How do I Love Thee?
How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
For the ends of Being and ideal Grace.
I love thee to the level of everyday’s
Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light.
I love thee freely, as men strive for Right;
I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise.
I love thee with the passion put to use
In my old griefs, and with my childhood’s faith.
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose
With my lost saints, — I love thee with the breath,
Smiles, tears, of all my life! — and, if God choose,
I shall but love thee better after death.
在我看来这首诗是十分直白的,换句话说,勃朗宁夫人在表达她的感情时十分的直接,而那份感情也因为质朴而宝贵。首先,提出问题“How do I love thee?(我究竟是怎样地爱你?)”,接下来就开始回答。诗人说:让我细致端详,仿佛少女掰着手指头一条条诉说着自己的心思,可爱之极。在接下来的数行中,诗人对一开始提出的问题一一进行了解释。
第二行到第四行,诗人说:“我爱你,以心灵所能及的深邃和宽广,让这情感超越现实不为所见,直抵神祗的殿堂。”这份感情极其伟大,以至于难以估量,甚至超越了灵魂所能及的高度、深度、广度。可以说,诗人是在以自己全部的生命爱着对方。
接着,从第五行到第九行,勃朗宁夫人通过重复与明喻的手法,表达了自己爱的方式:“我爱你就像最朴素的日常需要一样,就像不自觉地需要阳光和蜡烛。我自由地爱你,像人们选择正义之路,我纯洁地爱你,像人们躲避称赞颂扬。我爱你用的是我在昔日悲痛里
用过的那种激情,以及童年的忠诚。”
而第十行至第十一行,诗人说:“我爱你用的爱,我本以为早已失去(连我失去的圣徒一同)”似乎在这里,诗人正将自己过去的感情的遗憾与今日的爱恋相对照。
最后的三行,诗人说:“——我爱你,以我的呼吸、微笑和脸上的泪行,以我的全部来爱你——还有,倘若上帝允许,我会在来世更加爱你。”这是对全诗的总结,也是勃朗宁夫人对爱情庄严的宣誓。
从结构上来说,在这首诗中,勃朗宁夫人使用了多种修辞格。首先,她在8行不同的诗歌中,重复使用“I love thee”,这些句子加强了感情表达的力度,同时,也形成了全诗独特的节奏。而在最后一句着重重复这一内容:I shall but love thee。为全诗留下一个精彩而厚重的收尾。另一个重要的修辞格是头韵。“在第一行、第二行、第五行、第九行、第十二行中,都有thee和the中字母th的重复。所以这些重复,同样构成了这首诗歌的主旋律,使得诗歌中所表述的爱情更加真实可信。”
在形式方面,该诗采用的是比特拉克式的意大利十四行,韵脚排列形式为:“ABBA, ABBA,CDCDCD。”灵活的形式,符合了诗人所要表达的情感的内容,也与诗人作为一位女性而独有的娇憨可爱的特质是极为吻合的。
在《葡萄牙人的十四行诗》中勃朗宁夫人曾写道:“And yet, because thou overcomes so, Because thou art more noble and like a king, Thou canst prevail against my fears and fling(第十六首)”我们可以看到勃朗宁夫人在爱情中的蜕变,也许爱情本来就没有地位之分,在爱人的眼中,我们都是完美而高贵的,勃朗宁夫人虽然才华横溢但是双腿残疾,也许是勃朗宁对她的鼓励与温情使她抛弃了自卑的情绪,从而在爱情中得到新生。有的时候,爱情是可以塑造一个人的灵魂的,我们在爱情中学会坚强勇敢,自信乐观,以此来抵御世俗的生活对这份珍贵的感情的冲击。在这份感情的开始,她说:“The chrism is on thine head,--on mine, the dew,--And Death must dug the level where these agree.(《葡萄牙人的十四行诗》第三首)”而在这首《How do I Love Thee?》中,最后,勃朗宁夫人说:“and, if God choose, I shall but love thee better after death.”这是多么明显的转变。
home thoughts ,from abroad
Sonnets from the Portuguese
You’ll Love Me Yet你终将爱我
—Robert Browning罗伯特•勃朗宁
You’ll love me yet!—and I can tarry Your love’s protracted growing: June reared that bunch of flowers you carry From seeds of April’s sowing. 你终将爱我!—我会等待 等待你慢慢长大的爱: 你手捧的那束花 就是四月播种,六月开。 I plant a heartful now: some seed At least is sure to strike, And yield—what you’ll not pluck indeed, Not love, but, may be, like! 现在我把满心的种子种栽: 至少会有几朵花开— 这些花你不一定想采, 不是爱,但可能是青睐。 You’ll look at least on love’s remains, A grave’s one violet: Your look?—that pays a thousand pains. What’s death?—you’ll love me yet! 你至少会看看爱的遗迹, 一座坟前的紫罗兰花: 你那一看?—抵我痛苦万千。 死亡算什么?你终会爱我吧! 我是怎样地爱你 -摘自葡萄牙十四行诗 勃朗宁夫人 我是怎样地爱你?让我逐一细算。 How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. 我爱你尽我的心灵所能及到的 I love thee to the depth and breadth and height 深邃、宽广、和高度--正象我探求 My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight 玄冥中上帝的存在和深厚的神恩。 For the ends of Being and ideal Grace. 