韻譯林昭長詩 普羅米修斯受難之日 第一節

韻譯林昭長詩 普羅米修斯受難之日 第一節

（一）

 

阿波罗的金车渐渐驶近，
天边升起了嫣红的黎明，
高加索的峰岭迎着朝曦，
悬崖上，普洛米修士已经苏醒。
随着太阳的第一道光线，
地平线上疾射出两点流星：
——来了，那宙斯的惩罚使者，
她们哪天都不误时辰。
……娇丽的早晨，你几时才能
对我成为自由光明的象征……
钉住的镣链像冰冷的巨蛇，
捆得他浑身麻木而疼痛。

呼一声拍起翅膀，他身旁
落下了两团狰狞的乌云，
铜爪猛扎进他的肋骨，
他沉默着，把牙齿咬紧。
她们急一咀慢一咀啄着，
凝结的创口又鲜血淋淋，
胸膛上裂成了锯形的长孔
袒露出一颗焰腾腾的心。
兀鹰们停了停，像是在休息，
尽管这种虐杀并不很疲困，
——有的是时间，做什么着急
他没有任何抵抗的可能。

啊，这难忍的绝望的等待，
他真想喊：“快些，不要磨人”
但他终于只谋守着静默，
谁还能指望鹰犬有人性？
戏弄牺牲者对牺牲者是残酷，
对戏弄者却是游戏，刺激而高兴
一下，啄着了他活生生的心，

他痉挛起来，觉得胸膛里
敲进了一根烧红的长钉；
一下，一下，又一下，再一下，
兀鹰们贪婪地啄咬又吞吃，
新鲜的热血使它们酩酊。

赤血涂红了鹰隼的利喙，
它们争夺着，撕咬那颗心，

它已经成为一团变形的血肉，
只还微微跃动着，颤抖着生命。
痛楚灼烧着他每一根神经，
他喘息着，冷汗如水般漓淋，
那儿有空气啊，他吸入的每一口，
都只是千万只纤细的银针。
佝曲的鹰爪插透了手臂，
紧叩的牙齿咬穿了嘴唇，
但受难者像岩石般静默，
听不到一声叹息或呻吟。

镣铐的边缘割碎了皮肉，
岩石的锋棱磨烂了骨筋，
大地上形成了锈色的底，
勾下了受难者巍然的身影。
对这苍穹他抬起双眼，
天，你要作这些暴行的见证，
可是他看到了什么，……在那里
云空中显现着宙斯的笑影。
让他笑吧，如果他再找不到
更好的办法来对我泄恨，
如果他除此以外就再不能够
表现他君临万方的赫赫威灵；

如果他必需以鹰隼的牙爪，
向囚徒证明胜利者的光荣；
那么笑吧，握着雷霆的大神，
宙斯，我对你有些怜悯；
啄吧，受命来惩治我的兀鹰，
任你们蹂躏这片洁白的心胸，
牺牲者的血肉每天都现成，
吃饱了，把毛羽滋养得更光润。
普洛米修士微微地一笑，
宙斯居然也显示了困窘。
“问话且慢说，普洛米修士，
接受不接受，你赶快决定。”

“我不能。”普洛米修士答道，
平静地直视宙斯的眼睛。
“火本来只应该属于人类，
怎能够把它永藏在天庭？
哪怕是没有我偷下火种，
人们自己也找得到光明。
“人有了屋子怎会再钻洞？
鸟进了森林怎会再投笼？
有了火就会有火种留下，
飓风刮不灭，洪水淹不尽。
“火将要把人类引向解放，
我劝你再不必白白劳神，

无论怎么样，无论那一个
想消灭人间的火已经不成。

“神族这样的统治那能持久，
你难道听不见这遍野怨声？
贱民的血泪会把众神淹死，
奥林匹斯宫殿将化作灰尘！
“何必问未来暴动谁是首领
要伸张正义的都是你敌人
你自己种瓜得瓜种豆得豆
说不定杀你的就是你至亲。”
“住口！停止你恶毒的诅咒，”
宙斯两眼冒火脸色变青，

他扬起雷电槌劈空一击，
平地上霹雳起山摇地震。

“警告你，我不会轻易饶恕，
切莫要太信任我的宽仁！”
“谁会把你和宽仁联到一起，
那简直辱没了宙斯的英名。”
“用不着再跟我说长道短，
一句话：你到底答不答应？”
“重要的并不是我的意愿，
我无法改变事情的进程。”
“你就这么肯定我们要失败，
哼，瞧着吧，神族将万世永存。”
“何必还重复陈旧的神话，
问问你自己可把它当真。”

