Thy trivial harp will never please

你那低回的竖琴永不能令我欢欣，

Or fill my craving ear;

或填满我渴求的耳朵，

Its chords should ring as blows the breeze,

弦的弹奏当如天地间风的运行，

Free, peremptory, clear.

自由，超迈，大气磅礴。

No jingling serenader's art,

小夜曲的婉转低吟，

Nor tinkle of piano strings,

钢琴的清脆音符，

Can make the wild blood start

哪能将野性的血惊醒

In its mystic springs.

自神秘的深处？

The kingly bard

诗人当如君王，

Must smite the chords rudely and hard,

击打琴弦必须有野蛮雄健的力量，

As with hammer or with mace;

仿佛用权杖或铁锤驱遣

That they may render back

雷霆般的技艺

Artful thunder, which conveys

奔驰在琴弦之间，

Secrets of the solar track,

揭示太阳旋转的秘密，

Sparks of the supersolar blaze.

和辽远星球的火焰。

Merlin's blows are strokes of fate,

梅林的敲击是命运的敲击，

Chiming with the forest tone,

它应和着森林里的声音，

When boughs buffet boughs in the wood;

当枝干猛烈撞击着枝干；

Chiming with the gasp and moan

它应和着洪流沉闷的呻吟，

Of the ice-imprisoned flood;

当冰的囚室在春天里震颤；

With the pulse of manly hearts;

它应和着演说家奔涌的言辞，

With the voice of orators;

应和着阳刚灵魂的脉动，

With the din of city arts;

应和着熙攘喧嚣的城市，

With the cannonade of wars;

应和着炮火连天的战争，

With the marches of the brave;

应和着勇士慷慨的行进，

And prayers of might from martyrs' cave.

应和着洞穴里回荡的圣徒的歌音。

Great is the art,

伟大的诗艺

Great be the manners, of the bard.

必定有伟大的气质。

He shall not his brain encumber

诗人不会用节奏和格律

With the coil of rhythm and number;

将他的思想束缚，

But, leaving rule and pale forethought,

而要抛开一切陈规；

He shall aye climb

他将不断攀登

For his rhyme.

朝着诗韵的巅峰。

'Pass in, pass in,' the angels say,

“进来，进来，”天使说，

'In to the upper doors,

“进入最上面的门，

Nor count compartments of the floors,

不要数下面有多少层，

But mount to paradise

一级级靠近乐园的景致

By the stairway of surprise.'

沿着那惊奇的楼梯。”

Blameless master of the games,

他是游戏之王，熟谙自己的技艺，

King of sport that never shames,

永不愧疚，无可挑剔，

He shall daily joy dispense

他将每日的快乐分赐，

Hid in song's sweet influence.

藏在诗歌的甜蜜流体里。

Forms more cheerly live and go,

当他玄妙的心灵

What time the subtle mind

高声唱出自己的乐音，

Sings aloud the tune whereto

意念便纷纷幻化显形，

Their pulses beat,

它们和着曲调，

And march their feet,

一边走，一边手舞足蹈，

And their members are combined.

汇成浩浩荡荡的大军。

By Sybarites beguiled,

这丰富的快乐令他沉迷，

He shall no task decline;

他把一切主题歌唱；

Merlin's mighty line

梅林雄健的诗行

Extremes of nature reconciled,—

足以化解自然的一切对立，——

Bereaved a tyrant of his will,

他剥夺暴君的意志，

And made the lion mild.

他给狮子温和的脾气，

Songs can the tempest still,

他的歌声撒在翻涌的空气里，

Scattered on the stormy air,

便平息了迫近的风暴，

Mould the year to fair increase,

他让季节宁静地生长，

And bring in poetic peace.

像诗歌一样安详。

如果没有灵感，情绪低落，

He shall not seek to weave,

他不会奢望去编织

In weak, unhappy times,

惊人的诗；

Efficacious rhymes;

他会静待力量恢复。

Wait his returning strength.

就像鸟儿从休歇的地方

Bird that from the nadir's floor

向天空的最高处扶摇直上，——

To the zenith's top can soar,—

即使这也远远不及缪斯翱翔的高度。

The soaring orbit of the muse exceeds that journey's length.

他也不会如此僭越，

Nor profane affect to hit

以为凭巧智就可达到那样的境界，

Or compass that, by meddling wit,

它只属于特定的灵魂，

Which only the propitious mind

特定的时辰。

Publishes when 't is inclined.

有时世界仿佛豁然敞亮，

There are open hours

上帝的意志自由驰骋，

When the God's will sallies free,

那时即使白痴也会惊醒，

And the dull idiot might see

洞见千年里人世的变迁，——

The flowing fortunes of a thousand years;—

突然，不经意间，

Sudden, at unawares,

我们被自己触动，冲到门边眺望，

Self-moved, fly-to the doors.

即使天使的剑也无法呈现

Nor sword of angels could reveal

它们隐匿的景观。

What they conceal.