1
1
当紫丁香最近在庭园中开放的时候，
When lilacs last in the dooryard bloom’d,
那颗硕大的星星在西方的夜空陨落了，
And the great star early droop’d in the western sky in the night,
我哀悼着，并将随着一年一度的春光永远地哀悼着。
I mourn’d, and yet shall mourn with ever-returning spring.
一年一度的春光哟，真的，你带给我三件东西：
Ever-returning spring, trinity sure to me you bring,
每年开放的紫丁香，那颗在西天陨落了的星星，
Lilac blooming perennial and drooping star in the west,
和我对于我所敬爱的人的怀念。
And thought of him I love.
2
2
啊，在西天的陨落的强大的星星哟，
O powerful western fallen star!
啊，夜的阴影，——啊，悲郁的，泪光闪烁的夜哟！
O shades of night—O moody, tearful night!
啊，巨大的星星消失了，——啊，遮没了星光的黑暗哟！
O great star disappear’d—O the black murk that hides the star!
啊，紧攫着我使我完全无力挣扎的残酷的手哟，——啊，我的无助的灵魂哟！
O cruel hands that hold me powerless—O helpless soul of me!
啊，包围着我的灵魂使它不能自由的阴霾哟！
O harsh surrounding cloud that will not free my soul.
3
3
在一间古老的农舍前面的庭园里，靠近粉白的栅栏，
In the dooryard fronting an old farm-house near the white-wash’d palings,
那里有一丛很高的紫丁香，长着心形的碧绿的叶子，
Stands the lilac-bush tall-growing with heart-shaped leaves of rich green,
开满了艳丽的花朵，充满了我所喜爱的强烈的芳香，
With many a pointed blossom rising delicate, with the perfume strong I love,
每一片叶子都是一个奇迹，——我从这庭园里的花丛中，
With every leaf a miracle—and from this bush in the dooryard,
这有着艳丽的花朵和心形的绿叶的花丛中，
With delicate-color’d blossoms and heart-shaped leaves of rich green,
摘下带着花朵的一小枝。
A sprig with its flower I break.
4
4
在大泽中僻静的深处，
In the swamp in secluded recesses,
一只隐藏着的羞怯的小鸟唱着一支歌。
A shy and hidden bird is warbling a song.
这只孤独的鸫鸟，
Solitary the thrush,
它像隐士般藏起来，避开人的住处，
The hermit withdrawn to himself, avoiding the settlements,
独自唱着一支歌。
Sings by himself a song.
唱着咽喉啼血的歌，
Song of the bleeding throat,
唱着免除死亡的生命之歌，（因为，亲爱的兄弟，我很知道，
Death’s outlet song of life, (for well dear brother I know,
假使你不能歌唱，你一定就会死亡。）
If thou wast not granted to sing thou would’st surely die.)
5
5
在春天的怀抱中，在大地上，在城市中，
Over the breast of the spring, the land, amid cities,
在山径上，在古老的树林中，那里紫罗兰花不久前从地里长出来，点缀在灰白的碎石之间，
Amid lanes and through old woods, where lately the violets peep’d from the ground, spotting the gray debris,
经过山径两旁田野之中的绿草，经过无边的绿草，
Amid the grass in the fields each side of the lanes, passing the endless grass,
经过铺着黄金色的麦穗的田野，麦粒正从那阴暗的田野里的苞衣中露头，
Passing the yellow-spear’d wheat, every grain from its shroud in the dark-brown fields uprisen,
经过开着红白花的苹果树的果园，
Passing the apple-tree blows of white and pink in the orchards,
一具尸体被搬运着，日夜行走在道上，
Carrying a corpse to where it shall rest in the grave,
运到它可以永远安息的墓地。
Night and day journeys a coffin.
