主题：Andrew Marr：我们英国人——英国诗歌文学简史 -- 万年看客

玛丽.罗斯于1652年去世，那时十四行诗这种体裁早已不再时兴了，英国人争夺自由的工具也从笔墨变成了钢铁与火药。这名女性在少女时期曾经在彭斯赫斯特为伊丽莎白女王献舞，在晚年则看到了英伦三岛被宗教与政治冲突所撕裂。今天我们惯于将当年的各种冲突统称为内战。这些战争如此血腥，战争的后果如此凄惨，以至于绝大部分英国诗人都对其退避三舍，不敢直接描述战场的惨状。当然还有另一种解释：战争诗歌大都十分乏味，除非是反战诗歌。亚伯拉罕.考利是保皇派的密探兼士兵，留下了许多关于内战的第一手资料，还创作了长篇史诗《内战》（The Civil War），可惜未能在生前完成。以下选段描写了1643年的纽伯里之战。这是保皇派势力的一次著名败仗。在笔者看来，这段诗文的文采虽然差了点，但却以现场亲历者的立场栩栩如生地传达了战争的真实感受：

The cannon next their message 'gan to say--

On came the dreadful business of the day.

Here with sharp neighs the spriteful horses sound

And with proud tramplings beat the putrid ground.

The drums' grave voice and sullen noise of guns

With the shrill trumpets' brighter accent runs

(A dismal consort!) through the trembling air

Whilst groans of wounded men the burden bear.

Through dust and smoke (that day's untimely night)

The powder's nimble Aames and restless light

Of glittering swords amaze and fright the eyes,

So through black storms the winged lightning flies!

Death in all shapes and in all habits dressed

(Such was his sportful rage) the feld possessed.

Could nought on earth at once afford the sight,

Variety so great without delight:

No place but saw some unexpected wound,

(Such was his sportful rage) the field possessed.

Could nought on earth at once afford the sight,

Variety so great without delight:

No place but saw some unexpected wound,

No part of man but some wild bullet found,

Uncertain fate o'er all the field did range-

Here strange deaths seen, and there escapes as strange.

接下来大炮再一次开口表明态度，

再一次展开了当天的可怖事务。

战马高亢嘶鸣，充满了昂扬的战意，

骄傲的铁蹄践踏着腐臭的土地。

一阵阵的战鼓，火枪闷声低沉，

尖利的喇叭鸣奏刺破青云

（多么混乱的合奏曲！）令空气为之震颤，

伤员的呻吟声宛如压在肩头的重担。

尘土硝烟遮天蔽日，让夜晚提前降临，

枪炮口的火光明灭，刀剑寒光逼人，

炫花了人们的眼目，令人心惊胆战，

恰似穿透黑色风暴的飞驰闪电！

纵然死亡惯于变幻形态，使出百般花样

（他历来性情恶劣）倘若他盘踞在战场之上。

地面上的情形也肯定看得他暗生胆怯，

死法过于多样，令他感不到愉悦。

无处见不到意料之外的血肉糜烂，

人体各处都可能挨一记横飞流弹，

战场上的人们见惯了命运无常，

不可思议的逃生，更不可思议的死亡。

保皇派们一度似乎占据了上风，将议会军领袖埃塞克斯赶下了指挥部所在的高地：

More equally no fight did ere dispense

The acts of fortune or of providence.

At last bright victory over Charles his head

Thrust forth some beams- -the clouds before it fed.

We forced the enclosures and the hill we won;

Ah, how much sweat and blood did down it run!

从未有哪场战斗如此难分高下，

双方的运势几乎毫无相差，

到头来明亮的胜利终于向查理展颜微笑，

在饱食之前拨开阴云，缕缕光明将他照耀。

我们奋力冲破敌阵，拿下了这座山头，

啊，只见汗水掺血水顺着山坡往下流！

但是此时战场态势发生了转折，保皇派的指挥官们先后阵亡。福克兰子爵卢修斯.卡利也中枪而死。诗人对此悲痛欲绝。下面的诗文提醒我们，个体指挥官在当年的战场上究竟多么重要——即便到了今天往往依然如此：

An eastern wind from Newbury rushing came: .

