双圣树在古英语《贝奥武夫抄本》中的起源

以下译文 直译自本书附录IIb———古英语版《亚历山大致亚里士多德书》(出自《贝奥武夫抄本》: British Library，Cotton Vitellius A xv 107r-131v)，并参考本书作者的现代英语翻译：
§ 32 Ðā wolde ic eft in Fasiacen þæt land faran, mid þȳ ic þā ferde mid mīne werode, þā cwōman ūs þǣr on þǣm wege twēgen ealde men tōgēanes. Ðā frǣgn ic hīe ⁊ āhsode hwæðer hīe āwiht mǣrlic in þǣm landum wiston. Ðā ondsworodon hīe mē ⁊ sǣgdon þæt nǣre māra weg þonne ic mēahte on tīen dagum gefaran. Hwæðre mid ealle mīne werode somod ic hit gefaran ne meahte for þāra wega nearwette, ac mid fēower þūsendum manna ic hit gefaran meahte, þæt ic mǣrlices hwæthwugu gesāwe. Ðā wæs ic swīðe blīðe ⁊ gefēonde for þǣm hīora wordum. Ðā cwæð ic eft tō him ⁊ him sprǣc līðum wordum tō: “Secgað, lā, mē, gīt ealdan, hwæt þæt sīe mǣrlices ⁊ micellices þæt gīt mē gehātað þæt ic þǣr gesēon mæge?” Ðā ondswarode mē hiora ōðer ⁊ cwæð:  ‘Þū gesiehst, cyning, gif þū hit geferest, þā twēgen trēow sunnan ⁊ mōnan on Indisc ⁊ on Grēcisc sprēcende.Ōðer þāra is wǣpnedcynnes, sunnan trēow, ōðer wīfcynnes, þæt mōnan trēow, ⁊ hīe gesecgað þǣm men þe hīe frīneð hwæt gōdes oððe yfles him becuman sceal.’

随后，我原计划返回法西亚森（Fasiacen）之地，但当我率军行进途中，两名年迈的老人前来迎接我们。我询问他们是否知道这片土地上有什么奇异之事值得一见。他们回答我说，那条路不会更长，最多只需十天的旅程就能到达。由于道路极其狭窄，我的全军无法同行，只能带四千名士兵前往，才能见到一番非凡的景象。听闻此言，我大为高兴，于是再次对他们讲话，并温和地询问：

“告诉我，你们二位老人所承诺的奇异之事究竟是什么？”

其中一位老人回答道：

“王啊，若您能抵达那里，便可见到‘日树’与‘月树’二者以‘印地语’和‘希腊语’交谈。‘日树’ 为雄性 (wǣpnedcynnes), 而‘月树’为雌性(wīfcynnes），它们能够回答人们的询问，告知他们未来的吉凶祸福。”
在这里中，太阳对应的是雄性，而月亮对应的是雌性, 因为是翻译自拉丁语原文：“quarum unum virile lignum solis, alterum lunae femininum est” （p. 217）， 在这里，月亮（luna）是阴性名词，而太阳（solis）是阳性名词。但是，实际上在古英语中 “sunu/sunnan” 是阴性，而mōna/monan是阳性。因此在托尔金那里双树的性别才会发生颠倒。但此处的wæpnedcynnes, 可以直接理解为 "weapon-kind： 持武器的那一类" 。
§ 36......Þonne wǣron clǣne hālgan trēowu sunnan ⁊ mōnan on middum þǣm ōðrum trēowum, meahton hīe bēon hundteontiges fōta ūphēah, ⁊ eac þǣr wǣron ōðre trēow wunderlicre hēanisse, þā hātað Indeos Bebronas. Þāra trēowa hēanisse ic wundrade, ⁊ cwæð þæt ic wēnde þæt hīe for miclum wǣtan ⁊ regnum swā hēage wēoxon. Đā sægde se bisceop þæt þǣr nǣfre in þǣm landum regnes dropa ne cwōme, ne fugol, ne wildeor, ne nān ættre wyrm þǣr dorste gesēcean þā hālgan gemǣru sunnan ⁊ mōnan.

Eac þonne hē sægde se bisceop þonne þæt eclypsis wǣre, þæt is þonne þǣs sunnan āsprungnys oððe þǣre mōnan, þæt þā hālgan trēow swīðe wēpen ⁊ mid miclum sāre onstyrede wǣron, for þǣm hīe ondredon þæt hīe hira godmægen sceoldon bēon benumene. Đā þōhte ic þæt ic wolde onsecgdnysse þǣr onsǣcgan, ac þā forbead mē se bisceop, ⁊ sægde þæt þæt nǣre alyfed ǣnigum men þæt hē þǣr ǣnig nȳten cwealde oððe blōdgȳte worhte, ac mē hēt þæt ic mē tō þǣra trēowa fōtum gebǣde, þæt sunne ⁊ mōna mē sōðre ondsware gēondwyrdan þāra þinga þe ic frine. Sīððan þās þing þus gedōn wǣron, þā gesāwon wē westan þone lēoman sunnan, ⁊ se lēoma gehran þǣm trēowum ūfanweardum.

