希鲁伊与希琳的故事 The Tale of Shiruyeh and Shirin

希鲁伊与希琳的故事·卷一 The Tale of Shiruyeh and Shirin (I)

镇灵在夜风中讲与牧童的故事，不知何来，荒诞不羁。

A Jinni tells a tale on the night wind, a story about itself and a shepherd. It's a story of unknown origin and is full of absurdities.

「接下来要讲的故事，来自『疫王』希鲁伊的时代。只不过在那时候，这位藩王还没有因『希鲁伊之疫』而恶名昭彰，他的臣民也尚未流散遁入黑暗的世界，成为失去语言和面目的蛮荒之物…」

"The next story I'll tell comes from the age of Shiruyeh, the Lord of Pestilence, though at this time, that vassal ruler had not yet gained notoriety for Shiruyeh's Plague, nor had his subjects been scattered amidst a world of darkness, left to become wild creatures who had lost their language and faces..."

月女城的精灵稍作停顿，伸了一个大大的懒腰。手腕脚踝上月色的银钱纷纷作响，似乎为驮兽的颠簸颇有不满，

The fairy of the moon maiden's city paused for a moment, then stretched out lazily. The moonlit silver coins jangled on her wrists and ankles as if displeased with the jouncing of the Sumpter Beast.

「话说回来呀，小渡鸦，你可知『希鲁伊』之名的含义？」

"Anyway, little raven, do you know the meaning of the name "Shiruyeh"?"

「嗯…荒唐可笑，卑劣之人？」

"Uh... 'One who is ridiculous and despicable'?"

被自顾自称作「渡鸦」的少年随口答道。苦于日晒和流沙的威胁，他无心理会旅伴的故事，

The youth whom she had rather one-sidedly named "Raven" answered casually. Suffering the heat of the sun and the threat of quicksand, he had little interest in his travel companion's stories.

「在我们的部落，『希鲁伊』是一个耻辱的名字，只有被放逐的首领会在额头被烙下这样的名号，只有在诅咒与嘲骂时才会挂在嘴边。这是我们的传统…但想必在其他的部落，也差不太多吧。」

"In our tribe, 'Shiruyeh' is a disgraceful name branded only onto the foreheads of exiled chiefs and spoken only in curses and mockery. It's a tradition of ours... But I'm sure that the traditions of other tribes are not so different."

「哈哈！凡人的认识如同流沙，随时间的风游移不定。真是怪异！」

"Haha! Mortal awareness is just like quicksand, shifting with the winds of time. How bizarre!"

「渡鸦」的敷衍作答，却引来了精灵饶有兴趣的嘲讽，

"Raven" replied perfunctorily, drawing an unexpectedly enthusiastic taunt from the fairy,

「其实…在失落的语言中，『希鲁伊』的含义是『未断奶的幼狮』。他的父王『帕维兹拉万』以此为满月的爱子赐名，却浑然不知，他这位自称『常胜之灵』的藩王，将会被心爱的『小狮子』如鬣狗般撕破肚肠…」

"Now, actually... in the lost language, 'Shiruyeh' means 'unweaned lion cub'. His father Parvezravan gave this name to his newborn son, oblivious that he, the vassal king who referred to himself as the 'Spirit of Unceasing Victory,' would be torn apart by his own beloved 'lion cub'..."

精灵停顿一下，仿佛怕听众腻烦似的，与少年交换了眼神，随即继续讲道：

The fairy paused, seemingly afraid that her audience was getting bored, and exchanged glances with the youth before continuing her tale:

「至于这『帕维兹拉万』。传说在凡人各自作为藩王统治一方的时代，『帕维兹拉万』曾是列王中最为强大者之一…」

"As for this Parvezravan, legend has it that in the days when mortals ruled as vassal kings, he was one of the mightiest among them..."

「帕维兹拉万」并非这位藩王的本名。精灵们说，他曾是无父无母的孤儿，被巨鸟戈赫努丝在巢中抚养长大，得名「基斯拉」，即「受赐美名者」。后来，因着称雄的野心，受着神鸟的眷助，他被藩王奥尔玛兹沙收为义子，成了凡人中的贤者与英雄。

"Parvezravan was not, in fact, the original name of this vassal king. As the spirits tell it, he was an orphan who was raised in the nest of the giant bird Ghoghnus and given the name 'Kisra,' or 'one who has been bestowed a good name.' Later, his aspiration to greatness and the aid of this divine bird saw him adopted by the vassal king Ormazd Shah, and he would eventually rise to become a sage and hero among mortals.

