诗人眼里的诗人

 

什么是诗人？如何定义“诗人”？顾名思义，诗人是有“才气”的人。他们具有非凡的想象力、洞察力或可以使用优美的措辞创造或抽象（传统诗歌诗体）或具象（21世纪新型诗歌诗体）的诗歌作品。“诗人”属于一类文学艺术从业工作者。在大多数人眼里，诗人不但有才气，而且他们之中的大多数性格孤独，喜欢离群索居，然而诗人的作品需要公众的支持和欣赏。所以诗人的孤傲和离群索居只是他们为了诗歌创造所选择的一种生活方式，诗歌作品是诗人和公众交流的媒介。伊丽莎白时代的与莎士比亚等人齐名的著名英国诗人沃尔特•罗勒爵士（曾写有大量关于爱情的优秀诗歌）曾以诗人的身份描写了公众眼里的“诗人”形象。父母和兄弟姐妹、无论贫、富都似乎不崇尚或觉得“诗人”平淡无奇！他写道：

 

Song of Myself

 

Sir Walter Raleigh

 

 I was a Poet!

But I did not know it,

Neither did my Mother,

Nor my Sister nor my Brother.

The Rich were not aware of it;

The Poor took no care of it.

The Reverend Mr. Drewitt

Never knew it.

The High did not suspect it;

The Low could not detect it.

Aunt Sue

Said it was obviously untrue.

Uncle Ned

Said I was off my head:

(This from a Colonial

Was really a good testimonial.)

 

Still everybody seemed to think

That genius owes a good deal to drink.

So that is how

I am not a poet now,

And why

My inspiration has run dry.

 

It is no sort of use

To cultivate the Muse

If vulgar people

Can't tell a village pump from a church steeple.

I am merely apologizing

For the lack of the surprising

In what I write

To-night.

I am quite well-meaning,

But a lot of things are always intervening

Between

What I mean

And what it is said

I had in my head.

It is all very puzzling.

Uncle Ned

Says Poets need muzzling.

He might

Be right.

Good-night!

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自我之歌

 

沃尔特·罗利爵士

 

 我是一个诗人！

但我并不知道，

我母亲也不知道，

我的兄弟姐妹也不知道。

 

贵族们意识不到这一点;

穷人们也根本就没在意。

牧师先生Drewitt

从来不知道它。

 

高贵的人们从不怀疑它;

底层人也没法感受到它。

 

苏阿姨说，

这显然是错的。

内斯德叔叔说

我不关心：

（这从殖民地

真的是一个很好的证明的。）

 

大家依然还都认为

天才就应该能喝很多酒。

所以，这就是为什么

我现在已不是一个诗人，

同时，这也是为什么我的灵感已枯竭。

 

从事音乐和艺术

没有丝毫用处

如果庸俗的人们不能区分教堂尖顶和村泵。

 

对于缺乏令人吃惊的，我只是道歉

在我写的东西里

今晚。

我很善意的，但很多事情总是来打扰

间

我是说

和它被描述的样子

在我的头脑里有的。

所有的情况都很令人费解。

 

斯内德叔叔说

诗人们需要少说慎行

他可能是对的。

晚安吧！

 

 

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在罗勒的这首诗歌里，诗人被描绘成一些无足轻重，甚至是“误入歧途”和“不务正业”的人。公众很难理解诗人们能够忍受贫穷，而不去从事有利可图的职业。 人们似乎更崇尚物质财富的拥有者，他们可以追捧那些富人，形侠仗义，杀富济贫的侠士，也不会从心底认同诗人们所追求的精神情感和精神财富。对于西方民族而言，公众情愿更加认可豪爽、勇敢的“英雄”角色！却很难理解诗人们所表达的思想情感。 正如罗勒爵士写的：“Still everybody seemed to think That genius owes a good deal to drink.”。人们推崇的不是“诗人”的情思，而是一种“豪饮”的阳刚！

 

这一点也反映在女诗人乔伊斯• 基尔默的诗篇“The Proud Poet”。对于乔伊斯这样的女性诗人而言，选择做诗人不如去做绣女。在“The Pround Poet” 这首诗歌里，“魔鬼”都会善意地劝诗人改行去做些“体面”的事情，比如去“刺绣”。

 

The Proud Poet

骄傲的诗人

by Joyce Kilmer

 

 (For Shaemas O Sheel)

 

One winter night a Devil came and sat upon my bed,

一个冬夜一个魔鬼进来坐在我的床上

His eyes were full of laughter for his heart was full of crime.

