《韵律一览》的原典

What are the categories of poetic form? Three. Which? Rule, licence, prohibition. What kinds of rules govern metres? Two. Which? Regular and varied. What kinds of regular rules govern metres? Two. Which? Number and distinction. What kinds of number govern the rules of metres? Three. Which? One is the number of metres that have been devised in the poetry of the foremost poets. The second is the number of verse lines in one stanza in each metre. The third is the number of syllables placed in each verse line in each metre. What distinctions govern the rules of metres? Two. Which? Distinctions of language and distinctions of sound. What are distinctions of language? The arrangement of letters distinguishes all language, while distinctions of sound consist in making syllables long or short, hard or soft; and the arrangement of sound distinctions is what we call internal rhymes, as in the verse given here:

Here is the arrangement of letters that governs the metre and produces its rhythm. There are twelve alliterating letters in a stanza, and three are placed in each quarter. Each quarter contains two verse lines. Each verse line has six syllables. In the second verse line, the letter we call the chief stave is placed at the beginning of the line. That letter governs the alliteration. In the first verse line, that letter will be found twice at the beginnings of syllables. We call those letters supporting staves. If the chief stave is a consonant, the supporting staves must be the same letter, as here: but it is incorrect if these letters begin syllables more or fewer times than this in a quarter-stanza. If the chief stave is a vowel, the supporting staves must also be vowels, and it is more pleasing if each is a different vowel. It may also be acceptable for a vowel to occur more often at the beginning of a syllable within a quarter-stanza in pronouns or in such words used to fill out the sentence as ek, “I,” or en, “but,” er, “which,” at, “that,” í, “in,” á, “on,” of, af, “from,” and um, “about”; this is licence, however, rather than regular observance of the rules.

Another arrangement of letters accompanies the arrangement of the sound that produces metre and rhythm. In court metre this distinction must be observed so that a quarter-stanza agrees throughout in its arrangement of letters and sounds. In the first verse line, the arrangement is to be distinguished as follows: here we have jörð, fyrð. Each is one syllable, and each has a different vowel, as well as different initial letters, but the letters following the vowel are the same in both words. We call this arrangement of sound half-rhyme. In the second verse line it is as follows: here we have rofs, ofs. The vowel is the same, as are all the letters following it in both words, but the initial letters distinguish the words. These are called full rhymes. Internal rhymes in court metre must be placed so that the second rhyme in each verse line, called the answering rhyme, stands in the syllable followed by just one more syllable, while the rhyme called the initial rhyme sometimes stands at the beginning of a word, in which case we call it a beginning-rhyme, and sometimes in the middle of a word, in which case we call it a part-rhyme. This is court metre. Most carefully wrought poetry is composed in this metre. It is the foundation of all metres, as speech-runes are of other runes.

How are the rules of metres varied? In two ways. How? Through language and sounds. How is variation made through language? In two ways. How? By keeping or changing the metre. How can the forms be varied while keeping the same metre? By using kennings, reinforcement, extended kennings, true descriptions, or newly devised imagery. What are forms using kennings? As in this example: here all the terms in this stanza are expressed through kennings, while the internal rhymes, word length, and arrangement of alliterating letters follow what was written above. Kennings are divided into three kinds. The first is called a kenning, the second a double kenning, and the third an extended kenning. It is a kenning to call battle “spear-crash,” a double kenning to call the sword “the fire of spear-crash,” and an extended kenning if it goes further. An extended kenning:

What are true descriptions? As in this example: it is a true description to support a word with something true of its substance, as when wounds are called severe, because large wounds are grievous. It is also correct to say that they grow. A second true description is that the wounds grow greatly. There is now one verse line with two true descriptions. In the second verse line the edge is called strong and the warriors valiant. In the third it is said that something sharp cuts, and the shield is sturdy; in the fourth line the king is called great and his life illustrious; next, a sword is called clean and fiercely reddened, and each man is called one of the company, though it would be correct language even if he were called a man. The king is called noble. The shield was excellent and was pierced with astonishing speed. The king rejoiced, glad in his bold heart. Sixteen true descriptions have now been shown here in eight verse lines, yet they greatly embellish poetry even when they are not so painstakingly pursued.