已消亡的沙漠民族，他们的歌中说，基斯拉为藩王奥尔玛兹沙攻掠大地四方，迫使九十九座城池毁弃灰泥与青铜筑就的高塔城墙，击败九十九个游牧部族的魁首，又将九十九位通晓星空之理的智慧贤者羁以黄金的枷锁，领回高耸的王城居尔关押。

In the songs of the now-vanished desert people, Kisra plundered the four corners of the land in the name of his king, Ormazd Shah. By his hand, the bronze and mortar towers of ninety-nine cities were destroyed or abandoned. By his hand, the leaders of ninety-nine nomadic tribes were defeated. And by his hand, ninety-nine sages with knowledge of the order of the stars were bound in golden chains, then led back to the towering royal city of Gurabad to be imprisoned.

彼时，乐土「瓦利·韦杰」方被镀金的狂沙席卷，三生魔神已陨没其一。在百年的混乱与迷茫中，流散的凡人子民曾据藩地自守，直至吾主阿赫玛尔与绿木贤王收拢臣民，重建绿洲乐园为止，镀金藩王的割据年代方告结束。

At that time, the promised land of "Valivija" was engulfed by wild, gilded sands, and one of the three living gods had fallen. Amidst a century of chaos and confusion, the scattered mortals ensconced themselves in vassal states until my lord Al-Ahmar and the Sage-King of the Greenwood gathered their subjects. Once the oasis paradise was reconstructed, the age of the vassal kings, the age of division, finally came to a close.

书归前文，因着基斯拉的功业，奥尔玛兹的王冠亦愈发贵重，最终他自己的脖颈甚至也无法承担王冠之重，不得不以纯金的锁链，将它永远悬在大厅中央。

Returning to our preceding tale, Ormazd's crown grew all the more valuable on the back of Kisra's exploits, until finally his own neck could no longer bear its weight, forcing him to leave it ever suspended from chains of pure gold in the center of the main hall.

年轻的基斯拉以盖世的功业，获得了藩王奥尔玛兹沙的无上赏赐。他赐义子「帕维兹」之名，又将女儿希琳许配给了他。精灵们缥缈的歌中传唱道，她是凡人藩王与老祖母利露法尔的混血后嗣，因而有着优越的智慧，享着无穷的寿限，如最初贤者般，能预见当下的吉凶。

The vassal king Ormazd Shah rewarded young Kisra's unrivaled achievements amply: He bestowed the name "Parvez" upon his adopted son and offered his daughter Shirin's hand to him in marriage. In the ethereal songs of the spirits, as the heir of both the mortal vassal king and the foremother Liloufar, she possessed superior wisdom and was blessed with an infinite lifespan and, like the original sages, could foresee the fortunes and misfortunes of the present moment.

假若基斯拉·帕维兹就此止步，他的英雄之名将毫无瑕疵。但在某一个受诅咒的日子里，藩王奥尔玛兹及其三百子嗣在居尔城一夜暴亡，此等荒唐事变之后，基斯拉顺理成章继承王位，为自己加上「拉万」的名号，成为了凡人中最强大的藩王。

If Kisra Parvez had stopped there, his reputation as a hero would have continued unblemished. But one cursed day, Ormazd and all 300 of his offspring suddenly died in one night in the city of Gurabad. Following such an unthinkable event, the throne naturally fell to Kisra, who added "Ravan" to his title and became the most powerful vassal king among mortals.

「……」

"..."

精灵中断故事，抬眼望望正在沉入沙丘的红日。然后便吹了一个尖利的口哨，示意少年停下驮兽，准备在残破的石柱下扎营过夜。

The fairy abruptly stopped her tale and looked up at the red sun that was now sinking behind the sand dunes. She then whistled sharply, signaling to the youth to halt the Sumpter Beast and prepare to make camp for the night under the crumbling stone pillars.

「有人说呀…」

"Some people say..."

