好強盜與惡官兵
原本在寫到羅賓漢（Robin Hood）的故事時，就想介紹這首詩，因為羅賓漢乃是史上最著名的攔路強盜。這首詩中的主角，雖不見得是一位「俠盜」，但故事裡的官兵，是更邪惡的反派，這種與傳統正、邪觀念互異的角色安排，和羅賓漢的傳說是極為近似的。
英國著名的插畫家齊平（Charles Keeping），曾特別為此詩繪製插畫（於 1981 年出版），格林文化公司則集結了齊平的三篇作品（除了這首 "Highwayman" 外，還有 "The Wedding Ghost" 和 "The Lady of Shalott"），出版了中文版的繪本詩集《魅影迷咒》，書中把 "Highwayman" 譯為〈死亡情劫〉，該書的簡介如下：
這是一本由三本文學經典所集結的繪本。作者不同，可是繪者是同一位大師：查爾斯濟平。三篇文章中有兩篇是詩，一篇短篇小說。
第一篇（死亡情劫）是押韻的詩，陳述一段淒美的愛情故事。攔路強盜在月光的小徑下，踢踏著馬蹄，前來找尋他心愛的姑娘，老客棧的女兒貝絲。他們互許承諾，要姑娘等他歸來。但他一直沒有回來，直到一群士兵有一天侮辱了姑娘以後，他及時現身報仇，但姑娘的生命已回天乏術。
第二篇是短篇小說（魔鬼新娘），用王子的角度來訴說睡美人的故事，內容離奇。實在可以列入縣疑幻想小說之列。故事開始在一個婚禮前的籌備會上，親人圍繞著新郎新娘，打開一個個結婚禮物。最後一份禮物令人驚訝，因為它只屬名給新郎，而且沒有送禮者的名字在上面，是一份沒有地名、沒有文字的地圖。新郎瞞著大家，偷偷的帶走這份禮物，想尋找地圖上的地方。他找到了傳說中睡美人的城堡，只是……他若是吻了公主，勢必得背判自己的婚姻；若是不吻她，想必自己的下場會和堆聚在城保外的屍骨一樣……。新郎吻了公主，生命從此起了變化……。
第三篇（夏洛特之女）是英國詩人丁尼生（1809-1892）在1832年出版的敘事詩，他的詩被公認為最足以代表維多利亞時代的風格。廣受歡迎的影集「清秀佳人」中，安在白沙旅館裡朗讀的正是這篇（夏洛特的處女）。
這是一篇典型維多利亞時代風格的詩，充滿陳腐偽善的道德標準和華麗藻飾的文辭。主角是一位處女，被父親監禁在夏洛特島上的城堡，為了純潔的愛而殉情。詩中敘述的是亞瑟王傳奇中，單戀圓桌武士藍斯洛而為其殉情的女子憶藍。丁尼生透過嚴謹的音韻和格律，道出他的女主角似夢般的單調生活。
（簡介取材自博客來網路書店）
上面的介紹，仍是維持國內各種簡介的一貫水準——鬼扯一通。這種不知所云的介紹，看看就好，千萬不能當真。
將詩作譜寫成歌曲
Alfred Noyes 的原詩頗長，Loreena McKennitt（羅琳娜．麥肯尼特）演唱的 "The Highwayman"，將原詩刪去了三段，但整首歌曲仍長達十分多鐘，以下是她現場演唱此曲時的影片：
《魅影迷咒》裡的翻譯，我個人覺得並不好，要推薦的話，還是余光中的中譯為佳。以下仍是以英、中對照的方式呈現。Loreena McKennitt 於歌中刪去的段落，我將整段改成灰字。
Highwayman（強盜）
Alfred Noyes（余光中 譯）
The wind was a torrent of darkness upon the gusty trees,
狂風是一股黑暗的急流，流過了林間，
The moon was a ghostly galleon tossed upon cloudy seas,
昏月是一隻鬼舟，搖擺在雲海的波面，
The road was a ribbon of moonlight looping the purple moor,
大路是一條月光的緞帶，在紫色的曠野上延伸，
And the highwayman came riding--
那強盜騎著馬兒狂奔，
Riding--riding--
狂奔，狂奔
The highwayman came riding, up to the old inn door.
那強盜騎著馬兒狂奔，直奔到古老旅店的大門。
He'd a French cocked hat on his forehead, and a bunch of lace at his chin;
他額上戴一頂法國的歪帽，頦下有花邊一束，
He'd a coat of the claret velvet, and breeches of fine doe-skin.
穿著紫紅的天鵝絨外衣，和褐色的鹿皮長褲；
They fitted with never a wrinkle; his boots were up to his thigh!
沒一絲皺紋地合身：他馬靴齊腿彎那麼長！
And he rode with a jeweled twinkle--
他邊騎邊閃著寶石的清光，
His rapier hilt a-twinkle--
他手槍的槍把在閃閃發光，
His pistol butts a-twinkle, under the jeweled sky.
