绘画：威廉·布莱克
失乐园 卷一 节选
弥尔顿 著
海边风景 译
人之首次背离，初尝禁树之果，
其凡人味道， 将死亡带到世界，
致人类所有苦痛，伊甸园失去，
直到更伟大之人 从天堂降临，
将我们复原，复吾等幸福之位，
歌唱那天堂缪斯，于神秘之山巅，
于何烈或西乃山上，你确曾启示，
那牧羊之人，首教上帝的选民，
在那混沌之初，神如何创造天地：
或若锡安山上，更让你欣慰，
还有西罗亚的溪水，在神殿旁流经；
我自此求你助我，尝试冒险的诗歌，
使我扶摇直上，将奥尼尔高峰飞跃，
描绘空前雄图，以诗文实现创举。
主要是您，圣灵啊，确乎更喜
在所有圣殿前，纯正的灵魂，
求您教诲，因您无所不知；
您自有永有，延伸巨翼 。
在那巨大的深渊上，鸽子般孵育，
使它孕育成形：我心内有昏暗，
企望您启迪，求您提升扶持；
从而达到此伟论之高度
我可以持守永恒天意，
并向人证明天道合理。
先说，天堂让你尽收眼底，
地狱深处也一望可知，先说是何因
使我们先祖有如此幸福的家园，
得上天如此慈爱，却背离其造物之主，
违其意志，那唯一的约束，
而他们原本可做世界之领主？
谁首先诱其施行那次叛逆？
是这阴险的蛇;就是他，
他的狡猾搅起嫉妒和报复，
欺骗了人类之母，
是何时，他的骄傲令其被逐出天堂，
连同他的主人，那些反叛天使，
借助于他们的帮助，
妄图将其荣耀置于同辈之上，
他确信可与那位至高无上者分庭抗礼，
若他抗争;并有雄心勃勃的目标
来反对上帝的宝座和君主之制
他在天堂发起渎神的战争，
为骄傲而战而徒劳无功。
那全能的至尊者，
从空灵的天空将其焚火，
头朝前掷下，
随着可怕的废墟和燃烧
直落无底的灭亡之渊，在那里囚居
被禁在金刚链和刑火之间，
谁胆敢无视全能者，这就是结局。
按人间昼夜计算，其坠落之地刚好九重，
他和狰狞的同伙战败臣服，
翻滚于火海，狼狈不堪却漫长不死：
而他的厄运，让他更加愤怒；
既失幸福，又饱受无尽折磨
而今回想，令他倍加痛苦：
他抬起恶毒的双眼，四周环顾，
内可见巨大的沮丧和困顿，
并交织着冥顽不驯和难消的仇恨。
刹那间，他以天使之目嘹望，
境遇惨淡，荒芜苍凉，
可怕的地牢八方围绕
一个洪炉烈火燃烧，
但那火焰无光，只可见幽暗，
仅能辨出那儿情景悲惨，
悲伤凄怆之地，
和平和安息从不在此驻扎，
希望无所不及，但绝不会在此降临；
无尽的苦难步步紧逼，
永燃的硫磺，滚烫洪水般无休无熄，
永恒正义为那叛逆者所备，正是如此之地。
此处在天外的昏暗之中，他们的牢狱所设
远离天神和天国之光，
恰如中心到天际的三倍之距。
啊，这里和他坠落的地方
差别何其如天壤！
和他一起堕落的同伙，
淹没于烈火的洪流和旋风之中，
他快速辨出，在他近旁挣扎的，
正是权利与罪皆仅次于他的，
闻名于巴勒斯坦的，名叫别西卜。
这个在天上叫做撒旦的头号死敌，
以豪言壮语打破死寂，如此说起
“原来是你啊；这是何等的堕落！
何等的变化！
原来住在光明的乐土，
披戴着超凡的光辉，
连璀璨群星都显暗淡：他曾和我结盟，
同心协力，同甘共苦，奋战于伟业之中。
而今，再次与我一起，身败名裂，同受凄苦：
从高天之上坠落，沦陷到深渊，
事实证明，他握有雷霆，确乎更加强大：
谁知道那些可怕的武器竟有如此威力？
而这位强大的征服者，处于震怒之下，
都不能叫我忏悔，或改变初衷，
即使外表的光环已然更改；
但坚定的信念与高傲，来自受挫的成就感，
万能的那位激起我抗衡，
激我率领无数厌恶天神统治的天军武装争斗，
我决意，在天界之疆，来一场冒险之战，
用我弱势的力量来挑战他至高的权利，
并撼动他的宝座。即使失败，又能损失什么？
一切并无损失；
不可战胜的意志、深切的复仇心，无尽的憎恨，
以及永不屈服决不退让的勇气：
又有什么比这些更难战胜？
这份荣光绝不会被剥夺，
不管是他的愤怒，还是威力。
通过此次惨烈之战，
方能动摇他的权力；
若此时向他卑躬屈膝，乞求恩典，
臣服于他的统制之下，
那才真正是耻辱和羞耻，
比这次的沦陷还要低贱。
我们具有不可战胜的天质，
通过此次战斗的教训，不会更糟，
预先做好更精良的准备，
通过更高明的前瞻力，
我们会有更大成功的希望，
通过暴力或智力向我们的大敌
发动不可调解的持久战。
他现在正沉湎于成功，得意忘形，
独揽天国大权朝政。”
这背叛的天使虽忍痛说出豪语，
内心却苦不堪言。
他勇敢的同伙随即回应：
“啊，王子，拥有诸多王权的首领啊，
您指挥率领英勇的撒拉弗天军去作战
毫不畏缩，英勇冒险，
使天国的永生之王陷于危难；
并证明他的至高无上，
无论是力量、机会还是命运，
我清晰目睹此次可怕事件，
伴随可悲的覆没和可耻的败绩，
使我们失去天界，
如此强军竟遭如此难堪的挫败，
使我们沦落于这样的地狱。
、、、、、、
图片来自网络
Paradise Lost
Excerpt of Book one
John Milton
Of man’s first disobedience, and the fruit