精灵轻盈地跳下驮兽，又在沙地上转了几个圈，仿佛失传已久的「塞塔蕾」舞者那般，让初现的月光为自己透明的肌肤均匀地涂上银色光泽。没药的气息随千百发辫飞舞，伴着金铃作响，传至远方。

The fairy lithely leaped down from the Sumpter Beast and circled across the sands in a manner not unlike the long-lost dancers of Setaria, letting the moon's first light evenly coat her translucent skin in its silvery sheen. The scent of myrrh swirled around her myriad braids as the golden bells rang out into the distance.

然后，精灵稍一倾身停住脚尖，轻笑出声。

Then, the fairy leaned over slightly, balancing on the tips of her toes as she laughed softly.

有人说，居尔城的惨案正是由英雄基斯拉一手造成的。

Some people say that the tragedy that befell the city of Gurabad was the handiwork of the hero Kisra.

有人说，在惨剧发生的那夜，无爪的恶鸟自坚城飞出，不饮不食，彻夜哭号。城堡内人面的鼠类成灾，啃食了悬挂王冠的金链，使过于笨重的冠冕重重落在地上，破损变形。

Some people say that the night the tragedy took place, an evil, clawless bird flew out from the redoubt and wailed throughout the night without stopping to eat or drink. The castle was then struck by a plague of rats with human faces, which gnawed at the gold chains from which the crown hung, causing the cumbersome thing to crash heavily to the ground, broken and bent.

人们说，王冠落地的声音震天动地，乃至令远在坚城之外定居苦耕的菲拉赫奴仆都为他们从未谋面的暴君胆战心惊。

People say that the crown made such an earth-shaking noise when it fell that even the Fellahin servants, who had settled and toiled far from the redoubt, trembled with fear at this tyrant they had never met.

再后来，据说更有冒险家从镀金的黄沙掩埋之下寻到了居尔城的古老地窖，其中藏匿着奥尔玛兹及其子嗣干瘪庞大的残躯，每一具萎缩的躯体上面都留着无法识读的古老铭文…

Later still, it is said that an adventurer found the ancient crypts of the city of Gurabad beneath the gilded sands, in which were hidden the withered, massive remains of Ormazd and his offspring, An ancient, inscrutable inscription was left on each of the shriveled bodies...

「希望这个故事有吓到你。」

"I hope this story frightened you."

精灵饶有兴致地看着眼前的凡人少年从兽皮水壶中饮水的样子。

The fairy watched keenly as the mortal boy before her drank from the waterskin.

沙漠中的部族，对待饮水本能般地节制与谨慎，而精灵却是纯净的元素之中孳生的生灵，从不懂得干渴的感受，从不餍足于奢侈的快乐，正如哀歌中传唱的那位古老的希琳公主一般。

The tribes of the desert regard water with an instinctive restraint and prudence. Spirits, however, are born of pure elemental energy and know neither thirst nor the satisfaction of the pleasure of luxury, just like the ancient princess Shirin in this lament.

「至于说起老祖母利露法尔的女儿希琳，我们的故事才刚刚开始呢…」

"As for the daughter of the foremother Liloufar I mentioned, Shirin — why, our story has only just begun..."

精灵又狡黠地笑起来，眼眸如琥珀金，笑颜似古老故国的公主。

The fairy smiled slyly again, her eyes like an amalgam of amber and gold, her smiling face like the princess of her ancient homeland.

希鲁伊与希琳的故事·卷二 The Tale of Shiruyeh and Shirin (II)

镇灵在夜风中讲与牧童的故事，不知何来，荒诞不羁。

A Jinni tells a tale on the night wind, a story about itself and a shepherd. It's a story of unknown origin and is full of absurdities.

彼时，乐土「瓦利·韦杰」方被镀金的狂沙席卷，三生魔神已陨没其一。在百年的混乱与迷茫中，流散的凡人子民曾据藩地自守，直至吾主阿赫玛尔与绿木贤王收拢臣民，重建绿洲乐园为止，镀金藩王的割据年代方告结束。

At that time, the promised land of "Valivija" was engulfed by wild, gilded sands, and one of the three living gods had fallen. Amidst a century of chaos and confusion, the scattered mortals ensconced themselves in vassal states until my lord Al-Ahmar and the Sage-King of the Greenwood gathered their subjects. Once the oasis paradise was reconstructed, the age of the vassal kings, the age of division, finally came to a close.

