英文原版
1 (Section 1)When lilacs last in the dooryard bloom'd,
And the great star early droop'd in the western sky in the
night,
I mourn'd, and yet shall mourn with ever-returning spring.
Ever-returning spring, trinity sure to me you bring,
Lilac blooming perennial and drooping star in the west, 5
And thought of him I love.
2 (Section 2)
O powerful western fallen star!
O shades of night - O moody, tearful night!
O great star disappear'd - O the black murk that hides the
star!
O cruel hands that hold me powerless - O helpless soul of me!10
O harsh surrounding cloud that will not free my soul.
3 (Section 3)
In the dooryard fronting an old farm-house near the white-
wash'd palings,
Stands the lilac-bush tall-growing with heart-shaped leaves
of rich green,
With many a pointed blossom rising delicate, with the per-
fume strong I love,
With every leaf a miracle -- and from this bush in the door-
yard, 15
With delicate-color'd blossoms and heart-shaped leaves of
rich green,
A sprig with its flower I break.
4 (Section 4)
In the swamp in secluded recesses,
A shy and hidden bird is warbling a song.
Solitary the thrush, 20
The hermit withdrawn to himself, avoiding the settlements,
Sings by himself a song.
Song of the bleeding throat,
Death's outlet song of life, (for well dear brother I know,
If thou wast not granted to sing thou would'st surely die.) 25
5 (Section 5)
Over the breast of the spring, the land, amid cities,
Amid lanes and through old woods, where lately the violets
peep'd from the ground, spotting the gray debris,
Amid the grass in the fields each side of the lanes, passing
the endless grass,
Passing the yellow-spear'd wheat, every grain from its
shroud in the dark-brown fields uprisen,
Passing the apple-tree blows of white and pink in the
orchards, 30
Carrying a corpse to where it shall rest in the grave,
Night and day journeys a coffin.
6 (Section 6)
Coffin that passes through lanes and streets,
Through day and night with the great cloud darkening the land,
With the pomp of the inloop'd flags with the cities draped
in black,
With the show of the States themselves as of crape-veil'd
women standing, 35
With processions long and winding and the flambeaus of the
night,
With the countless torches lit, with the silent sea of faces
and the unbared heads,
With the waiting depot, the arriving coffin, and the sombre
faces,
With dirges through the night, with the thousand voices
rising strong and solemn, 40
With all the mournful voices of the dirges pour'd around the
coffin,
The dim-lit churches and the shuddering organs -- where amid
these you journey,
With the tolling tolling bells' perpetual clang,
Here, coffin that slowly passes,
I give you my sprig of lilac. 45
7 (Section 7)
(Nor for you, for one alone,
Blossoms and branches green to coffins all I bring,
For fresh as the morning, thus would I chant a song for
you O sane and sacred death.
All over bouquets of roses,
O death, I cover you over with roses and early lilies, 50
But mostly and now the lilac that blooms the first,
Copious I break, I break the sprigs from the bushes,
With loaded arms I come, pouring for you,
For you and the coffins all of you O death.)
8 (Section 8)
O western orb sailing the heaven, 55
Now I know what you must have meant as a month since
I walk'd,
As I walk'd in silence the transparent shadowy night,
As I saw you had something to tell as you bent to me night
after night,
As you droop'd from the sky low down as if to my side,
(while the other stars all look'd on,)
As we wander'd together the solemn night, (for something
I know not what kept me from sleep,) 60
As the night advanced, and I saw on the rim of the west
how full you were of woe,
As I stood on the rising ground in the breeze in the cool
transparent night,
As I watch'd where you pass'd and was lost in the nether-
ward black of the night,
As my soul in its trouble dissatisfied sank, as where you
sad orb,
Concluded, dropt in the night, and was gone. 65
9 (Section 9)
Sing on there in the swamp,
O singer bashful and tender, I hear your notes, I hear your
call,
I hear, I come presently, I understand you,
But a moment I linger, for the lustrous star has detain'd me,
The star my departing comrade holds and detains me. 70
10 (Section 10)
O how shall I warble myself for the dead one there I loved?
And how shall I deck my song for the large sweet soul
that has gone?
And what shall my perfume be for the grave of him I love?
Sea-winds blown from east and west,
Blown from the Eastern sea and blown from the Western
sea, till there on the prairies meeting, 75 (74-75)
These and with these and the breath of my chant,
I'll perfume the grave of him I love.
