驶向拜占廷

Sailing to Byzantium

叶　芝

William B. Yeats

一

1

这是不宜于老人的乡邻，年轻人

That is no country for old men. The young

相互倚在怀抱里，鸟儿在树上

In one another's arms, birds in the trees

（这些走向死亡的世代）唱歌儿，

—Those dying generations—at their song,

鲑鱼的湍流，鲭鱼密集的海洋，

The salmon-falls, the mackerel-crowded seas,

鱼类，走兽，飞禽，在整个长夏，

Fish, flesh , or fowl , commend all summer long

把生生死死的芸芸众生赞扬。

Whatever is begotten, born, and dies.

他们沉湎于声色，全都不理会

Caught in that sensual music all neglect

永世常新的灵智竖起的丰碑。

Monuments of unageing intellect.

二

2

一个老年人是微不足道的废物，

An aged man is but a paltry thing,

只是一件破外套披在手杖上，

A tattered coat upon a stick, unless

除非灵魂击掌并歌唱，在速朽的

Soul clap its hands and sing, and louder sing

皮囊里高声歌唱褴褛的衣裳；

For every tatter in its mortal dress,

世上没哪所歌唱学校不研读

Nor is there singing school but studying

灵魂自身辉煌的不朽篇章；

Monuments of its own magnificence;

所以我终于漂洋过海，亲自

And therefore I have sailed the seas and come

来到拜占廷这座神圣的城市。

To the holy city of Byzantium.

三

3

啊，在上帝圣火中站着的哲人们，

O sages standing in God's holy fire

像墙上镶嵌壁画中金色的图像，

As in the gold mosaic of a wall,

请走出圣火，在旋锥体中旋转吧，

Come from the holy fire, perne in a gyre,

请你们当老师教我的灵魂歌唱。

And be the singing-masters of my soul.

把我的心灵耗尽吧；它耽于物欲，

Consume my heart away; sick with desire

跟垂死动物的肉身紧紧地捆挷

And fastened to a dying animal

而不知自己的本真；请把我採集，

It knows not what it is; and gather me

收进那属于永恒的神工绝艺。

Into the artifice of eternity.

四

4

我一旦超脱自然，便决不依据

Once out of nature I shall never take

任何自然物来造就我的身形，

My bodily form from any natural thing,

我只要像古代希腊的金匠那样

But such a form as Grecian goldsmiths make

用锻金或镏金工艺铸造的体型，

Of hammered gold and gold enamelling

能使那昏昏欲睡的皇帝清醒；

To keep a drowsy Emperor awake;

或让我栖在黄金的树枝上歌吟，

Or set upon a golden bough to sing

唱过去、正在过去或未来的事情，

To lords and ladies of Byzantium

给拜占廷的贵族和命妇们倾听。

Of what is past, or passing, or to come.