I

I

不呵！不要到忘川去，也不要拧绞

No, no, go not to Lethe, neither twist

    根深的乌头，把它的毒汁当美酒；

   Wolf's-bane, tight-rooted, for its poisonous wine;

别让你苍白的额头把龙葵野草——

Nor suffer thy pale forehead to be kissed

    普罗塞嫔红葡萄的亲吻承受；

   By nightshade, ruby grape of Proserpine;

别用紫杉的坚果做你的念珠，

Make not your rosary of yew-berries,

   别让甲虫和墓畔的飞蛾变为

   Nor let the beetle, nor the death-moth be

 你忧伤的赛吉，别让披羽的鸱鸮

 Your mournful Psyche, nor the downy owl

分享你心底隐秘的悲哀愁苦；

A partner in your sorrow's mysteries;

   阴影来亲近阴影会困倦嗜睡，

   For shade to shade will come too drowsily,

 会把灵魂中清醒的创痛淹没掉。

 And drown the wakeful anguish of the soul.

II

II

但一旦忧郁的意绪突然来到，

But when the melancholy fit shall fall

   有如阴云洒着泪自天而降，

   Sudden from heaven like a weeping cloud,

云雨滋润着垂头的花花草草，

That fosters the droop-headed flowers all,

   四月的雾衣把一脉青山隐藏；

   And hides the green hill in an April shroud;

你就该让哀愁痛饮早晨的玫瑰，

Then glut thy sorrow on a morning rose,

   或者饱餐海浪上空的虹彩，

   Or on the rainbow of the salt sand-wave,

 或 者享足姹紫嫣红的牡丹；

 Or on the wealth of globed peonies;

若是你钟情的女郎娇嗔颦眉，

Or if thy mistress some rich anger shows,

   就抓住她的酥手，让她说痛快，

   Imprison her soft hand, and let her rave,

 并深深品味她举世无双的慧眼。

 And feed deep, deep upon her peerless eyes.

III

III

她与“美”共处——那必将消亡的“美”；

She dwells with Beauty—Beauty that must die;

   还有“喜悦”，他的手总贴着嘴唇

   And Joy, whose hand is ever at his lips

说再见；令人痛苦的近邻“欣慰”，

Bidding adieu; and aching Pleasure nigh,

   只要蜜蜂啜一口，就变成毒鸩：

   Turning to poison while the bee-mouth sips:

啊，就在“快乐”的庙堂之上，

Aye, in the very temple of Delight

   隐藏的“忧郁”有她至尊的神龛，

   Veiled Melancholy has her sovran shrine,

 虽然，只有舌头灵、味觉良好、

 Though seen of none save him whose strenuous tongue

   能咬破“快乐”果的人才能够瞧见：

   Can burst Joy's grape against his palate fine;

他灵魂一旦把“忧郁”的威力品尝，

His soul shall taste the sadness of her might,

 便成为她的战利品，悬挂在云霄。

 And be among her cloudy trophies hung.