11 (Section 11)
O what shall I hang on the chamber walls?
And what shall the pictures be that I hang on the walls,
To adorn the burial-house of him I love? 80
Pictures of growing spring and farms and homes,
With the Fourth-month eve at sundown, and the gray smoke
lucid and bright,
With floods of the yellow gold of the gorgeous, indolent,
sinking sun, burning, expanding the air,
With the fresh sweet herbage under foot, and the pale green
leaves of the trees prolific,
In the distance the flowing glaze, the breast of the river,
with a wind-dapple here and there, 85
With ranging hills on the banks, with many a line against
the sky, and shadows, (83-86)
And the city at hand with dwellings so dense, and stacks
of chimneys,
And all the scenes of life and the workshops, and the workmen
homeward returning.
12 (Section 12)
Lo, body and soul -- this land,
My own Manhattan with spires, and the sparkling and hur-
rying tides, and the ships, 90
The varied and ample land, the South and the North in the
light, Ohio's shores and flashing Missouri,
And ever the far-spreading prairies cover'd with grass and
corn.
Lo, the most excellent sun so calm and haughty,
The violet and purple morn with just-felt breezes,
The gentle soft-born measureless light, 95
The miracle spreading bathing all, the fulfill'd noon,
The coming eve delicious, the welcome night and the stars,
Over my cities shining all, enveloping man and land.
13 (Section 13)
Sing on, sing on you gray-brown bird,
Sing from the swamps, the recesses, pour your chant
from the bushes, 100
Limitless out of the dusk, out of the cedars and pines.
Sing on dearest brother, warble your reedy song,
Loud human song, with voice of uttermost woe.
O liquid and free and tender!
O wild and loose to my soul -- O wondrous singer! 105
You only I hear -- yet the star holds me, (but will soon
depart,)
Yet the lilac with mastering odor holds me.
14 (Section 14)
Now while I sat in the day and look'd forth,
In the close of the day with its light and the fields of spring,
and the farmers preparing their crops,
In the large unconscious scenery of my land with its lakes
and forests, 110
In the heavenly aerial beauty, (after the perturb'd winds
and the storms,)
Under the arching heavens of the afternoon swift passing,
and the voices of children and women,
The many-moving sea-tides, and I saw the ships how they
sail'd,
And the summer approaching with richness, and the fields
all busy with labor,
And the infinite separate houses, how they all went on, each
with its meals and minutia of daily usages, 115
And the streets how their throbbings throbb'd, and the cities pent -
lo, then and there,
Falling upon them all and among them all, enveloping me
with the rest,
Appear'd the cloud, appear'd the long black trail,
And I knew death, its thought, and the sacred knowledge
of death. Then with the knowledge of death as walking one side of
me, 120
And the thought of death close-walking the other side of me,
And I in the middle as with companions, and as holding the
hands of companions,
I fled forth to the hiding receiving night that talks not,
Down to the shores of the water, the path by the swamp in
the dimness,
To the solemn shadowy cedars and ghostly pines so still. 125
And the singer so shy to the rest receiv'd me,
The gray-brown bird I know receiv'd us comrades three,
And he sang the carol of death, and a verse for him I love.
From deep secluded recesses,
From the fragrant cedars and the ghostly pines so still, 130
Came the carol of the bird.
And the charm of the carol rapt me,
As I held as if by their hands my comrades in the night,
And the voice of my spirit tallied the song of the bird.
Come lovely and soothing death, 135
Undulate round the world, serenely arriving, arriving,
In the day, in the night, to all, to each,
Sooner or later delicate death.
Prais'd be the fathomless universe,
For life and joy, and for objects and knowledge curious, 140
And for love, sweet love -- but praise! praise! praise!
For the sure-enwinding arms of cool-enfolding death.
Dark mother always gliding near with soft feet,
Have none chanted for thee a chant of fullest welcome?
Then I chant it for thee, I glorify thee above all, 145
I bring thee a song that when thou must indeed come, come
unfalteringly.
Approach strong deliveress,
When it is so, when thou hast taken them I joyously sing
the dead,
Lost in the loving floating ocean of thee,
Laved in the flood of thy bliss O death. 150
From me to thee glad serenades,
Dances for thee I propose saluting thee, adornments and
feastings for thee,
And the sights of the open landscape and the high-spread sky
are fitting,
And life and the fields, and the huge and thoughtful night. The night in silence under many a star, 155
The ocean shore and the husky whispering wave whose
voice I know,
And the soul turning to thee O vast and well-veil'd death,
And the body gratefully nestling close to thee.
