Interpretation of The Indian Burying Ground by Philip Freneau

The traditional Indian culture

This poem is about the traditional Indian sitting burying posture. There are ten stanzas in this poem. Each stanza contains four lines. The end rhyme of each stanza is abab.

 

The first two stanzas introduce the traditional Indian sitting burying posture. In our culture the burying posture is sleeping. However, in the traditional Indian culture, the sitting burying posture points out the soul’s eternal sleep. When the Indian is released from the earthly worldly, he is seated with his friends and shares again the happy feast.

 

The third and the fourth stanzas are about the funeral objects: the imaged birds, the painted bowl, venison that are dressed for a journey, the bow and arrows. They show the nature of the soul. Life on this earthly world has been spent and he or the deceased person will continue the activity when he goes to another world.

 

风雨侵蚀 古墓沧桑

The five and sixth stanzas tell us that seeing is believing. The syntax is a bit complex. The subject is “Thou, stranger”. The predicate is “observe, say”. When the stranger shall come this way, observe the swelling turf and know that they do not lie, but they sit here. The second line of the fifth stanza is an inversed line. The dead commit no fraud upon the stranger. Here remains a lofty rock that is now wasted by wearing rains. The curious eye of the stranger may trace the fancies or imagination of a ruder race.

 

       古墓幻象 鬼影连连(From Stanza 7 to Stanza 10)

       When you come to the aged and barren tomb ground, what kind of imagination will appear in your mind? Do you expect to encounter ghost? From Stanza 7 to Stanza 10, the rich imagination is about the ghosts or specters in your mind.

An aged elm that the shepherd admires still aspires in the burying ground. Maybe the children of the forest played beneath the far—projecting shade many years ago. There is often a restless Indian queen, pale Queen Sheba with her braided hair and many a barbarous form. If you linger there, the ghosts will chide you. Sheba is a powerful Arabian country. By midnight moons over moistening dews, the hunter who are arrayed in habit for the chase still pursues the deer. The hunter and the deer are a shade/ghost/specter.

Conclusion: reason prevails shadows and delusions. 情感战胜理智。

In the last stanza, the painted chief and pointed spear shall be seen in the timorous fancy/imagination. In the last two lines, shadows/delusions and reason form a contrast. Reason shall bow the knee to shadows and delusions here. Finally, shadows and delusions prevail reason.

 

The Indian Burying Ground by Philip Freneau 网络找的翻译

 

In spite of all the learned have said,

 I still my old opinion keep;

 The posture, that we give the dead,

Points out the soul's eternal sleep.

 

Not so the ancients of these lands --

 The Indian, when from life released,

Again is seated with his friends,

And shares again the joyous feast.

 

纵有智者言

吾仍持旧观

逝者当长卧

灵魂永安眠

 

本乡民风异

一旦辞世间

盘膝随众坐

依旧飨欢宴

 

His imaged birds, and painted bowl,

And venison, for a journey dressed,

Bespeak the nature of the soul,

Activity, that knows no rest.

 

His bow, for action ready bent,

 And arrows, with a head of stone,

Can only mean that life is spent,

 And not the old ideas gone.

 

肖鸟与花碗

旅途鹿肉鲜

言说灵性本

行动勿迟延

 

弯弓仍挂弦

石箭寒光闪

今生虽已过

来世仍须战

 

Thou, stranger, that shalt come this way,

 No fraud upon the dead commit --

 Observe the swelling turf, and say

They do not lie, but here they sit.

 

Here still a lofty rock remains,

 On which the curious eye may trace

 (Now wasted, half, by wearing rains)

The fancies of a ruder race.

 

旅人若至此

亡者莫欺瞒

且看坟茔内

死者坐其间

 

此地巨石立

风雨半凋残

以此知蛮族

亦曾感梦幻

 

Here still an aged elm aspires,

 Beneath whose far-projecting shade

 (And which the shepherd still admires)

  The children of the forest played!

 

There oft a restless Indian queen

 (Pale Sheba, with her braided hair)

And many a barbarous form is seen

To chide the man that lingers there.

 

古榆矗巍然

牧童惊且羡

翳翳凉荫广

其民戏此前

 

女王惊难眠

束发素颜现

诸多恐怖影

闲客莫流连

 

By midnight moons, o'er moistening dews;

 In habit for the chase arrayed,

The hunter still the deer pursues,

The hunter and the deer, a shade!

 

 And long shall timorous fancy see

The painted chief, and pointed spear,

 And Reason's self shall bow the knee

To shadows and delusions here.

 

夜露湿满月

猎装隐约见

虽知人逐鹿

人鹿皆黯然

 

胆怯出幻象

矛利人花脸

阴影成错觉

全无理性言