Đā cwæð se sacerd: ‘Lociað nū ealle ūp ⁊ be swā hwylcum þingum swā gē willon frīnan, þence on his heortan dēagollice, ⁊ nānig mon his geþōht openum wordum ūt ne cȳðe.

在这片森林的中心地带，静立着日树与月树。它们高达一百英尺，而旁边还生长着一种更加高大的树木，印度人称其为 “Bebronas”。我惊叹于这些树木的高度，便猜测道：

“它们之所以能长得如此高大，或许是因为此地水分充足，降雨丰沛。”

然而，主祭司却否定了我的猜测，并说道：

“这片土地自古以来从未落下一滴雨，这里没有鸟类，没有野兽，甚至任何毒蛇都不敢接近‘日树’与‘月树’的神圣之地。”

他还补充道：

“每当发生‘日蚀’或‘月蚀’时，这两棵神圣的树木都会大声哭泣，悲伤不已，因为它们害怕自己的‘神力’被剥夺。”

听闻此言，我本想向神树献祭，以示敬意，但主祭司立即阻止了我，并告诉我：

“此地不允许任何人杀害动物，也不得流血。但是，你可以在神树的树根下祈祷，这样‘日树’与‘月树’便会给你一个真实的答案。”

随后，我们静待太阳落山。当最后一缕夕阳照耀树梢时，主祭司对我们说道：

“你们都抬起头，所有人都在心中默想自己最想知道的事情，但不可用语言说出口。”
主祭司（se bisceop）这个词字面上其实是基督教意义上的主教，异域的祭祀在通过双树对亚历山大施行审判：
Mid þȳ wē þā wel nēah stōdon þǣm bearwum ⁊ þǣm godsprecum, þā sōhte ic on mīnum mōde hwæðer ic meahte ealne middangeard me on onweald geslēan, ⁊ þonne, slagen mid þǣm sigorum geweorðad, ic eft meahte becuman in Macedoniam tō Olympiade mīne mēder, ⁊ mīnum geswustrum.
Þā ondswarode mē þæt trēow Indiscum wordum ⁊ þus cwæð: ‘Þū unoferswȳða Alexander in gefeohtum, þū weorðest cyning ⁊ hlāford ealles middangeardes, ac hwæðre ne cymst þū on þinne ēðel þanon þū ferdest ǣr, for þǣm þīn wyrda hit swā be þīnum heafde ⁊ fore hafað ārǣsed.’ Þā wæs ic unglēaw þæs geþēodes þāra Indiscra worda þe þæt trēow mē tō spræc,

当我们站在圣树之林与神谕之地的近旁时，我在心中默想：

“我是否能够让整个世界都臣服于我的统治之下？在战无不胜的荣光加持下，我是否能够凯旋归国，回到马其顿，回到我的母亲奥林匹娅（Olympias）和我的姐妹身边？”

此时，那树用印地语回答了我：

“亚历山大，战无不胜之人，你必将成为 ‘整个中洲大地的王者与主宰（cyning ⁊ hlāford ealles middangeardes）’，但你永远无法回到你的故乡，这一切皆是你的命运（þīn wyrda）所定。”

然而，我听不懂印地语，于是主祭司为我翻译并转告了圣树的答案。
关于死亡的预言：
§ 38  Ðā þōhte ic on mīnum mōde ond on mīnum geþōhte on hwilcere stōwe ic sweltan scolde. Mid þȳ þā ǣrest se mōna ūpeōde, þā gehran hē mid his scīman þǣm trēowum ūfeweardum, ond þæt trēow ondswarode þǣm mīnum geþōhte ond þus cwæð:

‘Alexander, fulne ende þīnes līfes þū hæfst gelifd, ac þȳs ǣftran gēare þū swyltst on Babilone on Maius monðe, fram þǣm þū lǣst wenst, fram þǣm þū bist beswicen.’

Ðā wæs ic swīðe sārīges mōdes...

这一次，我在心中默问：

“我的死亡将降临于何处？”

当第一缕月光洒落在树梢之际，月树回答了我的疑问，她如是说：

“亚历山大，你的生命之程已经走到了尽头。在‘明年五月’，你将在巴比伦去世，而你将死于你最意想不到的背叛(beswican)。”

听闻此言，我的内心无比震颤(swiðes sariges modes)，

"biswican" 这个词本身还意味着诱惑，又在字面上包 “远行（swican）” 的意思, 亚历山大对于远方无穷尽的渴求最终是他走向终结。
§ 40 Mid þȳ hē þā se bisceop ārās, þā cōde ic on þā godcundan stōwe, ond þā þridde sīðe þæt sunnan trēow ongon frīnan þurh hwilces mannes hond mīn ende wǣre getīod, oððe hwilcne endedæg mīn mōdor oððe mīn geswuster nū gebīdan scoldon.

