第22章 The American Flag 美国国旗
Joseph Rodman Drake, 1795-1820, was born in New York City. His father died when he was very young, and his early life was a struggle with poverty. He studied medicine, and took his degree when he was about twenty years old. From a child, he showed remarkable poetical powers, having made rhymes at the early age of five. Most of his published writings were produced during a period of less than two years. "The Culprit Fay" and the "American Flag" are best known. In disposition, Mr. Drake was gentle and kindly; and, on the occasion of his death, his intimate friend, Fitz-Greene Halleck, expressed his character in the well-known couplet:
"None knew thee but to love thee,
Nor named thee but to praise."
When Freedom, from her mountain height,
Unfurled her standard to the air,
She tore the azure robe of night,
And set the stars of glory there:
She mingled with its gorgeous dyes
The milky baldric of the skies,
And striped its pure, celestial white
With streakings of the morning light;
Then, from his mansion in the sun,
She called her eagle bearer down,
And gave into his mighty hand
The symbol of her chosen land.
Majestic monarch of the cloud!
Who rear'st aloft thy regal form,
To hear the tempest trumpings loud,
And see the lightning lances driven,
When strive the warriors of the storm,
And rolls the thunder drum of heaven; —
Child of the sun! to thee 't is given
To guard the banner of the free,
To hover in the sulphur smoke,
To ward away the battle stroke,
And bid its blendings shine afar,
Like rainbows on the cloud of war,
The harbingers of victory!
Flag of the brave! thy folds shall fly,
The sign of hope and triumph high!
When speaks the signal trumpet tone,
And the long line comes gleaming on,
Ere yet the lifeblood, warm and wet,
Has dimmed the glistening bayonet,
Each soldier's eye shall brightly turn
To where thy sky-born glories burn,
And, as his springing steps advance,
Catch war and vengeance from the glance.
And when the cannon mouthings loud
Heave in wild wreaths the battle shroud,
And gory sabers rise and fall,
Like shoots of flame on midnight's pall,
Then shall thy meteor glances glow,
And cowering foes shall sink beneath
Each gallant arm, that strikes below
That lovely messenger of death.
Flag of the seas! on ocean's wave
Thy stars shall glitter o'er the brave;
When death careering on the gale,
Sweeps darkly round the bellied sail,
And frighted waves rush wildly back,
Before the broadside's reeling rack,
Each dying wanderer of the sea
Shall look at once to heaven and thee,
And smile to see thy splendors fly
In triumph o'er his closing eye.
Flag of the free heart's hope and home,
By angel hands to valor given,
Thy stars have lit the welkin dome,
And all thy hues were born in heaven.
Forever float that standard sheet!
Where breathes the foe but falls before us,
With Freedom's soil beneath our feet,
And Freedom's banner streaming o'er us?
☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
约瑟夫·罗德曼·德雷克（1795～1820年），出生于纽约市。约瑟夫在很小的时候父亲就去世了，他的童年一直在贫困中度过。在他20岁的时候开始学医，并且取得了医学学位。孩提时代的约瑟夫就在诗歌方面表现出了惊人的天赋，他在5岁时就可以写出通体连贯的押韵诗。他的绝大部分著作都是在两年时间内完成的。《罪魁祸首费伊》和《美国国旗》是约瑟夫最出名的两首诗歌。他性情温柔，为人和善。在约瑟夫的葬礼上，他的密友菲茨·格林哈勒克在广为人知的挽联中阐述了约瑟夫先生的性格：
“没人知道你，可你却深受人们的爱戴，
没人知道你的姓名，但你却受到人们的赞美。”
当自由女神离开高耸入云的山峰，
迎风展开她的旗帜，
她穿上蔚蓝色的晚礼服，
照亮了闪烁的群星：
她柔软的肩带
和天空华美的色彩融合在一起，
那纯粹而神圣的白色
被清晨的日光一点点吞噬；
在太阳的照射下，她走出了宅邸，
命令她的鹰再飞低一点，
把她选好的大陆
交付到他神圣的手中。
啊！云朵那庄严的君主！
是谁将你奢华的楼宇托到了天际，
聆听暴风雨的呼号，
当勇士受到风暴的侵扰，
电光划过云际，
高空传来滚滚雷鸣；
这些太阳的孩子！你们
被赋予了守卫自由旗帜的使命，
在浓烟滚滚的战场作战，
扭转战场的颓势，
向远方的光芒敬礼，
就像战争云团中的彩虹，
它就是胜利的吉兆！
勇敢的旗帜！你的折痕也会迎风飘扬，
这是希望和凯旋的征兆！
当说到具有象征意义的喇叭声，
它们排成一长排，闪耀着光芒，
具有活力的生命之血，温暖且潮湿，
见红的刺刀变得暗淡，
每一名士兵都把目光转移到
你伟大光辉出现的地方，
随着他的脚步向前，
从他的目光中可以观察到战争和仇恨。
当巨炮发出隆隆巨响，
战场的裹尸布里显露的是鲜花做成的花环，
满是鲜血的尖刀在空中上下翻飞，
就像午夜棺罩上的熊熊火苗，
接着，你闪亮的一瞥散发出光芒，
颤抖的敌人被放倒在地，
每个勇士的手臂，都在痛击下面
死神可爱的信使。
海洋的旗帜！在海浪上迎风招展，
你的群星闪烁着勇敢；
当死神踏着风儿降临，
船帆被撑满，
在船舷被卷回来之前，
巨浪疯狂地来回翻滚，
每一个在死神边游荡的船员，
都会仰望天堂和你，
微笑地看着你优雅地飞行，
他即将闭上的双眼流露出胜利的喜悦。
象征自由之心的希望和归宿的旗帜，
通过天使的手，将勇气传给你们，
你的群星点亮了昏暗的苍穹，
你那鲜艳的色彩来自天堂。
自由的旗帜将永远飘扬在空中！
敌人与我们决斗，却在我们面前倒下，
自由的土地就在我们脚下，
自由的旗帜能在我们面前迎风飘扬吗？