The poet who painted with his words - Geneviève Emy

譯者: Melody Summer 審譯者: Max Chern

Among the great poets of literary history,

在文學史上的偉大詩人中

certain names like Homer,

某些名字，像荷馬、

Shakespeare,

莎士比亞、

Milton,

and Whitman are instantly recognizable.

密爾頓

及惠特曼都是大家所熟悉人物

However, there's an early 20th century great French poet

但是，在 20 世紀初期 有位偉大的法國詩人

whose name you may not know:

你可能不知道他的名字：

Guillaume Apollinaire.

紀堯姆·阿波利奈爾

He was a close friend and collaborator of artists like Picasso,

他是許多藝術家的摯友及合作者 如畢卡索、

Rousseau,

盧梭

and Chagall.

和夏卡爾

He coined the term surrealism,

他創造了「超現實主義」一詞

and he was even suspected of stealing the Mona Lisa in 1911.

他甚至被懷疑在 1911 年 盜竊了《蒙娜麗莎》

During his short lifetime,

在短暫的一生中

he created poetry that combined text and image

他創作了許多結合文字和圖像的詩

in a way that seemingly predicted an artistic revolution to come.

這方式似乎預示即將發生一場藝術革命

In the late 19th and early 20th century Paris,

在 19 世紀末及 20 世紀初的巴黎

the low-rent districts of Montmartre and Montparnasse

蒙馬特爾和蒙帕納斯的低租金地區

were home to every kind of starving artist.

是許多窮困藝術家的安身之所

It was all they could afford.

他們只付得起這樣的租金

These painters, writers, and intellectuals,

這些畫家、作家以及知識份子

united in their artistic passion and counterculture beliefs,

結合了他們的藝術熱情 和反主流文化的理念

made up France's bohemian subculture.

形成了法國一股浪漫不羈的次文化

And their works of art, literature, and intellect would shake up the world.

他們的藝術、文學 以及才華作品會震撼全世界

At the turn of the 20th century,

在 20 世紀交替之際

within this dynamic scene,

是個變化多端的時代

art critic, poet, and champion of the avant-garde,

作為藝術評論者， 詩人以及先鋒捍衛者

Guillaume Apollinaire was a well-known fixture.

紀堯姆·阿波利奈爾是一位知名人物

As an art critic, Apollinaire explained

作為藝術評論家，阿波利奈爾

the cubist and surrealist movements to the world,

向世人介紹了 立體主義和超現實主義運動

and rose to the defense of many young artists

並起而保護許多年輕藝術家

in the face of what was often a xenophobic and narrow-minded public.

因為他們要面對仇外 及心胸狹隘的民眾

As a poet, Apollinaire was passionate about all forms of art

作為詩人，阿波利奈爾 對各種藝術都充滿了熱情

and a connoisseur of medieval literature,

同時還是中世紀文學的鑒賞家

especially calligraphy and illuminated initials.

尤其對藝術化書法 及裝飾字首的藝術方面

As a visionary, Apollinaire saw a gap between two artistic institutions.

阿波利奈爾是有遠見的人， 他看到兩種藝術體系的分歧

On one side was the popular, highly lauded traditional art forms of the time.

一方是當時流行、 被高度讚揚的「傳統藝術形式」

On the other, the forms of artistic expression

另一方是「藝術表達形式」 ─

made possible through surrealism,

可以透過超現實、

cubism,

立體派、

and new inventions, like the cinema

和一些新發明，如電影藝術

and the phonograph.

和留聲機來表現

Within that divide,

在那樣的分歧之下

through the creation of his most important contribution to poetry,

透過他對詩最有影響力的創作 ─

the calligram,

「圖像詩」

Guillaume Apollinaire built a bridge.

紀堯姆·阿波利奈爾 為兩方搭起了橋樑

Apollinaire created the calligram as a poem picture,

阿波利奈爾創造了圖像詩 ─ 一種詩的圖案、

a written portrait,

一種文字的畫像、

a thoughts drawing,

一種思想的繪畫

and he used it to express his modernism

他用這個來表達他的現代風格

and his desire to push poetry beyond the normal bounds of text and verse

以及他的期望 ─ 推動詩歌擺脫文字和詩體限制

and into the 20th century.

進入 20 世紀

Some of his calligrams are funny,

他的一些圖像詩十分有趣：

like the "Lettre-Océan."

像 《從船傳來的電報》 "Lettre-Océan"

Some of them are dedicated to his young dead friends,

有些圖像詩是獻給他那些早逝的友人：

like "La Colombe Poignardée et le jet d'eau."

像《被刺傷的鴿子與噴泉》 "La Colombe Poignardée et le jet d'eau"

Some of them are the expression of an emotional moment,

有些圖像詩是動人心弦的表達：

as is "Il Pleut":

例如《下雨》 "Il Pleut"

"It's raining women's voices as if they had died even in memory,

「女子的聲音如下雨 彷彿她們已死去也被遺忘了

and it's raining you as well, Marvellous encounters of my life,

雨下得也像是你 ─ 我生命裡奇妙的際遇

o little drops.

啊！滴滴的水珠

Those rearing clouds begin to neigh a whole universe of auricular cities.

雲朵像騰立的馬開始嘶鳴 一個由聲音城市組成的世界

Listen if it rains while regret and disdain weep to an ancient music.

傾聽這雨聲 隨著遺恨和蔑視泣下古老的樂曲

Listen to the bonds fall off which hold you above and below."

傾聽這上下繫住你的枷鎖 細絲縷縷地落下」

Each calligram is intended to allow readers to unchain themselves

每個圖像詩都是為了讓讀者 從常規的詩歌經驗中解放自己

from the regular experience of poetry,

and feel and see something new.

並體驗及領悟新事物

《從船傳來的電報》在尚未閱讀之前， 映入眼簾的就是一幅圖像

"Lettre-Océan" is first an image to be seen before even the words are read.

Text-only elements combine with words in shapes and forms.

純文字內容，並用字做出形狀和造型

Two circular forms, one locked in a square,

兩種圓形樣式， 一個局限於正方形裡

the other, morph beyond the page in the shape of a spiral.

另一種圓形以螺旋狀向外伸展

Together they create a picture that hints towards cubism.

它們共同形成的圖 透露了立體風格的跡象

Then on closer reading of the text,

當仔細研讀文字時

the descriptive words within suggest

其敘述的文字讓人聯想到

the image of an aerial view of the Eiffel Tower.

從空中鳥瞰艾菲爾鐵塔的圖像

They give tribute to electromagnetic waves of the telegraph,

它們在表彰電報的電磁波

a new form of communication at the time.

那是當時一種通信新形式

Undoubtedly, the deeply layered artistic expressions in Apollinaire's calligrams

毫無疑問，阿波利奈爾圖像詩中 深層次的藝術表達

are not just a brilliant display of poetic prowess

不僅僅是高超、大師級詩歌的傑出展示

from a master of the form.

Each calligram itself is also a snapshot in time,

每個圖像詩本身也是瞬間的快照

encapsulating the passion,

抓住了激情、

the excitement,

and the anticipation of all the bohemian artists of Paris,

興奮

以及巴黎所有浪漫不羈藝術家的期待

including Apollinaire,

包括阿波利納爾本人

most of whom are well ahead of their time,

他們多數已走在時代尖端

and with their innovative work,

以他們創新的作品

eagerly grasping for the future.

渴望掌握住未來

翻譯：Melody Summer