勃朗宁夫人诗集第八首

勃朗宁夫人诗集第八首

《勃朗宁夫人诗集第八首》

我能回馈你什么？高贵的人，

你慷慨地赠予，把你那金子般的心，

纯粹无尘、慷慨无尽地堆放在墙外，

任凭予取予求。

如此繁多而奢侈的礼物，

我却无以为报，

是否太冷漠，太无情？

不是那样的，不是冷漠，——只是贫瘠。

问问那无所不知的上帝，你就会知晓，

无尽的泪水早已洗去我生命的色彩，

留下的东西了无生趣、一片苍白，

它可算不上合适的礼物，

送给你高贵的头颅作为枕头休憩；

但还是请你收下吧，哪怕作为垫脚石把它踩在脚底！

What can I give thee back, O liberal

And princely giver, who hast brought the gold

And purple of thine heart, unstained, untold,

And laid them on the outside of the wall

For such as I to take or leave withal,

In unexpected largesse? am I cold,

Ungrateful, that for these most manifold

High gifts, I render nothing back at all?

Not so; not cold, —but verypoor instead.

Ask God who knows. For frequent tears have run

The colours from my life, and left so dead

And pale a stuff, it were not fitly done

To give the same as pillow to thy head.

Go farther! let it serve to trample on.

诗歌摘自《勃朗宁夫人十四行诗集》，张媛译