alfred tennyson-第18部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


To　think　or　say；　'There　is　the　nightingale'；
So　fared　it　with　Geraint；　who　thought　and　said；
'Here；　by　God's　grace；　is　the　one　voice　for　me。'〃


Yniol　frankly　admits　in　the　tale　that　he　was　in　the　wrong　in　the
quarrel　with　his　nephew。　　The　poet；　however；　gives　him　the　right；　as
is　natural。　　The　combat　is　exactly　followed　in　the　Idyll；　as　is
Geraint's　insistence　in　carrying　his　bride　to　Court　in　her　faded
silks。　　Geraint；　however；　leaves　Court　with　Enid；　not　because　of　the
scandal　about　Lancelot；　but　to　do　his　duty　in　his　own　country。　　He
becomes　indolent　and　uxorious；　and　Enid　deplores　his　weakness；　and
awakes　his　suspicions；　thus：…


And　one　morning　in　the　summer　time　they　were　upon　their　couch；　and
Geraint　lay　upon　the　edge　of　it。　　And　Enid　was　without　sleep　in　the
apartment　which　had　windows　of　glass。　　And　the　sun　shone　upon　the
couch。　　And　the　clothes　had　slipped　from　off　his　arms　and　his　breast；
and　he　was　asleep。　　Then　she　gazed　upon　the　marvellous　beauty　of　his
appearance；　and　she　said；　〃Alas；　and　am　I　the　cause　that　these　arms
and　this　breast　have　lost　their　glory　and　the　warlike　fame　which　they
once　so　richly　enjoyed！〃　　And　as　she　said　this；　the　tears　dropped
from　her　eyes；　and　they　fell　upon　his　breast。　　And　the　tears　she
shed；　and　the　words　she　had　spoken；　awoke　him；　and　another　thing
contributed　to　awaken　him；　and　that　was　the　idea　that　it　was　not　in
thinking　of　him　that　she　spoke　thus；　but　that　it　was　because　she
loved　some　other　man　more　than　him；　and　that　she　wished　for　other
society；　and　thereupon　Geraint　was　troubled　in　his　mind；　and　he
called　his　squire；　and　when　he　came　to　him；　〃Go　quickly；〃　said　he；
〃and　prepare　my　horse　and　my　arms；　and　make　them　ready。　　And　do　thou
arise；〃　said　he　to　Enid；　〃and　apparel　thyself；　and　cause　thy　horse　to
be　accoutred；　and　clothe　thee　in　the　worst　riding…dress　that　thou
hast　in　thy　possession。　　And　evil　betide　me；〃　said　he；　〃if　thou
returnest　here　until　thou　knowest　whether　I　have　lost　my　strength　so
completely　as　thou　didst　say。　　And　if　it　be　so；　it　will　then　be　easy
for　thee　to　seek　the　society　thou　didst　wish　for　of　him　of　whom　thou
wast　thinking。〃　　So　she　arose；　and　clothed　herself　in　her　meanest
garments。　　〃I　know　nothing；　Lord；〃　said　she；　〃of　thy　meaning。〃
〃Neither　wilt　thou　know　at　this　time；〃　said　he。


　　　〃At　last；　it　chanced　that　on　a　summer　morn
（They　sleeping　each　by　either）　the　new　sun
Beat　thro'　the　blindless　casement　of　the　room；
And　heated　the　strong　warrior　in　his　dreams；
Who；　moving；　cast　the　coverlet　aside；
And　bared　the　knotted　column　of　his　throat；
The　massive　square　of　his　heroic　breast；
And　arms　on　which　the　standing　muscle　sloped；
As　slopes　a　wild　brook　o'er　a　little　stone；
Running　too　vehemently　to　break　upon　it。
And　Enid　woke　and　sat　beside　the　couch；
Admiring　him；　and　thought　within　herself；
Was　ever　man　so　grandly　made　as　he？
Then；　like　a　shadow；　past　the　people's　talk
And　accusation　of　uxoriousness
Across　her　mind；　and　bowing　over　him；
Low　to　her　own　heart　piteously　she　said：