6
6
棺木经过大街小巷，
Coffin that passes through lanes and streets,
经过白天和黑夜，走过黑云笼罩的大地，
Through day and night with the great cloud darkening the land,
卷起的旌旗排成行列，城市全蒙上了黑纱，
With the pomp of the inloop’d flags with the cities draped in black,
各州都如同蒙着黑纱的女人，
With the show of the States themselves as of crape-veil’d women standing,
长长的蜿蜒的行列，举着无数的火炬，
With processions long and winding and the flambeaus of the night,
千万人的头和脸如同沉默的大海，
With the countless torches lit, with the silent sea of faces and the unbared heads,
这里是停柩所，是已运到的棺木，和无数阴沉的脸面，
With the waiting depot, the arriving coffin, and the sombre faces,
整夜唱着挽歌，无数的人发出了雄壮而庄严的声音，
With dirges through the night, with the thousand voices rising strong and solemn,
所有的挽歌的悲悼声都倾泻到棺木的周围，
With all the mournful voices of the dirges pour’d around the coffin,
灯光暗淡的教堂，悲颤的琴声——你就在这一切中间移动着，
The dim-lit churches and the shuddering organs—where amid these you journey,
丧钟在悠扬地、悠扬地鸣响，
With the tolling tolling bells’ perpetual clang,
这里，你缓缓地走过的棺木啊。
Here, coffin that slowly passes,
我献给你我的紫丁香花枝。
I give you my sprig of lilac.
7
7
（并不是献给你，仅仅献给你一个人，
(Nor for you, for one alone,
我将花枝献给一切的棺木，
Blossoms and branches green to coffins all I bring,
因为你，如同晨光一样的清新，啊，你神志清明而神圣的死哟！我要为你唱一首赞歌。
For fresh as the morning, thus would I chant a song for you O sane and sacred death.
满处是玫瑰花的花束。
All over bouquets of roses,
啊，死哟！我给你盖上玫瑰花和早开的百合花，
O death, I cover you over with roses and early lilies,
但是最多的是现在这最先开放的紫丁香，
But mostly and now the lilac that blooms the first,
我摘下了很多，我从花丛中摘下了很多小枝，
Copious I break, I break the sprigs from the bushes,
我满满的双手捧着，撒向你，
With loaded arms I come, pouring for you,
撒向一切的棺木和你，啊，死亡哟！）
For you and the coffins all of you O death.)
8
8
啊，徘徊在天空上西方的星，
O western orb sailing the heaven,
现在我明白一个月前你是什么意思了，当我走过的时候，
Now I know what you must have meant as a month since I walk’d,
当我沉默地在薄明的黑夜之中走过，
As I walk’d in silence the transparent shadowy night,
当我看见你每夜低垂下来好像要告诉我些什么，
As I saw you had something to tell as you bent to me night after night,
当你好像从天上降落，降落到我的身边，（别的星星只是观望着，）
As you droop’d from the sky low down as if to my side, (while the other stars all look’d on,)
当我们共同在庄严的夜间徘徊，（因为好像有一种我所不知道的东西搅扰得我不能安睡，）
As we wander’d together the solemn night, (for something I know not what kept me from sleep,)
当夜深了，我看见在西方天边远处，你是如何地充满了悲哀，
As the night advanced, and I saw on the rim of the west how full you were of woe,
当我在高地上，站在薄明的凉夜的微风之中，
As I stood on the rising ground in the breeze in the cool transparent night,
当我看着你渐渐逝去，并消失在夜的黑暗之中的时候，
As I watch’d where you pass’d and was lost in the netherward black of the night,
我的灵魂也在苦痛失意中向下沉没了，跟你悲伤的星星一样，
As my soul in its trouble dissatisfied sank, as where you sad orb,
完结，在黑夜中陨落，并永远消失了。
Concluded, dropt in the night, and was gone.
9
9
你在大泽之中，唱下去吧，
Sing on there in the swamp,
啊，羞怯的，温柔的歌者哟！我听到了你的歌声，我听到了你的叫唤，
O singer bashful and tender, I hear your notes, I hear your call,
我听见了，我就要来了，我懂得你，
I hear, I come presently, I understand you,
但我还要延迟一刻，因为那颗晶莹的星留住了我，
But a moment I linger, for the lustrous star has detain’d me,
那颗晶莹的星，我的就要分别的朋友，抓住我、留住了我。
The star my departing comrade holds and detains me.