他眼里满是笑容因为它心里充满了罪恶

"Why don't you take up fancy work, or embroidery?" he said,

他说：“你为什么不选择体面的工作，或去刺绣？”

"For a needle is as manly a tool as a pen that makes a rhyme!"

“因为一根儿绣花针和一支笔一样都可以作为制作一首韵律诗的强有力工具”

"You little ugly Devil," said I, "go back to Hell

“你个丑恶的魔鬼”，我说，“滚回地狱吧！

For the idea you express I will not listen to:

你的主意，我不会听从

I have trouble enough with poetry and poverty as well,

我已经饱受诗歌和贫穷的折磨

Without having to pay attention to orators like you.

没必要给你这类演讲者关注

"When you say of the making of ballads and songs that it is woman's work

“当你说写民谣和歌曲属于女人的工作

You forget all the fighting poets that have been in every land.

你忘了那些战斗的诗人们在每块土地都有

There was Byron who left all his lady-loves to fight against the Turk,

拜伦忘了他所有心爱的女人们去和土耳其人战斗

And David, the Singing King of the Jews,

犹太人的歌王，大卫，

who was born with a sword in his hand.

生就利剑在手。

It was yesterday that Rupert Brooke went out to the Wars and died,

就在昨天Rupert Brooke去参加战斗并牺牲在战场

And Sir Philip Sidney's lyric voice was as sweet as his arm was strong;

菲利普悉尼爵士的抒情曲甜蜜的如同他的双臂一样强壮

And Sir Walter Raleigh met the axe as a lover meets his bride,

沃尔特拉雷爵士遇到斧头就同情人遇到他的新娘

Because he carried in his soul the courage of his song.

因为他在灵魂里带有他歌曲的气场

"And there is no consolation so quickening to the heart

没有慰籍如此让心感到充满活力

As the warmth and whiteness that come from the lines of noble poetry.

因为这温暖和纯洁来自那高尚的诗行

It is strong joy to read it when the wounds of the spirit smart,

当精神伤痛时读它是强烈的乐趣

It puts the flame in a lonely breast where only ashes be.

它会放置火焰在只有灰烬的胸膛

It is strong joy to read it, and to make it is a thing

阅读它是一种强烈的乐趣，

That exalts a man with a sacreder pride than any pride on earth.

阅读它是一个它能用比地球上任何骄傲都要神圣的骄傲提升一个人的事情

For it makes him kneel to a broken slave and set his foot on a king,

因为它可以使他向一位贫病交加的奴隶下跪，也会使他在国王面站稳脚跟

And it shakes the walls of his little soul with the echo of God's mirth.

它用上帝快乐的回声震撼他小魂灵的墙壁

"There was the poet Homer had the sorrow to be blind,

有一个诗人荷马为眼盲而忧伤

Yet a hundred people with good eyes would listen to him all night;

然而，一百位眼神好的人会整夜倾听他的歌唱

For they took great enjoyment in the heaven of his mind,

因为他们获取巨大的享受在他头脑里的天堂

And were glad when the old blind poet let them share his powers of sight.

并感觉快乐当瞎眼老诗人让他们分享他视力的能量

And there was Heine lying on his mattress all day long,

海涅终日躺在他的床垫上

He had no wealth, he had no friends, he had no joy at all,

他没有财富，没有朋友，也没有一点快乐

Except to pour his sorrow into little cups of song,

除了把他的忧伤注入那些小小的歌的杯子

And the world finds in them the magic wine that his broken heart let fall.

而世界从中发现魔幻的琼浆

"And these are only a couple of names from a list of a thousand score

这只是无数成绩单中的一些名字

Who have put their glory on the world in poverty and pain.

他们已经为世界上的贫困和痛苦倾注了他们的荣誉

And the title of poet's a noble thing, worth living and dying for,

诗人的头衔是一个高贵的东西，值得为之死活

Though all the devils on earth and in Hell spit at me their disdain.

尽管地上和地狱中的魔鬼们用轻蔑唾弃我

It is stern work, it is perilous work, to thrust your hand in the sun

它是一个苛刻的工作，它是一个危险的工作，把你的手伸向太阳

And pull out a spark of immortal flame to warm the hearts of men:

拔出不朽火焰的一个火花温暖人类的心脏

But Prometheus, torn by the claws and beaks whose task is never done,

但普罗米修斯，他未竟的任务被爪子和喙撕裂

Would be tortured another eternity to go stealing fire again."

另一个不朽的人去重新盗火会被折磨”

 

 

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人们似乎很难明白，诗人是一种勇士，诗歌是诗人的武器。诗人们利用诗歌宣扬他们的主张，追求人性解放，以及传播诗人们的对美好生活的理想和道德情感。