我爱你的程度,就象日光和烛焰下 I love thee to the level of everyday's 那每天不用说得的需要。我不加思虑地 Most quiet , by sun and candle-light 爱你,就象男子们为正义而斗争; I love thee freely, as men strive for Right; 我纯洁地爱你,象他们在赞美前低头。 I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise. 我爱你以我童年的信仰;我爱你 I love thee with the passion put to use 以满怀热情,就象往日满腔的辛酸; In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith 我爱你,抵得上那似乎随着消失的圣者 I love thee with a love I seemed to lose 而消逝的爱慕。我爱你以我终生的 With my lost saints, -- I love thee with the breath, 呼吸,微笑和泪珠--假使是上帝的 Smiles, tears,and all my life -- and, if God choose; 意旨,那么,我死了我还要更加爱你! I shall but love thee better after death.
Thou hast they calling to some palace-floor
你原是皇廷的贵宾
Most gracious singer of the high poems! where
在将那最尊崇的诗赋唱吟
The dancers will break footing, from the care
宾客们的舞步因你而停
Of watching up thy pregnant lips for more
凝神期盼着,你的朱唇再吐清音
And dost thou lift this house’s latch to poor
可你对这一切却毫无顾惜
For hand of thine? And canst thou think and bear
只将那音乐的大门向我亲手开启
To let thy music drop here unaware
开启向我的无名和贫瘠
In folds of golden fullness at my door?
你让那华美的音节充盈在我的窗棂
Look up and see the casement broken in
冲破我那被夜莺蝙蝠盘踞的屋顶
The bats and owlets builders in the roof!
请你,请求你
My cricket chirps against thy mandolin
请别再要求我的回应
Hush; call no echo up in further proof
因为在那荒芜里虫鸣般的
Of desolation! There’s voice within
一声声低微的哀啼
That weeps
正是我,孤独而凄清的
As thou must sing…..alone, aloof
回应着,你的雅歌,你的曼陀铃
(3)Unlike are we, unlike, O princely Heart!
我爱的人啊,你可晓得,
Unlike our uses and our destinies.
我们原本,就命殊运途,
Our ministering two angels look surprise
连我们守护彼此的天使,
On one another, as they strike athwart
也该于掠及处,相惊而身错。
Their wings in passing. Thou, bethink thee, art
我爱的人啊,你可思透
A guest for queens to social pageantries,
你应邀在皇庭,而我栖身于枯柏
With gages from a hundred brighter eyes
是你将华章引领,而我处荒野哀歌
Than tears even can make mine, to play thy part
你可让万千明眸顾盼,我却只得双行清泪垂落
Of chief musician. What hast _thou_ to do
我爱的人啊,可是你,你又为何
With looking from the lattice-lights at me,
为何要透过你那华丽的窗格,望向我
A poor, tired, wandering singer, ... singing through
穿过那茫茫黑夜,看穿我的疲乏,贫穷,无助和困惑
The dark, and leaning up a cypress tree?
我爱的人啊,可是你,你又为何不懂
The chrism is on thine head, -- on mine, the dew, --
你沐浴着圣油,我侵浸在夜露
And Death must dig the level where these agree
我们这种种的不同,终只能抵死方休
But only three in God’s universe
仅有神与你我同在
Have heard this world that has said, himself, besides
仅有神与你我共证
The speaking, and me listening, and replied
曾有过誓言,回荡在你我的倾诉和聆听之间
One of us….that was God…..and laid the curse
可究竟是你,是我,还是神,竟许下了如此的咒言
So darkly on my eyelids, as to amerce
除非惩我永驻黑暗
My sight from seeing three –that if I had died
除非今生两隔天人
The death-weights, placed there, would have signified
除非死亡的枷锁永镇不懈
Less absolute exclusion, Nay is worse
那么,天地之间
From God than from others, o’ my friend
便再无力量,将你我离分
Men could not part us with they wordy jars
莫要说人间的蜚语
Nor the seas changes us, nor the tempests bends
莫要说沧海暴风
Our hands would touch for all the mountain bars
我们一样能越过山峦携手共牵
And, heaven being rolled between us at the end
哪怕最终,霄汉立,银河更
We should but vow the faster the stars
我们的誓言也将超越星辰,永随诸神。
除了优美的诗歌包含深情,书中选配的插图一下子就击中了我的心!
