Sympathy BY PAUL LAURENCE DUNBAR 翻譯一位黑人詩人的詩

Sympathy

 

BY PAUL LAURENCE DUNBAR

 

I know what the caged bird feels, alas!

    When the sun is bright on the upland slopes;   

When the wind stirs soft through the springing grass,   

And the river flows like a stream of glass;

    When the first bird sings and the first bud opes,   

And the faint perfume from its chalice steals—

I know what the caged bird feels!

 

I know why the caged bird beats his wing

    Till its blood is red on the cruel bars;   

For he must fly back to his perch and cling   

When he fain would be on the bough a-swing;

    And a pain still throbs in the old, old scars   

And they pulse again with a keener sting—

I know why he beats his wing!

 

I know why the caged bird sings, ah me,

    When his wing is bruised and his bosom sore,—

When he beats his bars and he would be free;

It is not a carol of joy or glee,

    But a prayer that he sends from his heart’s deep core,   

But a plea, that upward to Heaven he flings—

I know why the caged bird sings!

 

同情

 

我懂得籠中鳥的感受， 唉！

當太陽在高地的斜坡上閃亮；

當風輕輕搖動春天的草地，

河水像流淌的鏡子；

當第一隻鳥唱歌第一個花苞綻放，

清香從它的聖杯悄悄地流-

我懂得籠中鳥的感受

 

我懂得為何籠裏的鳥扇動翅膀

知道它的血染紅無情的圍欄；

因他必須飛回到他的棲息處依傍

當他本該開心有樹枝作秋千來蕩；

可陳舊的傷疤仍有疼痛震顫

而這些傷疤再一次更鋒利地刺傷

我懂得為何他扇動翅膀

 

我懂得為何籠中鳥要歌唱，隻有我， 

當他擦傷了翅膀和胸膛，-

當他擊打籠子的圍欄時才會自由；

這不是歡樂的頌歌，

而是他心底發出的祈禱，

而是他投向天堂的懇求-

我懂得為何籠中鳥要歌唱！