森林腐朽了，森林腐朽而坍塌，
The woods decay, the woods decay and fall,
水汽用哭泣把负载卸给了大地，
The vapours weep their burthen to the ground,
人来了，耕作田地，又躺在地底下安息，
Man comes and tills the field and lies beneath,
一年复一年，天鹅也终于死去。
And after many a summer dies the swan.
只有我，独自把残酷的长生消磨；
Me only cruel immortality
我在你怀抱中渐渐干枯，
Consumes: I wither slowly in thine arms,
在这儿，在这寂静的世界之边缘，
Here at the quiet limit of the world,
一个白发苍苍的鬼影，如幻似梦，
A white-hair'd shadow roaming like a dream
游荡在这常寂无声的东方之天穹、
The ever-silent spaces of the East,
这远铺近卷的朝雾、这霞光明灭的晨曦之中。
Far-folded mists, and gleaming halls of morn.
唉！就是这苍白的鬼影，一度是人——
Alas! for this gray shadow, once a man—
曾因他的美和被你选中而无上荣光，
So glorious in his beauty and thy choice,
是你，使他成为你选中的人，以致他自以为
Who madest him thy chosen, that he seem'd
他那颗伟大的心已可上埒神祇！
To his great heart none other than a God!
我向你请求：“请赐我以长生。”
I ask'd thee, 'Give me immortality.'
于是你一笑就满足了我的愿望，
Then didst thou grant mine asking with a smile,
像个富人，全不在乎他施舍了些什么。
Like wealthy men, who care not how they give.
可你那强硬的“时辰”，一怒之下，实施其意旨，
But thy strong Hours indignant work'd their wills,
And beat me down and marr'd and wasted me,
搞垮了我，损坏了我，糟蹋了我；
And tho' they could not end me, left me maim'd
他们虽不能了结我，却使我以伤残之体
To dwell in presence of immortal youth,
来长日伴随你那不朽常驻的青春；
Immortal age beside immortal youth,
以不死的暮年来匹配不朽的青春，
And all I was, in ashes. Can thy love,
而我已是一堆粪土。难道以你的爱，
Thy beauty, make amends, tho' even now,
你的美，也无从弥补？尽管就在此刻，
Close over us, the silver star, thy guide,
那紧靠着我们的银色的星星，你的前导，
Shines in those tremulous eyes that fill with tears
已在你那双因听我呼唤而充满泪水的
To hear me? Let me go: take back thy gift:
抖颤的眼睛中闪耀。让我去吧，收回你的赐予。
Why should a man desire in any way
为什么做人要有那样一种欲望，
To vary from the kindly race of men
竟想和人类仁慈的种族有所不同，
Or pass beyond the goal of ordinance
或想超越人类命定的目标，那儿，
Where all should pause, as is most meet for all?
恰好就是最适合人的、人人都该止步的地方。
A soft air fans the cloud apart; there comes
一阵轻风吹开了云扉，一瞥之中可见
A glimpse of that dark world where I was born.
我在那里出生的那个黑沉沉的世界。
Once more the old mysterious glimmer steals
又一次，不知不觉地滑下了那古老的神秘曙光，
From thy pure brows, and from thy shoulders pure,
从你纯洁的前额滑下，从你纯洁的肩膀滑下，
And bosom beating with a heart renew'd.
又一次，你胸中跳动起一颗复苏更生的心脏。
Thy cheek begins to redden thro' the gloom,
你的双颊开始透过朦胧的黑暗而泛红，
Thy sweet eyes brighten slowly close to mine,
你甜蜜的双眼，紧挨着我的眼睛，慢慢发亮，
Ere yet they blind the stars, and the wild team
很快就要使众星黯然无光；那不羁的骏马，
Which love thee, yearning for thy yoke, arise,
热爱你，渴望你的车轭，已在踢蹄腾身，
And shake the darkness from their loosen'd manes,
把沉沉夜色从它们蓬松的鬃毛上纷纷摇落，
And beat the twilight into flakes of fire.
把微明的曙色蹬踢成片片焰光。
瞧呀，你总是这样默默地越变越美，
Lo! ever thus thou growest beautiful
不发一言，在你回答我的呼唤之前
In silence, then before thine answer given
就悄然离去，让我脸上沾满了你的泪。
Departest, and thy tears are on my cheek.
为什么你总是要用眼泪吓唬我，
Why wilt thou ever scare me with thy tears,
令我浑身颤栗，就怕那种说法竟是真的——
And make me tremble lest a saying learnt,
在遥远的过去，在漆黑的地上听到的那句话：
In days far-off, on that dark earth, be true?
“哪怕是神，也无法收回自己的赐予。”
'The Gods themselves cannot recall their gifts.'
天哪，天哪，在那遥远的过去，我曾经惯于
Ay me! ay me! with what another heart
以一颗多么不同的心，一双多么不同的眼睛，
In days far-off, and with what other eyes
来注目凝视——如果能说，我，就是当时凝眸者——
I used to watch—if I be he that watch'd—
凝视那围绕你形成的光明的轮廓；
The lucid outline forming round thee; saw
看着暗淡的云卷点燃成灿烂的光环；
The dim curls kindle into sunny rings;
为你神奇的变化而目摇神移，感到我的热血
Changed with thy mystic change, and felt my blood
在沸腾，就像当你降临，在你驾前，升腾起
Glow with the glow that slowly crimson'd all
那缓缓染红一切的光焰。我躺在那儿，
Thy presence and thy portals, while I lay,
我的嘴、额、眼睑，含露带温，承受着香吻连连，
Mouth, forehead, eyelids, growing dewy-warm
其芬芳胜于四月间半开未放的花蕾。
With kisses balmier than half-opening buds
又听到吻我的香唇，娓娓喃喃，
Of April, and could hear the lips that kiss'd
吐出不知是何等样的狂热和甜蜜，
Whispering I knew not what of wild and sweet,
就像我曾听到过的阿波罗奇妙的歌，
Like that strange song I heard Apollo sing,
他一唱，伊利昂城堡就雾一般平地耸立。
While Ilion like a mist rose into towers.
请别把我永远永远留在你那东方，
Yet hold me not for ever in thine East:
我的本性怎能长久和你相互混同？
How can my nature longer mix with thine?
你那玫瑰色的光影冷冷地浸浴着我，
Coldly thy rosy shadows bathe me, cold
你的光明全是清寒冰冻；踩在你的门沿上，
Are all thy lights, and cold my wrinkled feet
我皱巴巴的双足凛凛生凉——当重重水汽
Upon thy glimmering thresholds, when the steam
从朦胧的田地上浮起，那儿，
Floats up from those dim fields about the homes
是那些有本领死亡的幸运人们的家，
Of happy men that have the power to die,
是那些更幸运的已死者铺满芳草的青冢。
And grassy barrows of the happier dead.
放了我吧，把我送还给大地。
Release me, and restore me to the ground;
无所不见的你呀，你将见到我的墓；
Thou seëst all things, thou wilt see my grave:
一天又一天，你将更新你的美，
Thou wilt renew thy beauty morn by morn;
我将忘掉那虚幻的调情，复归于泥土，
I earth in earth forget these empty courts,
而你则驾着银色的车辇步上归程。
And thee returning on thy silver wheels.