他的劍柄在那鑲滿了寶石的藍空之下閃亮。
Over the cobbles he clattered and clashed in the dark inn-yard,
圓石上答答又各各，他在陰暗的小院騎過，
He tapped with his whip on the shutters, but all was locked and barred,
他揚鞭輕叩那小窗，但一切都已緊閉深鎖；
He whistled a tune to the window, and who should be waiting there
他個小窗吹一支口哨，還有誰會在那兒守候，
But the landlord's black-eyed daughter--
除了那店主的黑眼睛女兒，
Bess, the landlord's daughter--
貝絲，那店主的黑眼睛女兒，
Plaiting a dark red love-knot into her long black hair.
正打個暗紅的相思結在她那長長的烏髮裡頭。
Dark in the dark old inn-yard a stable-wicket creaked
在那陰暗而古老的院裡，馬廄的小門呀地開開，
Where Tim, the ostler listened--his face was white and peaked--
那馬夫鐵姆正在偷聽；他的臉是瘦削而又蒼白；
His eyes were hollows of madness, his hair like mouldy hay,
他眼兒是對驚狂的洞，他的亂髮像霉爛的稻草，
But he loved the landlord's daughter--
但他卻愛上那店主的女兒，
The landlord's black-eyed daughter;
那店主的紅唇的女兒；
Dumb as a dog he listened, and he heard the robber say:
他像條狗似地屏息靜聽，他聽那強盜如此說道：
"One kiss, my bonny sweetheart; I'm after a prize tonight,
「親一親，我的乖乖，我今夜要去劫一宗肥財，
But I shall be back with the yellow gold before the morning light.
但是在天亮之前，我就回來，帶回來黃金塊塊；
Yet if they press me sharply, and harry me through the day,
萬一他們逼得我太緊，而且會把我整天地追逐，
Then look for me by moonlight,
那就在月光下等我回來，
Watch for me by moonlight,
在月光下望我回來，
I'll come to thee by moonlight, though hell should bar the way."
我要在月光下回來見你，那怕是地獄擋住歸路！」
He stood upright in the stirrups; he scarce could reach her hand,
他在鞍蹬上站直了腰身，但是還夠不著她的纖手，
But she loosened her hair in the casement! His face burnt like a brand
於是她在窗前鬆開了長髮！他的臉像燃燒的木頭，
As the sweet black waves of perfume came tumbling o'er his breast,
仰望那芬芳的烏髮，像瀑布瀉落在他的胸上；
Then he kissed its waves in the moonlight
他狂吻月光裡那一片烏浪，
(O sweet black waves in the moonlight!),
（哦，月光裡那芬芳的烏浪！）
And he tugged at his reins in the moonlight, and galloped away to the west.
然後在月光裡他拉緊韁繩，答答地奔向西方。
He did not come in the dawning; he did not come at noon.
破曉時不見他回來；到中午不見他回來；
And out of the tawny sunset, before the rise of the moon,
但是在月亮上升之前，出自落日的昏靄，
When the road was a gypsy's ribbon over the purple moor,
那時大路像吉普賽的緞帶，繞過那紫色的荒原，
The redcoat troops came marching--
有一隊紅衣的士兵疾進，
Marching--marching--
疾進，疾進，
King George's men came marching, up to the old inn-door.
喬治王的官兵在疾進，疾進到古老旅店的門邊。
They said no word to the landlord; they drank his ale instead,
他們也不和店主說話，只是把他的麥酒欣賞，
But they gagged his daughter and bound her to the foot of her narrow bed.
他們塞住他女兒的嘴巴，綁她在小床的腳上；
Two of them knelt at her casement, with muskets by their side;
兩個兵跪守在她的窗前，把步槍都架在身邊！
There was Death at every window,
死神守住了每一扇窗口；
And Hell at one dark window,
地獄把昏暗的一扇把守；
For Bess could see, through her casement, the road that he would ride.
從她那昏暗的窗口貝絲能窺到他回來的路線。
They had bound her up at attention, with many a sniggering jest!
他們把貝絲僵直地綑綁，一面又格格地把她嘲弄；
They had tied a rifle beside her, with the barrel beneath her breast!
他們綁一根步槍在她身旁，把槍嘴頂住她的前胸！
"Now keep good watch!" and they kissed her. She heard the dead man say,
「留心去等吧！」他們吻她。她像是聽死人吩咐：
"Look for me by moonlight,
「那就在月光下等我回來；
Watch for me by moonlight,
在月光下望我回來；
I'll come to thee by moonlight, though Hell should bar the way."
我要在月光下回來見你，那怕是地獄擋住歸路！」
She twisted her hands behind her, but all the knots held good!
她用背後的纖手掙扎；但繩結兒都打得好緊！
She writhed her hands till her fingers were wet with sweat or blood!
她扭動雙手，直扭得十指都染上汗水，血腥！
They stretched and strained in the darkness, and the hours crawled by like years,
十指在暗處一縮又一伸，鐘點像年代一樣地爬，
Till, on the stroke of midnight,
直到鐘敲十二下，
Cold on the stroke of midnight,
寒夜的鐘敲十二下，
The tip of one finger touched it! The trigger at least was hers!
