午夜霜

Frost at Midnight

柯尔律治

S. T. Coleridge

寒霜履行着它的秘密使命，

The frost performs its secret ministry,

不借助半丝风力。小鸮的叫声

Unhelped by any wind. The owlet's cry

很尖厉——听，又来了！跟上次一样。

Came loud—and hark, again! loud as before.

我住的村舍里，大家全都安睡了，

The inmates of my cottage, all at rest,

把我留给了寂寞，寂寞，适宜于

Have left me to that solitude , which suits

更深的沉思：只是，在我的身旁，

Abstruser musings: save that at my side

我的婴儿在襁褓里安然酣睡着。

My cradled infant slumbers peacefully.

真安静！安静到这样，竟然能干扰、

Tis calm indeed! so calm, that it disturbs

能打断我的冥想，由于那奇怪的、

And vexes meditation with its strange

极度的岑寂。大海，山岳，树木，

And extreme silentness. Sea, hill, and wood,

人烟稠密的村庄！海岳，森林，

This populous village! Sea, and hill, and wood,

人世间无穷无尽的纷纭扰攘，

With all the numberless goings-on of life,

梦一样悄无声息！淡蓝的轻焰

Inaudible as dreams! the thin blue flame

倚着将尽的炉火，一动也不动；

Lies on my low burnt fire, and quivers not;

只有那飘在炉栅上面的淡烟，

Only that film, which fluttered on the grate,

仍然袅动着，是唯一不知安静的。

Still flutters there, the sole unquiet thing.

无声的宇宙间，只有它在运动，而我

Methinks its motion in this hush of nature

依然清醒，它恰好与我相伴，

Gives it dim sympathies with me who live,

也许在暗地里与我交流感情，

Making it a companionable form,

闲游的精灵按照自己的心态

Whose puny flaps and freaks the idling Spirit

解释淡烟的飘动和奇形怪状，

By its own moods interprets , every where

到处寻觅自己的回声和映象，

Echo or mirror seeking of itself,

凭遐想而逸兴遄飞。

And makes a toy of Thought.

可是啊！多少次

But O! how oft,

我在学校里，总是深信不疑，

How oft, at school, with most believing mind,

有预感，我目不转睛地望着门栅，

Presageful , have I gazed upon the bars,

等待那翩然而至的“来客”！多少次，

To watch that fluttering stranger! and as oft

尽管睁着眼，我已经入梦，梦见

With unclosed lids, already had I dreamt

可爱的故乡，古老教堂的塔楼，

Of my sweet birth-place, and the old church-tower,

教堂的钟声，穷人唯一的音乐，

Whose bells, the poor man's only music, rang

在熙熙攘攘的赶集日，从早敲到晚，

From morn to evening, all the hot Fair-day,

悠扬动听，萦绕我心头，打动我，

So sweetly, that they stirred and haunted me

一种销魂的喜悦，落上我耳膜，

With a wild pleasure, falling on mine ear

绝似清晰的嗓音预告着未来！

Most like articulate sounds of things to come!

我这样凝视着，直到梦的慰藉

So gazed I, till the soothing things I dreamt

哄我入睡，而睡眠又延长了梦境！

Lulled me to sleep, and sleep prolonged my dreams!

第二天上午我依然神思恍惚，

And so I brooded all the following morn,

又怕见严峻导师的脸色，我眼睛

Awed by the stern preceptor's face, mine eye

做学习样子，盯住晃动的课本：

Fixed with mock study on my swimming book:

只要教室门打开，我抓住机会

Save if the door half opened, and I snatched

急忙瞥一眼，我的心猛然跳起来，

A hasty glance , and still my heart leaped up,

因为我渴望看到“来客”的面貌，

For still I hoped to see the stranger's face,

老乡，大妈，或更加亲爱的姐姐——

Townsman, or aunt, or sister more beloved,

我的玩伴儿，我俩穿一样的衣服！

My play-mate when we both were clothed alike!

亲爱的宝宝，睡在我身旁襁褓里，

Dear Babe, that sleepest cradled by my side,

呼吸声安恬，在这片深沉的宁静中

Whose gentle breathings, heard in this deep calm,

听得见，填补了我冥思遐想中

Fill up the interspersed vacancies

四散的空隙和片刻停顿的间歇！

And momentary pauses of the thought!

宝宝多漂亮！他使我心灵震颤，

My babe so beautiful! it thrills my heart

充盈着温柔的喜悦，这样看着你，

With tender gladness , thus to look at thee,

想你将学到多么不同的知识，

And think that thou shalt learn far other lore

在多么不同的场合！而我是成长在

And in far other scenes! For I was reared

大城市，关进了幽暗的修道院，除了

In the great city, pent 'mid cloisters dim,

天空和星星，见不到慈颜和笑容。

And saw nought lovely but the sky and stars.

而你呵，宝宝！你将如一朵轻风

But thou, my babe! shalt wander like a breeze

漫游过湖泊和沙岸，飘在古老的

By lakes and sandy shores, beneath the crags

崇山峻岭下，托起汹涌的云浪，

Of ancient mountain, and beneath the clouds,

任滔滔云海变形为湖泊和沙岸，

Which image in their bulk both lakes and shores

或悬崖峭壁：于是你将会看见

And mountain crags : so shalt thou see and hear

美好的景象，会听见明晰的声音，

The lovely shapes and sounds intelligible

这些都源自上帝永恒的语言，

Of that eternal language, which thy God

上帝在永恒之上，教化万物，

Utters, who from eternity doth teach

他在万物中，万物在他的心中。

Himself in all, and all things in himself.

宇宙的导师！他将铸你的灵魂，

Great universal Teacher! he shall mould

给你以恩赐，也让你提出请求。

Thy spirit, and by giving make it ask.

于是所有的季节对你都美好，

Therefore all seasons shall be sweet to thee,

无论是夏季，大地上郁郁葱葱，

Whether the summer clothe the general earth

或者换一个季节，知更鸟歌唱，

With greenness, or the redbreast sit and sing

在苔痕斑斑的苹果树秃枝上栖息，

Betwixt the tufts of snow on the bare branch

周围是积雪，附近的屋檐在阳光下

Of mossy apple-tree, while the nigh thatch

解冻，冒水汽；无论是疾风暂歇，

Smokes in the sun-thaw; whether the eave-drops fall

这时才听见檐水一声声滴落，

Heard only in the trances of the blast,

或者严霜的秘密使命把檐水

Or if the secret ministry of frost

挂起来，成为一条条无言的冰柱，

Shall hang them up in silent icicles,

向着宁静的月亮宁静地闪光。

Quietly shining to the quiet Moon.