Rage Against the Dying of the Light — poems for tenebrous times

Hong Kong Apostasy

 

With the rising dark in Hong Kong we offer two poems by Dylan Thomas translated into Chinese by Professor Wu Ningkun (巫寧坤, 1920-1919), who passed away on 10 August 2019.

These translations may be read in concert with other poems that have featured in China Heritage:

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I am grateful to Annie Ren 任路漫, a Fellow of The Wairarapa Academy for New Sinology 白水書院, for recommending Wu Ningkun’s translations.

— Geremie R. Barmé
Editor, China Heritage
13 August 2019

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Wu Ningkun 巫寧坤:

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不要溫和地走進那個良夜

狄蘭 · 托馬斯

巫寧坤譯

 

不要溫和地走進那個良夜，
老年應當在日暮時燃燒咆哮；
怒斥, 怒斥光明的消逝。

雖然智慧的人臨終時懂得黑暗有理，
因為他們的話沒有進發出閃電, 他們
也並不溫和地走進那個良夜。

善良的人, 當最後一浪過去, 高呼他們脆弱的善行
可能曾會多麼光輝地在綠色的海灣裡舞蹈，
怒斥, 怒斥光明的消逝。

狂暴的人抓住並歌唱過翱翔的太陽，
懂得, 但為時太晚, 他們使太陽在途中悲傷，
也並不溫和地走進那個良夜。

嚴肅的人, 接近死亡, 用炫目的視覺看出
失明的眼睛可以像流星一樣閃耀歡欣，
怒斥, 怒斥光明的消逝。

您啊，我的父親．在那悲哀的高處．
現在用您的熱淚詛咒我, 祝福我吧, 我求您。
不要溫和地走進那個良夜。
怒斥, 怒斥光明的消逝。

Do not go gentle into that good night

Dylan Thomas

 

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.

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.

死亡也一定不會戰勝

狄蘭 · 托馬斯

巫寧坤譯

 

死亡也一定不會戰勝。
赤條條的死人一定會
和風中的人西天的月合為一體；
等他們的骨頭被剔淨而乾淨的骨頭又消滅，
他們的臂肘和腳下一定會有星星；
他們雖然發瘋卻一定會清醒，
他們雖然沉淪滄海卻一定會複生，
雖然情人會泯滅愛情卻一定長存；
死亡也一定不會戰勝。

死亡也一定不會戰勝。
在大海的曲折迂回下面久臥
他們決不會像風一樣消逝；
當筋疲腱松時在拉肢刑架上掙扎，
雖然綁在刑車上，他們卻一定不會屈服；
信仰在他們手中一定會折斷，
雙角獸般的邪惡也一定會把他們刺穿；
縱使四分五裂他們也決不會屈服；
死亡也一定不會戰勝。

死亡也一定不會戰勝。
海鷗不會再在他們耳邊啼
波濤也不會再在海岸上喧嘩衝擊；
一朵花開處也不會再有
一朵花迎著風雨招展；
雖然他們又瘋又僵死，
人物的頭角將從雛菊中嶄露；
在太陽中碎裂直到太陽崩潰，
死亡也一定不會戰勝。

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And Death Shall Have No Dominion

Dylan Thomas

 

And death shall have no dominion.
Dead man naked they shall be one
With the man in the wind and the west moon;
When their bones are picked clean and the clean bones gone,
They shall have stars at elbow and foot;
Though they go mad they shall be sane,
Though they sink through the sea they shall rise again;
Though lovers be lost love shall not;
And death shall have no dominion.

And death shall have no dominion.
Under the windings of the sea
They lying long shall not die windily;
Twisting on racks when sinews give way,
Strapped to a wheel, yet they shall not break;
Faith in their hands shall snap in two,
And the unicorn evils run them through;
Split all ends up they shan’t crack;
And death shall have no dominion.

And death shall have no dominion.
No more may gulls cry at their ears
Or waves break loud on the seashores;
Where blew a flower may a flower no more
Lift its head to the blows of the rain;
Though they be mad and dead as nails,
Heads of the characters hammer through daisies;
Break in the sun till the sun breaks down,
And death shall have no dominion.