《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.

《寶架清影》(Beneath the Cross of Jesus)

受難節臨近,再試著以粵韻重譜這首叫我很受感動的節期詩歌:

詞:Elizabeth Cecilia Clephane
中譯:劉廷芳、楊蔭瀏(參普天頌讚173《寶架清影歌》)
曲:海牛(按粵韻重新譜曲)

在主寶架清影中,歡然立定腳跟,
好像盛暑遠行辛苦,來進磐石之蔭,
好似曠野欣逢居處,長途喜見涼亭,
到此得釋肩頭重擔,養力奔赴前程。
Beneath the cross of Jesus
I fain would take my stand,
The shadow of a mighty Rock
Within a weary land;
A home within the wilderness,
A rest upon the way,
From the burning of the noontide heat,
And the burden of the day.

神聖莊嚴之十架,我常抬頭瞻仰,
雙眼如見寶血傾流,為我捨身之像,
熱淚滿眶,寸心如裂,兩事仔細思量,
思量我身不配受恩,思量主愛非常。
Upon that cross of Jesus
Mine eye at times can see
The very dying form of One,
Who suffered there for me;
And from my smitten heart, with tears,
Two wonders I confess,
The wonders of His glorious love,
And my own worthlessness.

願在寶架清影中,事主,愛人,行道;
我不尋求旭日光華,因有慈光普照:
世界榮華,不足貪圖,得失無關重要,
但將罪惡看為羞恥,寶架看為榮耀。
I take, O cross, thy shadow
For my abiding place;
I ask no other sunshine than
The sunshine of His face;
Content to let the world go by,
To know no gain nor loss,
My sinful self my only shame,
My glory all the cross.

《上帝是人千古保障》(O God, Our Help in Ages Past)

《千古保障歌》或《千古保障》是一首常在安息禮拜詠唱的聖詩,原詞是Isaac Watts按詩篇九十篇改編撰寫的。

上周末連續兩天在兩個不同的崇拜中都聽到這歌,曲子和歌詞縈繞在腦中數天,忽萌把歌詞按粵韻重譜成新的曲子的想法。

雖然只是兩天多的過程,然而這次譜曲是一次很好的練習和學習;而我也希望若有朝一日,我有幸有人為我搞安息禮拜,可用上這曲子為我送別。

詞:Isaac Watts
中譯:劉廷芳(參普天頌讚30《千古保障歌》)
曲:海牛(按粵韻重新譜曲)

上帝是人千古保障,是人將來希望,
是人居所,抵禦風雨,是人永久家鄉。
O God, our help in ages past,
Our hope for years to come,
Our shelter from the stormy blast,
And our eternal home.

在主寶座蔭庇之下,群聖一向安居;
惟賴神臂威權保護,永遠平安無慮。
Under the shadow of Thy throne
Thy saints have dwelt secure;
Sufficient is Thine arm alone,
And our defence is sure.

山川尚未發現之時,星球未結之先,
遠自太初便有神在,永在無窮盡年。
Before the hills in order stood,
Or earth received her frame,
From everlasting Thou art God,
To endless years the same.

在神眼中,億千萬年,恍若人間隔宿;
恍若初聞子夜鐘聲,轉瞬東方日出。
A thousand ages in Thy sight
Are like an evening gone;
Short as the watch that ends the night
Before the rising sun.

時間正似大江流水,浪淘萬象眾生,
轉瞬飛逝,恍若夢境,朝來不留餘痕。
Time, like an ever-rolling stream,
Bears all its sons away;
They fly forgotten, as a dream
Dies at the opening day.

上帝是人千古保障,是人將來希望,
是人居所,抵禦風雨,是人永久家鄉。
O God, our help in ages past,
Our hope for years to come,
Our shelter from the stormy blast,
And our eternal home.