两首风筝诗

武夷山

博友盛红月在评论中说,她写过一首题为《风筝》的诗:

你接近蓝天/

与白云印。你飘动着/

与风共舞。但你仍在挣扎/

你说你一定要挣断最后的束缚。你成功了/

当你喊自由万岁的时候/

一阵狂风/

让你从万空中一个筋斗一个筋斗地坠落。

老槐树的枝节象利剑一样剌穿了你的胸膛/

毁灭了你的容颜。你灵魂的贪婪/

终于葬送了你永远的自由。

    我评论说, 好诗啊。有一首英语诗Kite好像有类似的意境。盛红月希望我译出那首诗。遵命。下面是原文和拙译。

 “The Kite, or the Fall of Pride”

John Newton

Aug. 4, 1770

My waking dreams are best concealed,

Much folly, little good they yield.

But now and then I gain when sleeping

A friendly hint that’s worth the keeping.

…

Lately I dreamt of one who cried

“Beware of self, beware of pride;

When you are prone to build a Babel

Recall to mind this little fable.”

Once upon a time a paper kite

Was mounted to a wondrous height,

Where, giddy with its elevation,

It thus expressed self-admiration:

…

”See how yon crowds of gazing people

Admire my flight above the steeple;

How they would wonder if they knew

All that a kite like me can do?

…

Were I but free, I’d take a flight,

And pierce the clouds beyond their sight.

“But, ah! like a poor pris’ner bound,

My string confines me near the ground:

…

I’d brave the eagle’s tow’ring wing,

Might I but fly without a string.”

It tugged and pulled, while thus it spoke

To break the string; at last it broke.

…

Deprived at once of all its stay,

In vain it tried to soar away;

Unable its own weight to bear,

It fluttered downward through the air;

…

Unable its own course to guide,

The winds soon plunged it in the tide.

Ah! foolish kite; thou hadst no wing;

How couldt thou fly without a string?

…

My heart replied, “O Lord, I see

How much this kite resembles me!

Forgetful that by thee I stand,

Impatient of thy ruling hand;

…

“How oft I’ve wished to break the lines

Thy wisdom for my lot assigns?

How oft indulged a vain desire

For something more or something higher.

…

And but for grace or love divine,

A fall thus dreadful had been mine.”

风筝（或自负之坠落）的故事

约翰.牛顿

武夷山 译

我最好不要暴露自己的白日梦，

那里面尽是糊涂的想法，百无一用。

不过我时不时在睡眠中产生的善念，

倒是值得诉诸笔端。

最近我梦见一个人叫喊

“审视自我，小心别自满；

你若想把巴别尔塔搭建，

一定要记住下面的寓言。

从前有一只纸鸢，

升到高邈的云端。

因高翔洋洋得意，

发出自得的感言：

“众人皆仰首看我，

佩服我高过塔尖；

他们一定在寻思，

风筝居然如此能干？

若能自由，我要翱翔，

穿云破雾直向远方。

“可是，唉！我像可怜的囚徒，

风筝线牵着我靠近泥土：

若是让我无线而飞

我的英姿敢与雄鹰媲美。”
它一边说话，一边挣扎

终于甩掉了线儿的羁押。
 

它失去了任何控制

想翱翔却无济于事；

它支撑不住自己的身体，

扑簌簌跌落向大地；

它把握不住方向，

风儿裹挟它前往。
啊，愚蠢的风筝，你并无翅膀，

怎么可能摆脱线儿而飞翔。

我的心灵应答道，“我明白了，上帝，

这只风筝与我多么相似！
我忘了，我是凭借您的力量才能站立，

却对您的统治厌烦之极。

“我常想摆脱自己的命途舛乖

不曾想那是您智慧的安排；

我常常沉迷于可耻的奢望

奢望更多的东西，更大的荣光。

若不是承蒙您的恩惠与慈爱

我早就像风筝一样跌落尘埃。”