Of that forbidden tree, whose mortal taste
Brought death into the world, and all our woe,
With loss of Eden, till one greater man
Restore us, and regain the blissful seat,
Sing heavenly muse, that on the secret top
Of Oreb, or of Sinai, didst inspire
That shepherd, who first taught the chosen seed,
In the beginning how the heavens and earth
Rose out of chaos: Or if Sion hill
Delight thee more, and Siloa's brook that flowed
Fast by the oracle of God; I thence
Invoke thy aid to my adventurous song,
That with no middle flight intends to soar
Above the Aonian mount, while it pursues
Things unattempted yet in prose or rhyme.
And chiefly thou Oh spirit, that dost prefer
Before all temples the upright heart and pure,
Instruct me, for thou knowest; thou from the first
Wast present, and with mighty wings outspread
Dove-like satst brooding on the vast abyss
And mad'st it pregnant: What in me is dark
Illumine, what is low raise and support;
That to the heighth of this great argument
I may assert eternal providence,
And justify the ways of God to men.
Say first, for Heaven hides nothing from thy view
Nor the deep tract of Hell, say first what cause
Moved our grand parents in that happy state,
Favored of Heaven so highly, to fall off
From their Creator, and transgress his will
For one restraint, lords of the world besides?
Who first seduced them to that foul revolt?
The infernal serpent; he it was, whose guile
Stirred up with envy and revenge, deceived
The mother of mankind, what time his pride
Had cast him out from Heaven, with all his host
Of rebel angels, by whose aid aspiring
To set himself in glory above his peers,
He trusted to have equaled the most high,
If he opposed; and with ambitious aim
Against the throne and monarchy of God
Raised impious war in Heaven and battle proud
With vain attempt. Him the Almighty Power
Hurled headlong flaming from the ethereal sky
With hideous ruin and combustion down
To bottomless perdition, there to dwell
In adamantine chains and penal fire,
Who durst defy the Omnipotent to arms.