True descriptions have three divisions. One is called true description, another reinforcement, and the third doubling. Reinforcements: here a reinforcement accompanies each true description, as when the edge is called not hard and the men exceedingly bold. “Hard edge” and “bold men” are true descriptions. It is reinforcement when another qualifying word accompanies a true description.

Where is newly devised imagery found? As in this example: it is newly devised imagery to call the sword a serpent and construct the kenning correctly, calling the scabbard its paths and the sword-belt and fittings its slough. Here the serpent’s nature is followed, in that it crawls out of its slough and towards water. The newly devised imagery is arranged here so that it goes in search of a stream of blood, where it crawls along the paths of thought, which are men’s breasts. Newly devised imagery is considered well composed when the image taken up is maintained throughout the stanza. But if a sword is called a serpent and then a fish or a wand, or is changed in some other way, people call this a monstrous mixture, and it is thought a blemish.

Court metre now has five varieties, yet it remains the same metre, regular and unchanged, and often some or all of these varieties occur in one stanza. This is correct, because kennings increase the range of words, true descriptions embellish and fill out the language, and newly devised imagery displays knowledge and skill with words.

It is a licence of metres to make syllables slow or quick, so that they extend beyond or fall short of the regular number prescribed by the rules; they may be so slow that there are five syllables in the second and fourth verse lines, as here: in this stanza all the first rhymes are beginning-rhymes, yet this metre follows the form of court metre. Now syllables will be shown that are so quick and placed so close together that the length of the line is thereby increased: here there are nine syllables in the first and third verse lines, and seven in the second and fourth. Here it is shown how many syllables at most there may be in a verse line in court metre, and from this it may be understood that eight or seven may readily be acceptable in the first and third verse lines. In this stanza all the initial

诗歌的格律规范有哪些？三类。哪三类？定则、通融、禁例。格律的定则分几类？两类。哪两类？正则与变则。格律的正则分几类？两类。哪两类？数目与区别。格律定则中的数目分几类？三类。哪三类？第一类数目，是大诗人的诗作中已有多少种格律。第二类数目，是每种格律的一节诗有多少诗行。第三类数目，是每种格律的每一诗行安排多少音节。格律定则中的区别分几类？两类。哪两类？言语的区别与声音的区别。什么是言语的区别？字母的安排使一切言语有所区别，而声音的区别则在于音节有长有短、有硬有软；声音区别的安排，就是我们所称的行内韵，如这里所吟唱的：

这里所用的字母安排决定格律，形成韵律。一节诗中有十二个押头韵的字母，每四分之一节中安排三个。每四分之一节有两行诗。每行诗有六个音节。在第二行诗中，有一个字母放在诗行开头，我们称之为主韵字母。这个字母决定头韵。而在第一行诗中，这个字母会两次出现在音节的开头。我们称这些字母为辅韵字母。如果主韵字母是辅音，那么辅韵字母必须是同一个字母，如这里所示：但如果这些字母在四分之一节诗中出现在音节开头的次数多于或少于这个数目，就是错误的。如果主韵字母是元音，那么辅韵字母也必须是元音，而且三者各用不同的元音更为优美。此时，在四分之一节诗中，元音还可以更多次出现在代词或补足语的开头，例如：ek，或是：en、er、at、í、á、of、af、um。这属于通融，而非正则。