It sighed, methought, it sighed out Falkland's name;

Falkland, methought, the hills all echoed round,

Falkland, methought, each bird did sadly sound.

A muse stood by me and just then I writ

My King's great acts in verses not unfit.

The troubled muse fell shapeless into air-

Instead of ink dropped from my pen a tear.

Oh, 'tis a deadly truth: Falkland is slain!

His noble blood all dyes the accursed plain.

从纽波利呼啸而来一阵东风，

我听到福克兰的名字伴随着叹息连声。

福克兰啊，我听到你的名字在群山间回荡，

福克兰啊，我听到漫天飞鸟都在悲哀鸣唱。

在我动笔之际，缪斯女神就站在我身旁，

吾王的伟绩怎能装进这寥寥几段诗行？

烦乱的缪斯丢了形体，化作了空气，

我的笔下不是墨字，而是斑斑泪迹。

啊，致命的事实，福克兰已经身亡命丧！

他那高贵的鲜血洒在了被诅咒的土地上。

要说起对于战争以及弑君的最生动描写，还是要看宣传册里的愤怒散文。不过确实有一部分诗歌采取了剑拔弩张的姿态。上文提到的安德鲁.马维尔就是个好例子。在之前引用的诗歌里他全然是一副登徒浪子的形象，但是他还有另外一副面目：后来他成为了克伦威尔的坚定支持者，担任过议员，以泼辣犀利的笔触抨击过克伦威尔的海外政敌——当时主要是荷兰人。此外他还为克伦威尔创作了一首《祝克伦威尔自爱尔兰班师颂歌》（An Horatian Ode upon Cromwell’s Return from Ireland），尽管此时克伦威尔的形象早已从反抗王权的解放者蜕变成了即将成型的军事独裁者。这首诗是关于英国内战的重要文献。顾名思义，诗歌创作于克伦威尔自爱尔兰返回之后不久。他在爱尔兰粉碎了由保皇派与天主教联合组成的反联邦势力，这其中包括来自爱尔兰、英格兰以及苏格兰的雇佣兵。克伦威尔麾下的兵马在爱尔兰犯下了无数暴行，时至今日这些惨剧依然鲜明地留存在爱尔兰的集体记忆当中，例如通过饥饿来迫使当地民众就范，以及在围城战取胜之后残忍屠杀平民、天主教神父乃至投降士兵——卓格达大屠杀就是这方面的典型例子。不过所有这些战争罪行在马维尔笔下几乎没有显现出来。与他的政论宣传文章不同，这首诗在当时甚至没有得到出版，诗歌的气质则是毫无掩饰的耀武扬威：

The forward youth that would appear

Must now forsake his Muses dear,

Nor in the shadows sing

His numbers languishing.

’Tis time to leave the books in dust,

And oil th’ unused armour’s rust,

Removing from the wall

The corslet of the hall.

So restless Cromwell could not cease

In the inglorious arts of peace,

But thorough advent’rous war

Urged his active star.

And like the three-fork’d lightning, first

Breaking the clouds where it was nursed,

Did through his own side

His fiery way divide.

For ’tis all one to courage high,

The emulous or enemy;

And with such to enclose

Is more than to oppose.

Then burning through the air he went,

And palaces and temples rent;

And Cæsar’s head at last

Did through his laurels blast.

’Tis madness to resist or blame

The force of angry Heaven’s flame;

And, if we would speak true,

Much to the man is due,

Who from his private gardens where

He liv’d reserved and austere,

As if his highest plot

To plant the bergamot,

Could by industrious valour climb

To ruin the great work of time,

And cast the kingdom old

Into another mould.

