∥歌詞大意  ∥單字／文句解釋   ∥學習指引 ∥回歌手目錄∥參考資料∥相關連結∥ 版權∥

　

　


 


Don McLean 

  "Starry Night" 


       "Sunflower"

  Van Gogh 

 

Vincent by Don McLean

          Shadows on the hills 
          Sketch the trees and the daffodils 
          Catch the breeze and the winter chills  
          In colors on the snowy linen land.  

          Now I understand 
          What you tried to say, to me 
          And how you suffered for your sanity 
          And how you tried to set them free: 
          They would not listen; they did not know how -- 
          Perhaps they'll listen now. 

          Starry, starry night 
          Flaming flowers that brightly blaze  Swirling clouds in violet haze 
          Reflect in Vincent's eyes of china blue 
          Colors changing hue 
          Morning fields of amber grain 
          Weathered faces lined in pain  
          Are soothed beneath the artist's loving hand. 
 
          Now I understand 
          What you tried to say, to me 
          And how you suffered for your sanity 
          And how you tried to set them free: 
          They would not listen; they did not know how-- 
          Perhaps they'll listen now. 

          For they could not love you 
          But still, your love was true 
          And when no hope was left inside 
          On that starry, starry night 
          You took your life as lovers often do-- 
          But I could've told you, Vincent:  
          This world was never meant  
          For one as beautiful as you. 

          Starry, Starry night 
          Portraits hung in empty halls  
          Frameless heads on nameless walls  
          With eyes that watch the world and can't forget 
          Like the strangers that you've met 
          The ragged men in ragged clothes 
          The silver thorn, a bloody rose  
          Lie crushed and broken on the virgin snow. 

          Now I think I know 
          What you tried to say, to me 
          And how you suffered for your sanity 
          And how you tried to set them free: 
          They would not listen; they're not listening still-- 
          Perhaps they never will. 
          [Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890) Dutch Painter] 


 
 

歌詞大意：

Don McLean為梵谷的畫所深深感動，寫下這首歌。曲中對於星夜等幾幅畫有文字的描述，同時也感嘆梵谷的藝術不為當時社會所賞識，以及其窮苦潦倒、英年早逝的生活。曲末道出：Perhaps they never will，懷疑現代社會真的能夠了解梵谷畫中所欲傳達的訊息。欲欣賞此首歌曲的含意，必須大略了解梵谷的生平 (取自「藝術大師」網頁）。
　

 

單字／文句解釋：﹙以下所列僅為最可能適切的中文解釋，讀者應自己查詢英漢或英英辭典）

Look out on a summer's day/ With eyes that know the darkness in my soul... (You look out...)你以暸解我靈魂黑暗面的雙眼看向外面的夏日。（表示梵谷的畫表達了人類靈魂的黑暗面－－饑渴、孤獨．．．。）

Catch the breeze and the winter chills/ In colors on the snowy linen land. 你以覆著雪的亞麻地的顏色捕捉了冬日的寒風與冰冷。
 

how you suffered for your sanity  梵谷藝術家的真知被視作瘋癲，因而受苦。
　

Weathered faces lined in pain/ Are soothed beneath the artist's loving hand.  ：梵谷畫出一排飽經風霜與痛苦的人們，但是由於他們的痛苦被梵谷充滿愛的筆所刻劃出來，能被人體會，因此痛苦似乎也就得到了一些慰藉。

But I could've told you, Vincent:/ This world was never meant/ For one as beautiful as you：如果當時我認識你的話，我就會告訴你，這個世界配不上你如此美好的一個人。meant for 為了。

Portraits hung in empty halls/ Frameless heads on nameless walls/ With eyes that watch the world and can't forget ：（應該是指梵谷畫過許多的自畫像）掛在空洞大廳裡的畫像（比喻他的孤獨），是一個個在無名牆上沒有加框的頭（我不知道這裡是否有特別的含意，就字面意義而言應該是在形容他的窮困潦倒），都帶著一雙無法忘懷世界的眼睛（對世界的熱情）。

The silver thorn, a bloody rose/ Lie crushed and broken on the virgin snow：（這與前面的Portraits, heads 應該都是指梵谷）被壓垮、受傷的銀色的刺，猩紅的玫瑰躺在初雪上（同樣的，我不知道這裡是否指涉到梵谷的畫，但是用來比喻梵谷被生活所壓垮卻是相當動人）。
 

學習指引 ：

　

參考資料：

American Pie, 1971, EMI (1998, Mobile Fidelity)

相關連結：

介紹梵谷的網頁

Vincent van Gogh Information Gallery

World of Vincent Van Gogh

版權：本頁除歌詞之外之著述版權為林文淇所有。歡迎一切為教學與其他非營利目的所作的翻印等使用。

    updated by 陳采瑛


  回到頁首