頌詩譯選

神的僕人，作得成功

凌風 譯

“神的僕人，作得成功；
　　息了你所愛的工；
勝利已得到，戰爭已打過，
　　進來同享你主人的歡樂。”
呼聲臨到時在夜半，
　　他上升去就聽見，
死亡的箭穿過他的軀殼，
　　他倒下去—卻全無懼怯。
在驚惶中能夠安詳，
　　當他身在疆場，
久年的戰士和甲睡眠，
　　在他紅十字架的盾牌下面：
仍有餘溫留在他手中的劍，
　　是因他新近的奮戰；
命令一下，即時可以前征，
　　冒着矢石衝鋒。
時在夜半呼聲來臨，
　　“預備迎見你的神！”
他醒起—元帥已經注意看到；
　　信心堅定正在禱告，
他的靈魂，歡躍前赴，
　　衝破現住的泥土；
日出時，遺留在地上，
　　是他殘破黝黑的營帳。
痛苦和死亡都成為往事，
　　勞苦和憂傷終止；
生命長久的戰爭終於完成，
　　他的靈魂進入和平。
基督的戰士！圓滿功成，
　　頌讚是你新的事奉；
在那無盡的永世，
　　同救主享受歡樂安息。
　　　

蒙歌馬利（James Montgomery, 1771-1854）
蘇格蘭詩人，報紙編輯。

Servant of God, Well Done

"Servant of God, well done;
　　Rest from thy loved employ;
The battle fought, the victory won,
　　Enter thy Master's joy."
The voice at midnight came;
　　He started up to hear,
A mortal arrow pierced his frame:
　　He fell,—but felt no fear.
Tranquil amidst alarms,
　　It found him in the field,
A veteran slumbering on his arms,
　　Beneath his red-cross shield:
His sword was in his hand,
　　Still warm with recent fight;
Ready that moment, at command,
　　Through rock and steel to smite.
At midnight came the cry,
　　"To meet thy God prepare!"
He woke,—and caught his Captain's eye;
　　Then, strong in faith and prayer,
His spirit, with a bound,
　　Burst its encumbering clay;
His tent, at sunrise, on the ground,
　　A darkened ruin lay.
The pains of death are past,
　　Labour and sorrow cease;
And life's long warfare closed at last,
　　His soul is found in peace.
Soldier of Christ! well done;
　　Praise be thy new employ;
And while eternal ages run,
　　Rest in thy Saviour's joy.

James Montgomery, 1771-1854
　　　 Scotish newspaper publisher & hymn writer
　　　 * Verses occasioned by the sudden death of the
　　　 Rev. Thomas Taylor, who had preached the previous evening.