(Allan Poe: To Helen)
这首诗三个诗节的押韵格式分别是abab,ababa和abbab,它们都应该是隔行韵的变体,但第三个诗节的前四行又有吻韵的味道。另外,Nicéan中的é表示这个音节重读,从而使这个诗行成抑扬格韵步。
二、六行诗节中押韵格式的组合
例如华兹华斯《我独自漫游像一片云》第一诗节和最后诗节:
I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills, When all at once I saw a crowd, A host, of golden daffodils; Beside the lake, beneath the trees, Fluttering and dancing in the breeze. …
For oft, when on my couch I lie In vacant or in pensive mood, They flash upon that inward eye Which is the bliss of solitude; And then my heart with pleasure fills, And dances with the daffodils.18
(William Wordsworth: I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud)
每个诗节的押韵格式是ababcc,即隔行韵和双行韵格式的组合。
三、七行诗节中的组合
七行诗节中,最普通的是抑扬格五韵步的皇韵(rhyme royal)诗节。它是苏格兰国王詹姆斯一世在他的诗歌Kings Quair中所使用的诗节而创造出来的。乔叟在《特罗勒斯与克丽西德》(Troilus and Criseyde)中最早使用这一诗节,因此皇韵诗节又称特罗勒斯诗节(Troilus stanza)或乔叟诗节(Chaucer stanza)。以下是选自《特罗勒斯与克丽西德》卷一中特罗勒斯的一段情歌的第一诗节,其韵脚是ababbcc。
―If no love is, O God, what fele I so? And if love is, what thing and whiche is he?
If love be good, from whennes cometh my wo?
雕像,/ 一盏玛瑙灯你拿在手上!/ 赛姬女神哪,神圣的土地 / 才是你家乡。(黄杲炘 译) 18
我独自漫游,箱山谷上空 / 悠悠飘过的一朵云霓,/ 蓦然举目,我望见一丛 / 金黄的水仙,缤纷茂密;/ 在湖水之滨,树荫之下,/ 正随风摇曳, 舞姿潇洒。//??从此,每当我倚榻而卧,/ 或情怀抑郁,或心境茫然,/ 水仙啊,便在心目中闪烁——/ 那是我孤独时分的乐园;/ 我的心灵便欢情洋溢,/和水仙一道舞踊不息。(杨德豫 译)
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If it be wikke, a wonder thinke me, When every torment and adversitee
That cometh of him, may to me savory thinke; For ay thurst I, the more that I it drinke.
这种格式是在四行诗节基础上发展起来的,其押韵格式也是在隔行押韵(abab)或双行押韵(bbcc)的基础上加一个三行诗形成的。
四、八行诗节中押韵格式的组合使用
八行诗节的基本结构是由六行隔行韵(ababab)加一个双行韵构成(cc),如叶芝的《驶向拜占庭》最后一个诗节:
Once out of nature I shall never take My bodily form from any natural thing, But such a form as Grecian goldsmiths make Of hammered gold and gold enamelling To keep a drowsy Emperor awake; Or set upon a golden bough to sing To lords and ladies of Byzantium Of what is past, or passing, or to come. 20 (W.B. Yeats: Sailing to Byzantium)
拜伦的长诗《唐璜》(Don Juan)是由八行诗节构成,押韵格式为abababcc,即由六行隔行韵加一个双行韵构成,例句见后面史诗章节。
五、九行诗节中押韵格式的组合使用
九行诗节以斯宾塞诗节(Spenserian stanza)为代表,他是在长诗《仙后》中创造的一种诗节,以下是卷一第一章的第一诗节:
Gentle Knight was pricking on the plaine, Ycladd in mightie armes and silver shielde, Wherein old dints of deepe wounds did remaine, The cruell markes of many a bloudy fielde; Yet armes till that time did he never wield: His angry steede did chide his foming bitt,
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假使爱不存在,天哪,我所感受的是什么?/ 假使爱存在,它究竟是怎样一种东西?/ 假使爱是好的,我的悲哀何从而降落?/ 假使爱是坏的,我想却有些希奇,/ 哪管它带来了多少苦难和乖戾,/ 好似生命之源,竟能引起我无限快感;/ 使我愈喝得多,愈觉得口里燥干。(方重 译) 20
一旦超脱了自然,我再也不想 / 从任何自然物体取得我的体型;/ 除非像希腊的金匠铸造的那样,/ 用镀金或锻金所铸造的身影,/ 使那个要睡的皇帝神情清爽,/ 或者就镶在那金树枝上歌吟,/ 唱着过去、现在或者未来的事情 / 给拜占庭的王公和贵妇人听。(裘小龙 译)
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As much disdayning to the curbe to yield: Full iolly knight he seemd, and faire did sitt, As one for knightly giusts and fierce encounters fitt.
(Edmund Spenser: Faerie Queen)
这种诗节的押韵格式是ababbcbcc,是在隔行韵和链接韵基础上发展起来的,既有隔行韵味道,又有链接韵味道。斯宾塞的这种九行诗节押韵格式是固定的。
其他诗人也写九行诗节的诗,其押韵格式就不那么固定,如多恩的《追认圣徒》第一诗节:
For God‘s sake hold your tongue, and let me love, Or chide my palsy, or my gout,
My five gray hairs, or ruined fortune, flout,
With wealth your state, your mind with arts improve, Take you a course, get you a place, Observe His Honor, or His Grace Or the king‘s real, or his stampèd face Contemplate; what you will, approve, So you will let me love.
这节诗行的押韵格式为abbacccaa,显然,前面四行是吻韵,后面五行是双行韵的变体。
六、十行诗节中押韵格式的组合使用
由于诗行较多,十行诗节没有固定的押韵格式,但大多数是从基本押韵格式上变化而来,例如多恩的《升起的太阳》第一节:
Busy old fool, unruly sun, Why dost thou thus
Through windows and through curtains call on us? Must to thy motions lovers‘ seasons run?