「是啊，你已讲过一遍了。」

"Yes, you've mentioned this part of the story already."

少年语气颇不耐烦，他望着星空中的满月，以伴星的位置盘算着明天的路线。

The youth's tone was rather impatient as he gazed at the full moon hanging in the starry sky, using the positions of its companion stars to determine the next day's route.

但精灵知道，他也在认真听着她的故事。这令她不禁发出了得意的鼻息，马上却又为此等失份的举动恼火：

But the spirit knew that he was, in truth, listening earnestly to her story. She couldn't refrain from letting out a triumphant snort, but was immediately annoyed by this unbecoming action:

「凡人心性浮躁，过耳即忘，我又怎么知道你有没有在听！」

"The mortal mind is as fickle as it is forgetful. How should I know whether you were listening or not?"

书归正题，希琳，据精灵的哀歌所言，乃是凡人英雄奥尔玛兹与精灵「睡莲之女」利露法尔所生的女儿。她生于莲叶之上、香露之间，洁白的鹮鸟为她行祝福，眼镜蛇为她献上青色的珍珠，雄壮的巨鳄亦向她俯伏礼拜。

Back to the subject at hand — Shirin, according to the spirits' lamentations, was the daughter of the mortal hero Ormazd and the fairy Liloufar, the Daughter of the Water Lily. Born upon a lily pad amid fragrant dewdrops, the white ibis blessed her, and the cobra bequeathed to her a cerulean pearl, and even the mighty giant crocodile bowed to her in worship.

作为精灵的老祖母，在将女儿交付凡人藩王之前，利露法尔赠予了三条预言：其一，希琳将与一位伟大的英雄相爱，其结合的子嗣更胜过父亲；其二，希琳的许多血亲，将得享甜蜜的终局；其三，希琳将独占其父的王国。

As the foremother of the spirits, before she delivered her daughter to the mortal vassal king, Liloufar prophesied three times: First, that Shirin would fall in love with a great hero, and the progeny of their union would surpass their father. Second, that many of Shirin's relatives would enjoy a sweet end, and third, that Shirin alone would be given possession of her father's kingdom.

然后，利露法尔又给了凡俗的宠儿三个警告：其一，女儿的欢乐，将给为父者带来泪水；其二，女儿出嫁后再不可同桌欢宴；其三，女儿的后嗣将为王土蒙上恶兆。

Then, Liloufar gave three admonitions to her mortal darling: First, that her joy would bring tears to her father's eyes. Second, that they should no longer feast at the same table as their daughter after she was wed, and third, that their daughter's heir would be an ill omen upon the king's land.

对于预言与警告，藩王仅置之一哂。

The king, however, only smiled at these prophecies and admonitions.

「后来，希琳被父亲许配给了大英雄『帕维兹拉万』。实现了第一条预言？」

"Later, Shirin's father offered her hand in marriage to the great hero 'Parvezravan,' fulfilling the first prophecy, right?"

少年打断了精灵的故事。

The youth said, interrupting the spirit's story.

「是呀。但，也并不全对…」

"That's correct, though, not entirely so..."

精灵将手指在少年的鼻尖一点，后者赶紧满面通红地避开，仿佛生怕遭到精灵缥缈的死咒。如此天真的举动，又一次逗乐了精灵。

The spirit laid a finger on the tip of the youth's nose and the latter hurriedly moved away, his face flushed as if he feared she might put some ethereal, deathly curse on him. The spirit once again found herself amused by such an innocent act.

待到希琳稍稍懂事的年纪，母亲为她许下的愿景便成了萦绕不去的诅咒。她终日等待着同英雄相爱的机会，等待着自己继承父亲王国的那一天，渴念着完美甜蜜的未来，但终未能实现。

By the time Shirin grew a little older and more cognizant, the vision her mother laid out for her became a lingering curse. She spent her days awaiting her chance to fall in love with a hero, waiting for the day when she would inherit her father's kingdom, and longing for that sweet and perfect future — but it never came.