10
10
啊，我将如何为我所敬爱的死者颤声歌唱？
O how shall I warble myself for the dead one there I loved?
我将如何为那已经逝去了的巨大而美丽的灵魂来美化我的颂歌？
And how shall I deck my song for the large sweet soul that has gone?
我将以什么样的馨香献给我敬爱的人的坟茔？
And what shall my perfume be for the grave of him I love?
海风从东方吹来，也从西方吹来，
Sea-winds blown from east and west,
从东方的海上吹来，也从西方的海上吹来，直到在这里的草原上相遇，
Blown from the Eastern sea and blown from the Western sea, till there on the prairies meeting,
我将以这些和我的赞歌的气息，
These and with these and the breath of my chant,
来薰香我敬爱的人的墓地。
I’ll perfume the grave of him I love.
11
11
啊，我将拿什么悬挂在灵堂的墙壁上呢？
O what shall I hang on the chamber walls?
我将用什么样的图画装点这里的墙壁，
And what shall the pictures be that I hang on the walls,
来装饰我所敬爱的人的永息的幽宅呢？
To adorn the burial-house of him I love?
那将是新生的春天和农田和房舍的图画，
Pictures of growing spring and farms and homes,
图画里有四月间日落时候的黄昏，有清澄而明亮的烟霞，
With the Fourth-month eve at sundown, and the gray smoke lucid and bright,
有壮丽的，燃烧在空中，燃烧在天上的摇曳下沉的落日的万道金光，
With floods of the yellow gold of the gorgeous, indolent, sinking sun, burning, expanding the air,
有着没胫的清新的芳草，有着繁生的嘉树的凄凉的绿叶，
With the fresh sweet herbage under foot, and the pale green leaves of the trees prolific,
远处河面上流水晶莹，这里那里布满了风向旗，
In the distance the flowing glaze, the breast of the river, with a wind-dapple here and there,
两岸上有绵亘的小山，天空纵横交错着无数的阴影，
With ranging hills on the banks, with many a line against the sky, and shadows,
近处有房舍密集的城市，有无数的烟囱，
And the city at hand with dwellings so dense, and stacks of chimneys,
还有一切生活景象，工厂，和放工回家的工人。
And all the scenes of life and the workshops, and the workmen homeward returning.
12
12
看哪，身体和灵魂——看看这地方，
Lo, body and soul—this land,
这是我的曼哈屯，这里有教堂的尖顶，有汹涌的，闪光的海潮和船舶，
My own Manhattan with spires, and the sparkling and hurrying tides, and the ships,
这广阔而多样的陆地，南北都受到光照，有俄亥俄的海岸，和密苏里的水乡，
The varied and ample land, the South and the North in the light, Ohio’s shores and flashing Missouri,
并且永远在广大的草原上满铺了青草和稻粱。
And ever the far-spreading prairies cover’d with grass and corn.
看哪，最美的太阳是这么宁静这么岸然，
Lo, the most excellent sun so calm and haughty,
蓝色和紫色的清晓吹拂着微微的和风，
The violet and purple morn with just-felt breezes,
无限的光辉是那么温柔清新，
The gentle soft-born measureless light,
正午的太阳神奇地沐浴着一切，
The miracle spreading bathing all, the fulfill’d noon,
随后来到的美丽的黄昏，和受欢迎的夜和星光，
The coming eve delicious, the welcome night and the stars,
全都照临在我的城市之上，包裹了人民和大地。
Over my cities shining all, enveloping man and land.
13
13
唱下去吧，唱下去吧，你灰褐色的小鸟哟！
Sing on, sing on you gray-brown bird,
从大泽中，从僻静的深处，从丛树中倾泻出你的歌声，
Sing from the swamps, the recesses, pour your chant from the bushes,
让它透过无限的薄暮，透过无限的松杉和柏林。
Limitless out of the dusk, out of the cedars and pines.
