Sailing to Byzantium 航向拜占庭

作者:Yeats
翻譯:余光中

That is No Country for Old Men. The young
那不是老人的國度.年輕人

In one another's arms, birds in the trees
在彼此的懷中;鳥在樹上

Those dying generations - at their song
那些將死的世代--揚著歌聲;

The salmon-falls, the mackerel-crowded seas,
鮭躍於瀑,鯖相摩于海洋;

Fish, flesh, or fowl, commend all summer long
泳者,行者,飛者,整個夏季頌揚

Whatever is begotten, born, and dies.
生,成長,而死去的眾生.

Caught in that sensual music all neglect
惑於感官的音樂,全都無視

Monuments of unageing intellect.
紀念永生的智慧而立的碑石.



An aged man is but a paltry thing,
一個老人不過是一件廢物,

A tattered coat upon a stick, unless
一件破衣掛在木杖上,除非

Soul clap its hands and sing, and louder sing
靈魂拍掌而歌,愈歌愈激楚,

For every tatter in its mortal dress,
為了塵衣的每一片破碎;

Nor is there singing school but studying
沒有人能教歌,除了去研讀

Monuments of its own magnificence;
為靈魂的宏偉而豎的石碑;

And therefore I have sailed the seas and come
所以我一直在海上航行,

To the holy city of Byzantium.
來到這拜占庭的聖城.


O sages standing in God's holy fire
哦,諸聖立在上帝的火中,

As in the gold mosaic of a wall,
如立在有鑲金壁畫的牆上,

Come from the holy fire, perne in a gyre,
來吧,從聖火中,盤旋轉動,

And be the singing-masters of my soul.
且教我的靈魂如何歌唱.

Consume my heart away; sick with desire
將我的心焚化;情欲已病重,

And fastened to a dying animal
且系在垂死的這一具皮囊,

It knows not what it is; and gather me
我的心已不識自己,請將我納入,

Into the artifice of eternity.
納入永恆那精巧的藝術.




Once out of nature I shall never take
一旦蛻化後,我再也不肯

My bodily form from any natural thing,
向任何物體去乞取身形,

But such a form as Grecian goldsmiths make
除非希臘的金匠所製成

Of hammered gold and gold enamelling
的那種,用薄金片和鍍金,

To keep a drowsy Emperor awake;
使欲眠的帝王保持清醒;

Or set upon a golden bough to sing
不然置我于金燦的樹頂,

To lords and ladies of Byzantium
向拜占庭的貴族和貴婦歌詠

Of what is past, or passing, or to come.
已逝的,將逝的,未來的種種.

開完展覽一陣子了,該醒了

經歷了一場令人疲憊的嘉義之旅,回到台北後一直都還提不起精神...
"休息站"是什麼?休息不難,再出發則需要勇氣的.
下一站是幸福,但幸福的方向在哪裡?
面對,很難,我看到了很多懶懶的藉口..
不被現狀擊敗,出發!