友情提示:如果本网页打开太慢或显示不完整,请尝试鼠标右键“刷新”本网页!
lucile-第7部分
快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完,想下次继续接着阅读,可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能!
ld in the ingots; the silk in the bales。
〃From the gardens of Pleasure where reddens the rose; And the scent of the cedar is faint on the air; Past the harbors of Traffic; sublimely she goes; Man's hopes o'er the world of the waters to bear!
〃Where the cheer from the harbors of Traffic is heard; Where the gardens of Pleasure fade fast on the sight; O'er the rose; o'er the cedar; there passes a bird; 'Tis the Paradise Bird; never known to alight。
〃And that bird; bright and bold as a poet's desire; Roams her own native heavens; the realms of her birth。 There she soars like a seraph; she shines like a fire; And her plumage hath never been sullied by earth。
〃And the mariners greet her; there's song on each lip; For that bird of good omen; and joy in each eye。 And the ship and the bird; and the bird and the ship; Together go forth over ocean and sky。
〃Fast; fast fades the land! far the rose…gardens flee; And far fleet the harbors。 In regions unknown The ship is alone on a desert of sea; And the bird in a desert of sky is alone。
〃In those regions unknown; o'er that desert of air; Down that desert of waterstremendous in wrath The storm…wind Euroclydon leaps from his lair; And cleaves; thro' the waves of the ocean; his path。
〃And the bird in the cloud; and the ship on the wave; Overtaken; are beaten about by wild gales; And the mariners all rush their cargo to save; Of the gold in the ingots; the silk in the bales。
〃Lo! a wonder; which never before hath been heard; For it never before hath been given to sight; On the ship bath descended the Paradise Bird; The Paradise Bird; never known to alight!
〃The bird which the mariners bless'd; when each lip Had a song for the omen that gladden'd each eye; The bright bird for shelter hath flown to the ship From the wrath on the sea and the wrath in the sky。
〃But the mariners heed not the bird any more。 They are felling the maststhey are cutting the sails; Some are working; some weeping; and some wrangling o'er Their gold in the ingots; their silk in the bales。
〃Souls of men are on board; wealth of man in the hold; And the storm…wind Euroclydon sweeps to his prey; And who heeds the bird? 'Save the silk and the gold!' And the bird from her shelter the gust sweeps away!
〃Poor Paradise Bird! on her lone flight once more Back again in the wake of the wind she is driven To be 'whelmed in the storm; or above it to soar; And; if rescued from ocean; to vanish in heaven!
〃And the ship rides the waters and weathers the gales: From the haven she nears the rejoicing is heard。 All hands are at work on the ingots; the bales; Save a child sitting lonely; who missesthe bird!〃
CANTO III。
I。
With stout iron shoes be my Pegasus shod! For my road is a rough one: flint; stubble; and clod; Blue clay; and black quagmire; brambles no few; And I gallop up…hill; now。
There's terror that's true In that tale of a youth who; one night at a revel; Amidst music and mirth lured and wiled by some devil; Follow'd ever one mask through the mad masquerade; Till; pursued to some chamber deserted ('tis said); He unmasked; with a kiss; the strange lady; and stood Face to face with a Thing not of flesh nor of blood。 In this Mask of the Passions; call'd Life; there's no human Emotion; though mask'd; or in man or in woman; But; when faced and unmask'd; it will leave us at last Struck by some supernatural aspect aghast。 For truth is appalling and eldrich; as seen By this world's artificial lamplights and we screen From our sight the strange vision that troubles our life。 Alas! why is Genius forever at strife With the world; which; despite the world's self; it ennobles? Why is it that Genius perplexes and troubles And offends the effete life it comes to renew? 'Tis the terror of truth! 'tis that Genius is true!