唱下去吧，最亲爱的兄弟哟！如萧管之声一样地歌唱吧。
Sing on dearest brother, warble your reedy song,
以极端悲痛的声音，高唱出人间之歌。
Loud human song, with voice of uttermost woe.
啊，流畅自如而温柔！
O liquid and free and tender!
啊，你使我的灵魂奔放不羁了，——啊，你奇异的歌者哟！
O wild and loose to my soul—O wondrous singer!
我原只听从你，——但不久就要离去的那颗星却把我留住了，
You only I hear—yet the star holds me, (but will soon depart,)
发散着芬芳的紫丁香花也把我留住了。
Yet the lilac with mastering odor holds me.
14
14
现在，我在白天的时候。坐着向前眺望，
Now while I sat in the day and look’d forth,
在农民们正在春天的田野里从事耕作的黄昏中，
In the close of the day with its light and the fields of spring, and the farmers preparing their crops,
在有着大湖和大森林的不自知的美景的地面上，
In the large unconscious scenery of my land with its lakes and forests,
在天空的空灵的美景之中，（在狂风暴雨之后，）
In the heavenly aerial beauty, (after the perturb’d winds and the storms,)
在午后的时光匆匆滑过的苍穹之下，在妇女和孩子们的声音中，
Under the arching heavens of the afternoon swift passing, and the voices of children and women,
汹涌的海潮声中，我看见船舶如何驶过去，
The many-moving sea-tides, and I saw the ships how they sail’d,
丰裕的夏天渐渐来到，农田中人们忙碌着，
And the summer approaching with richness, and the fields all busy with labor,
无数的分散开的人家，各自忙着生活，忙着每天的饮食和琐屑的日常家务，
And the infinite separate houses, how they all went on, each with its meals and minutia of daily usages,
大街如何像急跳的脉搏，而城市如何在窒闷中喘息，看哪，就在此时此地，
And the streets how their throbbings throbb’d, and the cities pent—lo, then and there,
降落在所有一切之上，也在一切之中，将我和其余一切都包裹住，
Falling upon them all and among them all, enveloping me with the rest,
出现了一片云，出现了一道长长的黑色的烟缕，
Appear’d the cloud, appear’d the long black trail,
我认识了死，死的思想和神圣的死的知识。
And I knew death, its thought, and the sacred knowledge of death.
这时，好像这死的知识在我的一边走着，
Then with the knowledge of death as walking one side of me,
而死的思想也紧随着我在我的另一边，
And the thought of death close-walking the other side of me,
我夹在他们之中如同在同伴中一样，并紧握着同伴们的手，
And I in the middle as with companions, and as holding the hands of companions,
我忙着逃向那隐蔽着，容受着一切的，无言的黑夜，
I fled forth to the hiding receiving night that talks not,
到了水边，到了浓密大泽附近的小道，
Down to the shores of the water, the path by the swamp in the dimness,
到达了静寂的黝黑的松杉和阴森的柏林。
To the solemn shadowy cedars and ghostly pines so still.
那对于一切都感到羞涩的歌者却欢迎我，
And the singer so shy to the rest receiv’d me,
我认识的这只灰褐色的小鸟，它欢迎我们三个人，
The gray-brown bird I know receiv’d us comrades three,
它唱着死之赞歌和对于我所敬爱的人的哀辞。
And he sang the carol of death, and a verse for him I love.
从幽逢而隐蔽的深处，
From deep secluded recesses,
从这么沉静的芳香的松杉和阴森的柏林，
From the fragrant cedars and the ghostly pines so still,
传来了这只小鸟的歌声。
Came the carol of the bird.
歌声的和美使我销魂，
And the charm of the carol rapt me,
就好像在黑夜中我握着我同伴的手一样，
As I held as if by their hands my comrades in the night,
我的心的声音应和着这只小鸟的歌声。
And the voice of my spirit tallied the song of the bird.