实话说来，希琳与英雄基斯拉的婚姻并不幸福——毕竟，凡人的英雄皆是些乖戾之辈，心中满怀统治的野心。而利露法尔的嗣女怀着精灵的骄傲，终究难以忍受凡人英雄看似深情的金丝陷阱，无法安于床笫与炉灶间的和宁。就这样，从无爱无聊的枯朽生活中，终于生长出了鲜活的憎恨——同银瓶之中囚禁的同类如出一辙的憎恨。

Truth be told, Shirin's marriage to the hero Kisra was not a happy one — after all, mortal heroes are all warped people harboring the ambition to rule. The daughter of Liloufar carried the pride of the spirits, and thus she found the golden trap of the mortal hero's supposed affections hard to endure, and she found no peace between the bed and the hearth. And so at last, a vivid hatred coalesced from this passionless, dull, rotten life — the same hatred that those imprisoned in the silver bottle carry.

后来，在恶名昭彰的大宴那夜，一些卑贱的奴仆——马赞达兰绿洲的术士，或不识字的菲拉赫奴仆——将蝎毒滴入麝香的蜜糖，呈予藩王奥尔玛兹与他的三百子嗣，眼看着他们沉入甜蜜无梦的死之梦乡，溺于卑贱者的脂血，血泪纵横流淌……

Later, on the night of the infamous grand banquet, a few lowly slaves — mages of the Mazandaran Oasis, or perhaps some illiterate Fellahin servants — dripped scorpion venom into musk honey and offered it to the vassal king Ormazd and his 300 heirs. They then watched as they sunk into the sweet, dreamless landscape of death, drowning in the fat and blood of the wretched as their blood and tears flowed freely...

而在这一夜，尚有梦可享的，只剩下了被亲父排除于宴会之外的希琳与她不情愿的同谋和夫君基斯拉。

And on this night, all who remained with dreams left to enjoy were Shirin, who had been excluded from the party by her own father, and her reluctant co-conspirator and husband, Kisra.

卑贱的弑君者们随即被新王处以浸入蜜缸之刑，呼喊诅咒的口呛满了粘稠蜜糖。

The lowly regicides were thereupon submerged in the honey pot as punishment by the new king, and they cursed him with their last breaths as they choked on the sticky honey.

而新王的口中则涌流出黑色污血般的谎言，英雄之名逐渐染上深黑的污点……

And from the new king's mouth gushed blackened, dirtied, and bloodied lies, which gradually stained his hero's reputation a deep black...

由是，第二个预言得以实现。

And so, the second prophecy was fulfilled.

再后来，基斯拉·「帕维兹拉万」之子，深受母亲宠爱的希鲁伊长大成人，却被父王逐出高耸的居尔城。亲父令希鲁伊遮掩面庞骑乘快马离去，从此以后再不得踏入王城一步。无疑「帕维兹拉万」对精灵主母利露法尔的警告恐惧万分，因留恋而生的懦弱使他下达了如此决定。

Later, Shiruyeh, the son of Kisra Parvezravan, grew to adulthood beloved by his mother, but was banished by his father from the towering city of Gurabad. Made by his father to hide his face and flee on a fast steed, Shiruyeh was henceforth forbidden from setting foot in the city again. Undoubtedly terrified of the fairy-mother Liloufar's warning, it was Parvezravan's fixation that gave rise to the cowardice that spurred this decision.

就这样，从藩王无根的恐惧中，希琳再度寻得了复仇的良机。

And so, Shirin once again found the perfect opportunity for revenge in the vassal king's unfettered fear.

某天夜里，她扮作月神庙宇中的神姬，与投宿的浪子相遇。在银光烂漫的缠绵中，在结露的百合花间，向蒙面的游子赐下虚假缥缈的神谕：

One night, she disguised herself as a divine princess of the temple to the moon goddess and met with her prodigal son who had sojourned there. In the lingering silvery light that danced amidst the dew-dotted lilies, she gave the masked wayfarer this false, illusory prophecy:

「亲父的暴虐，对于游子而言何尝不是最大的不幸？月神的宠儿呀，凡月光所照之处，皆是你统治的王土，凡你所播撒的种子，必当茁壮茂盛。既然月光赐了你良弓锋刃，又何以忍受宝座之上尸居的懦夫？何不鼓起勇气，面对憎恨，面对自己的面目？」

"Is the tyranny of the wanderer's father not his greatest misfortune? O darling of the moon goddess, everywhere the moonlight touches is yours to rule, and every seed you sow shall grow and flourish. Since the moonlight has granted you a good bow and a sharp blade, why do you suffer that coward idling upon the throne? Why not muster up the courage to face your hatred, to face yourself?"

