LESSON 113

THE DOWNFALL OF POLAND

波兰的陷落

O Sacred Truth! thy triumph ceased a while,

And Hope, thy sister, ceased with thee to smile,

When leagued Oppression poured to northern wars

Her whiskered pandours and her fierce hussars,

Waved her dread standard to the breeze of morn,

Pealed her loud drum, and twanged her trumpet horn;

Tumultuous horror brooded o’er her van,

Presaging wrath to Poland—and to man!

Warsaw’s last champion, from her height surveyed,

Wide o’er the fields a waste of ruin laid;

“O Heaven!” he cried, “my bleeding country save!

Is there no hand on high to shield the brave?

Yet, though destruction sweep those lovely plains,

Rise, fellow-men! our country yet remains!

By that dread name, we wave the sword on high,

And swear for her to live—with her to die!”

He said, and on the rampart heights arrayed

His trusty warriors, few, but undismayed;

Firm-paced and slow, a horrid front they form,

Still as the breeze, but dreadful as the storm;

Low murmuring sounds along their banners fly,

Revenge or death—the watchword and reply;

Then pealed the notes, omnipotent to charm,

And the loud tocsin tolled their last alarm.

In vain, alas! in vain, ye gallant few!

From rank to rank, your volleyed thunder flew!

Oh, bloodiest picture in the book of time,

Sarmatia fell, unwept, without a crime;

Found not a generous friend, a pitying foe,

Strength in her arms, nor mercy in her woe!

Dropped from her nerveless grasp the shattered spear,

Closed her bright eye, and curbed her high career;

Hope, for a season, bade the world farewell,

And Freedom shrieked as Kosciusko fell!

(Thomas Campbell)

【中文阅读】

啊，神圣的真理！胜利结束有一会儿了，

希望，这位姐妹也让你不再微笑，

当结成同盟的压迫在北方掀起战端

她那留着络腮胡须的残忍士兵和凶猛的轻骑兵，

她那可怕的旗帜挥在黎明的微风中挥舞，

她的大鼓发出洪亮的响声，她的号角铮铮；

狂暴的恐怖令她的先驱部队不安，

预示着灾难降临波兰——降临到人民头上!

华沙最后的捍卫者，从高处向下看，

满目废墟的荒野；

“啊，天啊！”他喊道，“但愿我的鲜血能拯救国家！”

有没有人振臂来阻挡勇敢的入侵者？

尽管那些美丽的平原上到处断壁残垣，

起来吧，同胞们！我们国家不会灭亡！

我们高高挥舞刀剑，高喊那个可怕的名字，

发誓为了她而活，为了她而死！

站在城墙高处，他说

他可以信赖的勇士，虽然很少但不会气馁；

他们迈着坚定的步伐，组成坚不可摧的阵线

如微风般寂静，如暴雨般令人畏惧；

旗帜沙沙飘扬

不复仇毋宁死——这就是口令和回答！

鼓声渐隆，中了魔法般无所不能，

大钟敲响了最后的警报。

徒劳，哎！徒劳，英勇的毕竟太少！

一排排，齐射的枪炮似雷鸣！

啊，这是书中才能见到的最惨烈的场面，

萨尔马提亚倒下了，无人哀伤，没有罪行；

没有一位慷慨的朋友，可怜的敌人，

尽管她身强力壮，但没有同情她的悲伤！

她无力地喘息，滑落的是毁坏的枪矛，

她闭上了明亮的眼睛，抑制了她高贵的生涯，

以希望的名义，与这个世界永别，

在科修斯科山倒塌声中，自由在呐喊！

（托马斯•坎贝尔）