I thought I'd take this opportunity to recap the adventure so far. The Redcrosse knight has a long way to go! Here's the entire first stanza in Spenserian, Japanese, Romaji, and my translation:
A Gentle Knight was pricking on the plaine,
Y cladd in mightie armes and siluer shielde,
Wherein old dints of deepe wounds did remaine,
The cruell markes of many a bloudy fielde;
Yet armes till that time did he neuer wield:
His angry steede did chide his foming bitt,
As much disdayning to the curbe to yield:
Full iolly knight he seemd, and faire did sitt,
As one for knightly giusts and fierce encounters fitt.
気高い騎士が野に駒を進めていた。
その身を固めた頑丈な鎧と銀の盾には
幾多の血腥い戦場のむごい記念の
深くくぼんだ古い打ち傷が残っていたが
武器は今まで一度も振るったことはなかった。
猛り立つ馬は、止め轡のままに動くのが
大いに不満なのか、馬銜に苛立ち、泡を吹いていた。
騎士はいかにも凛々しい武者振りで、馬上槍試合にも
激しい合戦にもふさわしい人らしく颯爽と馬に跨っていた。
kedakai kishi ga no ni koma o susumeteita.
sono mi o katameta ganjou na yoroi to gin no tate ni wa
ikuta no chinamagusai senjou no mugoi kinen no
fukaku kubonda furui uchikizu ga nokotteita ga
buki wa ima made ichido mo furutta koto wa nakatta.
takeritatsu uma wa, yamekutsuwa no mama ni ugoku no ga
ooi ni fuman na no ka, hami ni iradachi, awa o fuiteita.
kishi wa ikanimo ririshii mushaburi de, bajou soushigou (?) ni mo
hageshii kassen ni mo fusawashii hitorashiku sassou to uma ni matagatteita.
A noble knight was advancing his steed in a field.
On his body hardened by sturdy armor and silver shield
deeply dented old wounds, the cruel commemorations
of many bloody battlefields, remained, but nevertheless
till now he had never swung his weapons.
His ramping roan, as much bristling to obey the bridle
so much disgruntled by his irritating bit, spouted foam.
The truly gallant knight, seeming fit for furious fights
and knightly battles both, dashingly bestrode his horse.
I can't claim that my version is an improvement, but hopefully I've given you some sense of what the Japanese translation does with Spenser's strange English.
12.18.2008
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