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the complete poetical works-第41部分

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All the wild…flowers of the forest;

All the lilies of the prairie;

When on earth they fade and perish;

Blossom in that heaven above us。〃

  When he heard the owls at midnight;

Hooting; laughing in the forest;

〃What is that?〃 he cried in terror;

〃What is that;〃 he said; 〃Nokomis?〃

And the good Nokomis answered:

〃That is but the owl and owlet;

Talking in their native language;

Talking; scolding at each other。〃

  Then the little Hiawatha

Learned of every bird its language;

Learned their names and all their secrets;

How they built their nests in Summer;

Where they hid themselves in Winter;

Talked with them whene'er he met them;

Called them 〃Hiawatha's Chickens。〃

  Of all beasts he learned the language;

Learned their names and all their secrets;

How the beavers built their lodges;

Where the squirrels hid their acorns;

How the reindeer ran so swiftly;

Why the rabbit was so timid;

Talked with them whene'er he met them;

Called them 〃Hiawatha's Brothers。〃

  Then Iagoo; the great boaster; 

He the marvellous story…teller;

He the traveller and the talker;

He the friend of old Nokomis;

Made a bow for Hiawatha;

From a branch of ash he made it;

From an oak…bough made the arrows;

Tipped with flint; and winged with feathers;

And the cord he made of deer…skin。

  Then he said to Hiawatha:

〃Go; my son; into the forest;

Where the red deer herd together;

Kill for us a famous roebuck;

Kill for us a deer with antlers!〃

  Forth into the forest straightway

All alone walked Hiawatha

Proudly; with his bow and arrows;

And the birds sang round him; o'er him;

〃Do not shoot us; Hiawatha!〃

Sang the robin; the Opechee;

Sang the bluebird; the Owaissa;

〃Do not shoot us; Hiawatha!〃

  Up the oak…tree; close beside him;

Sprang the squirrel; Adjidaumo;

In and out among the branches;

Coughed and chattered from the oak…tree;

Laughed; and said between his laughing;

〃Do not shoot me; Hiawatha!〃

  And the rabbit from his pathway

Leaped aside; and at a distance

Sat erect upon his haunches;

Half in fear and half in frolic;

Saying to the little hunter;

〃Do not shoot me; Hiawatha!〃

  But he heeded not; nor heard them;

For his thoughts were with the red deer;

On their tracks his eyes were fastened;

Leading downward to the river;

To the ford across the river;

And as one in slumber walked he。

  Hidden in the alder…bushes;

There he waited till the deer came;

Till he saw two antlers lifted;

Saw two eyes look from the thicket;

Saw two nostrils point to windward;

And a deer came down the pathway;

Flecked with leafy light and shadow。

And his heart within him fluttered;

Trembled like the leaves above him;

Like the birch…leaf palpitated;

As the deer came down the pathway。

  Then; upon one knee uprising;

Hiawatha aimed an arrow;

Scarce a twig moved with his motion;

Scarce a leaf was stirred or rustled;

But the wary roebuck started;

Stamped with all his hoofs together;

Listened with one foot uplifted;

Leaped as if to meet the arrow;

Ah! the singing; fatal arrow;

Like a wasp it buzzed and stung him!

  Dead he lay there in the forest;

By the ford across the river;

Beat his timid heart no longer;

But the heart of Hiawatha

Throbbed and shouted and exulted;

As he bore the red deer homeward;

And Iagoo and Nokomis

Hailed his coming with applauses。

  From the red deer's hide Nokomis

Made a cloak for Hiawatha;

From the red deer's flesh Nokomis

Made a banquet to his honor。

All the village came and feasted;

All the guests praised Hiawatha;

Called him Strong…Heart; Soan…ge…taha!

Called him Loon…Heart; Mahn…go…taysee!







IV



HIAWATHA AND MUDJEKEEWIS



Out of childhood into manhood

Now had grown my Hiawatha;

Skilled in all the craft of hunters;

Learned in all the lore of old men;

In all youthful sports and pastimes;

In all manly arts and labors。

  Swift of foot was Hiawatha;

He could shoot an arrow from him;

And run forward with such fleetness;

That the arrow fell behind him!

Strong of arm was Hiawatha;

He could shoot ten arrows upward;

Shoot them with such strength and swiftness;

That the tenth had left the bow…string

Ere the first to earth had fallen!

  He had mittens; Minjekahwun;

Magic mittens made of deer…skin;

When upon his hands he wore them;

He could smite the rocks asunder;

He could grind them into powder。

He had moccasins enchanted;

Magic moccasins of deer…skin;

When he bound them round his ankles;

When upon his feet he tied them;

At each stride a mile he measured!

