LESSON 20

THE AMERICAN FLAG

国旗颂

Joseph Rodman Drake. 1795-1820, was born in New York City. His father died when he was very young, and his early life was a struggle with poverty. He studied medicine, and took his degree when he was about twenty years old. From a child, he showed remarkable poetical powers, having made rhymes at the early age of five. Most of his published writings were produced during a period of less than two years. “The Culprit Fay” and the “American Flag” are best known. In disposition, Mr. Drake was gentle and kindly; and, on the occasion of his death, his intimate friend, Fitz-Greene Halleck, expressed his character in the well-known couplet:

“None knew thee but to love thee,
Nor named thee but to praise.”
When Freedom, from her mountain height,
Unfurled her standard to the air,
She tore the azure robe of night,
And set the stars of glory there:
She mingled with its gorgeous dyes
The milky baldric of the skies,
And striped its pure, celestial white
With streakings of the morning light;
Then, from his mansion in the sun,
She called her eagle bearer down,
And gave into his mighty hand
The symbol of her chosen land.
Majestic monarch of the cloud!
Who rear’st aloft thy regal form,
To hear the tempest trumpings loud,
And see the lightning lances driven,
When strive the warriors of the storm,
And rolls the thunder drum of heaven;—
Child of the sun! to thee ’t is given
To guard the banner of the free,
To hover in the sulphur smoke,
To ward away the battle stroke,
And bid its blendings shine afar,
Like rainbows on the cloud of war,
The harbingers of victory!
Flag of the brave! thy folds shall fly,
The sign of hope and triumph high!
When speaks the signal trumpet tone,
And the long line comes gleaming on,
Ere yet the lifeblood, warm and wet,
Has dimmed the glistening bayonet,
Each soldier’s eye shall brightly turn
To where thy sky-born glories burn,
And, as his springing steps advance,
Catch war and vengeance from the glance.
And when the cannon mouthings loud
Heave in wild wreaths the battle shroud,
And gory sabers rise and fall,
Like shoots of flame on midnight’s pall,
Then shall thy meteor glances glow,
And cowering foes shall sink beneath
Each gallant arm, that strikes below
That lovely messenger of death.
Flag of the seas! on ocean’s wave
Thy stars shall glitter o’er the brave;
When death careering on the gale,
Sweeps darkly round the bellied sail,
And frighted waves rush wildly back,
Before the broadside’s reeling rack,
Each dying wanderer of the sea
Shall look at once to heaven and thee,
And smile to see thy splendors fly
In triumph o’er his closing eye.
Flag of the free heart’s hope and home,
By angel hands to valor given,
Thy stars have lit the welkin dome,
And all thy hues were born in heaven.
Forever float that standard sheet!
Where breathes the foe but falls before us,
With Freedom’s soil beneath our feet,
And Freedom’s banner streaming o’er us?

【中文阅读】

“无人识君却爱君，
无人识名美名扬。”
当自由女神离开高山之巅，
迎风展开她的旗帜，
她穿上天蓝色晚礼服，
连耀眼的群星也黯然失色；
她那柔软的肩带
染上了天空华美的颜色，
用缕缕晨光剥去了，
它纯粹圣洁的白色；
从他阳光明媚的华厦，
叫她的鹰飞得低一些，
将她选定的土地
交到他硕大的手上。
这块云朵威严的主宰啊！
谁将你堂皇的琼宇举到天上，
来倾听暴风雨呼号，
当暴风雨将勇士驱赶
电光划过云端时，
天际传来滚滚雷鸣；
这些太阳之子！它让你们
守卫自由的旗帜，
在硫黄的烟雾中盘旋，
守护战场上的硝烟，
向远处它反射的光辉致意，
就像战场密布的乌云上的彩虹，
胜利的信使！
勇敢的旗帜！折叠起来，终将迎风飘扬，
希望和胜利的信号！
当说到发信号的喇叭声，
一长排一齐吹响，
生命的鲜血，温热而湿漉漉，
闪亮的刺刀已经模糊，
每位士兵的眼睛麻利地一起转向
你天生的荣耀迸发的地方，
随着他轻快地脚步向前，
从他的眼神中捕捉到战争和复仇的光芒。
当大炮突出火舌发出隆隆巨响
在战场的裹尸布中更显眼的是野花做成的花圈，
沾满血污的军刀高举又落下，
就像午夜棺罩上的火苗，
你那流星般的一瞥烁烁放光，
抖缩的敌人纷纷倒下
每个勇士的胳膊，击中下面
死神可爱的信使。
大海的旗帜，在波浪上
你的群星闪烁着勇敢；
当死神御风而至，
船帆撑满，
在船舷卷回之前
骇浪狂野地回滚，
大海上每位奄奄一息的游魂
马上仰望天际和你，
微笑地看着你绚丽的光芒
为他即将合上的双眸带来胜利的喜悦。
无拘无束的心里那象征希望和家的旗帜啊，
通过天使的手将英勇传给你们，
你的群星点亮了苍穹，
天上出现你所有的华彩。
永远飘扬的是战舰的旗帜！
在与敌人浴血，却在我们面前倒下的地方
自由的土地就在我们脚下，
自由的旗帜能在我们面前飘扬吗？