莎孚：《有人說騎兵，有人則說步兵》

莎孚：《有人說騎兵，有人則說步兵》  林木譯

 

有人說騎兵，有人則說步兵，

或是一支長槳船隊，

才是這黑土地上至高無上的景象。

我卻說，

 

是你愛的那個人。 並且很容易證明。

難道不是海倫，美貌遠遠超過所有凡人

拋棄最好的

男人，她的同類，

 

然後駛向特洛伊並忘記

她的女兒和所愛的親人？ 隻有

開蒲麗安的目光使她屈服

並在她的道路上引領她;

 

這些事情現在讓我想起了

遠方的安娜多麗雅，

而我

這個人

 

寧願看到她溫暖靈活的腳步

和她臉上的光亮，而不是

裏底亞所有耀眼的戰車

和重裝備裝甲步兵。

 

Some say cavalry and others claim

by Sappho

 

Some say cavalry and others claim

infantry or a fleet of long oars

is the supreme sight on the black earth.

I say it is

 

the one you love. And easily proved.

Did not Helen who far surpassed all

mortals in beauty desert the best

of men, her kin,

 

and sail off to Troy and forget

her daughter and dear kinsmen? Merely

the Kyprian's gaze made her bend and led

her from her path;

 

these things remind me now

of Anaktoria who is far,

and I

for one

 

would rather see her warm supple step

and the sparkle of her face than watch

all the dazzling chariots and armored

hoplites of Lydia.