“谁道我胜不过贱民叛徒？
谁敢造反我就把它荡平！”
“我知道在这方面你最英武，
但走多了夜路准碰上冤魂。”

“你只能用诅咒来安慰自己，”
“这不是诅咒，而是未来的显影。”
“未来怎样已经与你无涉，
你还是光想法救救自身。”
“你可以把我磨碎，只要你高兴，
但丝毫救不了你们的危运。”
“你的头脑是不是花岗岩石？”
“不，是真理保守了它的坚贞。”

“这么说你要与我为敌到底。”
“被你认作敌人我感到光荣。”
“我叫你到地狱里去见鬼！”
宙斯怒火万丈吼了一声，
雷电槌对准普洛米修士打击，
只听得轰隆隆像地裂天崩。
半边山峰向深谷里倒下，
满空中飞沙走石伴着雷鸣，
电光像妖蛇在黑云中乱闪，
真好比世界末日地狱现形。
宙斯挥动着手中的梭子，
狞笑着腾身飞上了层云，
“谁说我惩治不了你？等着！
不叫你死，剥皮抽你的筋！”

对于被锁链捆绑的勇士，
对于失去抵抗能力的囚人，
对于一切不幸被俘的仇敌，
你们的英武确实无可比伦。
是听清了受难者无言的心声，
还是辛辣的味觉使它们眩晕
它们激怒了，猛一下四爪齐伸，
那颗伤残的心便被扯作两份。
普洛米修士昏晕了，他好像
忽然向暗黑的深渊下沉，
胸膛里有一团地狱的烙铁，
烧烤着，使他的呼吸因而停顿。

Apollo's golden chariot draws closer in sight,

From the skyline the rosy dawn begins to rise.

The peaks of the Caucasus greet the first light,

On the cliff Prometheus has opened his eyes.

With the first ray of the rising sun,

Two shooting stars streak across the horizon:

Here come the punishing messengers of Zeus,

They’ll never miss the hour and let go of any day.   

--- Oh, beautiful morning, when could you induce

A symbol of freedom to me to brighten the Way...

The shackles nail him down like pythons cold,

He feels numb and painful, strangled in their hold.

Two hideous clouds, with a flap of wings,

Swoop down to his side with pace violent,

Like bronze claws digging into his ribs with stings.  

Clenching his teeth, he keeps silent,

Now pecking, now chewing, they remain,

His coagulated wound is oozing blood again.

With a saw-shaped long hole ripped is his chest,

Here exposes a flaming heart.

The vultures take a pause, as if a rest,

Though such torture-to-death is not a tiring art,

——Why hurry -- plenty of time there

His possibility of resistance is rare.

Ah, such an unbearable and hopeless wait,

He really wants to loud shout:

C’mon, be quick! why hesitate?

But at last, he has not blurted a word out,

For who could expect humanity

From those vultures and hounds of insanity?

To the victim, utterly cruel is their tease,

But to teasers, it’s just an exciting game.

They peck his pulsing heart as they please,

He convulses, feeling his chest aflame

By a burning red-hot long spike.

Once, once again, they strike.

The vultures peck and devour, the evil birds,

With insatiable greed,

They become drunk nerds,

In his fresh hot blood, they stampede...

His blood has reddened the vultures’ beaks,

They fight for and bite his heart with squeaks.

Weakly pulsating, his heart has become

A deformed bloody mass,

Trembling, life string is numb and dumb.

The pain has burned every nerve in him, alas,

He is gasping, cold sweat cascades like hell,

Oh, fresh air, he draws in through his air cell,

Every breath is like sharp silver needles galore.

The crooked talons claw through his arm with rips,

The blood oozes from every cut and sore,

His clenched teeth bit through his lips,

But the sufferer remains as silent as a rock,

No sigh or groan is heard before any vulture flock.

The edges of shackles shred his flesh,

The jagged rocks grind

His bones and tendons to mesh,

As if a rust-hued backdrop is designed

Against the vast land,

Delineating the victim’s figure grand.

To the sky he raised his gaze,

Oh, heaven you shall bear

Witness to the atrocities of craze,

But what has he seen? Oh, right there,

In cloudy sky, that smiling Zeus appears.

