——R. Browning
Tht's my last Duchess painted on the wall,
Looking as if she were alive. I call
That piece a wonder, now: Fra Pandolf's hands
Worked busily a day, and there she stands.
Will't please you sit and look at her? I said
“Fra Pandolf?”by design, for never read
Strangers like you that pictured countenance,
The depth and passion of its earnest glance,
But to myself they turned (since none puts by
The curtain I have drawn for you, but I)
And seemed as they would ask me, if they durst.
How such a glance came there; so, not the first
Are you to turn and ask thus. Sir, 'twas not
Her husband's presence only, called that spot
Of joy into the Duchess' cheek: perhaps
Fra Pandolf chanced to say“Her mantle laps
Over my lady's wrist too much,”or“Paint
Must never hope to reproduce the faint
Half-flush that dies along her throat:”such stuff
Was courtesy, she thought, and cause enough
For calling up that spot of joy. She had
A heart——how shall I say? too soon made glad.
Too easily impressed; she liked whate'er
She looked on, and her looks went everywhere.
Sir, 'twas all one! My favor at her breast,
The drooping of the daylight in the West,
The bough of cherries some officious fool
Broke in the orchard for her, the white mule
She rode with round the terrace——all and each
Would draw from her alike the approving speech,
Or blush, at least. She thanked men——good! but thanked
Somehow——I know not how, as if she ranked
My gift of a nine-hundred-years-old name
With anybody's gift. Who'd stoop to blame
This sort of trifling? Even had you skil
In speech—— (which I have not)——to make your will
Quite clear to such an one, and say,“Just this
Or that in you disgusts me; here you miss,
Or there exceed the mark——”and if she let
Herself be lessoned so, nor plainly set
Her wits to yours, forsooth, and made excuse,
——E'en then would be some stooping; and I choose
Never to stoop. Oh sir, she smiled, no doubt,
Whene'er I passed her, but who passed without
Much the same smile? This grew; I gave command;
Then all smiles stopped together. There she stands
As if alive. Will't please you rise? We'll meet
The company below, then. I repeat,
The Count your master's known munificence
Is ample warrant that no just pretense
Of mine for dowry will be disallowed;
Though his fair daughter's self, as I avowed
At starting, is my object. Nay, we'll go
Together down, sir. Notice Neptune, though,
Taming a sea-horse, thought a rarity,
Which Claus of Innsbruck cast in bronze for me!
勃朗寧
墻上掛著我已故的公爵夫人像,
畫像栩栩如生,堪稱絕世珍品。
佛拉·潘多夫的畫筆忙活一天
才大功告成,讓她在此立身。
閣下要不要坐下仔細(xì)看看?
我特意提及潘多夫,這是因?yàn)椋?/p>
你這樣的陌生人見了畫中面容,
見了這無(wú)比深情而熱烈的眼神,
都會(huì)轉(zhuǎn)身對(duì)著我,(我現(xiàn)在
為你揭去畫像上蓋的布?。?/p>
他們只要有膽量,一定會(huì)問:
畫家怎么畫得出這般眼神?
是的,并非你第一個(gè)這樣相問。
先生,公爵夫人臉上那塊紅暈
并非單單為她的丈夫而生。
也許潘多夫就碰巧說(shuō)過這話:
“披風(fēng)將夫人的手蓋住太多;
紅暈向頸部褪去,隱隱約約;
那不是我們的顏料所能復(fù)制。”
她知道,這樣的話出于禮節(jié),
但也足以使她變得春風(fēng)得意。
她這人——我怎么說(shuō)她好呢?——
太愛聽好話,太容易動(dòng)感情;
見什么愛什么,眼珠轉(zhuǎn)個(gè)不停。
先生,她就這個(gè)樣!喜歡佩戴
我送的飾物,喜歡落日的余暉,
好事的傻瓜為她在園中折取
一支櫻桃,或者讓她騎白騾
繞園子走走——所有這一切
她都贊不絕口,至少鬧個(gè)紅臉。
她感謝人——這很好!但這感謝——
我不知她怎么謝,只是覺得
她把我給她的九百年的門第
等同別人的禮物。這點(diǎn)小過失
誰(shuí)愿意追究?即便你口才甚好,
(我沒口才)也犯不著跟她計(jì)較,
闡明你的意志,說(shuō),“我厭惡
你的這點(diǎn)那點(diǎn);這是你的疏忽,
那是你的越軌。”——即便她愿意
從中吸取教訓(xùn),不跟你爭(zhēng)辯,
不為自己找借口,但即便如此,
我也覺得有失身份,不屑為之。
噢,先生,她愛笑,這沒疑問,
只要我走過她身邊;但對(duì)別人
她也笑臉相迎!后來(lái)我只好下禁令,
她的笑從此消失。如今她栩栩如生,
掛在這上面。請(qǐng)閣下起來(lái),我們
還要下樓會(huì)見幾個(gè)朋友。我重申:
伯爵——您的主人出名的慷慨大方,
關(guān)于嫁妝,我提的要求也頗正當(dāng),
他一定不會(huì)輕易予以拒絕;不過,
正如我當(dāng)初所說(shuō),他漂亮的女兒
才是我追求的目標(biāo)。先生,來(lái)吧,
我們一塊下樓??纯催@座雕像,
海神在馴海馬,不愧為稀世珍寶,
這是京城的克勞斯用銅為我鑄造。
* * *
[1]此詩(shī)是一首戲劇獨(dú)白詩(shī),獨(dú)白者為費(fèi)拉拉公爵艾爾逢索(生于1533年),他25歲那年娶了佛羅倫薩公爵之女為妻,當(dāng)時(shí)她才14歲?;楹蟮谌辏舴蛉巳ナ?,死因存疑。而后艾爾逢索公爵預(yù)備再娶,女方是奧地利的一位伯爵小姐。伯爵派來(lái)一位使者與公爵談?wù)撨@樁婚姻。公爵領(lǐng)使者觀看他已故夫人的畫像,此詩(shī)即為公爵在畫像前對(duì)使者的“獨(dú)白”。
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