韻譯林昭長詩 普羅米修斯受難之日 第一章

韻譯林昭長詩 普羅米修斯受難之日 第一章

（一）

 

阿波羅的金車漸漸駛近，
天邊升起了嫣紅的黎明，
高加索的峰嶺迎著朝曦，
懸崖上，普洛米修士已經蘇醒。
隨著太陽的第一道光線，
地平線上疾射出兩點流星：
——來了，那宙斯的懲罰使者，
她們哪天都不誤時辰。
……嬌麗的早晨，你幾時才能
對我成為自由光明的象征……
釘住的鐐鏈像冰冷的巨蛇，
捆得他渾身麻木而疼痛。

呼一聲拍起翅膀，他身旁
落下了兩團猙獰的烏雲，
銅爪猛紮進他的肋骨，
他沉默著，把牙齒咬緊。
她們急一咀慢一咀啄著，
凝結的創口又鮮血淋淋，
胸膛上裂成了鋸形的長孔
袒露出一顆焰騰騰的心。
兀鷹們停了停，像是在休息，
盡管這種虐殺並不很疲困，
——有的是時間，做什麽著急
他沒有任何抵抗的可能。

啊，這難忍的絕望的等待，
他真想喊：“快些，不要磨人”
但他終於隻謀守著靜默，
誰還能指望鷹犬有人性？
戲弄犧牲者對犧牲者是殘酷，
對戲弄者卻是遊戲，刺激而高興
一下，啄著了他活生生的心，

他痙攣起來，覺得胸膛裏
敲進了一根燒紅的長釘；
一下，一下，又一下，再一下，
兀鷹們貪婪地啄咬又吞吃，
新鮮的熱血使它們酩酊。

赤血塗紅了鷹隼的利喙，
它們爭奪著，撕咬那顆心，

它已經成為一團變形的血肉，
隻還微微躍動著，顫抖著生命。
痛楚灼燒著他每一根神經，
他喘息著，冷汗如水般漓淋，
那兒有空氣啊，他吸入的每一口，
都隻是千萬隻纖細的銀針。
佝曲的鷹爪插透了手臂，
緊叩的牙齒咬穿了嘴唇，
但受難者像岩石般靜默，
聽不到一聲歎息或呻吟。

鐐銬的邊緣割碎了皮肉，
岩石的鋒棱磨爛了骨筋，
大地上形成了鏽色的底，
勾下了受難者巍然的身影。
對這蒼穹他抬起雙眼，
天，你要作這些暴行的見證，
可是他看到了什麽，……在那裏
雲空中顯現著宙斯的笑影。
讓他笑吧，如果他再找不到
更好的辦法來對我泄恨，
如果他除此以外就再不能夠
表現他君臨萬方的赫赫威靈；

如果他必需以鷹隼的牙爪，
向囚徒證明勝利者的光榮；
那麽笑吧，握著雷霆的大神，
宙斯，我對你有些憐憫；
啄吧，受命來懲治我的兀鷹，
任你們蹂躪這片潔白的心胸，
犧牲者的血肉每天都現成，
吃飽了，把毛羽滋養得更光潤。
普洛米修士微微地一笑，
宙斯居然也顯示了困窘。
“問話且慢說，普洛米修士，
接受不接受，你趕快決定。”

“我不能。”普洛米修士答道，
平靜地直視宙斯的眼睛。
“火本來隻應該屬於人類，
怎能夠把它永藏在天庭？
哪怕是沒有我偷下火種，
人們自己也找得到光明。
“人有了屋子怎會再鑽洞？
鳥進了森林怎會再投籠？
有了火就會有火種留下，
颶風刮不滅，洪水淹不盡。
“火將要把人類引向解放，
我勸你再不必白白勞神，

無論怎麽樣，無論那一個
想消滅人間的火已經不成。

“神族這樣的統治那能持久，
你難道聽不見這遍野怨聲？
賤民的血淚會把眾神淹死，
奧林匹斯宮殿將化作灰塵！
“何必問未來暴動誰是首領
要伸張正義的都是你敵人
你自己種瓜得瓜種豆得豆
說不定殺你的就是你至親。”
“住口！停止你惡毒的詛咒，”
宙斯兩眼冒火臉色變青，

他揚起雷電槌劈空一擊，
平地上霹靂起山搖地震。

“警告你，我不會輕易饒恕，
切莫要太信任我的寬仁！”
“誰會把你和寬仁聯到一起，
那簡直辱沒了宙斯的英名。”
“用不著再跟我說長道短，
一句話：你到底答不答應？”
“重要的並不是我的意願，
我無法改變事情的進程。”
“你就這麽肯定我們要失敗，
哼，瞧著吧，神族將萬世永存。”
“何必還重複陳舊的神話，
問問你自己可把它當真。”

“誰道我勝不過賤民叛徒？
誰敢造反我就把它蕩平！”
“我知道在這方麵你最英武，
但走多了夜路準碰上冤魂。”

“你隻能用詛咒來安慰自己，”
“這不是詛咒，而是未來的顯影。”
“未來怎樣已經與你無涉，
你還是光想法救救自身。”
“你可以把我磨碎，隻要你高興，
但絲毫救不了你們的危運。”
“你的頭腦是不是花崗岩石？”
“不，是真理保守了它的堅貞。”

“這麽說你要與我為敵到底。”
“被你認作敵人我感到光榮。”
“我叫你到地獄裏去見鬼！”
宙斯怒火萬丈吼了一聲，
雷電槌對準普洛米修士打擊，
隻聽得轟隆隆像地裂天崩。
半邊山峰向深穀裏倒下，
滿空中飛沙走石伴著雷鳴，
電光像妖蛇在黑雲中亂閃，
真好比世界末日地獄現形。
宙斯揮動著手中的梭子，
獰笑著騰身飛上了層雲，
“誰說我懲治不了你？等著！
不叫你死，剝皮抽你的筋！”

對於被鎖鏈捆綁的勇士，
對於失去抵抗能力的囚人，
對於一切不幸被俘的仇敵，
你們的英武確實無可比倫。
是聽清了受難者無言的心聲，
還是辛辣的味覺使它們眩暈
它們激怒了，猛一下四爪齊伸，
那顆傷殘的心便被扯作兩份。
普洛米修士昏暈了，他好像
忽然向暗黑的深淵下沉，
胸膛裏有一團地獄的烙鐵，
燒烤著，使他的呼吸因而停頓。

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 raises his gaze,

Oh, celestial skies, you must

Bear witness to the atrocities of craze,

But what has he seen? Ah, in cloudy bust,

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,

I warn you I will not easily let you abscond,

My kind generosity will not torlerate your revolts!

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 has passed out, after violence on him was staged.

He is suddenly sinking into the abyss dark,

A branding iron in his chest seems to increase

Its grilling, sizzling, his breath thus is forced to cease.

 

Tr. Ziyuzile

29/04/23