Nine times the space that measures day and night
To mortal men, he with his horrid crew
Lay vanquished, rolling in the fiery gulf
Confounded though immortal: But his doom
Reserved him to more wrath; for now the thought
Both of lost happiness and lasting pain
Torments him; round he throws his baleful eyes
That witnessed huge affliction and dismay
Mixed with obdurate pride and steadfast hate:
At once as far as angels ken he views
The dismal situation waste and wild,
A dungeon horrible, on all sides round
As one great furnace flamed, yet from those flames
No light, but rather darkness visible
Served only to discover sights of woe,
Regions of sorrow, doleful shades, where peace
And rest can never dwell, hope never comes
That comes to all; but torture without end
Still urges, and a fiery Deluge, fed
With ever-burning sulfur unconsumed:
Such place eternal justice had prepared
For those rebellious, here their prison ordained
In utter darkness, and their portion set
As far removed from God and light of Heaven
As from the center thrice to the utmost pole.
Oh how unlike the place from whence they fell!
There the companions of his fall, overwhelmed
With floods and whirlwinds of tempestuous fire,
He soon discerns, and weltering by his side
One next himself in power, and next in crime,
Long after known in Palestine, and named
Beelzebub. To whom the arch-enemy,
And thence in Heaven called Satan, with bold words
Breaking the horrid silence thus began.
If thou beest he; But oh how fallen! how changed
From him, who in the happy realms of light
Clothed with transcendent brightness didst outshine
Myriads though bright: If he whom mutual league,
United thoughts and counsels, equal hope
And hazard in the glorious enterprise,
Joined with me once, now misery hath joined
In equal ruin: into what pit thou seest
From what heighth fallen, so much the stronger proved
He with his thunder: and till then who knew
The force of those dire arms? yet not for those,
Nor what the Potent Victor in his rage
Can else inflict, do I repent or change,
Though changed in outward luster; that fixed mind
And high disdain, from sense of injured merit,
That with the mightiest raised me to contend,
And to the fierce contention brought along
Innumerable force of spirits armed
That durst dislike his reign, and me preferring,
His utmost power with adverse power opposed
In dubious battle on the plains of Heaven,
And shook his throne. What though the field be lost?
All is not lost; the unconquerable will,
And study of revenge, immortal hate,
And courage never to submit or yield:
And what is else not to be overcome?
That glory never shall his wrath or might
Extort from me. To bow and sue for grace
With suppliant knee, and deify his power,
Who from the terror of this arm so late
Doubted his empire, that were low indeed,
That were an ignominy and shame beneath
This downfall; since by fate the strength of gods
And this empyreal substance cannot fail,
Since through experience of this great event
In arms not worse, in foresight much advanced,
We may with more successful hope resolve
To wage by force or guile eternal war
Irreconcilable, to our grand Foe,
Who now triumphs, and in the excess of joy
Sole reigning holds the tyranny of Heaven.
So spake the apostate angel, though in pain,
Vaunting aloud, but racked with deep despair:
And him thus answered soon his bold Compeer.
Oh Prince, Oh chief of many throned powers,
That led the embattled seraphim to war
Under thy conduct, and in dreadful deeds
Fearless, endangered Heaven’s perpetual King;
And put to proof his high supremacy,
Whether upheld by strength, or chance, or fate,
Too well I see and rue the dire event,
That with sad overthrow and foul defeat
Hath lost us Heaven, and all this mighty host
In horrible destruction laid thus low,
图片来自网络
约翰·弥尔顿（John Milton，1608年12月9日～1674年11月8日）英国诗人、政论家，民主斗士，英国文学史上伟大的六大诗人之一。代表作品有长诗《失乐园》、《复乐园》和《力士参孙》。
1625年，弥尔顿入剑桥大学，并开始写诗。大学毕业后又攻读了文学6年。1638年，弥尔顿到欧洲游历。1640年英国革命爆发，弥尔顿毅然投身于革命运动之中，并发表了5本有关宗教自由的小册子，1644年，弥尔顿又为争取言论自由而写了《论出版自由》。1649年，革命胜利后的英国成立共和国，弥尔顿发表了《论国王与官吏的职权》等文，以巩固革命政权。1660年，英国封建王朝复辟，弥尔顿被捕入狱，不久被释放，此后他专心写诗。
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