完全丧失了视力——
Turn'd to tower'd Camelot;望着城堡卡默洛特。
For ere she reach'd upon the tide她随波逐流地一路漂去;
The first house by the water-side,没漂到岸边第一幢屋子,
Singing in her song she died,已在自己的歌声中去世——
The Lady of Shalott.去世了,女郎夏洛特。
Under tower and balcony,白糊糊的身影显得惨白,
By garden-wall and gallery,让船带着漂过塔楼、跳台;
A gleaming shape she floated by,她无声地漂过圆墙、阳台,
Dead-pale between the houses high,漂过耸立在两岸的高宅,
Silent into Camelot.就此漂进卡默洛特。
Out upon the wharfs they came,爵爷和夫人、骑士和市民,
Knight and burgher, lord and dame,都拥到码头上看个究竟——
And round the prow they read her name,在船头上读到她的芳名:
The Lady of Shalott.岛上的女郎夏洛特。
Who is this? and what is here?这里是什么?这是什么人?
And in the lighted palace near附近灯火通明的宫殿中,
Died the sound of royal cheer;国王举行的欢宴寂无声,
And they cross'd themselves for fear,划十字的骑士个个惊恐——
All the knights at Camelot:个个身在卡默洛特。
But Lancelot mused a little space;但蓝斯洛沉思了一会,
He said, 'She has a lovely face;说道,“她的脸长的很美,
God in His mercy lend her grace,愿仁慈的上帝给她恩惠——
The Lady of Shalott.'给这位女郎夏洛特。”
丁尼生的诗里描写了她临死的最后一幕-
Lying, robed in snowy white躺着的她穿雪白的衣群,
That loosely flew to left and right 宽松的忽左忽右飘不停;
The leaves upon her falling light 伴着夜里的天籁和虫鸣,
Thro' the noises of the night 落向她的树叶轻而又轻——
She floated down to Camelot 她呀漂向卡默洛特。
And as the boat-head wound along 在两岸的柳坡、田野之中,
The willowy hills and fields among, 小船在曲曲折折地前进;
They heard her singing her last song, 人们听到她最后的歌声——
The Lady of Shalott. 听到这女郎夏洛特。
- 专辑:The Visit
- 歌手:Loreena McKennitt
- 歌曲:The Lady of Shalott