誰教爾為牛? - 古德明

誰教爾為牛? - 古德明

七月十三日,柏林客西馬尼教堂舉辦劉曉波逝世一周年追思會,會上有德國少女伊莎貝爾高歌一曲Dona, Dona,歌聲妙囀,孔子復起,當有「三月不知肉味」之歎。歌詞原文是意第緒語(Yiddish),後譯成英文,《蘋果日報》記者把末句譯作「誰要珍惜自由,就要像燕子學會飛翔」,那恐怕是誤解了。
按Dona, Dona應是歌曲中的補音字,沒有什麼意思,有如中國樂府詩的「妃呼豨」。歌詞寫一隻待宰黃犢,謹翻譯於後,並附英文譯文:On a wagon bound for market / There's a calf with a mournful eye / High above him there's a swallow / Winging swiftly through the sky(Refrain: How the winds are laughing / They laugh with all their might / Laugh and laugh the whole day through / And half the summer's night / Dona, Dona etc)"Stop complaining," said the farmer / "Who told you a calf to be? / Why don't you have wings to fly with / Like the swallow so proud and free?"(Refrain)Calves are easily bound and slaughtered / Never knowing the reason why / But whoever treasures freedom / Like the swallow has learned to fly(車轆轆,赴屠場,上載一黃犢,觳觫色倉皇。仰望飛飛燕,雲間逐風忙。狂風盡日如解笑,長夏吹拂半夜涼。農夫告犢莫歔欷:「誰教爾無六翮可飛揚?」牛犢由來任宰割,至死猶不悟其詳。自由君若知惜取,能共燕鴻萬里翔。)末句不是說「誰要珍惜自由,就要像燕子學會飛翔」,而是「誰解珍惜自由,就能像燕子般飛翔」。換言之,獨裁統治之下,精神上還可以不做奴隸。
劉曉波追思會上唱Dona, Dona,這安排甚見心思。原作是第二次世界大戰時寫的,作者蔡特林(Aaron Zeitlin)是猶太人,或說意在諷納粹德國之大屠猶太民族。而今日中國人的命運,實在絕似當年猶太人:國土淪亡,四海為家,以歐美為樂土。唯一不同的,是當年猶太人被異族的納粹黨殘殺,今日中國人則是在中國大陸被同種的共產黨肆意宰割,不少更是至死不悟。