1

I

那地方可不是老年人呆的。青年人

That is no country for old men. The young

互相擁抱著，書上的的鳥類

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

——那些垂死世代——在歌吟，

Those dying generations — at their song,

有鮭魚的瀑布，有鯖魚的大海，

The salmon-falls, the mackerel-crowded seas,

魚肉禽整個夏天都贊揚個不停

Fish, flesh, or fowl, commend all summer long

一切被養育、降生和死亡著。

Whatever is begotten, born, and dies.

他們都迷戀於種種肉感的音樂，

Caught in that sensual music all neglect

忽視了不朽的理性的傑作。

Monuments of unageing intellect.

2

II

一個老年人不過是卑微的物品，

An aged man is but a paltry thing,

披在一根拐杖上的破衣裳，

A tattered coat upon a stick, unless

除非是他那顆心靈拍手來歌吟，

Soul clap its hands and sing, and louder sing

為人世衣衫的破爛兒大唱；

For every tatter in its mortal dress,

世界上沒什麽音樂院校不誦吟

Nor is there singing school but studying

自己的回晃的裏程碑作品，

Monuments of its own magnificence;

因此上我駛過汪洋和大海萬頃，

And therefore I have sailed the seas and come

來到了這一個聖城拜占庭。

To the holy city of Byzantium.

3

III

啊，上帝聖火中站立的聖徒們，

O sages standing in God’s holy fire

如墻上金色的鑲嵌磚所顯示，

As in the gold mosaic of a wall，

請走出聖火來，參加那旋錐體的運行，

Come from the holy fire, perne in a gyre,

成為教我靈魂歌唱的老師。

And be the singing-masters of my soul.

銷毀掉我的心，它執迷於六欲七情，

Consume my heart away; sick with desire

捆綁在垂死的動物身上兒不知

And fastened to a dying animal

它自己的本性；請求你把我收進

It knows not what it is; and gather me

那永恒不朽的手工藝精品。

Into the artifice of eternity.

4

IV

一旦我超脫了自然，我再也不要

Once out of nature I shall never take

從任何自然物取得體形，

My bodily form from any natural thing,

而是要古希臘時代金匠所鑄造

But such a form as Grecian goldsmiths make

鍍金或緞金那樣的體形，

Of hammered gold and gold enamelling

使那個昏昏欲睡的皇帝清醒；

To keep a drowsy Emperor awake;

或把我放在那金枝上唱吟

Or set upon a golden bough to sing

歌唱那過去和未來或者當今，

To lords and ladies of Byzantium

唱給拜占庭的老爺太太聽。

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