4 Trees 树

Joyce Kilmer 乔埃斯·基尔默

I think that I shall never see

A poem lovely as a tree;

A tree whose hungry mouth is prest(1)

Against the earth’s sweet flowing breast(2);

A tree that looks at God all day,

And lifts her leafy arms(3) to pray;

A tree that may in Summer wear

A nest of robins in her hair;

Upon whose bosom snow has lain,

Who intimately lives with rain.

Poems are made by fools like me,

But only God can make a tree.

中文译文：

我想我永远也不会看到

象一棵树那样优美的诗篇，

树那饥渴的嘴唇紧紧贴住

大地乳汁甘美的胸脯，

它整天仰望着上帝，

举起枝叶繁茂的手臂祈祷，

它那茂密如发的枝叶里

夏天会筑起知更鸟的安乐窝，

雪花飘落在它怀里，

它同雨水亲密无间。

诗歌出自我等愚人之手，

而树却是造化的天工。

英文注释：

(1) prest: pressed的变体，为了与下面一行最后一个词breast押韵而采用。

(2)flowing breast： 相当于breast flowing with milk，解作"流出奶汁的乳房’，用来比喻土壤的肥沃。

(3)leafy arms： 指叶子茂盛的树枝