大きな古時計 （My Grandfather's Clock）

叮噹在一次不定期清理電腦文件的過程中，偶然翻開了一個音樂文件庫，夾內儲存的音樂寥寥可數，倒是一首東瀛歌曲吸引叮噹的注目。叮噹不由自主地移動滑鼠，按下播放按鈕，美妙的樂聲緩緩在空中放送。

這一首東瀛歌曲「大きな古時計」改編自花旗詩人及作曲家亨利‧克萊‧約克（Henry Clay Work）的作品－「祖父的時鐘（My Grandfather's Clock）」。因著曲詞旋律優美，民歌自一八七六年面世以後，一直深受花旗國民的愛戴。歌曲大受歡迎，廣泛流傳各地，後來更被改編成為多國語言，其中東瀛歌手平井堅（Ken Hirai）演釋的版本最為出色，成了叮噹喜愛的版本之一。

 

花旗詩人及作曲家亨利‧克萊‧約克（Henry Clay Work）

東瀛歌手平井堅（Ken Hirai）演釋的「大きな古時計」

話說四十年代，隨著戰爭結束，民歌流傳到東瀛，翻譯成為當地流行的童謠。東瀛名作詞家保富康午對花旗民謠進行了一點歌詞的調整，雖然如此，歌曲仍保留著英文原創版本所表達的意境。

東瀛卡通片櫻桃小丸子與同學們一起合唱童謠「大きな古時計」

The King's Singers - Grandfather's Clock（大きな古時計 ） 

是的，略帶傷感的「祖父的時鐘」是一首充滿哀愁的歌曲。憂怨情感的背後，又讓人永遠懷念離世親人送給我們的美好情誼。時鐘雖然不再擺動，但親人的愛卻永遠長存心裡，不會止息。

亨利‧克萊‧約克的小資料：

亨利‧克萊‧約克（Henry Clay Work）（1832 - 1884）是美國著名詩人及作曲家。

亨利誕生於康乃狄克州（Connecticut）的米德爾敦（Middletown）。亨利的父親反對奴隸制度，亦是一位積極參與廢除奴隸主義聯盟的支持者，因此他的家庭時常成為黑奴逃往別處的避難所，他的父親亦曾因協助黑奴而被監禁。

二十三歲的亨利於芝加哥（Chicago）擔任印刷工人，因此很多機會接觸關於不同樂器的印刷品。據稱自學成才的亨利在沒有鋼琴的情況下，常以印刷機械的噪音作為靈感，於工作期間進行作曲。

亨利第一首創作歌曲是「我們來了，瑪麗修女（We Are Coming, Sister Mary）」，後來更成為「克里斯蒂‧文士曹節目（Christy's Minstrels show）」的主打歌曲。然而廣為世人熟悉的歌曲如1863年的「王國來了（Kingdom Coming）」和1876年的「祖父的時鐘（My Grandfather's Clock）」等等都是膾炙人口的音樂作品。

My grandfather's clock

 Song and Chorus: Henry Clay Work 

Sung by: Edison Quartet

My grandfather's clock was too large for the shelf,

So it stood ninety years on the floor;

It was taller by half than the old man himself,

Though it weighed not a pennyweight more.

It was bought on the morn of the day that he was born,

And was always his treasure and pride;

But it stopped short — never to go again —

When the old man died.

Ninety years without slumbering (tick, tock, tick, tock),

His life's seconds numbering, (tick, tock, tick, tock),

It stopp'd short — never to go again —

When the old man died.

In watching its pendulum swing to and fro,

Many hours had he spent while a boy;

And in childhood and manhood the clock seemed to know

And to share both his grief and his joy.

For it struck twenty-four when he entered at the door,

With a blooming and beautiful bride;

But it stopped short — never to go again —

When the old man died.

Ninety years without slumbering (tick, tock, tick, tock),

His life's seconds numbering, (tick, tock, tick, tock),

It stopped short — never to go again —

When the old man died.

My grandfather said that of those he could hire,

Not a servant so faithful he found;

For it wasted no time, and had but one desire —

At the close of each week to be wound.

And it kept in its place — not a frown upon its face,

And its hands never hung by its side.

But it stopped short — never to go again —

When the old man died.

Ninety years without slumbering (tick, tock, tick, tock),

His life's seconds numbering, (tick, tock, tick, tock),

It stopp'd short — never to go again —

When the old man died.

It rang an alarm in the dead of the night —

An alarm that for years had been dumb;

And we knew that his spirit was pluming for flight —

That his hour of departure had come.

Still the clock kept the time, with a soft and muffled chime,

As we silently stood by his side;

But it stopped short — never to go again —

When the old man died.

Ninety years without slumbering (tick, tock, tick, tock),

His life's seconds numbering, (tick, tock, tick, tock),

It stopped short — never to go again —

When the old man died.

「祖父的時鐘（My Grandfather's Clock）」自1876年面世以來，一直大受歡迎，更被愛迪生四重唱（Edison Quartet）組合將此歌曲收錄於1905年出品的「8967愛迪生金唱片（Edison Gold Moulded Record 8967）」內。

 

愛迪生四重唱（Edison Quartet）組合

關於這一首歌曲的背景故事有兩個傳說。第一個傳說是作曲家亨利‧克萊‧約克透過伴隨祖父一生的老時鐘故事來回顧祖父由誕生、結婚而至老死的一生，曲子在嘀答不歇的鐘擺節奏中進行，藉著矗立家中的大時鐘娓娓敘述生命的悲喜。然而古老時鐘最後亦在祖父逝世那一刻而停止擺動，哀傷感人。

另一個傳說則是來自詹金斯（Jenkins）兄弟的故事。話説詹金斯兄弟在英國小鎮平斯別西（Piercebridge）開了一間名為喬治的旅館（George Hotel）。旅館的大廳放著一座直立的大時鐘。大時鐘功能很好，報時準確。可惜在哥哥去世後，本來精確報時的大鐘慢慢失準，越走越慢。鐘錶匠試圖修理大鐘，可是徒勞無功。後來大時鐘更在九十歲高齡弟弟去世當天，停止擺動，雖然旅館新主­人試圖請鐘錶匠來修理時鐘，但不成功。最後大時鐘只能成為旅館的擺設，安安靜靜放在大廳的角落。

謝謝大家喜歡叮噹的小窩