来吧，可爱的，予人以慰藉的死哟，
Come lovely and soothing death,
像波浪般环绕着世界，宁静地到来，到来，
Undulate round the world, serenely arriving, arriving,
在白天的时候，在黑夜的时候，
In the day, in the night, to all, to each,
或迟或早的走向一切人，走向每个人的、微妙的死哟！
Sooner or later delicate death.
赞美这无边的宇宙，
Prais’d be the fathomless universe,
为了生命和快乐，为了一切新奇的知识和事物，
For life and joy, and for objects and knowledge curious,
为了爱，最甜美的爱——更赞美，赞美，加倍地赞美，
And for love, sweet love—but praise! praise! praise!
那凉气袭人的死的缠绕不放的两臂。
For the sure-enwinding arms of cool-enfolding death.
总是悄悄地走近身边的晦暗的母亲，
Dark mother always gliding near with soft feet,
没有人来为你唱一支全心欢迎你的赞歌么？
Have none chanted for thee a chant of fullest welcome?
那么我来给你唱吧，我赞美你超于一切之上，
Then I chant it for thee, I glorify thee above all,
我献给你一支歌，使你在必须来的时候，可以毫不踌躇地到来。
I bring thee a song that when thou must indeed come, come unfalteringly.
来吧，你强大的解放者哟，
Approach strong deliveress,
当你把死者带去时，我欢欣地为他们歌唱，
When it is so, when thou hast taken them I joyously sing the dead,
他们消失在你的可爱的浮动的海洋里，
Lost in the loving floating ocean of thee,
沐浴在你的祝福的水流里，啊，死哟。
Laved in the flood of thy bliss O death.
我为你，唱着快活的小夜曲，
From me to thee glad serenades,
用舞蹈向你致敬，为你张灯结彩，广开欢宴，
Dances for thee I propose saluting thee, adornments and feastings for thee,
高空和旷野的风景正宜人，
And the sights of the open landscape and the high-spread sky are fitting,
还有生命和田野，和巨大而深思的黑夜。
And life and the fields, and the huge and thoughtful night.
黑夜无声地聚在繁星下面，
The night in silence under many a star,
海岸上有我熟悉的海浪的沙沙低语一般的声音，
The ocean shore and the husky whispering wave whose voice I know,
这时灵魂正转向你那里，啊，你硕大而隐蔽着的死哟，
And the soul turning to thee O vast and well-veil’d death,
身体也怀着感激的心情紧紧地向你依偎。
And the body gratefully nestling close to thee.
我从树梢上吹送一支歌给你，
Over the tree-tops I float thee a song,
它飘过起伏的海浪，飘过无数的田地和广阔的草原，
Over the rising and sinking waves, over the myriad fields and the prairies wide,
飘过人烟稠密的城市和熙熙攘攘的码头街道，
Over the dense-pack’d cities all and the teeming wharves and ways,
我带着欢乐，带着欢乐吹迭这支赞歌给你，啊，死哟！
I float this carol with joy, with joy to thee O death.
15
15
合着我的心灵的节拍，
To the tally of my soul,
这灰褐色的小鸟，大声地歌唱着，
Loud and strong kept up the gray-brown bird,
清越而悠然的歌声，弥漫了，充满了黑夜。
With pure deliberate notes spreading filling the night.
在浓密的松杉和柏林中大声地唱着，
Loud in the pines and cedars dim,
在芳香的大泽和清新的雾气中清晰地唱着，
Clear in the freshness moist and the swamp-perfume,
而我和我的同伴，在夜间，却停留在那里。
And I with my comrades there in the night.
本来在我眼里束缚着的视线现在解开了，
While my sight that was bound in my eyes unclosed,
立刻看到了长卷的图画。
As to long panoramas of visions.
