THE WHITE BIRDS

――by W.B. Yeats

Would that we were，my beloved，white birds on the foam¹ of the sea!

We tire of the flame of the meteor，before it can fade and flee;

And the flame of the blue star of twilight，hung low on the rim² of the sky，

Has awakened³ in our hearts，my beloved，a sadness that may not die.

亲爱的，但愿我们是浪尖上一双白鸟!

流星尚未陨逝，我们已厌倦了它的闪耀;

天边低悬，晨光里那颗蓝星的幽光，

唤醒了你我心中，一缕不死的忧伤。

A weariness comes from those dreamers，dew-dabbled，the lily and rose;

Ah，dream not of them，my beloved，the flame of the meteor that goes，

Or the flame of the blue star that lingers hung low in the fall of the dew：

For I would we were changed to white birds on the wandering foam：I and you!

露湿的百合、玫瑰梦里逸出一丝困倦;

呵，亲爱的，可别梦那流星的闪耀，

也别梦那蓝星的幽光在滴露中低徊：

但愿我们化作浪尖上的白鸟：我和你!

I am haunted by numberless islands，and many a Danaan shore，

Where Time would surely forget us，and Sorrow come near us no more;

Soon far from the rose and the lily，and fret⁴ of the flames would we be，

Were we only white birds，my beloved，buoyed out on the foam of the sea!

我心头萦绕着无数岛屿和丹南湖滨，

在那里岁月会以遗忘我们，悲哀不再来临;

转瞬就会远离玫瑰、百合和星光的侵蚀，

只要我们是双白鸟，亲爱的，出没在浪花里!