披风、小船和鞋子威廉·巴特勒·叶芝
威廉·巴特勒·叶芝(William Butler Yeats)(1865~1939),亦译“叶慈”、“耶茨”,爱尔兰诗人、剧作家,著名的神秘主义者,是“爱尔兰文艺复兴运动”的领袖,也是艾比剧院(Abbey Theatre)的创建者之一,被诗人艾略特誉为"当代最伟大的诗人"。叶芝对戏剧也有浓厚的兴趣,先后写过26部剧本
WHAT do you make so fair and bright?
“你在做什么,这么光艳美丽?”
I make the cloak of Sorrow:
O lovely to see in all men’s sight
Shall be the cloak of Sorrow,
In all men’s sight.
“我做一件‘忧愁’的披风:
呵,在人人眼里将显得可爱,
那‘忧愁’的披风,
在人人眼里。”
What do you build with sails for flight?
“你用乘风的帐篷做什么东西?”
I build a boat for Sorrow
O swift on the seas all day and night
Saileth the rover Sorrow,
All day and night.
“我为‘忧愁’造一条小船:
呵,整日整夜里在海上疾驶,
‘忧愁’那流浪汉,
整日整夜里。”
What do you weave with wool so white?
“你用雪白的羊毛织什么东西?”
I weave the shoes of Sorrow:
Soundless shall be the footfall light
In all men’s ears of Sorrow,
Sudden and light.
“我织一双‘’忧愁”的鞋子:
轻盈的脚步将悄然无声
在所有人忧愁的耳朵里,
骤然而轻盈。”