《西罗普郡一少年》： 9: 栗子树甩掉它的火炬 Ohjuice2022-10-14 01:27:19

《西罗普郡一少年》

IX

第九首

栗子树甩掉它的火炬

The Chestnut Casts His Flambeaux, and the Flowers

 

英国   A. E. 豪斯曼原著

Alfred Edward Housman (1859 – 1936)

徐家祯翻译

 

 

The chestnut casts his flambeaux, and the flowers

        Stream from the hawthorn on the wind away,

The doors clap to, the pane is blind with showers.

        Pass me the can, lad; there’s an end of May.

 

There’s one spoilt spring to scant our mortal lot,

        One season ruined of our little store.

May will be fine next year as like as not:

        Oh ay, but then we shall be twenty-four.

 

We for a certainty are not the first

        Have sat in taverns while the tempest hurled

Their hopeful plans to emptiness, and cursed

        Whatever brute and blackguard made the world.

 

It is in truth iniquity on high

        To cheat our sentenced souls of aught they crave,

And mar the merriment as you and I

        Fare on our long fool’s-errand to the grave.

 

Iniquity it is; but pass the can.

        My lad, no pair of kings our mothers bore;

Our only portion is the estate of man:

        We want the moon, but we shall get no more.

 

If here to-day the cloud of thunder lours

        To-morrow it will hie on far behests;

The flesh will grieve on other bones than ours

        Soon, and the soul will mourn in other breasts.

 

The troubles of our proud and angry dust

        Are from eternity, and shall not fail.

Bear them we can, and if we can we must.

        Shoulder the sky, my lad, and drink your ale.