相传就在希鲁伊迟疑不决时，一阵夜风拂过，希琳用以掩面的薄纱随之脱落。

Legend has it that just as Shiruyeh hesitated in indecision, a gust of wind rushed through the night and blew the veil Shirin had used to conceal her face away.

眼见熟悉的面庞，被迫蒙面的少年内心即刻被恐怖与羞耻击破，惊惶失措地逃离了那座被玷污的庙宇。如铃的轻笑与冷酷的月光，皆成为了恐怖的见证。

Seeing that familiar face, the young man who had been forced to cover his was instantly overcome with terror and shame. He fled the sullied temple in a panic, and laughter soft as the ringing of a bell and the cruel moonlight bore witness to his fear.

再后来的故事乏善可陈：无敌的藩王「帕维兹拉万」在床榻上被蒙面的逆子刺死，在蓝宝石与黄金兽角装饰的华丽大床上留下了不可洗脱的血污。

The story from here is a lackluster one: The peerless vassal king "Parvezravan" would be stabbed to death in his bed by his own masked, unfilial son, and his magnificent bed — once adorned with sapphire and golden animal horns — would be indelibly stained with his blood.

精灵的哀歌如是唱道：希鲁伊在犯下大逆之罪后，曾向母亲希琳痛哭忏悔。而希琳却不加申斥，只是将爱子拥入怀中，摘下象征放逐的黄铜面具，然后为他留下了深情的祝福之吻。

The dirge of the spirits then goes like this: After committing this crime of treason, Shiruyeh wept bitterly before his mother Shirin in repentance. But Shirin did not reprimand him. Rather she took her beloved son into her arms, removed the brass mask symbolizing his exile, and left him with an affectionate kiss of benediction.

希鲁伊称王之后，久为不可摆脱的噩梦折磨，终于在一次狂乱的夜游中，跌入大地的深黑裂隙，不知所踪。再后来，大疫从裂隙中袭来，吞没了居尔城的半数生灵，失去了藩王与臣仆的国度就此一蹶不振，为不知餍足的黄沙逐渐吞没。

After Shiruyeh claimed the throne, he was long tormented by inescapable nightmares until finally, on a frenzied night of wandering, he fell into a deep black chasm in the earth and disappeared. Later, a great plague emerged from that chasm and swallowed up half of the souls in the city of Gurabad. The kingdom, having lost its vassal king and his servants, fell into ruin and was gradually devoured by that insatiable yellow sand.

而流散的幸存者皆称此次灾厄为「希鲁伊之疫」，乃是荒唐的短命暴君所自取的报应。

The scattered survivors of this calamity called it "Shiruyeh's Plague" — the divine retribution invited by the absurdly short-lived despot himself.

至于母后希琳，亦成就了利露法尔的第三个预言——她与她产下的子嗣在被复仇毁灭的国土上赢得了真正的自由，化成了为自负之人报死的恶灵。

As for his mother Shirin, Liloufar's third prophecy was indeed fulfilled — She and the heir she bore won true freedom in a kingdom ravaged by vengeance, and they became evil apparitions, death knells to the conceited.

「有人说，希琳后来被吾主阿赫玛尔所收服，羁押在了精美的银色魔瓶之中。也有人说，她至今还在沙漠中游荡，纠缠着不知天高地厚的冒险家，不知疲倦地找寻着跌进漆黑世界的爱子……」

"Some people say that Shirin was later subdued by my lord Al-Ahmar, who detained her in a magic silver bottle. Others say that she still roams the desert, tormenting overconfident adventurers and tirelessly searching for the beloved child that she lost to that dark world..."

精灵骄傲地微笑着，煞有介事地为故事做了总结。

The fairy smiled proudly, having theatrically concluded the story.

此时，月已上高天，正是沙漠尚未成为沙漠的遥远古代，神姬举行生祭的时刻。

At this time, the moon was already high in the sky, and the distant, ancient time when the desert had not yet become a desert was nigh. It was time for the divine princess to hold the sacrifice.