  Much he questioned old Nokomis

Of his father Mudjekeewis;

Learned from her the fatal secret

Of the beauty of his mother;

Of the falsehood of his father;

And his heart was hot within him;

Like a living coal his heart was。

  Then he said to old Nokomis;

〃I will go to Mudjekeewis;

See how fares it with my father;

At the doorways of the West…Wind;

At the portals of the Sunset!〃

  From his lodge went Hiawatha;

Dressed for travel; armed for hunting;

Dressed in deer…skin shirt and leggings;

Richly wrought with quills and wampum;

On his head his eagle…feathers;

Round his waist his belt of wampum;

In his hand his bow of ash…wood;

Strung with sinews of the reindeer;

In his quiver oaken arrows;

Tipped with jasper; winged with feathers;

With his mittens; Minjekahwun;

With his moccasins enchanted。

  Warning said the old Nokomis;

〃Go not forth; O Hiawatha!

To the kingdom of the West…Wind;

To the realms of Mudjekeewis;

Lest he harm you with his magic;

Lest he kill you with his cunning!〃

  But the fearless Hiawatha

Heeded not her woman's warning;

Forth he strode into the forest;

At each stride a mile he measured;

Lurid seemed the sky above him;

Lurid seemed the earth beneath him;

Hot and close the air around him;

Filled with smoke and fiery vapors;

As of burning woods and prairies;

For his heart was hot within him;

Like a living coal his heart was。

  So he journeyed westward; westward;

Left the fleetest deer behind him;

Left the antelope and bison;

Crossed the rushing Esconaba;

Crossed the mighty Mississippi;

Passed the Mountains of the Prairie;

Passed the land of Crows and Foxes;

Passed the dwellings of the Blackfeet;

Came unto the Rocky Mountains;

To the kingdom of the West…Wind;

Where upon the gusty summits

Sat the ancient Mudjekeewis;

Ruler of the winds of heaven。

  Filled with awe was Hiawatha

At the aspect of his father。

On the air about him wildly

Tossed and streamed his cloudy tresses;

Gleamed like drifting snow his tresses;

Glared like Ishkoodah; the comet;

Like the star with fiery tresses。

  Filled with joy was Mudjekeewis

When he looked on Hiawatha;

Saw his youth rise up before him

In the face of Hiawatha;

Saw the beauty of Wenonah

From the grave rise up before him。

  〃Welcome!〃 said he; 〃Hiawatha;

To the kingdom of the West…Wind!

Long have I been waiting for you!

Youth is lovely; age is lonely;

Youth is fiery; age is frosty;

You bring back the days departed;

You bring back my youth of passion;

And the beautiful Wenonah!〃

  Many days they talked together;

Questioned; listened; waited; answered;

Much the mighty Mudjekeewis

Boasted of his ancient prowess;

Of his perilous adventures;

His indomitable courage;

His invulnerable body。

  Patiently sat Hiawatha;

Listening to his father's boasting;

With a smile he sat and listened;

Uttered neither threat nor menace;

Neither word nor look betrayed him;

But his heart was hot within him;

Like a living coal his heart was。

  Then he said; 〃O Mudjekeewis;

Is there nothing that can harm you?

Nothing that you are afraid of?〃

And the mighty Mudjekeewis;

Grand and gracious in his boasting;

Answered; saying; 〃There is nothing;

Nothing but the black rock yonder;

Nothing but the fatal Wawbeek!〃

  And he looked at Hiawatha

With a wise look and benignant;

With a countenance paternal;

Looked with pride upon the beauty

Of his tall and graceful figure;

Saying; 〃O my Hiawatha!

Is there anything can harm you?

Anything you are afraid of?〃

  But the wary Hiawatha

Paused awhile; as if uncertain;

Held his peace; as if resolving;

And then answered; 〃There is nothing;

Nothing but the bulrush yonder;

Nothing but the great Apukwa!〃

  And as Mudjekeewis; rising;

Stretched his hand to pluck the bulrush;

Hiawatha cried in terror;

Cried in well…dissembled terror;

〃Kago! kago! do not touch it!〃

〃Ah; kaween!〃 said Mudjekeewis;

〃No indeed; I will not touch it!〃

  Then they talked of other matters;

First of Hiawatha's brothers;

First of Wabun; of the East…Wind;

Of the South…Wind; Shawondasee;

Of the North; Kabibonokka;

Then of Hiawatha's mother;

Of the beautiful Wenonah;

Of her birth upon the meadow;

Of her death; as old Nokomis

Had remembered and related。

  And he cried; 〃O Mudjekeewis;

It was you who killed Wenonah;

Took her young life and her beauty;

Broke the Lily of the Prairie;

Trampled it beneath your footsteps;

You confess it! you confess it!〃

And the mighty Mudjekeewis

Tossed upon the wind his tresses;

Bowed his hoary head in anguish;

With a silent nod assented。

  Then up started Hiawatha;

And with threatening look and gesture

Laid his hand upon the black rock;

On the fatal Wawbeek laid it;

With his mittens; Minjekahwun;

Rent the jutting crag asunder;

Smote and crushed it into fragments;

Hurled them madly at his father;

The remorseful Mudjekeewis;

For his heart was hot within him; 

Like a living coal his heart was。

  But the ruler of the West…Wind

Blew the fragments backward from him;

With the breathing of his nostrils;

With the tempest of his anger;

Blew them back at his assailant;

Seized the bulrush; the Apukwa;

Dragged it with its roots and fibres

From the margin of the me

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