我看见了无数的军队，
And I saw askant the armies,
我好像在静寂无声的梦里，看见千百面战旗，
I saw as in noiseless dreams hundreds of battle-flags,
在炮火的烟雾中举着，为流弹所洞穿，
Borne through the smoke of the battles and pierc’d with missiles I saw them,
在烟雾中打到这里又那里，被撕碎了，并且染上了血迹，
And carried hither and yon through the smoke, and torn and bloody,
最后在旗杆上只剩下几块破布，（一切都沉寂了，）
And at last but a few shreds left on the staffs, (and all in silence,)
这些旗杆也已碎断而劈裂。
And the staffs all splinter’d and broken.
我也看见了无数战士的尸体，
I saw battle-corpses, myriads of them,
我看见了青年的白骨，
And the white skeletons of young men, I saw them,
我看见所有阵亡战士的残肢断体，
I saw the debris and debris of all the slain soldiers of the war,
但我看见他们不是想象的那样，
But I saw they were not as was thought,
他们完全安息了，他们没有痛苦，
They themselves were fully at rest, they suffer’d not,
只是生者留下来感到痛苦，母亲感到痛苦，
The living remain’d and suffer’d, the mother suffer’d,
他们的妻，子和沉思着的同伴感到痛苦，
And the wife and the child and the musing comrade suffer’d,
还有那剩下的军队感到痛苦。
And the armies that remain’d suffer’d.
16
16
经过了这些景象，经过了黑夜，
Passing the visions, passing the night,
经过握过又松开了我的同伴的手，
Passing, unloosing the hold of my comrades’ hands,
也经过了隐藏着的小鸟的歌声，那和我的灵魂合拍的歌声，
Passing the song of the hermit bird and the tallying song of my soul,
胜利的歌声，死之消逝的歌声，永远变化而多样的歌声，
Victorious song, death’s outlet song, yet varying ever-altering song,
低抑而悲哀，清晰而分明，起伏着、弥漫了整个黑夜，
As low and wailing, yet clear the notes, rising and falling, flooding the night,
悲哀，低沉，隐隐约约，更令人心惊，但最后又突变为一种欢乐的音调，
Sadly sinking and fainting, as warning and warning, and yet again bursting with joy,
普盖大地，填满天空，
Covering the earth and filling the spread of the heaven,
当我在夜间从静僻深处听见那强力的圣歌的时候，
As that powerful psalm in the night I heard from recesses,
我走过去，留下你这带着心形的绿叶的紫丁香，
Passing, I leave thee lilac with heart-shaped leaves,
我留下你在庭园中，让你随着每度春光归来，开放。
I leave thee there in the door-yard, blooming, returning with spring.
我要停止我对你的歌唱了，
I cease from my song for thee,
我将不再面向西方、对你眺望、和你交谈，
From my gaze on thee in the west, fronting the west, communing with thee,
啊，在黑夜中你银白色的脸面上发光的伴侣哟！
O comrade lustrous with silver face in the night.
我要把这一切都保留下，不让它随着黑夜消逝，
Yet each to keep and all, retrievements out of the night,
这歌声，这灰褐色的小鸟的神奇的歌声，
The song, the wondrous chant of the gray-brown bird,
这合拍的歌声，我的心的深处的回应，
And the tallying chant, the echo arous’d in my soul,
还有这满怀着悲愁的，发光的，沉落的星星，
With the lustrous and drooping star with the countenance full of woe,
听见小鸟的召唤而紧握着我手的我的同伴，
With the holders holding my hand nearing the call of the bird,
是的，我的同伴，我夹在他们中间，我要永留着对他们的记忆，为了我敬爱的死者，
Comrades mine and I in the midst, and their memory ever to keep, for the dead I loved so well,
为了那个在我的一生中和我的国土中的最美好、最智慧的灵魂，正是为了他的缘故，
For the sweetest, wisest soul of all my days and lands—and this for his dear sake,
在那里，在芳香的松杉和朦胧阴暗的柏林深处，
Lilac and star and bird twined with the chant of my soul,
紫丁香，星星和小鸟和我的深心的赞歌都融混在一起了。
There in the fragrant pines and the cedars dusk and dim.