作者简介
沃特·雷利Walter Raleigh(1554-1618),英国伊丽莎白时代的宫廷诗人。沃特?雷利出生在德文郡。曾经在牛津大学就读,参加过法国宗教战争,之后在伦敦学习法律,逐渐结交了宫廷和知识界的朋友。雷利一生中写过许多诗歌,大多以手稿形式流传在外。他的诗歌多为抒情短诗,其特点是在彼特拉克式 (Petrarchan)的爱情主题中,掺入自己对人类生活环境的思考,表达了对生命无常和时光短暂的感慨,时常带有伤感抑郁之情。
Fall the world and love were young,
And truth in every shepherd's tongue,
These pretty pleasures might me move
To live with thee and be thy love.
假若世界和爱情永远年轻,
假若牧羊人的话句句成真,
这些美妙快乐能把我打动,
和你一起生活成为你的爱人。
Time drives the flocks from field to fold,
When rivers rage and rocks grow cold,
And Philomel becometh dumb;
The rest complains of cares to come.
时间驱羊群从田野到羊圈,
当河水开始愤怒岩石渐冷,
夜莺此时也变得沉默不语,
其余的鸟兽也把未来忧患。
The flowers do fade, and wanton fields
To wayward winter reckoning yields:
A honey tongue, a heart of gall,
Is fancy's spring, but sorrow's fall.
花儿会枯萎凋谢,油绿的田野
会屈从于寒冬的肆虐;
甜美的言语,冷酷的心扉,
是美梦的春天,悲哀的秋天。
The gowns, thy shoes, thy beds of roses,
Thy cap, thy kirtle, and thy posies
Soon break, soon wither, soon forgotten,
In folly ripe, in reason rotten.
你那长袍那鞋子和玫瑰婚床,
你那花冠那长裙和花束芳香,
很快枯萎破旧被人遗忘脑后,
它们在痴想中长成,在理想中消亡。
Thy belt of straw and ivy buds,
Thy coral clasps and amber studs,
All these in me no means can move
To come to thee and be thy love.
那青草和常青藤编制的腰带,
点缀上珊瑚扣和琥珀的钮饰,
所有这些毫不能打动我的心,
和你一起生活成为你的爱人。
But could youth last and love still breed,
Had joys no date nor age no need,
Then these delights my mind might move
To live with thee and be thy love.
但假若青春不老爱意长存,
假若快乐无边岁月无尽,
这些快乐才能打动我的心,
和你一起生活成为你的爱人。