Over the tree-tops I float thee a song,
Over the rising and sinking waves, over the myriad fields
and the prairies wide, 160
Over the dense-pack'd cities all and the teeming wharves
and ways,
I float this carol with joy, with joy to thee O death.
15 (Section 15)
To the tally of my soul,
Loud and strong kept up the gray-brown bird,
With pure deliberate notes spreading filling the night. 165
Loud in the pines and cedars dim,
Clear in the freshness moist and the swamp-perfume,
And I with my comrades there in the night.
While my sight that was bound in my eyes unclosed,
As to long panoramas of visions. 170
And I saw askant the armies,
I saw as in noiseless dreams hundreds of battle-flags,
Borne through the smoke of the battles and pierc'd with
missiles I saw them,
And carried hither and yon through the smoke, and torn and
bloody,
And at last but a few shreds left on the staffs, (and all in
silence,) 175
And the staffs all splinter'd and broken.
I saw battle-corpses, myriads of them,
And the white skeletons of young men, I saw them,
I saw the debris and debris of all the slain soldiers of the
war,
But I saw they were not as was thought, 180
They themselves were fully at rest, they suffer'd not,
The living remain'd and suffer'd, the mother suffer'd,
And the wife and the child and the musing comrade suffer'd,
And the armies that remain'd suffer'd.
16 (Section 16)
Passing the visions, passing the night, 185
Passing, unloosing the hold of my comrades' hands,
Passing the song of the hermit bird and the tallying song
of my soul,
Victorious song, death's outlet song, yet varying ever-
altering song,
As low and wailing, yet clear the notes, rising and falling,
flooding the night,
Sadly sinking and fainting, as warning and warning, and yet
again bursting with joy, 190
