白朗宁夫人爱情诗两首

Elizabeth Barrett Browning _Sonnets from the Portuguese_, No. XIV

If thou must love me, let it be for nought

如果你一心要爱我，那就别为了什么，

Except for love's sake only. Do not say

只是为了爱才爱我。别这么讲：

`I love her for her smile ... her look ... her way

“我爱她，为了她的一笑，她的模样，

Of speaking gently, ... for a trick of thought

她柔语的声气；为了她这感触

That falls in well with mine, and certes brought [certes: certainly]

正好合我的心意，那天里，的确

A sense of pleasant ease on such a day' --

给我带来满怀的喜悦和舒畅。”

For these things in themselves, Belov\`ed, may

亲爱的，这些好处都不能持常，

Be changed, or change for thee, -- and love, so wrought [wrought: worked] 会因你而变，而这样唱出的爱曲

May be unwrought so. Neither love me for

也将这样哑寂。也别爱我因为你

Thine own dear pity's wiping my cheeks dry, --

又怜又惜地给我揩干了泪腮，

A creature might forget to weep, who bore

一个人会忘了哭泣，当她久受你

Thy comfort long, and lose thy love thereby!

温柔的慰安－－却因此失了你的爱。

But love for love's sake, that evermore

爱我，请只是为了那爱的意念，

Thou may'st love on, through love's eternity.

那你就能继续地爱，爱我如深海。

How do I love thee

by Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806-1861)

how do I love thee? Let me count the ways.

I love thee to the depth and breadth and height

My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight

For the ends of being and ideal grace

I love thee to the level of every day's

Most quite need, by sun and candlelight.

I love thee freely, as men strive for right:

I love thee purely, as they turn from praise .

I love thee with the passion put to use

In my old griefs , and with me childhood's faith .

I love thee with a love I seemed to lose

With me lost saints --I love thee wiht the breath , Smiles tears , of all my life ! --and ,if God choose I shall but love thee better after death

------Elizabeth