熟諳夜晚 (Acquainted with the Night)


我曾是夜的舊識。

我曾走進雨中，又從雨中歸來。

我曾走過城中燈火的盡頭。

我曾下瞰這城鎮最悲慘的胡同。

更夫巡夜時，我曾走過他身旁，

並垂下眼簾，不願吭聲。

當遠處斷續的哭聲

從另一條街的屋舍傳來，

我曾駐足靜立，不出一絲聲響。

但它並非喚我回來或是說再見；

而更遠的靜謐在超凡絕塵的高處，

一只發光的時鐘頂著天幕。

宣稱時間沒有對錯。

我曾是夜的舊識。



---羅伯特‧佛洛斯特作

﹝吳孝明 譯﹞

 I have been one acquainted with the night.

I have walked out in rain --and back in rain.

I have outwalked the furthest city light.


I have looked down the saddest city lane.

I have passed by the watchman on his beat

And dropped my eyes, unwilling to explain.


I have stood still and stopped the sound of feet

When far away an interrupted cry

Came over houses from another street,


But not to call me back or say good-bye;

And further still at an unearthly height

One luminary clock against the sky


Proclaimed the time was neither wrong nor right.

I have been one acquainted with the night.

---by Robert Frost

當爾耄耄

這首葉慈的大作，至少有二十位名家譯過，有興趣的可以上網搜尋。這裡是我剛出爐的版本：

當爾耄耄，睡意濃闊，
打盹爐邊，請取此卷，
緩緩展讀，夢回爾眸，
溫柔神色，倒影深波。

幾多人士，真情假意，
傾慕爾華，醉心爾容。
獨有一人，愛爾誠魂，
爾顏漸逝，彼仍情重。

當爾垂垂，熊熊爐邊，
低語戚戚，怨愛逸蹤，
彼上高峰，獨行隱隱，
藏匿彼面，群星不宣。
                                      -- 吳孝明譯

When You Are Old

BY WILLIAM BUTLER YEATS

When you are old and grey and full of sleep,

And nodding by the fire, take down this book,

And slowly read, and dream of the soft look

Your eyes had once, and of their shadows deep;

How many loved your moments of glad grace,

And loved your beauty with love false or true,

But one man loved the pilgrim soul in you,

And loved the sorrows of your changing face;

And bending down beside the glowing bars,

Murmur, a little sadly, how Love fled

And paced upon the mountains overhead

And hid his face amid a crowd of stars.