奉劝跃跃欲试的精壮青年

暂且将缪斯女神推到一边，

也不要躲在阴影里唱什么

大好年华只得白白度过。

是时候将蒙尘的书本抛弃，

用油脂擦去盔甲上的锈迹。

快快将甲胄从墙上摘下，

莫让它们在厅堂里高挂。

闲不住的克伦威尔怎能满足

苟安一时的卑劣招数？

他必要发动大胆的战争，

让自己的星运径直飙升。

恰似那三叉的闪电，首先

显现在孕育它的云端，

在那闪电的两侧

喷吐无数条火舌。

无论敌友，鼓舞全部的勇气，

在雷霆一击面前也只是儿戏。

眼看天火冲着眼前逼近，

谁还能抵抗？全都胆气丧尽。

雷霆一击，烧穿了空气，

烧得宫殿与圣殿徒留四壁。

就算凯撒的雕像也不得幸免，

闪电炸碎了他头上的冠冕。

面对天火之怒，谁敢说个不字？

除非鬼迷心窍，丧失理性神智。

我们可以真诚地宣称，

克伦威尔其人是应时而生。

平时他在自家花园里踱步，

他的生活内敛而又朴素。

乍一看去他最大的抱负

无非是栽种几棵香柠檬树。

谁成想他还有如此的勇武气力，

竟能将时间的伟业拆毁倒地？

他将古老的王国当成原材料

塞进全新的模具，将新世界创造。

这段诗文将克伦威尔比作闪电，不仅能击垮宫宇，也会烧伤自己人。这一意象暗示了这位伟大独裁者的形象确有一言难尽之处。万幸的是，马维尔的诗才过于优秀，以至于无法将自己局限在油腻的歌功颂德当中。在同一首诗里，他也相当大度地承认了查理一世国王在断头台前体现出来的勇气——一般人恐怕想不到他这样一位热切的共和派也能写出以下诗文：

That thence the royal actor borne

The tragic scaffold might adorn,

While round the armed bands

Did clap their bloody hands.

He nothing common did or mean

Upon that memorable scene,

But with his keener eye

The axe’s edge did try;

Nor call’d the gods with vulgar spite

To vindicate his helpless right,

But bowed his comely head

Down as upon a bed.

那位生为皇家贵胄的演员

来到了悲惨的断头台前。

全副武装的军士看守着刑场，

举起染血的双手为他鼓掌。

他的举止毫无卑下怯懦之气，

面对这片必将载入史册的场地。

他两眼有神，仔细打量，

将断头斧的利刃再三端详。

他也没有出口伤人或者怨天怨地

尽管这是他仅剩的一点权利。

他镇定地将头颅在砧板上安放，

就好比临睡之人躺到了床上。

正是这样宽厚的文风——以及相当滑不留手的政坛手腕——才使得马维尔在克伦威尔去世、查理二世复辟之后躲过了许多共和派同志们的悲惨下场。他得到了新国王的赦免，成为了复辟议会的议员，而且还创作了不少讽刺这个议会的作品。这还不算完，甚至就连文坛地位更高而且脾气更加火爆的共和主义者约翰.弥尔顿在谈到他的时候都没有多少恶言。

当然，要是与著名的《掘地者之歌》（Digger’s Song）相比，马维尔的作品听上去确实挺温和的。今人一般认为这首诗的作者名叫吉拉德.温斯坦利，是一位来自韦根的织工。此人可谓是这一时期的英国最接近革命领袖的人物。十七世纪四十年代的英国充斥着饥饿与困苦，在国王与议会交战不休的大背景下，诗中的掘地者们体现了最纯正的共产主义思潮——他们也正是莎士比亚最害怕的那种乱民。他们强占士绅们的土地，然后在上面耕种。这是针对社会现状的挑衅。在这首歌词当中，温斯坦利则敦促他们采取进一步的手段：