II。
Lucile de Nevers (if her riddle I read) Was a woman of genius: whose genius; indeed; With her life was at war。 Once; but once; in that life The chance had been hers to escape from this strife In herself; finding peace in the life of another From the passionate wants she; in hers; failed to smother。 But the chance fell too soon; when the crude restless power Which had been to her nature so fatal a dower; Only wearied the man it yet haunted and thrall'd; And that moment; once lost; had been never recall'd。 Yet it left her heart sore: and; to shelter her heart From approach; she then sought; in that delicate art Of concealment; those thousand adroit strategies Of feminine wit; which repel while they please; A weapon; at once; and a shield to conceal And defend all that women can earnestly feel。 Thus; striving her instincts to hide and repress; She felt frighten'd at times by her very success: She pined for the hill…tops; the clouds; and the stars: Golden wires may annoy us as much as steel bars If they keep us behind prison windows: impassion'd Her heart rose and burst the light cage she had fashion'd Out of glittering trifles around it。
Unknown To herself; all her instincts; without hesitation; Embraced the idea of self…immolation。 The strong spirit in her; had her life been but blended With some man's whose heart had her own comprehended; All its wealth at his feet would have lavishly thrown。 For him she had struggled and striven alone; For him had aspired; in him had transfused All the gladness and grace of her nature; and used For him only the spells of its delicate power: Like the ministering fairy that brings from her bower To some maze all the treasures; whose use the fond elf; More enrich'd by her love; disregards for herself。 But standing apart; as she ever had done; And her genius; which needed a vent; finding none In the broad fields of action thrown wide to man's power; She unconsciously made it her bulwark and tower; And built in it her refuge; whence lightly she hurl'd Her contempt at the fashions and forms of the world。
And the permanent cause why she now miss'd and fail'd That firm hold upon life she so keenly assail'd; Was; in all those diurnal occasions that place Saythe world and the woman opposed face to face; Where the woman must yield; she; refusing to stir; Offended the world; which in turn wounded her。
As before; in the old…fashion'd manner; I fit To this character; also; its moral: to wit; Saythe world is a nettle; disturb it; it stings: Grasp it firmly; it stings not。 On one of two things; If you would not be stung; it behoves you to settle Avoid it; or crush it。 She crush'd not the nettle; For she could not; nor would she avoid it: she tried With the weak hand of woman to thrust it aside; And it stung her。 A woman is too slight a thing To trample the world without feeling its sting。
III。
One lodges but simply at Luchon; yet; thanks To the season that changes forever the banks Of the blossoming mountains; and shifts the light cloud O'er the valley; and hushes or rouses the loud Wind that wails in the pines; or creeps murmuring down The dark evergreen slopes to the slumbering town; And the torrent that falls; faintly heard from afar; And the blue…bells that purple the dapple…gray scaur; One sees with each month of the many…faced year A thousand sweet changes of beauty appear。 The chalet where dwelt the Comtesse de Nevers Rested half up the base of a mountain of firs; In a garden of roses; reveal'd to the road; Yet withdrawn from its noise: 'twas a peaceful abode。 And the walls; and the roofs; with their gables like hoods Which the monks wear; were built of sweet resinous woods。 The sunlight of noon; as Lord Alfred ascended The steep garden paths; every odor had blended Of the ardent carnations; and faint heliotropes; With the balms floated down from the dark wooded slopes: A light breeze at the window was playing about; And the white curtains floated; now in; and now out。 The house was all hush'd when he rang at the door; Which was open'd to him in a moment; or more; By an old nodding negress; whose sable head shined In the sun like a cocoa…nut polished in Ind; 'Neath the snowy foulard which about it was wound。
IV。
Lord Alfred sprang forward at once; with a bound。 He remembered the nurse of Lucile。 The old dame; Whose teeth and whose eyes used to beam when he came; With a boy's eager step; in the blithe days of yore; To pass; unannounced; her young mistress's door。 The old woman had fondled Lucile on her knee When she left; as an infant; far over the sea; In India; the tomb of a mother; unknown; To pine; a pale flow'ret; in great Paris town。 She had sooth'd the child's sobs on her breast; when she read The letter that told her; her father was dead。 An astute; shrewd adventurer; who; like Ulysses; Had studied men; cities; laws; wars; the abysses Of statecraft; with varying fortunes; was he。 He had wander'd the world through; by land and by sea; And knew it in most of its phases。 Strong will; Subtle tact; and soft manners; had given him skill To conciliate Fortune; and courage to brave Her displeasure。 Thrice shipwreck'd; and cast by the wave On his own quick resources; they rarely had fail'd His command: often baffled; he ever prevail'd; In his combat with fate: to…day flatter'
快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部!
温馨提示: 温看小说的同时发表评论,说出自己的看法和其它小伙伴们分享也不错哦!发表书评还可以获得积分和经验奖励,认真写原创书评 被采纳为精评可以获得大量金币、积分和经验奖励哦!