有一條指尖碰到了扳機，那扳機總算受制於她！
The tip of one finger touched it, she strove no more for the rest;
有一條指尖碰到了扳機，她不再繼續掙扎！
Up, she stood up at attention, with the barrel beneath her breast.
她僵直地站住，那槍口還緊緊地頂在胸下，
She would not risk their hearing, she would not strive again,
她不想再冒險，怕他們聽見；她不再用力扭掙；
For the road lay bare in the moonlight,
因為大路坦露在月光下；
Blank and bare in the moonlight,
荒寂地坦露在月光下；
And the blood in her veins, in the moonlight, throbbed to her love's refrain.
月光下她的熱血奔騰，和著她戀人答答的蹄聲。
Tlot tlot, tlot tlot! Had they heard it? The horse-hooves, ringing clear;
特啦特啦，特啦特啦！他們聽見了嗎？那蹄聲清越地飛揚；
Tlot tlot, tlot tlot, in the distance! Were they deaf that they did not hear?
特啦特啦，特啦特啦！在遠方？他們是耳聾聽不見那聲響？
Down the ribbon of moonlight, over the brow of the hill,
沿著那月光的緞帶騎下，越過了對面的山頭，
The highwayman came riding--
那強盜騎著馬兒狂奔，
Riding--riding--
狂奔，狂奔！
The redcoats looked to their priming! She stood up straight and still.
紅衣兵準備著火引！她站直了身體屏息靜候！
Tlot tlot, in the frosty silence! Tlot tlot, in the echoing night!
特啦特啦，那靜夜的寒霜！特啦特啦，那靜夜的回響！
Nearer he came and nearer! Her face was like a light!
他一聲響似一聲地騎近！她的臉像一道燃燒的光芒！
Her eyes grew wide for a moment, she drew one last deep breath,
剎時她睜大了雙眼；最後又深深地吸一口氣，
Then her finger moved in the moonlight--
於是她手指在月光裡扣放，
Her musket shattered the moonlight--
她的槍炸碎了月光，
Shattered her breast in the moonlight and warned him--with her death.
炸碎了月光裡自己的胸膛，拼了命教他警惕。
He turned, he spurred to the West; he did not know who stood
他回頭踢馬馳向那西方；他不知是誰俯立在窗旁，
Bowed, with her head o'er the casement, drenched in her own red blood!
滿身都浴著鮮紅的腥血，垂著頭靠在那槍管之上！
Not till the dawn did he hear it, and his face grew grey to hear
直到了破曉他才聽見，他慘白的臉兒聽別人說道：
How Bess, the landlord's daughter,
貝絲，那店主的女兒，
The landlord's black-eyed daughter,
那店主的黑眼睛女兒，
Had watched for her love in the moonlight, and died in the darkness there.
她在那月光下等她戀人，卻在那暗窗裡玉殞香消。
Back, he spurred like a madman, shrieking a curse to the sky,
回過身，他瘋狂地踢馬怒奔，又仰天厲聲地咒罵，
With the white road smoking behind him and his rapier brandished high!
他背後的白路揚起了灰塵，他高舉寶劍舞得刷刷！
Blood-red were his spurs in the golden noon, wine-red was his velvet coat
襯著那金黃的日午，血紅的是他的馬刺，酒紅的是他的絨外衣，
When they shot him down in the highway,
當他們把他射倒在大路上，
Down like a dog in the highway,
像一隻狗倒在大路上，
And he lay in his blood in the highway, with the bunch of lace at his throat.
他全身浴鮮血躺在大路上，頸前還有束花邊環繫。
And still on a winter's night, they say, when the wind is in the trees,
到如今每逢到冬晚，據說，每逢那狂風掠過林間，
When the moon is a ghostly galleon tossed upon cloudy seas,
每逢那亮月像一隻妖怪的船，搖擺在雲海的波面，
When the road is a gypsy's ribbon looping the purple moor,
每逢那大路像一條月光的緞帶，在紫色的曠野上延伸，
The highwayman comes riding--
有一個強盜騎著匹馬兒狂奔，
Riding--riding--
狂奔，狂奔
The highwayman comes riding, up to the old inn-door.
有一個強盜騎著匹馬兒狂奔，直奔到古老旅店的大門。
Over the cobbles he clatters and clangs in the dark inn-yard,
圓石上答答又各各，他在陰暗的小院騎過；
He taps with his whip on the shutters, but all is locked and barred,
他揚鞭輕叩那小窗，但一切都已緊閉深鎖；
He whistles a tune to the window, and who should be waiting there
他向小窗吹一支口哨，還有誰會在那兒守候，
But the landlord's black-eyed daughter--
除了那店主的黑眼睛女兒，
Bess, the landlord's daughter--
貝絲，那店主的黑眼睛女兒，
Plaiting a dark red love-knot into her long black hair.
正打個暗紅的相思結在她那長長的黑髮裡頭。
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