另一种字母安排，遵从的是构成格律与韵律的声音安排。在宫廷诗体中，这一项区别应当如此：四分之一节诗的所有字母安排与声音都必须相互配合。在前一行诗中，这种安排应作如下区分：这里是这样：jörð、fyrð。两处各有一个音节，各有不同的元音，起首字母也不同，但两个词中元音后面的字母相同。我们称这种音韵安排为半韵。而在第二行诗中，则是这样：这里是这样：rofs、ofs。两个词中的元音相同，元音后面的所有字母也相同，但起首字母使两词有所区别。这叫作全韵。在宫廷诗体中，行内韵应当这样安排：每行诗中后一个押韵的音节，称为应韵，必须处在倒数第二个音节的位置；而称为首韵的那个押韵音节，有时位于词的开头，我们便称之为词首韵，有时位于词的中间，我们便称之为词中韵。这就是宫廷诗体。凡精雕细琢的诗作，大多用这种格律写成。这是所有格律的根本，正如言语卢恩符文之于其他卢恩符文。

格律的变则如何区分？分两种方式。哪两种？通过言语与声音。通过言语应当如何变化？分两种方式。哪两种？保持原格律，或改变格律。怎样在变化中保持同一种格律？可以使用隐喻代称、强化修饰、连环代称、实义修饰，或以新造的意象作诗。什么是使用隐喻代称的格律？如下所示：这一节诗中，所有名称都用隐喻代称表达，但行内韵、诗行长短与头韵字母的安排，都依照前文所述。隐喻代称分三种。第一种称为代称，第二种称为双重代称，第三种称为连环代称。把战斗称为长矛的喧响，就是代称；把剑称为长矛喧响之火，就是双重代称；若再延伸下去，就是连环代称。连环代称：

什么是实义修饰？如下所示：以符合实际的内容来支撑词语，就是实义修饰，例如把伤口称为深重，因为大伤口是沉重的。而说伤口加剧，也是正确的。另一处实义修饰，是说伤口大为加剧。这样，一行诗里便有了两处实义修饰。第二行诗中，称刃锋坚韧，称战士英勇。第三行说，锋利之物切割，护具坚牢；第四行称国王伟大，称他的一生英勇；接着，称剑洁净，又染得血红，而每个随从都独自一人；即使将随从称为男子，也同样说得通。国王被称为高贵。盾牌精良，却破损得出奇地快。国王心怀勇气，欣然自得。这里已在八行诗中展示了十六处实义修饰；不过，在诗歌中，如果不这样刻意求工，它们便更能增添美感。

实义修饰分三类。一类称为实义修饰，另一类称为强化修饰，第三类称为双重修饰。强化修饰：这里每一处实义修饰都附有强化修饰，例如，称刃锋不硬，称人们勇气十足。坚硬的刃锋、勇敢的人们，是实义修饰。若在实义修饰之外再加一个表明实情的词，就是强化修饰。

哪里有新造的意象？如下所示：把剑称为蛇，并用恰当的代称来修饰，把剑鞘称为蛇的道路，把剑带及其装具称为蛇蜕，这就是新造的意象。这里遵循蛇的本性：蛇从蜕下的皮中爬出，向水而去。这里的新造意象安排如下：它沿心灵的小径爬行，前去寻觅血的溪流；心灵的小径就是人的胸膛。若起头采用的意象能够贯穿整节诗，人们便认为这样的新造意象写得好。可是，如果先把剑称为蛇，随后又称它为鱼或杖，或以其他方式改变意象，人们便称之为水怪式的混杂，认为这会损害诗作。

至此，宫廷诗体已有五种变化，却仍是同一种合乎正则、未经变更的格律。这些变化往往有几种或全部出现在同一节诗中，这是合乎正则的，因为隐喻代称增加词汇，实义修饰使言语优美而充实，新造的意象则显示学识与措辞的灵巧。

格律所容许的通融，是可以使用舒缓或急促的音节，使音节数增减，偏离定则规定的数目。音节可以舒缓到这种程度：第二行与第四行各只有五个音节，如这里所示：在这一节诗中，所有前一个押韵音节都是词首韵，然而其格律仍是宫廷诗体。现在要展示的是如此急促、彼此如此紧接的音节，以至于诗行因而增长：这里第一行与第三行各有九个音节，第二行与第四行各有七个音节。这里展示了宫廷诗体的一行诗最多可以有多少音节；由此可知，第一行与第三行各有八个或七个音节，也完全可以。在这一节诗中，所有的首……