　　　'O　noble　breast　and　all…puissant　arms；
Am　I　the　cause；　I　the　poor　cause　that　men
Reproach　you；　saying　all　your　force　is　gone？
I　AM　the　cause；　because　I　dare　not　speak
And　tell　him　what　I　think　and　what　they　say。
And　yet　I　hate　that　he　should　linger　here；
I　cannot　love　my　lord　and　not　his　name。
Far　liefer　had　I　gird　his　harness　on　him；
And　ride　with　him　to　battle　and　stand　by；
And　watch　his　mightful　hand　striking　great　blows
At　caitiffs　and　at　wrongers　of　the　world。
Far　better　were　I　laid　in　the　dark　earth；
Not　hearing　any　more　his　noble　voice；
Not　to　be　folded　more　in　these　dear　arms；
And　darken'd　from　the　high　light　in　his　eyes；
Than　that　my　lord　thro'　me　should　suffer　shame。
Am　I　so　bold；　and　could　I　so　stand　by；
And　see　my　dear　lord　wounded　in　the　strife；
Or　maybe　pierced　to　death　before　mine　eyes；
And　yet　not　dare　to　tell　him　what　I　think；
And　how　men　slur　him；　saying　all　his　force
Is　melted　into　mere　effeminacy？
O　me；　I　fear　that　I　am　no　true　wife。'

　　　Half　inwardly；　half　audibly　she　spoke；
And　the　strong　passion　in　her　made　her　weep
True　tears　upon　his　broad　and　naked　breast；
And　these　awoke　him；　and　by　great　mischance
He　heard　but　fragments　of　her　later　words；
And　that　she　fear'd　she　was　not　a　true　wife。
And　then　he　thought；　'In　spite　of　all　my　care；
For　all　my　pains；　poor　man；　for　all　my　pains；
She　is　not　faithful　to　me；　and　I　see　her
Weeping　for　some　gay　knight　in　Arthur's　hall。'
Then　tho'　he　loved　and　reverenced　her　too　much
To　dream　she　could　be　guilty　of　foul　act；
Right　thro'　his　manful　breast　darted　the　pang
That　makes　a　man；　in　the　sweet　face　of　her
Whom　he　loves　most；　lonely　and　miserable。
At　this　he　hurl'd　his　huge　limbs　out　of　bed；
And　shook　his　drowsy　squire　awake　and　cried；
'My　charger　and　her　palfrey'；　then　to　her；
'I　will　ride　forth　into　the　wilderness；
For　tho'　it　seems　my　spurs　are　yet　to　win；
I　have　not　fall'n　so　low　as　some　would　wish。
And　thou；　put　on　thy　worst　and　meanest　dress
And　ride　with　me。'　　And　Enid　ask'd；　amazed；
'If　Enid　errs；　let　Enid　learn　her　fault。'
But　he；　'I　charge　thee；　ask　not；　but　obey。'
Then　she　bethought　her　of　a　faded　silk；
A　faded　mantle　and　a　faded　veil；
And　moving　toward　a　cedarn　cabinet；
Wherein　she　kept　them　folded　reverently
With　sprigs　of　summer　laid　between　the　folds；
She　took　them；　and　array'd　herself　therein；
Remembering　when　first　he　came　on　her
Drest　in　that　dress；　and　how　he　loved　her　in　it；
And　all　her　foolish　fears　about　the　dress；
And　all　his　journey　to　her；　as　himself
Had　told　her；　and　their　coming　to　the　court。〃


Tennyson's


〃Arms　on　which　the　standing　muscle　sloped；
As　slopes　a　wild　brook　o'er　a　little　stone；
Running　too　vehemently　to　break　upon　it；〃


is　suggested　perhaps　by　Theocritus〃The　muscles　on　his　brawny　arms
stood　out　like　rounded　rocks　that　the　winter　torrent　has　rolled　and
worn　smooth；　in　the　great　swirling　stream〃　（Idyll　xxii。）

The　second　part　of　the　poem　follows　the　original　less　closely。　　Thus
Limours；　in　the　tale；　is　not　an　old　suitor　of　Enid；　Edyrn　does　not
appear　to　the　rescue；　certain　cruel　games；　veiled　in　a　magic　mist；
occur　in　the　tale；　and　are　omitted　by　the　poet；　〃Gwyffert　petit；　so
called　by　the　Franks；　whom　the　Cymry　call　the　Little　King；〃　in　the
tale；　is　not　a　character　in　the　Idyll；　and；　generally；　the　gross
Celtic　exaggerations　of　Geraint's　feats　are　toned　down　by　Tennyson。
In　other　respects；　as　when　Geraint　eats　the　mowers'　dinner；　the　tale
supplies　the　materials。　　But　it　does　not　dwell　tenderly　on　the
reconciliation。　　The　tale　is　more　or　less　in　the　vein　of　〃patient
Grizel；〃　and　he　who　told　it　is　more　concerned　with　the　fighting　than
with　amoris　redintegratio；　and　the　sufferings　of　Enid。　　The　Idyll　is
enriched　with　many　beautiful　pictures　from　nature；　such　as　this：…