剪影的人物没有清晰的表情,但是通过栩栩如生的姿态,
更能够表达诗中所包含的情景,每一幅插图都很唯美很艺术呀:)
勃朗宁夫人的句子,真的是很美很美,可以反复的吟诵,唇齿留香.
I thought once how theocritus hand sung
我也曾思量,那古希腊的诗人会是如何吟唱
Of sweet years, the dear and wished-for years
这渴望中甘甜的锦瑟年华
who each one in a gracious hand appears
日复一日,如恩赐从上天而降
To bear a gift for motal, old or young
时复一时,将凡俗引渡照亮
And, as I mused in his antique tongue
而他那古朴的音调又会怎样抑扬
I saw, in gradual vision through my tears
去诉说我泪水里铺陈出的弭幻景象
The sweet, sad years, the melancholy years
在我飘然无踪的岁月中
Those of my own life, who by turns has flung,
所有甜蜜,苦楚和忧伤的时光
A shadow across me, straightway I was ware
他突来的阴影无法逃逸
So weeping, how a mystic shape did move
迅速而强壮的笼罩一切
Behind me, and draw me backward by the hair
从背后紧缚住我的长发
And a voice in mastery, while I strove
威严的声音震慑住我的挣扎
Gusee now who holds thee?
“你可知,我是谁”
"Death?" I said, But, there
“死亡吗?”这是我唯有的回答
The silver answer rang, Not death, but love
银铃(1)声起,“不,我不是,怎会是死亡?”
我是你的爱情啊
我想起,当年希腊的诗人曾经歌咏:
I thought once how Theocritus had sung
年复一年,那良辰在殷切的盼望中
Of the sweet years, the dear and wished-for years,
翩然降临,各自带一份礼物
Who each one in a gracious hand appears
分送给世人--年老或是年少。
To bear a gift for mortals, old or young:
当我这么想,感叹着诗人的古调,
And, as I mused it in his antique tongue,
穿过我泪眼所逐渐展开的幻觉,
I saw, in gradual vision through my tears,
我看见,那欢乐的岁月、哀伤的岁月--
The sweet, sad years, the melancholy years,
我自己的年华,把一片片黑影接连着
Those of my own life, who by turns had flung
掠过我的身。紧接着,我就觉察
A shadow across me. Straightway I was 'ware,
(我哭了)我背后正有个神秘的黑影
So weeping, how a mystic Shape did move
在移动,而且一把揪住了我的发,
Behind me, and drew me backward by the hair;
往后拉,还有一声吆喝(我只是在挣扎):
And a voice said in mastery, while I strove, --
“这回是谁逮住了你?猜!”“死,”我答话。
`Guess now who holds thee?' -- `Death.' I said. But, there
听哪,那银铃似的回音:“不是死,是爱!”
The silver answer rang, -- `Not Death, but love.'
A poor, tired, wandering singer, ... singing through 穿过那茫茫黑夜,看穿我的疲乏,贫穷,无助和困惑 And Death must dig the level where these agree 我们这种种的不同,终只能抵死方休 這兩句非常美!贊~~~
I thought once how theocritus hand sung 我也曾思量,那古希腊的诗人会是如何吟唱
Of sweet years, the dear and wished-for years 这渴望中甘甜的锦瑟年华
who each one in a gracious hand appears 日复一日,如恩赐从上天而降
To bear a gift for motal, old or young 时复一时,将凡俗引渡照亮
And, as I mused in his antique tongue 而他那古朴的音调又会怎样抑扬
I saw, in gradual vision through my tears 去诉说我泪水里铺陈出的弭幻景象 And a voice in mastery, while I strove 威严的声音震慑住我的挣扎 " 这几句翻译的又准确,又优美,有诗歌的光芒, 后面稍稍有些不顺畅.楼主还是很厉害,诗味整体上比方老前辈浓.我读中文版,总觉的别扭,看了英文才恍然,只可惜我的中文不够好.楼主加油!
thank you for the original poem. like the english one better.