去秋,白零大学教授法兰居士游秣陵,会衲于桓精舍,谈及英人近译《大乘起信论》,以为破碎过甚。衲喟然叹曰:“译事固难,况译以英文,首尾负竭,不称其意,滋无论矣。又其卷端,谓马鸣此论,同符景教。呜呼,是乌足以语大乘者哉!”
居士属衲为购《法苑珠林》,版久蠹蚀,无以应其求也。衲语居士:“震旦万事零坠,岂复如昔时所称天国(celestial empire),亦将谓印度、巴比伦、埃及、希腊之继耳!”
此语思之,常有余恫。
比自秣陵遄归将母,病起匈膈,濡笔译拜伦《去国行》、《大海》、《哀希腊》三篇。善哉,拜伦以诗人去国之忧,寄以吟咏,谋人家国,功成不居,虽与日月争光可也!
尝谓诗歌之美,在乎气体。然其情思幼眇,抑亦十方同感。如衲旧译《赤墙靡》《去燕》《冬日》《答美人赠束发带诗》数章,可为证已。
古诗“思君令人老”,英译作“to think of you makes me old”,辞气相副,正难再得。若《小雅》:
昔我往矣,杨柳依依;
今我来思,雨雪霏霏。
行道迟迟,载渴载饥;
我心伤悲,莫知我哀。
译如:
at first,when we set out,
the willows were fresh and green;
now,when we shall be returning,
the snow will be falling in clouds,
long and tedious will be our marching;
we shall hunger; we shall thirst.
our hearts are wounded with grief,
and no one knows our sadness.
又陈陶《陇西行》:
誓扫匈奴不顾身,五千貂锦丧胡尘;
可怜无定河边骨,犹是春闺梦里人!
they swore the huns should perish:
they would die in needs they must
and now five thousand,sable-clad,
have bit the tartar dust,
along the river bank their bones lie
scattered where they may,
but still their forms in dreams are
to fair ones far away.
顾视元文,犹不相及。自余译者,浇淳散朴,损益任情,宁足以胜寄之任!今译是篇,按文切理,语无增饰,陈义悱侧,事辞相称。世有作者,亦将有感乎斯文。
光绪三十二年,佛从多罗夜登陵奢无下还日 曼殊序于太平洋舟中