Changing of the Guards

Sixteen years

Sixteen banners united over the field

Where the good shepherd grieves

Desperate men, desperate women divided

Spreading their wings ’neath the falling leaves

Fortune calls

I stepped forth from the shadows, to the marketplace

Merchants and thieves, hungry for power, my last deal gone down

She’s smelling sweet like the meadows where she was born

On midsummer’s eve, near the tower

The cold-blooded moon

The captain waits above the celebration

Sending his thoughts to a beloved maid

Whose ebony face is beyond communication

The captain is down but still believing that his love will be repaid

They shaved her head

She was torn between Jupiter and Apollo

A messenger arrived with a black nightingale

I seen her on the stairs and I couldn’t help but follow

Follow her down past the fountain where they lifted her veil

I stumbled to my feet

I rode past destruction in the ditches

With the stitches still mending ’neath a heart-shaped tattoo

Renegade priests and treacherous young witches

Were handing out the flowers that I’d given to you

The palace of mirrors

Where dog soldiers are reflected

The endless road and the wailing of chimes

The empty rooms where her memory is protected

Where the angels’ voices whisper to the souls of previous times

She wakes him up

Forty-eight hours later, the sun is breaking

Near broken chains, mountain laurel and rolling rocks

She’s begging to know what measures he now will be taking

He’s pulling her down and she’s clutching on to his long golden locks

Gentlemen, he said

I don’t need your organization, I’ve shined your shoes

I’ve moved your mountains and marked your cards

But Eden is burning, either brace yourself for elimination

Or else your hearts must have the courage for the changing of the guards

Peace will come

With tranquillity and splendor on the wheels of fire

But will bring us no reward when her false idols fall

And cruel death surrenders with its pale ghost retreating

Between the King and the Queen of Swords

守卫换岗

[美]鲍勃·迪伦

奚密 译

十六个年头

十六幅旗帜团结在原野上

善良的牧羊人在哀悼

绝境中的男人们和女人们分离

各自在飘飘落叶下展翅

福气在呼唤

从阴影中我迈着步伐，走向市场

商人和小偷渴望权力，我最后一场交易失败

她芬芳一如她诞生的草原

在盛夏的傍晚，高塔之旁

冷血的月亮

队长在庆典的高处等待

将他的思念寄给心爱的女郎

她深褐色的脸庞高深莫测

队长很沮丧但仍相信他的爱会有回报

他们剃去她的秀发

她彷徨在朱庇特和阿波罗之间

信差来到带着一只黑色的夜莺

我在楼梯间看见她而不可自抑地跟着她

跟着她走过喷水池在那里他们揭开她的面纱

我脚步踉跄

我骑马跨过那些沟渠里的毁灭

针线还在一个心形的文身下面缝补

叛逃的神父和不忠的年青女巫们

把我送给你的花随手送走

镜子的宫殿

映照出那些犬兵

没有尽头的路和嚎哭的钟声

空房间里她的回忆得到保护

天使们的声音向旧时代的灵魂耳语

她将他唤醒

四十八小时之后，太阳露了脸

在打破的链索、山月桂和滚石旁

她恳求知道他将采取什么措施

他拖她下来而她紧紧抓住他金色的卷发

绅士们，他说

我不需要你们的组织，我擦亮过你们的鞋

我移过你们的山岳也给过你们提点

但是伊甸园着火了，你们或者准备被消灭

或者你们的心必须有勇气面对守卫换岗

和平将来临

带着火轮上的宁静和灿烂

但我们得不到报酬，当她的假偶像倒下

当残酷的死亡投降，它苍白的鬼魂撤退

在宝剑国王和宝剑皇后之间

注1：犬兵，美国印第安夏延族部落的战士组织，夏延人迷信狗会转生为勇士，故名。

注2：《新约·马太福音》17:20，耶稣说：“你们若有信心像一粒花菜种，就是对这座山说，‘你从这边挪到那边’，它也必挪去……”

出自专辑《街道合法》

发行于1978年

《鲍勃·迪伦诗歌集/慢车开来1975－1979》

广西师范大学出版社

2017年6月第1版