Covering the earth and filling the spread of the heaven,
As that powerful psalm in the night I heard from recesses,
Passing, I leave thee lilac with heart-shaped leaves,
I leave thee there in the door-yard, blooming, returning
with spring.
I cease from my song for thee, 195
From my gaze on thee in the west, fronting the west, com-
muning with thee,
O comrade lustrous with silver face in the night.
Yet each to keep and all, retrievements out of the night,
The song, the wondrous chant of the gray-brown bird,
And the tallying chant, the echo arous'd in my soul, 200
With the lustrous and drooping star with the countenance
full of woe,
With the holders holding my hand nearing the call of the
bird,
Comrades mine and I in the midst, and their memory ever
to keep, for the dead I loved so well,
For the sweetest, wisest soul of all my days and lands - and
this for his dear sake,
Lilac and star and bird twined with the chant of my soul, 205
There in the fragrant pines and the cedars dusk and dim.
作品原文
當紫丁香最近在庭園中開放的時候，那顆碩大的星星在西方的夜空隕落了，
我哀悼著，並將隨著一年一度的春光永遠地哀悼著。
年一度的春光喲，真的，你帶給我三件東西：
每年開放的紫丁香，那顆在西天隕落了的星星，
和我對於我所敬愛的人的懷念。
啊，在西天的隕落的強大的星星喲，
啊，夜的陰影，——啊，悲鬱的，淚光閃爍的夜喲！
啊，巨大的星星消失了，——啊，遮沒了星光的黑暗喲！
啊，緊攫著我使我完全無力掙扎的殘酷的手喲，——啊，我
的無助的靈魂喲！
啊，包圍著我的靈魂使它不能自由的陰霾喲！
在一間古老的農舍前面的庭園裡，靠近粉白的柵欄，
那裡有一叢很高的紫丁香，長著心形的碧綠的葉子，
開滿了艷麗的花朵，充滿了我所喜愛的強烈的芳香，
每一片葉子都是一個奇蹟，——我從這庭園裡的花叢中，
這有著艷麗的花朵和心形的綠葉的花叢中，
摘下帶有花朵的一小枝。
在大澤中僻靜的深處，
一隻隱藏著的羞怯的小鳥唱著一支歌。
這隻孤獨的鶇烏，
它像隱士般藏起來，避開人的住處，
獨自唱著一支歌。
唱著咽喉啼血的歌，
唱著免除死亡的生命之歌，（因為，親愛的兄弟，
我很知道，
假使你不能歌唱，你一定就會死亡。）
在春天的懷抱中，在大地上，在城市中，
山徑上，在古老的樹林中，那裡紫羅蘭花不久前從地
里長出來，點綴在灰白的碎石之間，
過山徑兩旁田野之中的綠草，經過無邊的綠草，
過鋪著黃金色的麥穗的田野，麥粒正從那陰暗的田野
里的苞衣中露頭，
經過開著紅白花的蘋果樹的果園，
一具屍體被搬運著，日夜行走在道上，
到它可以永遠安息的墓地。
棺木經過大街小巷，
經過白天和黑夜，走過黑雲籠罩的大地，
捲起的旌旗排鹹行列，城市全蒙上了黑紗，
各州都如同蒙著黑紗的女人，
長長的蜿蜒的行列，舉著無數的火炬，
千萬人的頭和臉如同沉默的大海，
