《邦國帝王興亡代謝》(O Where Are Kings and Empires Now)

前陣子按普天頌讚的中文譯詞,以粵韻重譜了《千古保障歌》,算是我譜曲以來最有滿足感的一次。在普頌的樂譜裡,《千古保障歌》配上的Tune是William Croft的ST. ANNE;按Hymnary.org,此調最常配用的聖詩除了O God, Our Help in Ages Past之外,還有就是O Where Are Kings and Empires Now,即普天頌讚278首《教會穩定歌》(普頌配以較為冷門的WINCHESTER OLD,卻附註通用調有ST. ANNE及TALLIS’ ORDINAL)。但不論唱什麼樂調,「邦國帝王興亡代謝,回首如今安在」一句譯詞,已成經典。我曾經嘗試按WINCHESTER OLD的調子以粵韻重譯《教會穩定歌》,可惜靈感不足,只能譯成第一節,而且那句經典珠玉在前,似乎再譯也是吃力不討好。然而,重譜《千古保障歌》似乎開了一條新路徑,容讓我在那曲子的基礎上,也重譜《教會穩定歌》,而事也就這樣成了。

詞:Arthur Cleveland Coxe
中譯:劉廷芳(adopted from 普天頌讚277《教會穩定歌》)
曲:海牛

邦國帝王興亡代謝 回首如今安在
惟主教會千年不變 禱聲依舊不衰
O where are kings and empires now
Of old that went and came?
But, Lord, your Church is praying yet,
A thousand years the same.

從外看她根基穩固 看她壁壘堅深
從內聽她莊嚴訓誨 聽她不絕歌聲
We mark her goodly battlements
And her foundations strong;
We hear within the solemn voice
Of her unending song.

主啊 我信聖潔教會不像世上列邦
教會不怕地震山崩 不怕浪打風狂
For not like kingdoms of the world
Your holy Church, O God,
Though earthquake shocks are threatening her,
And tempests are abroad,

教會如同永恆山嶽 堅定雄立不移
如同廣廈非人所造 如山滿蓋大地
Unshaken as eternal hills,
Immovable she stands,
A mountain that shall fill the earth,
A house not made by hands.

發佈留言

發佈留言必須填寫的電子郵件地址不會公開。 必填欄位標示為 *