葡萄牙人十四行诗1-10

我想起，当年希腊的诗人曾经歌咏：

I thought once how Theocritus had sung

年复一年，那良辰在殷切的盼望中

Of the sweet years, the dear and wished-for years,

翩然降临，各自带一份礼物

Who each one in a gracious hand appears

分送给世人－－年老或是年少。

To bear a gift for mortals, old or young:

当我这么想，感叹着诗人的古调，

And, as I mused it in his antique tongue,

穿过我泪眼所逐渐展开的幻觉，

I saw, in gradual vision through my tears,

我看见，那欢乐的岁月、哀伤的岁月－－

The sweet, sad years, the melancholy years,

我自己的年华，把一片片黑影接连着

Those of my own life, who by turns had flung

掠过我的身。紧接着，我就觉察

A shadow across me. Straightway I was 'ware,

（我哭了）我背后正有个神秘的黑影

So weeping, how a mystic Shape did move

在移动，而且一把揪住了我的发，

Behind me, and drew me backward by the hair;

往后拉，还有一声吆喝（我只是在挣扎）：

And a voice said in mastery, while I strove, --

“这回是谁逮住了你？猜！”“死，”我答话。

`Guess now who holds thee?' -- `Death.' I said. But, there

听哪，那银铃似的回音：“不是死，是爱！”

The silver answer rang, -- `Not Death, but love.'

*02.EEB

勃朗宁夫人抒情十四行诗集第二首

可是在上帝的全宇宙里，总共才只

But only three in all God's universe

三个人听见了你那句话：除了

Have heard this word thou hast said, -- Himself, beside

讲话的你、听话的我，就是他－－

Thee speaking, and me listening! and replied

上帝自己！我们中间还有一个

One of us ... _that_ was God, ... and laid the curse

出来答话；那昏黑的诅咒落上

So darkly on my eyelids, as to amerce

我的眼皮，挡了你，不让我看见，

My sight from seeing thee, -- that if I had died,

就算我瞑了目，放上沉沉的“压眼钱”，

The death-weights, placed there, would have signified

也不至于那么彻底隔绝。唉，

Less absolute exclusion. `Nay' is worse

比谁都厉害，上帝的那一声“不行！”

From God than from all others, O my friend!

要不然，世俗的诽谤离间不了我们，

Men could not part us with their worldly jars,

任风波飞扬，也不能动摇那坚贞；

Nor the seas change us, nor the tempests bend;

我们的手要伸过山岭，互相接触；

Our hands would touch for all the mountain-bars

有那么一天，天空滚到我俩中间，

And, heaven being rolled between us at the end,

我俩向星辰起誓，还要更加握紧。

We should but vow the faster for the stars.

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勃朗宁夫人抒情十四行诗集第三首

我们原不一样，尊贵的人儿呀，

Unlike are we, unlike, O princely Heart!

原不一样是我们的职司和前程。

Unlike our uses and our destinies.

你我头上的天使，迎面飞来，

Our ministering two angels look surprise

翅膀碰上了翅膀，彼此瞪着

On one another, as they strike athwart

惊愕的眼睛。你想，你是华宫里

Their wings in passing. Thou, bethink thee, art

后妃的上宾，千百双殷勤的明眸

A guest for queens to social pageantries,

（哪怕挂满了泪珠，也不能教我的眼

With gages from a hundred brighter eyes

有这份光彩）请求你担任领唱。

Than tear even can make mine, to play thy part

那你干什么从那灯光辉映的纱窗里

Of chief musician. What hast _thou_ to do

望向我？－－我，一个凄凉、流浪的