這裡是停柩所，是已運到的棺木，和無數陰沉的臉面，
夜唱著輓歌，無數的人發出了雄壯而莊嚴的聲音，
所有的輓歌的悲悼聲都傾瀉到棺木的周圍，
燈光暗淡的教堂，悲顫的琴聲——你就在這一切中間
移動著，
喪鐘在悠揚地，悠揚地嗚響，
這裡，你緩緩地走過的棺木啊，
我獻給你我的紫丁香花枝。
（並不是獻給你，僅僅獻給你一個人，
我將花枝獻給一切的棺木，
因為你，如同晨光一樣的清新，啊，你神志清明而神
聖的死喲！我要為你唱一首讚歌。
滿處是玫瑰花的花束，
死喲！我給你蓋上玫瑰花和早開的百合花，
但是最多的是現在這最先開放的紫丁香，
我摘下了很多，我從花叢中摘下了很多小枝，
我滿滿的雙手捧著，撒向你，
撒向一切的棺木和你，啊，死亡喲！）
啊，徘徊在天空上西方的星，
現在我明白一個月前你是什麼意思了，當我走過的時候，
當我沉默地在薄明的黑夜之中走過，
當我看見你每夜低垂下來好像要告訴我些什麼，
當你好像從天上降落，降落到我身邊，（別的星星只是觀
望者，）
當我們共同在莊嚴的夜間徘徊，（因為好像有一種我所不
知道的東西攪擾得我不能安睡，）
當夜深了，我看見在西方天邊遠處，你是如何地充滿了
悲哀，
當我在高地上，站在薄明的涼夜的微風之中，
當我看著你漸漸逝去，並消失在夜的黑暗之中的時候，
我的靈魂也在苦痛失意中向下沉沒了，跟你悲傷的星星
一樣，
完結，在黑夜中隕落，並永遠消失了。
你在大澤之中，唱下去吧，
啊，羞怯的，溫柔的歌者喲！我聽到了你的歌聲，我聽到
了你的叫喚，
我聽見了，我就要未了，我懂得你，
但我還要延遲一刻，因為那顆晶瑩的星留住了我，
那顆晶瑩的星，我的就要分別的朋友，抓住我留住了我。
啊，我將如何為我所敬愛的死者顫聲歌唱？
我將如何為那已經逝去了的巨大而美麗的靈魂來美化
我的頌歌？
我將以什麼樣的馨香獻給我敬愛的人的墳塋
風從東方吹來，也從西方吹來，
東方的海上吹來，也從西方的海上吹來，直到在這裡
的草原上相遇，
我將以這些和我的讚歌的氣息，
來薰香我敬愛的人的墓地。
啊，我將拿什麼懸掛在靈堂的牆壁上呢？
我將用什麼樣的圖畫裝點這裡的牆壁，
來裝飾我所敬愛的人的永息的幽宅呢？
那將是新生的春天和農田和房舍的圖畫，
圖畫裡有四月間日落時候的黃昏，有清澄而明亮的煙霞，
有壯麗的，燃燒在空中，燃燒在天上的搖曳下沉的落日的
萬道金光，
著沒脛的清新的芳草，有著繁生的嘉樹的淒涼的綠葉，
遠處河面上流水晶瑩，這裡那裡布滿了風向旗，
兩岸上有綿亘的小山，天空縱橫交錯著無數的陰影，
近處有房舍密集的城市，有無數的煙囪，
有一切生活景象，工廠，和放工回家的工人。
看哪，身體和靈魂——看看這地方
這是我的曼哈頓，這裡有教堂的尖頂，有洶湧的，閃光的
海潮和船舶，
這廣闊而多樣的陸地，南北都受到光照，有俄亥俄的海
岸，和密蘇里的水鄉，
並且永遠在廣大的草原上滿鋪了青草和稻粱。
看哪，最美麗的太陽是這么寧靜這么岸然，
藍色和紫色的清曉吹拂著微微的和風，
無限的光輝是那么溫柔清新，
正午的太陽神奇地沐浴著一切，
隨後來到的美麗的黃昏，和受歡迎的夜和星光，
全都照臨在我的城市之上，包括了人民和大地。
唱下去吧，唱下去吧，你灰褐色的小鳥喲！
從大澤中，從僻靜的深處，從叢樹中傾瀉出你的歌聲，
讓它透過無限的薄暮，透過無限的松杉和柏林。
唱下去吧，最親愛的兄弟喲！如簫管之聲一樣地歌唱吧，
以極端悲痛的聲音，高唱出人間之歌。
啊，流暢自如而溫柔！
啊，你使我的靈魂奔放不羈了，——啊，你奇異的歌者喲！
我原只聽從你，——一但不久就要離去的那顆星卻把我
留住了，
散著芬芳的紫丁香花也把我留住了。
現在，我在白天的時候，坐著向前眺望，
在農民們正在春天的田野里從事耕作的黃昏中，
在有著大湖和大森林的不自知的美景的地面上，
在天空的空靈的美景之中，（在狂風暴雨之後，）
在午後的時光匆匆滑過的蒼穹之下，在婦女和孩子們的
聲音中，
洶湧的海潮聲中，我看見船舶如何駛過去，
豐裕的夏天漸漸來到，農田中人們忙碌著，
無數的分散開的人家，各自忙著生活，忙著每天的飲食
和瑣屑的日常家務，
大街如何像急跳的脈搏，而城市如何在窒悶中喘息，看
哪，就在此時此地，
降落在所有一切之上，也在一切之中，將我和其餘一切
都包裹住，
出現了一片雲，出現了一道長長的黑色的煙縷，
