城市刘淼 译

The CityJohn Cavafy 译


你说,”我要去另一个国度,另一片海洋
You said: “I will go hence to another land,
去找另一个城市,比现在这个强
I will betake me to another sea.
在这里我无论怎样努力,命运总是将我击败
A better place than this may well be found.
它把我的心──像一具死尸那样──埋葬
All my endeavours are foredoomed to fail,
还要多久,我的灵魂才能摆脱这片荒野
and as though dead my heart is sepulchred.
举目四望,所见一切
How long shall this corrosion sap my brain?
无非是我生命的黑色废墟
On every side — whichever way I look —
那被我荒度和摧毁了的岁月”
dark ruins of my life confront me here

where I have spent and wrecked so many years.”
你找不到另一个国度,另一片海洋

这城市将尾随着你。你逛的小巷还是同样的小巷
You shall not find new places; other seas
你住在同样的街区上,生活、衰老
you shall not find. The place shall follow you.
住在同样的房子里,直至白发苍苍
And you shall walk the same familiar streets,
你到达的城市永远是同一个。别指望别样──
and you shall age in the same neighbourhood,
没有船只等你起航,没有道路待你远行
and whiten in these same houses. Ever this place
在这个角落里你毁坏了你的生命
shall you arrive at. There is neither ship,
等于是在整个世界里毁坏了它
nor road, for you, to bring you otherwhere.
As here, in this small nook, you wrecked your life,
even so you spoilt it over all the earth.


添加译本