(圖2: William Blake's Tiger;  圖1: 刁卿蕙的老虎)

《The Tyger》                                            《老虎》

                                                   

 威廉‧布萊克 作

      (William Blake, 1757-1827)                        --刁卿蕙 (譯)   

Tyger, Tyger, burning bright                     老虎, 老虎, 熾然燐燐
In the forests of the night,                     在夜晚的森林,
What immortal hand or eye                        何等不朽之手或眼
Dare frame thy fearful symmetry?                 才敢擬汝凜凜之勻妍?

Burnt in distant deeps or skies                  灼燒在遙遠深邃或蒼穹中
The cruel  fire of thine eyes?                   可是汝眼冷酷之火種?
On what wings dare he aspire?                    乘了何翼令他膽敢高聳?
What the hand dare seize the fire?               何等的手竟敢擒祝融?

And what shoulder and what art                   何種肩胛,何種技藝
Could twist the sinews of thy heart?             方能扭轉汝心之精力?
And when thy heart began to beat                 當汝心開始擊鼓
What dread hand and what dread feet              多可怕的手,多可怕的足

Could fetch it from the furnace deep             能將它自熔爐深處攫出
And in thy horrid ribs dare steep                又膽敢將汝駭人之肋骨
In the well of sanguine woe?                     浸濡了井中之血苦?
In what clay and in what mould                   何種黏土,何種模
Were thy eyes of fury roll’d?                   壓成了汝憤怒之眼目?    

                

Where the hammer? Where the chain?               何處槌?何處鏈?
In what furnace was thy brain?                   來將汝腦鍛煉?
What the anvil? what dread grasp                 何種鐵砧?何種可怕抓撓
Dare its deadly terrors clasp?                   激發牠致命恐怖的扣抱?

When the stars threw down their spears           當群星擲下其矛弋
And watered heaven with their tears              澆灑天堂以淚滴
Dare he laugh his work  to see?                  他可敢笑看他的努力?
Dare he who made the lamb make thee?             造了羔羊的他可敢造你?

Tyger, Tyger, burning bright                     老虎,老虎,熾然燐燐
In the forests of the night,                     在夜晚的森林,
What immortal hand or eye                        何等不朽之手或眼
Dare frame thy fearful symmetry?                 才敢擬汝凜凜之勻妍?