My future will not copy fair my past—

“未来啊，任你怎样临摹，也描不成

I wrote that once; and thinking at my side

我过去的样本了，”我曾这么写过，

My ministering life-angel justified

以为守护在我身畔的天使会同意

The word by his appealing look upcast

这话，把仰天呼吁的眼光瞥向那

To the white throne of God, I turned at last,

高踞玉座的上帝。待我回过头来，

And there, instead, saw thee, not unallied

看见的却是你，还有你我的天使

To angels in thy soul!  Then I, long tried

结伴在一起！一向为哀怨、病痛

By natural ills, received the comfort fast,

所折磨的我，就把幸福抱得那么紧。

While budding, at thy sight, my pilgrim’s staff

一见了你，我那朝拜的手杖

Gave out green leaves with morning dews impearled.

抽了芽、发出了绿叶，承受着

I seek no copy now of life’s first half:

清晨的露珠。如今，我再不追寻

Leave here the pages with long musing curled,

我生命中前半的样本，让那些反复

And write me new my future’s epigraph,

吟叹、卷了角的书页放过在一边，

New angel mine, unhoped for in the world!

我给我重写出新的一章生命！