Þā ondswarode mē þæt trēow on Grēcisc, ond þus cwæð: ‘Gif ic þē þīne gesecge þines fēores yfellice, þū þā wyrde oncyrest ond his hond befǣhst. Ac sōð ic þē secge, þæt in ānes gēares fyrst ond eahta mōnað þū swyltst in Babilone, nales mid īserne acweald, swā þū wenst, ac mid ātre.

Þīn mōdor gewīteð of worulde þurh scondlicne ond unārlīcne dēað, ond hēo ligeð unbebyrged in wege fuglum tō mete ond wildeorum. Þīne sweostor bēoð lange gesǣliges līfes.

Þū þēah lȳtle hwīle līfige, hwæðre þū geweorðest ān cyning ond hlāford ealles middangeardes. Ac ne frīn þū unc nōhtes mā, ne āxa, for þon wit habbað oferhlēored þæt gemǣre uncres lēohtes. Ac tō Fasiacen ond Porre þǣm cyninge eft gehworf þū.’

Ond for ðȳ þā wēopon mīne gefēran, for þon ic swā lȳtle hwīle līfigan mōste. Ac þā forbead hit se bisceop, þæt hīe ne wēopon, þȳ lǣs þā hālgan trēow þurh heora wōp ond tēaras abulgen wǣren.
当主祭司醒来后，我第三次进入神圣之地，向日树询问：

“我的命运究竟掌握在谁的手中？我将死于谁之手？我的母亲与姐妹们的命运又将如何？”

这一次，圣树用希腊语回答了我：

“如果我告诉你关于你的生命之事，你便会试图逃避命运，阻止它的到来。但我告诉你的是真实的预言——
‘一年零八个月后，你将在巴比伦（Babylon）死去。但你不会如你所想的那样被铁剑所杀，而是死于毒药。’
‘你的母亲将遭遇耻辱且卑微的死亡，她的尸体将被弃于街头，任由飞鸟与野兽吞食。’
‘你的姐妹们将享有漫长而幸福的生命。’
‘至于你自己，虽然生命短暂，但你终将成为整个世界唯一的王者与主宰。’
‘但不要再向我们发问，我们已经回答了超越我们光芒极限的问题。现在，你该返回法西亚森，回到波鲁斯国王（King Porus）的身边。”
听闻此言，我的随从们悲痛欲绝，因我所剩的生命已寥寥无几。

然而，主祭司阻止他们哭泣，他说：

“不可流泪，否则圣树将因你们的哀哭而震怒。”
无法哀哭的世界是一个骄傲的世界，世界因骄傲而封闭：
§ 41 Ond ne gehierde þā ondsware þāra trēowa mā manna þonne þā mīne getrēowestan frēond, ond hit nānig mon ūt cȳðan ne mōste, þȳ lǣs þā elreordegan cyningas, þā ic ǣr mid nēde tō hīersumnesse gedyde, þæt hīe on þæt fǣgon þæt ic swā lȳtle hwīle līfigean mōste.

Ne hit ēac ānig mon þǣre ferde þon mā ūt mǣran mōste, þȳ lǣs hīe for ðon ormode wǣron, ond þȳ sǣnran mīnes willan ond weorðmyndes, þæs hīe mid mē tō framscipe gefēran scoldon. Ond mē nǣs se hrǣdlica ende mīnes līfes swā miclum weorce, swā mē wæs þæt ic lǣs mǣrðo gefremed hæfde þonne mīn willa wǣre. Þās þing ic write tō þon, mīn se lēofa magister, þæt þū ǣrest gefēo in þǣm framscipe mīnes līfes ond ēac blissige in þǣm weorðmyndum. Ond ēac swelce ēcelīce mīn gemynd stonde ond hlēowige oðrum eorðcyningum tō bysne, þæt hīe witen þȳ gēarwōr þæt mīn þrym ond mīn weorðmynd māran wǣron þonne ealra ōðra cyninga, þā þe in middangearde ǣfre wǣron.

除了我最信赖的三位朋友，无人听见这两棵神树的回答。我下令：

“任何人不得泄露此事，以免那些曾被我征服的外国国王因听闻我的死期临近而窃喜。”

同时，我也下令：

“不得向军队透露此事，以免他们因我的命运而丧失斗志，消极怠战，影响我的威望与荣耀。对我而言，生命的终结并非最令我痛苦的事，真正的遗憾是我未能赢得比预期更多的荣耀与辉煌。我将这些事情写信告诉您，我最亲爱的导师（亚里士多德），因为我要让您首先见证我生命的成功，并分享我的荣耀。此外，我的记忆将如一座永恒的丰碑，作为世间其他国王的榜样。使他们深知——我的威望与荣耀（mīn þrym ond mīn weorðmynd），远超世上所有曾经存在的君王。”

——全文完（Finit.）