FERGUS AND THE DRUID 佛格斯和祭司

Fergus: This whole day have I followed in the rocks,
And you have changed and flowed from shape to shape,
First as a raven on whose ancient wings
Scarcely a feather lingered, then you seemed
A weasel moving on from stone to stone,
And now at last you wear a human shape,
A thin grey man half lost in gathering night.

Druid: What would you, king of the proud Red Branch kings?

Fergus: This would I say, most wise of living souls:
Young subtle Conchubar sat close by me
When I gave judgment, and his words were wise,
And what to me was burden without end,
To him seemed easy, So I laid the crown
Upon his head to cast away my sorrow.

Druid: What would you, king of the proud Red Branch kings?

Fergus: A king and proud! and that is my despair.
I feast amid my people on the hill,
And pace the woods, and drive my chariot-wheels
In the white border of the murmuring sea;
And still I feel the crown upon my head.

Druid: What would you, Fergus?

Fergus: Be no more a king
But learn the dreaming wisdom that is yours.

Druid: Look on my thin grey hair and hollow cheeks
And on these hands that may not lift the sword,
This body trembling like a wind-blown reed.
No woman’s loved me, no man sought my help.

Fergus: A king is but a foolish labourer
Who wastes his blood to be another’s dream.

Druid: Take, if you must, this little bag of dreams;
Unloose the cord, and they will wrap you round.

Fergus: I See my life go drifting like a river
From change to change; I have been many things —
A green drop in the surge, a gleam of light
Upon a sword, a fir-tree on a hill,
An old slave grinding at a heavy quern,
A king sitting upon a chair of gold —
And all these things were wonderful and great;
But now I have grown nothing, knowing all.
Ah! Druid, Druid, how great webs of sorrow
Lay hidden in the small slate-coloured thing!

佛格斯：这一整天我都在岩石丛中追寻，
而你却在各种形状之间流变，
先是一只渡鸦扇动苍老的双翼
几乎片羽不留，然后你又像
一只鼹鼠在乱石间跳窜，
如今你终于披上人类的皮囊，
清瘦鬓白半隐在欢宴之夜。

祭司：你有何心愿，骄傲的红枝之王？

佛格斯：生灵中的最智者，我想说的是：
当我行判断的时候，年轻机敏的康纳巴坐在我身边，
而他的谈吐更加明智，
对于我来说是无尽负担的一切
对他而言却那么轻易，
因此我将皇冠戴在他的头上，以抛却我的忧愁。

祭司：你有何心愿，骄傲的红枝之王？

佛格斯：称王而傲慢，这令我绝望。
我在山顶和我的臣民一起欢宴，
我穿越树林，驾驶我的战车奔驰在
喃喃低语的大海那白色岸边；
我依然能感觉到头顶的皇冠。

祭司：你有何心愿，佛格斯？

佛格斯：不再为王
去学习你那幻想的智慧。

祭司：看看我稀疏灰白的头发，凹陷的双颊，
这双手无力高举刀剑，
这身躯像风中的芦苇瑟瑟发抖。
没有女人爱过我，没有男人有求于我。

佛格斯：国王不过是个愚蠢的苦力
他为别人的梦消耗自己的鲜血。

祭司：如果你一定要坚持，拿着，这一小袋的梦；
打开绳索，梦就会将你环绕。

佛格斯：我看见我的生命像河水一样流淌
变幻莫测；我曾是许多东西——
激流中碧绿的水滴，剑锋上的一道寒光，
山巅的一棵冷杉，
推着沉重石磨的老奴，
坐在黄金宝座上的国王——
过往如此美妙宏伟；
但是我心知一切虚幻。
祭司啊！巨大的忧愁之网
怎能隐藏在这般微小的灰色物件中！