切斯特顿
此诗作于诗人皈依罗马天主教前后(1922)。
A Second Childhood
-G.K. Chesterton
重来的童真 (切斯特顿)
When all my days are ending
即使所有日子都将结束，
And I have no song to sing,
而我再没有歌可以哼唱，
I think I shall not be too old
我想我也不至于老得
To stare at everything;
无法凝视周围的一切；
As I stared once at a nursery door
像儿时盯着看育幼院的门，
Or a tall tree and a swing.
看一棵大树、一架秋千。
Wherein God's ponderous mercy hangs
主的慈仁沉沉地挂在
On all my sins and me,
我的身上、我的罪愆，
Because He does not take away
因为他没有从树上
The terror from the tree
去除那恐惧、威严，
And stones still shine along the road
路上的石头依然闪亮
That are, and cannot be.
似真，亦幻。
Men grow too old for love, my love,
人老了，不再爱了，我的爱，
Men grow too old for wine,
人老了，不贪杯了，
But I shall not grow too old to see
但再老我也能看见
Unearthly daylight shine,
天上的光亮，
Changing my chamber's dust to snow
将我室内的尘土化作雪，
Till I doubt if it be mine.
疑似不在人间。
Behold, the crowning mercies melt,
看，冠冕上慈恩在融泄，
The first surprises stay;
最初的惊奇凝留；
And in my dross is dropped a gift
在我的渣滓里抛下一件
For which I dare not pray:
我不敢奢求的礼物:
That a man grow used to grief and joy
一个男人习惯了悲喜，
But not to night and day.
却不曾厌倦黑夜、白天。
Men grow too old for love, my love,
人老了，不再爱了，我的爱，
Men grow too old for lies;
人老了，不再编造谎言；
But I shall not grow too old to see
但再老我也能看见
Enormous night arise,
如磐的黑夜升起，
A cloud that is larger than the world
笼罩天地的一片乌云
And a monster made of eyes.
和全身眼球的怪兽。
Nor am I worthy to unloose
我何德何能，既
The latchet of my shoe;
解不开我的鞋带，
Or shake the dust from off my feet
也掸不掉脚上的尘土；
Or the staff that bears me through
不配得到那手杖，扶我走过
On ground that is too good to last,
太过美好的旅途，
Too solid to be true.
太过坚实的道路。
Men grow too old to woo, my love,
人老了，忘了如何求欢，我的爱，
Men grow too old to wed:
人老了，忘了如何恩爱:
But I shall not grow too old to see
但再老我也能看见
Hung crazily overhead
不可思议的木筏
Incredible rafters when I wake
悬浮在头顶，那时我醒来，
And find I am not dead.
发现生命还在延续。
A thrill of thunder in my hair:
发丝间一阵雷动:
Though blackening clouds be plain,
虽然乌云近在眼前，
Still I am stung and startled
却还是被第一滴雨
By the first drop of the rain:
刺痛，被它惊醒:
Romance and pride and passion pass
爱恋、荣耀、激情已经过去，
And these are what remain.
留下的只有这些。
Strange crawling carpets of the grass,
青草是绵延的奇异地毯，
Wide windows of the sky:
蓝天是敞亮的窗口:
So in this perilous grace of God
就这样，我背负所有的罪
With all my sins go I:
惶恐地步入主的恩典:
And things grow new though I grow old,
我会日渐衰老，直到死去，
Though I grow old and die.
世界却不断地翻新、变幻。
A Second Childhood
-G.K. Chesterton
重来的童真 (切斯特顿)
When all my days are ending
即使所有日子都将结束，
And I have no song to sing,
而我再没有歌可以哼唱，
I think I shall not be too old
我想我也不至于老得
To stare at everything;
无法凝视周围的一切；
As I stared once at a nursery door
像儿时盯着看育幼院的门，
Or a tall tree and a swing.
看一棵大树、一架秋千。
Wherein God's ponderous mercy hangs
主的慈仁沉沉地挂在
On all my sins and me,
我的身上、我的罪愆，
Because He does not take away
因为他没有从树上
The terror from the tree
去除那恐惧、威严，
And stones still shine along the road
路上的石头依然闪亮
That are, and cannot be.
似真，亦幻。
Men grow too old for love, my love,
人老了，不再爱了，我的爱，
Men grow too old for wine,
人老了，不贪杯了，
But I shall not grow too old to see
但再老我也能看见
Unearthly daylight shine,
天上的光亮，
Changing my chamber's dust to snow
将我室内的尘土化作雪，
Till I doubt if it be mine.
疑似不在人间。
Behold, the crowning mercies melt,
看，冠冕上慈恩在融泄，
The first surprises stay;
最初的惊奇凝留；
And in my dross is dropped a gift
在我的渣滓里抛下一件
For which I dare not pray:
我不敢奢求的礼物:
That a man grow used to grief and joy
一个男人习惯了悲喜，
But not to night and day.
却不曾厌倦黑夜、白天。
Men grow too old for love, my love,
人老了，不再爱了，我的爱，
Men grow too old for lies;
人老了，不再编造谎言；
But I shall not grow too old to see
但再老我也能看见
Enormous night arise,
如磐的黑夜升起，
A cloud that is larger than the world
笼罩天地的一片乌云
And a monster made of eyes.
和全身眼球的怪兽。
Nor am I worthy to unloose
我何德何能，既
The latchet of my shoe;
解不开我的鞋带，
Or shake the dust from off my feet
也掸不掉脚上的尘土；
Or the staff that bears me through
不配得到那手杖，扶我走过
On ground that is too good to last,
太过美好的旅途，
Too solid to be true.
太过坚实的道路。
Men grow too old to woo, my love,
人老了，忘了如何求欢，我的爱，
Men grow too old to wed:
人老了，忘了如何恩爱:
But I shall not grow too old to see
但再老我也能看见
Hung crazily overhead
不可思议的木筏
Incredible rafters when I wake
悬浮在头顶，那时我醒来，
And find I am not dead.
发现生命还在延续。
A thrill of thunder in my hair:
发丝间一阵雷动:
Though blackening clouds be plain,
虽然乌云近在眼前，
Still I am stung and startled
却还是被第一滴雨
By the first drop of the rain:
刺痛，被它惊醒:
Romance and pride and passion pass
爱恋、荣耀、激情已经过去，
And these are what remain.
留下的只有这些。
Strange crawling carpets of the grass,
青草是绵延的奇异地毯，
Wide windows of the sky:
蓝天是敞亮的窗口:
So in this perilous grace of God
就这样，我背负所有的罪
With all my sins go I:
惶恐地步入主的恩典:
And things grow new though I grow old,
我会日渐衰老，直到死去，
Though I grow old and die.
世界却不断地翻新、变幻。