我認識了死，死的思想和神聖的死的知識。
這時，好像這死的知識在我的一邊走著，
而死的思想也緊隨著我在我的另一邊，
我夾在他們之中如同在同伴中一樣，並緊握著同伴們
的手，
我忙著逃向那隱藏著，容受著一切的，無言的黑夜，
到了水邊，到了濃密大澤附近的小道，
到達了靜寂的黝黑的松杉和陰森的柏林。
那對於一切都感到羞澀的歌者卻歡迎我，
我認識的這隻灰褐色的小鳥，它歡迎我們三個人，
唱著死之讚歌和對於我所敬愛的人的哀辭。
幽邃而隱蔽的深處，
這么沉靜的芳香的松杉和陰森的柏林，
來了這隻小鳥的歌聲。
聲的和美使我銷魂，
就好像在黑夜中我握著我同伴的手一樣，
的心的聲音應和著這隻小鳥的歌聲。
來吧，可愛的，予人以慰藉的死喲，
像波浪般環繞著世界，寧靜地到來，到來，
在白天的時候，在黑夜的時候，
或遲或早地走向一切人，走向每個人的，微妙的死喲！
讚美這無邊的宇宙，
為了生命和快樂，為了一切新奇的知識和事物，
為了愛，最甜美的愛——更讚美，讚美，加倍地讚美，
那涼氣襲人的死的纏繞不放的兩臂。
總是悄悄地走近身邊的晦暗的母親，
沒有人來為你唱一支全心歡迎你的讚歌么？
那么我來給你唱吧，我讚美你超於一切之上，
我獻給你一支歌，使你在必須來的時候，可以毫不躊
躇地到來。
來吧，你強大的解放者喲，
當你把死者帶去時，我歡欣地為他們歌唱，
他們消失在你的可愛的浮動的海洋里，
沐浴在你的祝福的水流里，啊，死喲。
我為你，唱著快活的小夜曲，
用舞蹈向你致敬，為你張燈結彩，廣開歡宴，
高空和曠野的風景正宜人，
還有生命和田野，和巨大而深思的黑夜。
黑夜無聲地聚在繁星下面，
海岸上有我熟悉的海浪的沙沙低語一般的聲音，
這時靈魂正轉向你那裡，啊，你碩大而隱蔽著的死喲，
身體也懷著感激的心情緊緊地向你依偎。
我從樹梢上吹送一支歌給你，
它飄過起伏的海浪，飄過無數的田地和廣闊的草原，
飄過人煙稠密的城市和熙熙攘攘的碼頭街道，
我帶著歡樂，帶著歡樂吹送這支讚歌給你，啊，死喲！
合著我的心靈的節拍
這灰褐色的小鳥，大聲地歌唱著，
清越而悠然的歌聲，瀰漫了，充滿了黑夜。
在濃密的松杉和柏林中大聲地唱著，
在芳香的大澤和清新的霧氣中清晰地唱著，
而我和我的同伴，在夜間，卻停留在那裡。
本來在我眼裡束縛著的視線現在解開了，
立刻看到了長卷的圖畫。
我看見了無數的軍隊，
我好像在靜寂無聲的夢裡，看見千百面戰旗，
在炮火的煙霧中舉著，為流彈所洞穿，
在煙霧中打到這裡又那裡，被撕碎了，並且染上了血跡，
最後在旗桿上只剩下幾塊破布，（一切都沉寂了，）
這些旗桿也已碎斷而劈裂。
我也看見了無數戰士的屍體，
我看見了青年的白骨，
我看見所有陣亡戰士的殘肢斷體，
但我看見他們不是想像的那樣，
他們完全安息了，他們沒有痛苦，
只是生者留下來感到痛苦，母親感到痛苦，
他們的妻子和沉思著的同伴感到痛苦，
還有那剩下的軍隊感到痛苦。
經過了這些景象，經過了黑夜，
經過握過又鬆開了我的同伴的手，
也經過了隱藏著的小鳥的歌聲，那和我的靈魂合拍的
歌聲，
勝利的歌聲，死之消逝的歌聲，永遠變化而多樣的
歌聲，
低抑而悲哀，清晰而分明，起伏著，彌滿了整個黑夜，
哀，低沉，隱隱約約，更令人心驚，但最後又突變
為一種歡樂的音調，
普蓋大地，填滿天空，
當我在夜間從靜僻深處聽見那強有力的聖歌的時候，
我走過去，留下你這帶著心形的綠葉的紫丁香，
我留下你在庭園中，讓你隨著每度春光歸來，開放。
我要停止我對你的歌唱了，
我將不再面向西方，對你眺望，和你交談，
啊，在黑夜中你銀白色的臉面上發光的伴侶喲！
我要把這一切都保留下，不讓它隨著黑夜消逝，
這歌聲，這灰褐色的，、鳥的神奇的歌聲，
這合拍的歌聲，我的心的深處的回應，
還有這滿懷著悲愁的，發光的，沉落的星星，
聽見小鳥的召喚而緊握著我手的我的同伴，
的，我的同伴，我夾在他們中間，我要永留著對他們
的記憶，為了我敬愛的死者。
為了那個在我的一生中和我的國土中的最美好，最智慧
的靈魂，正是為了他的緣故，
在那裡，在芳香的松杉和朦朧陰暗的柏林深處，
紫丁香，星星和小鳥和我的深心的讚歌都融混在一起了。
創作背景
