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chivalry, body of knights; knighthood.prostrate, laid low; overthrown.
quailed, sunk; become depressed. clamour, noise; din.
serried, close; crowded. corselet, breastplate.
desperate, reckless; daring; furious. sheen, bright; glittering.
stubborn, not easily moved; obstinate. falchion, sword.
phalanx, body of troops. vengeful, seeking vengeance.
1. Across the ocean's troubled breast
The base-born Norman
came,
To win for his helm a knightly crest,
For his sons a kingly name;
And in his warlike band
Came flashing fair and fre
The brightest swords of his father's land,
With the pomp of its chivalry.
2. What doth the foe on England's field
Why seeks he England's throne?
Has she no chiefs her arms to wield,
No warriors of her own?
But, lo! in regal pride
Stern Harold comes again,
With the waving folds of his banner dyed
In the blood of the hostile Dane.
3. The song, the prayer, the feast were o'er,
The stars in heaven were pale,
And many a brow was bared once more
To meet the morning gale.
At length the sun's bright ray
Tinged the wide east with gold,
And the misty veil of the morning gray
Away from his forehead rolled.
4. And all along each crowded tract
His burning glance was thrown,
Till the polished armour sent him back
A lustre like his own.
Still flashed the silver shee
Along the serried lines,
Where the deadly wood of spears was seen
To rise like forest-pines.
5. In either host was silence deep,
Save the falchion's casual ring,
When a sound arose like the first dread swee
Of the distant tempest's wing;
Then burst the clamour out,
Still maddening more and more,
Till the air grew troubled with the shout,
As it is at the thunder's roar.
6. And the war was roused by that fearful cry,
And the hosts rushed wildly on,
Like clouds that sweep o'er the gloomy sky
When summer days are gone.
Swift as the lightning's flam
The furious horsemen passed,
And the rattling showers of arrows came
Like hailstones on the blast
7. The Island Phalanx firmly tro
On paths all red with gore;
For the blood of their bravest stained the sod
They proudly spurned before.
But close and closer still
They plied them blow for blow,
Till the deadly stroke of the Saxon bill
Cut loose the Norman bow.
8. And the stubborn foemen turned to flee
With the Saxons on their rear,
Like hounds when they lightly cross the lea
To spring on the fallow deer.
Each war-axe gleaming bright
Made havoc in its sway;
But in the mingled chase and fligh
They lost their firm array
9. From a mounted band of the Norman's best
A vengeful cry arose;
Their lances long were in the rest,
And they dashed upon their foes—
On, on, in wild career:
Alas for England, then,
When the furious thrust of the horsemen's spear
Bore back the Kentish men!
10. They bore them back, that desperate band,
Despite of helm or shield;
And the corselet bright and the gory brand
Lay strewed on the battle-field
Fierce flashed the Norman's steel
Though soiled by many a stain;
And the iron tread of his courser's heel
Crushed down the prostrate slain.
11. But still for life the Saxons ply,
In hope, or in despair,
And their frantic leader's rallying cry
Rings in the noontide air.
He toils; but toils in vain!
The fatal arrow fl ies
The iron point has pierced his brain—
The Island Monarch dies.
12. The fi ght is o'er, and wide are sprea
The sounds of the dismal tale;
And many a heart has quailed with dread,
And many a cheek is pale.
The victor's fears are past,
The golden spoil is won,
And England's tears are fl owing fas
In grief for England's son.
中文阅读
1. 横跨烟波浩渺的大海，
有位草莽出身的诺曼人
不请自来，
他为头盔上的骑士标徽而来，
他为后世子孙的高贵名分而来；
一支尚武的军队随后而至，
光辉闪耀的公平与自由文明亦随之而来，
还有在他父老国土上的夺目宝剑，
也为骑士精神增添了光彩。
2. 敌人来英格兰有何贵干？
他们为何要来此争夺王权？
难道这片土地的军队没有将才？
难道这片土地上没有士兵？
不是！看吧，威严的哈罗德国王又一次迎战而来，
鲜艳的旗帜迎风飞舞，
那是用丹麦敌人
的鲜血染红的色彩。
3. 歌吹将歇，祷诗将尽，筵席将散，
满天繁星也渐渐黯淡，
昂起头，一张张鲜活的脸，
将又一次经历黎明时狂风的肆虐。
太阳的万丈霞光，
已给辽远的东方镶上金边，
面纱般的清晨雾霭渐渐消散，
光辉已洒在他额前的发卷。
4. 他用炯然如炬的目光
环视两边簇拥的人潮，
之后披上银光闪闪的铠甲回身而返，
他那一身荣光，一如注定般。
沿着密林分布的阵列，
铠甲的银光一路闪耀，
那里有锋利的木制长矛，
高高举起恰似林中松针般惹眼。
5. 每一方都鸦雀无声，
刀剑的沉鸣却在暗暗蓄积，
突然一个声音划破长空，
如远方的暴风雨滚滚而来；
一时人声喧哗，
愈来愈烈，
直到最后山呼海啸，
如雷声般轰鸣低徊。
6. 战斗在无边的惊恐叫喊中就此打响，
无数人马粗暴地冲向前方，
如夏日将尽时的风暴，
风卷残云般，扫荡灰暗天空中的全部阴霾。
暴怒的骑兵飞驰而过，
疾如电光，
如雨点般的利箭从天上落下，
像冰雹一样在士兵的头上炸开。
7. 英伦残部行过的小路，
已被伤口的鲜血染红，
英勇的鲜血洒在草地，
这曾是他们骄傲蔑视的惨败。
两军越来越近，
他们开始以牙还牙，
然而撒克逊人的行动，
让诺曼人的弓箭更加肆虐。
8. 顽敌开始逃遁，
留下撒克逊人在后方逡巡，
好似猎犬轻轻经过草地，
却时刻警惕着扁角鹿的身影。
刀斧的寒光闪现，
一场浩劫早已注定；
人群混乱如狼奔豕突，
英勇的将士已是花果飘零。
9. 诺曼人的精良骑兵精进向前，
复仇的呼号渐渐传来；
他们的长矛曾休战良久，
而现在要勇猛地迎向敌人，
向前，向前，向前，
即使用最粗暴的方式，
一定要拿下英格兰，
要让骑士的长矛发挥致胜之威，
让这些肯特人知道厉害。
10. 他们击退了肯特士兵，
击退了这群亡命之徒，
尽管他们头盔盾牌全副武装；
铠甲依然闪亮，却已印上层层血污，
在战场上东倒西歪。
诺曼人的钢刀上虽血迹斑斑
却依然寒光闪闪，
他那匹骏马的铁蹄，
还是踏碎了那些妄图征服英国的杀戮者。
11. 但不管未来是好是歹，
撒克逊人依然要为生活经营，
他们狂暴首领的战斗号角，
依然回响在天空之外，
他尽力了，即便那是徒劳！
致命的一箭飞来，
箭尖刺穿了他的脑袋，
英伦国王就此退出了历史舞台。
12. 战斗画上句号，而这凄凉的故事，
却在荒野上传播开来，
许多人陷入无边恐惧，
许多人因此面容苍白。
胜利者的恐惧渐渐远去，
他们得到了最高的犒赏，
英伦的眼泪开始奔流，
英格兰之子啊，魂兮归来。