Roland is dead, Cuchulain's crest is low,

罗兰德死了，库丘兰*的纹章消沉，

The battered war-rear wastes and turns to rust,

连遭猛击的战争后方，毁坏殆尽，变成铁锈，

And Helen's eyes and Iseult's lips are dust

海伦的眼睛和伊索的嘴唇是灰尘

And dust the shoulders and the breasts of snow.

和灰尘，雪的肩膀和胸脯。

The faerie people from our woods are gone,

精灵们从我们树林里离开了，

No Dryads have I found in all our trees,

在我们所有的树上我再也找不到树妖，

No Triton blows his horn about our seas

再没有特里同*在我们的海上吹角，

And Arthur sleeps far hence in Avalon.

亚瑟王*自此沉睡于阿瓦隆*。

The ancient songs they wither as the grass

古老的歌谣，它们枯萎，如草，

And waste as doth a garment waxen old,

它们废弃，仿佛外衣蜡黄破旧，

All poets have been fools who thought to mould

那些诗人全都成了傻瓜他们想要塑造

A monument more durable than brass.

一座比黄铜更持久的纪念碑。

为这些腐朽：而不是为那些腐朽

For these decay: but not for that decays

人类向往的、崇高的、反叛的精神

The yearning, high, rebellious spirit of man

自生命开始于反抗红色自然及其道路

That never rested yet since life began

还从未休息。

From striving with red Nature and her ways.

如今，在战争的污秽、狂暴斗士的

Now in the filth of war, the baresark shout

呐喊中，它被激怒。然而，仍如此经常地

Of battle, it is vexed. And yet so oft

从远古的深渊中，它高高崛起

Out of the deeps, of old, it rose aloft

使那些观察时代的人可以毫不怀疑。

That they who watch the ages may not doubt.

虽常伤痕累累，常被棍棒打断，

仍像凤凰，浴火重生

Though often bruised, oft broken by the rod,

被击打的灵抬起头

Yet, like the phoenix, from each fiery bed

越来越高——直到野兽变成神。

Higher the stricken spirit lifts its head

And higher-till the beast become a god.

【译注】

1.Cuchulain，库丘兰，爱尔兰神话中半神半人的英雄。

2.Triton， 特里同，希腊神话中半人半神的人鱼，系海神波塞冬及安菲特里忒之子，他有一个海螺壳作号角用。

3.Arthur，亚瑟王，传说中六世纪前后英国的国王，圆桌骑士团的首领。

4.Avalon，阿瓦隆，凯尔特族传说中的西方乐土岛。