第14章 Short Selections in Poetry 诗歌节选

I. THE CLOUD.

A cloud lay cradled near the setting sun,

A gleam of crimson tinged its braided snow;

Long had I watched the glory moving on,

O'er the still radiance of the lake below:

Tranquil its spirit seemed, and floated slow,

E'en in its very motion there was rest,

While every breath of eve that chanced to blow,

Wafted the traveler to the beauteous west.

Emblem, methought, of the departed soul,

To whose white robe the gleam of bliss is given, And by the breath of mercy made to roll

Right onward to the golden gate of heaven,

While to the eye of faith it peaceful lies,

And tells to man his glorious destinies.

—John Wilson.

II. MY MIND.

My mind to me a kingdom is;

Such perfect joy therein I find,

As far exceeds all earthly bliss

That God or nature hath assigned;

Though much I want that most would have, Yet still my mind forbids to crave.

III. A GOOD NAME.

Good name, in man or woman, dear my lord,

Is the immediate jewel of their souls.

Who steals my purse, steals trash; 'tis something, nothing;'Twas mine, 'tis his, and has been slave to thousands;

But he that filches from me my good name,

Robs me of that which not enriches him,

And makes me poor indeed.

Shakespeare.—Othello,Act III,Scene III.

IV. SUNRISE.

But yonder comes the powerful king of day,Rejoicing in the east. The lessening cloud,

The kindling azure, and the mountain's brow

Illumed with liquid gold, his near approach

Betoken glad. Lo! now apparent all,

Aslant the dew-bright earth and colored air

He looks in boundless majesty abroad,

And sheds the shining day that, burnished, plays

On rocks, and hills, and towers, and wandering streams,

High gleaming from afar.

Thomson.

V. OLD AGE AND DEATH.

Edmund Waller, 1605-1687, an English poet, was a cousin of John Hampden, and related to Oliver Cromwell. He was educated at Eton and Cambridge. Waller was for many years a member of Parliament. He took part in the civil war, and was detected in a treasonable plot. Several years of his life were spent in exile in France. After the Restoration he came into favor at court. His poetry is celebrated for smoothness and sweetness, but is disfigured by affected conceits.

The seas are quiet when the winds give o'er;

So calm are we when passions are no more.

For then we know how vain it was to boast

Of fleeting things, too certain to be lost.

Clouds of affection from our younger eyes

Conceal that emptiness which age descries.

The soul's dark cottage, battered and decayed,

Lets in new light through chinks that time has made:

Stronger by weakness, wiser men become,

As they draw near to their eternal home.

Leaving the old, both worlds at once they view,

That stand upon the threshold of the new.

VI. MILTON.

John Dryden, 1631-1703, was a noted English writer, who was made poet laureate by James II. On the expulsion of James, and the accession of William and Mary, Dryden lost his offices and pension, and was compelled to earn his bread by literary work. It was during these last years of his life that his best work was done. His "Ode for St. Cecilia's Day" is one of his most, celebrated poems. His prose writings are specimens of good, strong English.

Three poets, in three distant ages born,

Greece, Italy, and England did adorn;

The first in loftiness of thought surpassed,

The next in majesty, in both the last.

The force of nature could no further go;

To make a third she joined the other two.

1．云

一片云朵轻轻地躺在落日近处，

深红色的光芒染红了点缀状的积雪；

我久久地凝视着移动的光辉，

底下的湖水也闪烁着耀眼的光芒；

它的神情看似平静，起伏不大，

即使是刹那的瞬间，它也纹丝不动，

夜晚偶然刮起了大风，

把旅行者吹向美丽的西部。

我想，这象征已经逝去的灵魂，

它那洁白的长袍饱含美好的祝愿，

在仁慈的微风下摇曳，

向上直抵天堂金灿灿的大门，

虔诚的眼神安静而和善，

仿佛在向我述说光辉的使命。

约翰·威尔逊

2．我的内心

对我来说，我的内心就是一个王国；

我在里面发现了如此完美的快乐，

它超越了上帝或大自然

赐予的世俗的快乐；

尽管我需求的很多，但是我得到的更多，

我的内心依旧禁锢着我的渴望。

3．好名声

我敬爱的主人，无论是男人还是女人，

好名声都是他们灵魂深处最贴近的宝藏。

那些偷走我钱包的人，偷走的是不值钱的东西，不要也罢，

从我的手里传到他人的手里，奴役千万人；

但是，那个窃取我好名声的人，

他并没有变得富有，

而我却因此一贫如洗。

莎士比亚《奥赛罗》第三幕第三场

4．日出

从远处走来的是统治蓝天白云的国王，

他在东方欣喜若狂。渐渐稀薄的云彩，

折射出耀眼的蔚蓝，还有高山的沟壑，

映照出流金色彩，他翩翩起舞，

流露出欢快的真情。看呀！现在一切是那么清澈，

露珠欲滴的大地正在倾斜，还有五颜六色的空气，

他那至高无上的权威，

在春光明媚的空中散播，倾洒在

岩石上、山谷间，还有塔楼和曲折的小溪，

从远处闪耀灿烂的光辉。

汤姆逊

5．老年和死亡

埃德蒙·沃勒（1605～1687年），英国诗人，约翰·汉普登的表兄弟，同奥利弗·克伦威尔是亲戚。曾就读于伊顿公学和剑桥大学。沃勒在国会当了很多年议员。后来参加内战，因为涉嫌叛国被逮捕，之后被放逐到法国，在法国待了好几年。内战结束后，他进入法院从事法律工作。他的诗以简洁柔和著称，但他的自负严重影响了他的声誉。

风过后，海上风平浪静；

当我们激情不再时，心里竟然如此平静。

因为我们知道稍纵即逝的东西

多么虚妄，一去不复返。

爱情的云朵从我们眼前飘过，

揭示了岁月掩盖的空虚。

灵魂深处的黑暗囚舍，松垮且腐朽，

让新的光芒穿透时光的裂缝：

当他们距离永恒的家园越来越近，

睿智者会由弱小变得强大。

告别晚年，他们很快会看到，两个世界

就矗立在新世界的门槛上。

6．弥尔顿

约翰·德莱顿（1631～1703年），著名英国作家，曾被詹姆斯二世授予“桂冠诗人”称号。在詹姆斯、威廉和玛丽遭到驱逐的时候，德莱顿丢掉了工作，也没有了薪水，被迫通过撰写文学作品来养家糊口。正是在这些年里，他创作出了人生中最好的作品。《圣塞西莉亚颂歌》是他最著名的诗歌之一。他的散文是英语的写作典范。

三位诗人，出生在彼此相距遥远的年代，

希腊、意大利和英格兰，他们都备受尊崇；

第一位诗人思想超群，

第二位诗人雄伟庄严，第三位二者兼具。

大自然的天生神力不过就这样；

将前两个人结合，造就第三位。