Saucy pedantic wretch, go chide Late schoolboys and sour prentices, Go tell court huntsmen that the king will ride,
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(John Donne: The Canonization)
有一位高贵的骑士驱马在平原,/ 全副武装,银制盾牌手中持,/ 归时的深深创痕残留在盾面,/ 那是多次血战的残酷标记;/ 但直到这时,他尚未用过这武器:/ 怒马咬啮着笼头,口沫喷飞,/ 仿佛不甘于屈从马勒的绊羁:/ 那骑士英姿飒爽,端坐在马背,/ 适合于激烈的战斗和骑士的比武大会。(朱维之 译) 22
千万别出声,且让我爱,/ 或者大骂我的瘫痪,或痛风,/ 或者嘲笑我的五根灰发,或衰败的命运,/ 以财富改善你的地位,学问改善你的心智,/ 找到你的生路,得到你的位置,/ 看某阁下的眼色,/ 拍某大人的马屁,/ 或观察国王真正的,或他铸制的 / 尊容;你愿要什么,就试试,/ 只要你肯让我爱。(傅浩 译)
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Call country ants to harvest offices; Love, all alike, no season knows nor clime, Nor hours, days, months, which are the rags of time.
(John Donne: The Sun Rising)
这个诗节的押韵格式是abbacdcdee,显然,前四行押吻韵,接下来的四行押隔行韵,最后两行押双行韵。又如济慈《夜莺颂》第四诗节:
Away! Away! For I will fly to thee, Not charioted by Bacchus and his pards, But on the viewless wings of Poesy,
Though the dull brain perplexes and retards: Already with thee! Tender is the night,
And haply the Queen –Moon is on her throne, Cluster‘d around by all her starry Fays; But here there is no light,
Save what from heaven is with the breezes blown
Through verdurous glooms and winding mossy ways. 24
(John Keats: Ode to a Nightingale)
这个诗节的押韵格式是ababcdecde,显然,前四行押隔行韵,后六行也押隔行韵,但隔两行而非基本格式的隔一行。
七、“维拉内拉”(villanelle)十九行诗
这种诗体在文艺复兴时期用于当时流行的牧歌中,它起源于意大利民谣的诗体,格律很严:每首由五个三行诗节构成,限用两个韵,三行诗节的韵脚安排为aba,四行诗节为abaa,第一节中的第一行与第三行还必须在后面的四节中轮流用作第三行,并在最后的四行节中双双出现,作全诗结句。如狄兰?托马斯的《不要温和地走进那个良夜》:
Do not go gentle into that good night, Old age should burn and rave at close of day; Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
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忙碌的老傻瓜,不守规矩的太阳,/ 你为什么要如此,/ 透过窗户,透过帘栊来把我们探视?/ 难道恋人的季节必须与你的运行一致相当?/ 没礼貌又爱教训人的家伙,去呵责 / 迟到的小学生,和慢吞吞的伙计,/ 去告知宫廷猎手,国王将要上马出猎,/ 召唤乡下的蚂蚁去干收获的活计;/ 爱情,永远都一样,不知什么季节、气候,/ 也不知时刻、日子、月份,这些不过是时光的碎布头。(傅浩 译) 24
离开!离开!我向你飞来。/ 酒神、仙豹共驾的车儿抛开,/ 将那诗神无形的双翅依赖,/ 尽管迟钝的头脑困惑,痴呆。/ 啊,我早已与你同在!/ 夜色温柔,群星徘徊,/ 簇拥月后登宝台。/ 独此处光芒不再,/ 惟一丝柔光,由微风带过 / 幽林的葱郁和曲径的青苔。(仁士明等 译)
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Though wise men at their end know dark is right, Because their words had forked no lightning they Do not go gentle into that good night.
Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay, Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight, And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way, Do not go gentle into that good night.
Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay, Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
And you, my father, there on the sad height, Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray. Do not go gentle into that good night. Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
诗人的父亲常常给年少的他朗诵莎士比亚的作品,并鼓励他写诗。在父亲最后的日子里,挚爱他的儿子在他的病榻前为他反复朗诵这首杰作。诗人认为父亲是个有见识的人,具有多种非凡的品质,因此他列举了数种典型之人对待死亡的态度,殷殷劝说父亲不要被动地屈从,而应以生命的激情和勇气与死神抗挣。诗人请求父亲以一如既往的热情来关心自己,哪怕是诅咒或祝福。
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(Dylan Thomas: Do not Go Gentle into That Good Night)
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(不要温和地走进那个良夜,/ 白昼告终时老人该燃烧、该狂喊;/ 该怒斥、怒斥那光明的逐渐消歇。// 聪明人临终时虽知黑暗理不缺,/ 由于他们的话语没迸出闪电,/ 他们也没有温和地走进那良夜。// 最后一浪过,善良人——喊叫说自己的事业 / 虽脆弱,本可以光辉地舞蹈在绿湾——/ 他们怒斥那光明的消歇。// 狂人们——抓住并歌唱太阳的奔跃,/ 懂得(太迟了!)他们使太阳在中途悲叹——/ 他们并不温和地走进那良夜。// 严肃的人们——临终时用盲目的视觉 / 见到瞎眼能放光如流星而欢忭——/ 他们也怒斥、怒斥那光明的消歇。// 而你呵,父亲,在高处心怀悲切,/ 请用烫泪诅咒我,祝福我,我祈盼。/ 不要温和地走进那个良夜。/ 该怒斥、怒斥那光明的消歇。(屠岸 译)
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