Oh, I let him laugh with cheers,

If he has no better means

To vent his wrath on me.

If besides these in his cruel genes,

He can no longer be

Showing his omnipotent face

That reigns the world and human race.

If he must use the vultures’ claws,

To prove to the captive the glory of the winner,

Then, Zeus, you can enjoy your guffaws,

Holding the great god of thunder o’er the “sinner”,

But I pity you; come to peck, vultures,

You punish me with Zeus-trained cultures.  

Let you ravage this pure heart together,

The victim’s flesh and blood are ready per diem,

So, eat till you are full, to nourish your feather,

And to make them look smoother and gleam.

Prometheus faintly smiles, composed,

Surprisingly, Zeus appears to be discomposed.

Prometheus, do not hasten to ask... 

...Ask me questions a lot,

You’d better hurry to mull over your task,

Then decide whether to accept it or not.

Prometheus replies, as you know,

My answer is a definite No,

Looking calmly into Zeus' eyes without a turn,

Fire should belong to all, the beings entire,

How can only you deserve it for good to burn?

Even if I didn’t steal the fire,

People can still find light themselves.

If a man has his house, why a cave dwelling he delves?

How could birds prefer cages over the wood?

Where there is fire, there will be tinder,

No gales can blow it out for good,

No floods can swallow its cinder.

Fire will lead mankind to its final liberation,

I’d advise you’d not in vain hassle such salvation,

Oh, whatever or whichever, never

Ever could you douse the fire whirling.

How can the rule of the gods last forever?

Didn’t you hear the voices of grievances swirling?

The blood and tears of the beings will drown the gods,

The Palace of Olympus will be reduced to dust by all odds!

As for the future uprising, why ask who will lead?

Behold, those who seek justice will be your opposers!

You will reap fruit from your own sowed seed.

It’ll be your closest kins who kill you like bulldozers.

Shut the hell up! Stop your curse so vivid,

Zeus's eyes glow with ire, his face turns livid.

He strikes the air with his lightning wand,

Alp shakes, the land quakes, thunder bolts with gust.

I warn you I will not easily let you abscond,

My kind generosity you’d better not trust!

Who would link you with any kind act?

That simply smears your Zeus's fame in fact.

O stop it, one word as your vow,

Agree or not taking it back by force?

No, it's not up to my will now,

I cannot change the course.

You're so sure we are going to derail?

Hmph, just wait and see, the gods will never fail.

Oh, old myths, why repeat?

Ask yourself if you can regard it as real.

Who said the lowly traitors I cannot defeat?

Who dares to rebel, their fate I will seal!

I know you are most valiant in this,

But if you walk at night a lot, you will not miss

Bumping into wronged innocent souls.

You can only console yourself with curse,

It’s not a curse but a proof the future controls.

What the future will be like, to which you’re averse

Or not, it will have nothing to do with you,

Your task is to think how to pull yourself through.

You can grind me up to rid me of the planet,

But what you do will not be your doomed fate’s shield.

Is your mind made of granite?

No, it's not, for truth teaches it not to yield.

So, you are determined to be my foe to the end.

I’m honored to be not viewed as your friend.

Go to hell! Zeus’ roars fume,

His lightning rod hits Prometheus’ head,

At once, like the earth cracking, rises a vicious boom,

Like the sky shattering, so dread

Half of the mountain into the deep dale zaps,

Sand and rocks fly in the thunderclaps,

Lightning flashes like evil snakes in the clouds black,

As if the world vanishing, which the looming hell shrouds.

Zeus wields a shuttle in his hand forth and back,

With heinous grin, he soars into the clouds,

Who said I cannot punish you? Of your life I’ll not deprive,

But I will rupture your tendons, then skin you alive.

To the fettered one so brave,

For the prisoner whose resistance is lost,

To all unfortunate captives labeled as “knave”  

Your formidable prowess no one can exhaust.

The victim’s silent speech,

Or the spicy taste makes them dizzy and screech.

Stretching out all four claws, brutes are enraged,

That maimed heart is torn in half, the brutality so stark,

Prometheus passed out, after a tearing was waged.

He seems suddenly sinking into the abyss dark,

In his chest as if a branding iron has increased  

Its grilling, sizzling, his breath almost ceased.

 

Tr. Ziyuzile

29/04/23