Hymn to St. Cecilia
 圣茜萨莉亚颂
 
 
In a garden shady this holy lady
With reverent cadence and subtle psalm,
Like a black swan as death came on
Poured forth her song in perfect calm:
And by ocean's margin this innocent virgin
Constructed an organ to enlarge her prayer,
And notes tremendous from her great engine
Thundered out on the Roman air.
Blonde Aphrodite rose up excited,
Moved to delight by the melody,
White as an orchid she rode quite naked
In an oyster shell on top of the sea;
At sounds so entrancing the angels dancing
Came out of their trance into time again,
And around the wicked in Hell's abysses
The huge flame flickered and eased their pain.
Blessed Cecilia, appear in visions
To all musicians, appear and inspire:
Translated Daughter, come down and startle
Composing mortals with immortal fire.
 
I cannot grow;
I have no shadow
To run away from,
I only play.
I cannot err;
There is no creature
Whom I belong to,
Whom I could wrong.
I am defeat
When it knows it
Can now do nothing
By suffering.
All you lived through,
Dancing because you
No longer need it
For any deed.
I shall never be
Different. Love me.
Blessed Cecilia, appear in visions
To all musicians, appear and inspire:
Translated Daughter, come down and startle
Composing mortals with immortal fire.
 
O ear whose creatures cannot wish to fall,
O calm of spaces unafraid of weight,
Where Sorrow is herself, forgetting all
The gaucheness of her adolescent state,
Where Hope within the altogether strange
From every outworn image is released,
And Dread born whole and normal like a beast
Into a world of truths that never change:
Restore our fallen day; O re-arrange.
O dear white children casual as birds,
Playing among the ruined languages,
So small beside their large confusing words,
So gay against the greater silences
Of dreadful things you did: O hang the head,
Impetuous child with the tremendous brain,
O weep, child, weep, O weep away the stain,
Lost innocence who wished your lover dead,
Weep for the lives your wishes never led.
O cry created as the bow of sin
Is drawn across our trembling violin.
O weep, child, weep, O weep away the stain.
O law drummed out by hearts against the still
Long winter of our intellectual will.
That what has been may never be again.
O flute that throbs with the thanksgiving breath
Of convalescents on the shores of death.
O bless the freedom that you never chose.
O trumpets that unguarded children blow
About the fortress of their inner foe.
O wear your tribulation like a rose.
Blessed Cecilia, appear in visions
To all musicians, appear and inspire:
Translated Daughter, come down and startle
Composing mortals with immortal fire.

在幽荫的花园内，这圣女
用虔敬的乐章，用温婉一曲，
像死神降临时探问的黑天鹅，
默默地倾注她的歌声：
这圣洁的贞女，以无涯的心，
与琴浑然一体，祷告更恳切，
机灵触动，琴音出神，
响彻罗马的天空。
爱美神为之雀跃，
触动心灵处实时动容，
光洁之躯雪白若兰随歌而起，
像一颗海上明珠。
天使们随诱人乐声起舞，
重拾节拍不再魂游。
深陷地狱深渊的鬼魅四周，
熊熊烈焰掩映，舒解他们苦痛。
万福的茜撒莉亚，会显现
在所有音乐人眼前，启发灵思；
你的出现，震撼心弦，
用世外的火去抚慰凡间人。
 
我长不来，
我没有阴影
让我逃脱，
我只能演下去。
我不能错；
我没有别人
作我归宿，
让我枉屈。
纵使错了
它知道
亦奈不了何
折磨不了我。
你所体会过的，
都跃然起舞，只因为你
不再需要它，
它再没有用场。
我将永不
改变。爱我吧。
万福的茜撒莉亚，会显现
在所有音乐人眼前，启发灵思；
你的出现，震撼心弦，
用世外的火去抚慰凡间人。
 
耳朵呀，你的主人欲听不能，
空间的宁静毋惧压力，
她独个儿憔悴，忘却所有
少不更事时的莽动。
每个破落形象背后总会有不苟同，
从而绽放希望，
在永恒的真理世界里，
恐惧如猛兽般孕育出来。
回复我们失落的日子，重整一切。
纯洁的孩子像小鸟般无拘无束，
在颓败的言语中嬉戏，
在语无伦次旁显得弱小，
在默默无声中显得生机勃勃，
你的所作所为令人无语：去死吧!
跳脱的孩子呀，你想象力澎湃，
哭吧，孩子，哭吧，用泪水刷掉一切污秽，
纯真不再的人只想爱你的人死去，
为你愿望破灭的生命哭吧。
罪恶的弓拉过颤抖的提琴，
哭泣声起。
哭吧，孩子，哭吧，用泪水刷掉一切污秽。
我们的理性沉睡在漫长的隆冬中，
现在心中脉动再次激荡，
一切已不再像过往。
长笛颤动着感恩的呼吸，
在死亡的边缘康复过来。
为你从没珍惜过的自由祝福。
毫无防备的孩子吹响号角，
挑战内在敌人筑起的堡垒。
把磨练当作玫瑰别在襟头。
万福的茜撒莉亚，会显现
在所有音乐人眼前，启发灵思；
你的出现，震撼心弦，
用世外的火去抚慰凡间人。
曹鸿辉 (Henry Tso) 先生 译