罗兰德死了，库丘兰*的纹章消沉，

Roland is dead, Cuchulain's crest is low,

连遭猛击的战争后方，毁坏殆尽，变成铁锈，

The battered war-rear wastes and turns to rust,

海伦的眼睛和伊索的嘴唇是灰尘

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

和灰尘，雪的肩膀和胸脯。

And dust the shoulders and the breasts of snow.

精灵们从我们树林里离开了，

The faerie people from our woods are gone,

在我们所有的树上我再也找不到树妖，

No Dryads have I found in all our trees,

再没有特里同*在我们的海上吹角，

No Triton blows his horn about our seas

亚瑟王*自此沉睡于阿瓦隆*。

And Arthur sleeps far hence in Avalon.

古老的歌谣，它们枯萎，如草，

The ancient songs they wither as the grass

它们废弃，仿佛外衣蜡黄破旧，

And waste as doth a garment waxen old,

那些诗人全都成了傻瓜他们想要塑造

All poets have been fools who thought to mould

一座比黄铜更持久的纪念碑。

A monument more durable than brass.

为这些腐朽：而不是为那些腐朽

人类向往的、崇高的、反叛的精神

For these decay: but not for that decays

自生命开始于反抗红色自然及其道路

The yearning, high, rebellious spirit of man

还从未休息。

That never rested yet since life began

如今，在战争的污秽、狂暴斗士的

From striving with red Nature and her ways.

呐喊中，它被激怒。然而，仍如此经常地

Now in the filth of war, the baresark shout

从远古的深渊中，它高高崛起

Of battle, it is vexed. And yet so oft

使那些观察时代的人可以毫不怀疑。

Out of the deeps, of old, it rose aloft

虽常伤痕累累，常被棍棒打断，

That they who watch the ages may not doubt.

仍像凤凰，浴火重生

被击打的灵抬起头

Though often bruised, oft broken by the rod,

越来越高——直到野兽变成神。

Yet, like the phoenix, from each fiery bed

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。