〃But　at　the　flash　and　motion　of　the　man
They　vanish'd　panic…stricken；　like　a　shoal
Of　darting　fish；　that　on　a　summer　morn
Adown　the　crystal　dykes　at　Camelot
Come　slipping　o'er　their　shadows　on　the　sand；
But　if　a　man　who　stands　upon　the　brink
But　lift　a　shining　hand　against　the　sun；
There　is　not　left　the　twinkle　of　a　fin
Betwixt　the　cressy　islets　white　in　flower；
So；　scared　but　at　the　motion　of　the　man；
Fled　all　the　boon　companions　of　the　Earl；
And　left　him　lying　in　the　public　way。〃


In　Balin　and　Balan　Tennyson　displays　great　constructive　power；　and
remarkable　skill　in　moulding　the　most　recalcitrant　materials。　　Balin
or　Balyn；　according　to　Mr　Rhys；　is　the　Belinus　of　Geoffrey　of
Monmouth；　〃whose　name　represents　the　Celtic　divinity　described　in
Latin　as　Apollo　Belenus　or　Belinus。〃　｛14｝　　In　Geoffrey；　Belinus；
euphemerised；　or　reduced　from　god　to　hero；　has　a　brother；　Brennius；
the　Celtic　Bran；　King　of　Britain　from　Caithness　to　the　Humber。
Belinus　drives　Bran　into　exile。　　〃Thus　it　is　seen　that　Belinus　or
Balyn　was；　mythologically　speaking；　the　natural　enemy〃　（as　Apollo
Belinus；　the　radiant　god）　〃of　the　dark　divinity　Bran　or　Balan。〃

If　this　view　be　correct；　the　two　brothers　answer　to　the　good　and　bad
principles　of　myths　like　that　of　the　Huron　Iouskeha　the　Sun；　and
Anatensic　the　Moon；　or　rather　Taouiscara　and　Iouskeha；　the　hostile
brothers；　Black　and　White。　｛15｝　　These　mythical　brethren　are；　in
Malory；　two　knights　of　Northumberland；　Balin　the　wild　and　Balan。
Their　adventures　are　mixed　up　with　a　hostile　Lady　of　the　Lake；　whom
Balin　slays　in　Arthur's　presence；　with　a　sword　which　none　but　Balin
can　draw　from　sheath；　and　with　an　evil　black…faced　knight　Garlon；
invisible　at　will；　whom　Balin　slays　in　the　castle　of　the　knight's
brother；　King　Pellam。　　Pursued　from　room　to　room　by　Pellam；　Balin
finds　himself　in　a　chamber　full　of　relics　of　Joseph　of　Arimathea。
There　he　seizes　a　spear；　the　very　spear　with　which　the　Roman　soldier
pierced　the　side　of　the　Crucified；　and　wounds　Pellam。　　The　castle
falls　in　ruins　〃through　that　dolorous　stroke。〃　　Pellam　becomes　the
maimed　king；　who　can　only　be　healed　by　the　Holy　Grail。　　Apparently
Celtic　myths　of　obscure　antiquity　have　been　adapted　in　France；　and
interwoven　with　fables　about　Joseph　of　Arimathea　and　Christian
mysteries。　　It　is　not　possible　here　to　go　into　the　complicated
learning　of　the　subject。　　In　Malory；　Balin；　after　dealing　the
dolorous　stroke；　borrows　a　strange　shield　from　a　knight；　and；　thus
accoutred；　meets　his　brother　Balan；　who　does　not　recognise　him。　　They
fight；　both　die　and　are　buried　in　one　tomb；　and　Galahad　later
achieves　the　adventure　of　winning　Balin's　sword。　　〃Thus　endeth　the
tale　of　Balyn　and　of　Balan；　two　brethren　born　in　Northumberland；　good
knights；〃　says　Malory；　simply；　and　unconscious　of　the　strange
mythological　medley　under　the　coat　armour　of　romance。

The　materials；　then；　seemed　confused　and　obdurate；　but　Tennyson　works
them　into　the　course　of　the　fatal　love　of　Lancelot　and　Guinevere；　and
into　the　spiritual　texture　of　the　Idylls。　　Balin　has　been　expelled
from　Court　for　the　wildness　that　gives　him　his　name；　Balin　le
Sauvage。　　He　had　buffeted　a　squire　in　hall。　　He　and　Balan　await　all
challengers　beside　a　well。　　Arthur　encounters　and　dismounts　them。
Balin　devotes　himself　to　self…conquest。　　Then　comes　tidings　that
Pellam；　of　old　leagued　with　Lot　against　Arthur；　has　taken　to