You noble diggers all stand up now, stand up now

You noble diggers all stand up now

The wasteland to maintain seeing cavaliers by name

Your digging does maintain and persons all defame

Stand up now, stand up now

高贵的掘地者都起立啊，都起立啊

高贵的掘地者都起立啊

连片的荒地顶着骑士老爷们的名号

全靠你们来打理，世人却将你们讥笑

都起立啊，都起立啊

Your houses they pull down stand up now, stand up now

Your houses they pull down, stand up now

Your houses they pull down to fright your men in town

But the gentry must come down and the poor shall wear the crown

Stand up now diggers all

他们将你们的房子推倒，建起来吧，建起来吧

他们将你们的房子推倒，建起来吧

你们的房子被推倒，是为了恐吓你们的乡亲父老

但是士绅老爷们必将倒台，穷人将把王冠戴好

高贵的掘地者都起立啊

With spades and hoes and plows stand up now, stand up now

With spades and hoes and plows, stand up now

Your freedom to uphold seeing cavaliers are bold

To kill you if they could and rights from you to hold

Stand up now diggers all

拿铲子扛锄头扶犁的都起立啊，都起立啊

拿铲子扛锄头扶犁的都起立啊

骑士老爷横行霸道，你们的自由要自己维护

他们一旦得势就会杀了你们，丝毫不留活路

高贵的掘地者都起立啊

The gentry are all round stand up now, stand up now

The gentry are all round stand up now

The gentry are all round on each side the are found

Their wisdom so profound to cheat us of our ground

Stand up now stand up now

肥胖滚圆的士绅们都起立啊，都起立啊

肥胖滚圆的士绅们都起立啊

肥胖滚圆的士绅们全都精明能干

深奥的智慧，专门将我们的土地欺骗

都起立啊，都起立啊

The lawyers they conjoin stand up now stand up now

The lawyers they conjoin stand up now

To rescue they advise, such fury they devise,

The devil in them lies, and hath blinded both their eyes

Stand up now, stand up now

坑蒙拐骗的律师们都起立啊，都起立啊

坑蒙拐骗的律师们都起立啊

为了补救歪主意，想出了多少鬼奸计

魔鬼在他们肚里藏，遮挡他们两眼盲

都起立啊，都起立啊

The clergy they come in stand up now, stand up now

The clergy they come in stand up now

The clergy they come in and say it is a sin

That we should now begin our freedom for to win

Stand up now diggers all

教士们进来之后都起立啊，都起立啊

教士们进来之后都起立啊

教士们进来之后说我们犯了罪

为了赢得自由，现在就该着手准备

全体掘地者都起立啊

The tithes they yet will have, stand up now, stand up now,

The tithes they yet will have, stand up now.

The tithes they yet will have, and lawyers their fees crave,

And this they say is brave, to make the poor their slave.

Stand up now Diggers all.

他们还要收十一税，都起立啊，都起立啊

他们还要收十一税，都起立啊

他们还要收十一税，支付律师们的账单

把穷人变成他们的奴隶，就是他们所谓的勇敢

全体掘地者都起立啊

'Gainst lawyers and 'gainst Priests, stand up now, stand up now,

'Gainst lawyers and 'gainst Priests stand up now.

For tyrants they are both even flatt againnst their oath,

To grant us they are loath free meat and drink and cloth.

Stand up now, Diggers all.

打倒律师，打倒教士，都起立啊，都起立啊

打倒律师，打倒教士，都起立啊，

他们俩都是暴君，说瞎话空口白牙

整天诓骗我们，白吃白喝白拿

全体掘地者都起立啊

The club is all their law, stand up now, stand up now,

The club is all their law, stand up now.

The club is all their law to keep men in awe,

But they no vision saw to maintain such a law.

Stand up now, Diggers all.

棍棒就是他们的法律，都起立啊，都起立啊

棍棒就是他们的法律，都起立啊

棍棒就是他们的法律，好让人恐惧

可他们从没想过怎样长久维持这样的法律

全体掘地者都起立啊

The Cavaleers are foes, stand up now, stand up now,

The Cavaleers are foes, stand up now;

The Cavaleers are foes, themselves they do disclose

By verses not in prose to please the singing boyes.

Stand up now, Diggers all.

骑士是我们的敌人，都起立啊，都起立啊

骑士是我们的敌人，都起立啊，

骑士是我们的敌人，他们自己暴露了自己，

不是用文章，而是用诗文，取悦歌童的乐曲

全体掘地者都起立啊

To conquer them by love, come in now, come in now

To conquer them by love, come in now;

To conquer them by love, as itt does you behove,

For he is King above, noe power is like to love,

Glory heere, Diggers all.

用爱征服他们，都进来啊，都进来啊

用爱征服他们，都进来啊，

用爱征服他们，正如你也被赐予了爱

因为祂是万王之王，任何权柄也不如爱

全体掘地者，多荣光啊

作为宣传革命的战斗口号，这段文字的效力的确不弱，就诗歌而言只能说写得不怎么样。掘地者集体以及革命运动本身很快就与克伦威尔以及他建立的军事独裁体制闹翻了脸。