精美英文诗歌：La Coursier de Jeanne D'Arc

yuci010

　　You know that they burned her horse
" W, q% F+ s# N# p) }　　before her. Though it is not recorded，
2 [; C9 x3 D+ h& j8 l* E- [8 `. i　　you know that they burned her Percheron
　　first， before her eyes， because you
( S" q3 ?# w, g　　know that story， so old that story，
! U. d) p- t3 W+ [2 b　　the routine story， carried to its
　　extreme， of the cruelty that can make
! x. ?% P/ }* |- n( T+ C$ F: M% z　　of what a woman hears a silence，
　　that can make of what a woman sees
　　a lie. She had no son for them to burn，
　　for them to take from her in the world
, S: T5 |% {# q/ q4 `# m+ Z　　not of her making and put to its pyre，
. M; [8 n  Q- S9 c' G: V% S, G( l5 l　　so they layered a greater one in front of
# C: @( T) B- G8 e0 r- r9 ~　　where she was staked to her own——
% X6 v, p, K! p　　as you have seen her pictured sometimes，
" \$ ]; _' J; Q$ L　　her eyes raised to the sky. But they were
　　not raised. This is yet one of their lies.
　　They were not closed. Though her hands
" X" [" r: B% K　　were bound behind her， and her feet were
$ m9 r7 e' V+ O; P　　bound deep in what would become fire，
　　she watched. Of greenwood stakes
　　head-high and thicker than a man's waist
( m% U; o8 Z/ T5 W　　they laced the narrow corral that would not
　　burn until flesh had burned， until
　　bone was burning， and laid it thick
+ u7 |; J) R) v$ v/ V　　with tinder——fatted wicks and sulphur，
　　kindling and logs——and ran a ramp
　　up to its height from where the gray horse
　　waited， his dapples making of his flesh
　　a living metal， layers of life
　　through which the light shone out
6 B8 B/ U4 b8 ]4 x6 `/ Y9 ~1 z　　in places as it seems to through the flesh
9 b# I2 |" h+ p. ?( O& [　　of certain fish， a light she knew
$ ~0 z6 o! N! u2 y　　as purest， coming， like that， from within.
& ~2 [6 w1 K0 w& ^　　Not flinching， not praying， she looked
　　the last time on the body she knew
8 V7 B/ f4 m! g　　better than the flesh of any man， or child，
! p, l. N7 ~" H: ^0 N　　or woman， having long since left the lap
　　of her mother——the chest with its
　　perfect plates of muscle， the neck
  ]4 k0 ~4 w1 F5 y; L% D$ O1 z　　with its perfect， prow-like curve，
　　the hindquarters'——pistons——powerful cleft
　　pennoned with the silk of his tail.
　　Having ridden as they did together
6 Y2 J8 k* U! N, O6 ~　　——those places， that hard， that long——
　　their eyes found easiest that day
　　the way to each other， their bodies
　　wedded in a sacrament unmediated
　　by man. With fire they drove him
　　up the ramp and off into the pyre
　　and tossed the flame in with him.
7 q$ Y; [/ U7 _9 k% a　　This was the last chance they gave her
　　to recant her world， in which their power
　　came not from God. Unmoved， the Men
　　of God began watching him burn， and better，
　　watching her watch him burn， hearing
　　the long mad godlike trumpet of his terror，
% \( o% F& y/ h) o% K　　his crashing in the wood， the groan
: r2 s, {, D$ i& R* }　　of stakes that held， the silverblack hide，
* N( b+ O0 x0 |' q% ?- P　　the pricked ears catching first
　　like driest bark， and the eyes.
　　and she knew， by this agony， that she
- Y  n+ {) Y/ Z. I' Y* p　　might choose to live still， if she would
$ k+ v" `0 ?6 `# ?. F% v3 n　　but make her sign on the parchment
" H$ k* A" ~% M; d# t9 d　　they would lay before her， which now
　　would include this new truth： that it
6 N, x& W' e( I1 u　　did not happen， this death in the circle，
　　the rearing， plunging， raging， the splendid
/ y$ t/ B  h. p! e  M& S3 s　　armour-colored head raised one last time
5 Z0 f# B% z9 e. h/ g　　above the flames before they took him
" A' J* Y* j3 b& p　　——like any game untended on the spit——into
/ M& y4 C$ r1 D2 f0 r, C/ q8 h* k　　their yellow-green， their blackening red.
7 [6 e1 d6 M. w  ~: d+ Q1 M- C