英国 A. E. 豪斯曼原著
Alfred Edward Housman (1859 – 1936)
徐家祯翻译
The lad came to the door at night,
When lovers crown their vows,
And whistled soft and out of sight
In shadow of the boughs.
"I shall not vex you with my face
Henceforth, my love, for aye;
So take me in your arms a space
Before the east is grey."
"When I from hence away am past
I shall not find a bride,
And you shall be the first and last
I ever lay beside."
She heard and went and knew not why;
Her heart to his she laid;
Light was the air beneath the sky
But dark under the shade.
"Oh do you breathe, lad, that your breast
Seems not to rise and fall,
And here upon my bosom prest
There beats no heart at all?"
"Oh loud, my girl, it once would knock,
You should have felt it then;
But since for you I stopped the clock
It never goes again."
"Oh lad, what is it, lad, that drips
Wet from your neck on mine?
What is it falling on my lips,
My lad, that tastes of brine?"
"Oh like enough 'tis blood, my dear,
For when the knife has slit
The throat across from ear to ear
'Twill bleed because of it."
Under the stars the air was light
But dark below the boughs,
The still air of the speechless night,
When lovers crown their vows.
夜晚情人们海誓山盟的时刻,
那少年来到门前,
他轻轻吹了声口哨,
躲在树影下不让人看见。
“亲爱的,你从今以后,
不会再见那张你讨厌的脸,
所以,趁东方发白以前,
请在你胸怀给我留个空间。
“我离开这儿以后
不会再找一个新娘,
你是唯一,也是最后一个姑娘
曾经躺在我的身旁。”
她听见了,出去,不知为何,
他们俩就搂抱在一起;
天空有点朦朦发亮,
而树荫下却黑暗如漆。
“喔,小伙子,你在呼吸吗?
为何胸脯没有起伏?
你紧压着我的胸口,
为何没有心跳可数?”
“喔,我的姑娘,从前我心跳得很响,
你那时应该听到;
可自从为你停掉了钟摆,
它就从此不再博跳。”
“喔,小伙子,滴下的是什么东西,
湿湿地流到我的颈里?
掉进我嘴里的是什么?
我的小伙,怎么会有咸咸的滋味?”
“喔,我亲爱的,大概那是鲜血,
用刀割开颈子,
从这个耳朵划到那个耳朵,
就会血流不止。”
星光下一片朦胧,
可树荫下黑不见五指,
在这寂静无声的夜晚,
情人们正在山盟海誓。
二0二二年三月十日
译于澳大利亚刻来佛寺爱闲堂