早在1855年的《自己之歌》中，惠特曼曾經寫道：“無論向何處移動，無論前進或是後退，我永遠是生命的撫愛者。”如今，十年以後，這個撫愛生命的人卻要撫愛死亡了。死亡在惠特曼以前的詩歌中也多次湧現，但更多地扮演著其生命詩學的玄想意象的角色，直到戰爭的爆發，直到詩人直面殘肢斷體，死亡才以一種赤裸的真實刺入詩人的心靈，而戰爭結束當口林肯的死則成為最重的一擊。當人們歡呼勝利的時候，當詩人對自由女神說著“轉過身來啊”的時候，當他準備著重新奔向那發酵著的土地的時候，最應該收穫喜悅、最應該接受人們祝賀的人卻遇刺身亡了，這種強烈的悲喜反差如實地反映在《啊，船長，我的船長！》一詩中，但是該詩還無法完全承載詩人的悲痛，長歌當哭，是在那痛定之後的。作品鑑賞
節奏韻律
《當紫丁香最近在庭園中開放的時候》寫於1865年6月。在本詩第1節，我們並未直接遭遇《啊，船長，我的船長！》里那樣的哀號與哭訴，而是靈堂般的安靜與肅穆，詩人只是以憂傷的口吻敘述一種現實：“當紫丁香最近在庭園中開放的時候/那顆碩大的星星在西方的夜空隕落了/我哀悼著，並將隨著一年一度的春光永遠地哀悼著。”這種敘述透出一種隱忍，並奠定了整首詩的基調。但是在本節最後一行提到“我所敬愛的人”的時候，詩人再也忍不住了，因此有了第二小節的慟哭，其中每一句前面的“啊”（英文為“0”)如同他哭泣的嘴巴。然而也僅此一節，詩歌很快又進入敘述狀態。當然，就此詩而論，惠特曼依然採用了他在篇幅較長的詩歌中擅長使用的“歌劇體”寫作方式，帶有敘事色彩的宣敘調和強烈抒情的詠嘆調的相互交替，較多的敘述為較少的抒情做鋪墊，抒情則升華敘述。所以，在第1節中，詩人引出了開放的紫丁香和隕落的星星（金星）的意象，在第4節又引出了孤獨歌唱的鶇鳥的意象，作為抒情者的“我”則穿插於這三個核心意象之間，完成整首哀歌的推進與迴旋。因此，宣敘調與詠嘆調的交替迴旋在詩中也就具體體現為詩人對紫丁否、鴉鳥和金星這三個核心意象的交替渲染，其交替渲染的輕重程度則隨著詩人情感的變化而呈現出濃淡之分。在詩歌的前半部分（1-9節），主導詩人的情感是林肯之死帶來的悲痛，在緊接著第2節對隕落之星的哀哭詠嘆之後，詩人在3、4節對紫丁香和鶇鳥作了引入式的描寫，但很快就被5、6、7、8節中對送葬場景、死亡和星辰隕落的預感的敘述所覆蓋，以致在第9節中，詩人雖然再次聽到從幽暗大澤中傳來的鶇馬溫柔的歌聲，卻說“我就要來了，我懂得你/但我還要延遲一刻，因為那顆晶瑩的星留住了我/那顆晶瑩的星，我的就要分別的朋友，抓住我留住了我”。沉浸於哀痛之中的詩人在10、11節中開始思索將以什麼樣的歌唱和馨香獻給敬愛的死者，然而，或許是鶇鳥那隱秘的歌聲發生了作用，正是從第10節開始，詩人的語詞變得明亮起來，“海風從東方吹來，也從西方吹來/……/我將以這些和我的讚歌的氣息/來薰香我敬愛的人的墓地”，“那將是新生的春天和農田和房舍的圖畫/圖畫裡有四月間日落時候的黃昏，有清澄而明亮的煙霞/有壯麗的，燃燒在空中，燃燒在天上的搖曳下沉的落日的萬道金光”。在前部分一直處於背景中隱約可聞的鶇鳥的歌聲亦從13節開始完全進入前景中，在14節，鶇鳥甚至成為前台的主唱，獨自歌詠著“予人以慰藉的死”，詩人則傾心聆聽這死的讚歌，同時，陪伴他左右的是“死的知識”和“死的思想”。這無疑在暗示讀者，詩人已經逐漸從最初的重擊所造成的巨大哀痛中復甦過來，開始真正地直面死亡，反思死亡，領悟死亡。因此，在15節中一下子湧現出眾多的死亡意象：“染上了血跡”的戰旗，“碎斷而劈裂”的旗桿，“無數戰士的屍體”，“青年的白骨”，“所有陣亡戰士的殘肢斷體”。這些意象使死亡的主鏇律重新浮現，但文次浮現是以前面10、1 1、12等節中依次展現的清新明媚的生活圖畫為背景的，因此並不哀傷，尤其是鶇鳥的死亡頌歌，使詩人認識到死亡的必然性和死亡之對於死者的解脫。所以，在緊接死亡意象群之後，詩人來了一個轉折：“但我看見他們不是想像的那樣/他們完全安息了，他們沒有痛苦/只是生者留下來感到痛苦”。到最後的第16節時，死亡之歌的鏇律完全變為“一種歡樂的音調”，並“普蓋大地，填滿天空”。這就是鶇鳥之哥歌的鏇律，也是詩人終於找到的獻給“敬愛的死者”的馨香的讚歌的鏇律，二者終於達成深處的回應與合拍。而同樣作為獻禮的紫丁香，還有那顆已經落進詩人記憶里的“沉落的星星”也融入此鏇律中，於是“紫丁香，星星和小鳥同我的深心的讚歌都融混在一起了”。
