I

1

That is no country for old men. The young

那地方可不是老年人呆的。青年人

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

互相擁抱著，書上的的鳥類

Those dying generations — at their song,

——那些垂死世代——在歌吟，

The salmon-falls, the mackerel-crowded seas,

有鮭魚的瀑布，有鯖魚的大海，

Fish, flesh, or fowl, commend all summer long

魚肉禽整個夏天都贊揚個不停

Whatever is begotten, born, and dies.

一切被養育、降生和死亡著。

Caught in that sensual music all neglect

他們都迷戀於種種肉感的音樂，

Monuments of unageing intellect.

忽視了不朽的理性的傑作。

II

2

An aged man is but a paltry thing,

一個老年人不過是卑微的物品，

A tattered coat upon a stick, unless

披在一根拐杖上的破衣裳，

Soul clap its hands and sing, and louder sing

除非是他那顆心靈拍手來歌吟，

For every tatter in its mortal dress,

為人世衣衫的破爛兒大唱；

Nor is there singing school but studying

世界上沒什麽音樂院校不誦吟

Monuments of its own magnificence;

自己的回晃的裏程碑作品，

And therefore I have sailed the seas and come

因此上我駛過汪洋和大海萬頃，

To the holy city of Byzantium.

來到了這一個聖城拜占庭。

III

3

O sages standing in God’s holy fire

啊，上帝聖火中站立的聖徒們，

As in the gold mosaic of a wall，

如墻上金色的鑲嵌磚所顯示，

Come from the holy fire, perne in a gyre,

請走出聖火來，參加那旋錐體的運行，

And be the singing-masters of my soul.

成為教我靈魂歌唱的老師。

Consume my heart away; sick with desire

銷毀掉我的心，它執迷於六欲七情，

And fastened to a dying animal

捆綁在垂死的動物身上兒不知

It knows not what it is; and gather me

它自己的本性；請求你把我收進

Into the artifice of eternity.

那永恒不朽的手工藝精品。

IV

4

Once out of nature I shall never take

一旦我超脫了自然，我再也不要

My bodily form from any natural thing,

從任何自然物取得體形，

But such a form as Grecian goldsmiths make

而是要古希臘時代金匠所鑄造

Of hammered gold and gold enamelling

鍍金或緞金那樣的體形，

To keep a drowsy Emperor awake;

使那個昏昏欲睡的皇帝清醒；

Or set upon a golden bough to sing

或把我放在那金枝上唱吟

To lords and ladies of Byzantium

歌唱那過去和未來或者當今，

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

唱給拜占庭的老爺太太聽。