I

1

That is no country for old men. The young

那不是老人的国度。青年

In one another’s arms, birds in the trees —

在彼此臂弯中，鸟在树上

Those dying generations — at their song,

——那些垂死的世代——在歌唱，

The salmon-falls, the mackerel-crowded seas,

鲑鱼的瀑布，鲭鱼云集的海，

Fish, flesh, or fowl, commend all summer long

鱼、兽和禽鸟，终夏都在赞扬

Whatever is begotten, born, and dies.

任何受孕、出生与死亡。

Caught in that sensual music all neglect

沉溺于感官的音乐而个个

Monuments of unageing intellect.

疏忽了不朽智慧的丰碑。

II

2

An aged man is but a paltry thing,

A tattered coat upon a stick, unless

一个老者不过是一件废物，

Soul clap its hands and sing, and louder sing

一件破衣烂衫支在杆上，

For every tatter in its mortal dress,

除非灵魂拍手歌唱，更大声唱

Nor is there singing school but studying

为了它尘世衣衫的每片破布，

Monuments of its own magnificence;

但这没有歌唱学校，有的是

And therefore I have sailed the seas and come

研究它自己壮丽丰碑的地方；

To the holy city of Byzantium.

于是我便航过海洋来到

拜占庭这神圣的城邦。

III

O sages standing in God’s holy fire

3

As in the gold mosaic of a wall，

Come from the holy fire, perne in a gyre,

哦，立于神之圣火中的智者们

And be the singing-masters of my soul.

如在一面墙上鎏金的镶嵌画，

Consume my heart away; sick with desire

从圣火中出来吧，在环流中飞旋

And fastened to a dying animal

成为我灵魂的众歌唱导师。

It knows not what it is; and gather me

毁灭我的心吧；它思欲成病

Into the artifice of eternity.

且被绑在这具将死的动物身上

不认得它自己；再聚敛我

IV

进入永恒之技艺。

Once out of nature I shall never take

My bodily form from any natural thing,

4

But such a form as Grecian goldsmiths make

Of hammered gold and gold enamelling

一旦脱越自然，我将决不择取

To keep a drowsy Emperor awake;

任何自然事物做我的身形，

Or set upon a golden bough to sing

却要的是像希腊金匠打造的

To lords and ladies of Byzantium

那锻金与釉金的造型

Of what is past, or passing, or to come.

来使昏沉的皇帝保持清醒；

或跳到金枝上歌唱给

拜占庭的贵族与淑女们

关于已逝、正流逝的和将来的事情。