悲哀的牧羊人

威廉·巴特·勒叶芝

威廉·巴特勒·叶芝 William Butler Yeats (1865～1939)，亦译“叶慈”、“耶茨”，爱尔兰诗人、剧作家，著名的神秘主义者，是“爱尔兰文艺复兴运动”的领袖，也是艾比剧院(Abbey Theatre)的创建者之一，被诗人艾略特誉为"当代最伟大的诗人"。叶芝对戏剧也有浓厚的兴趣，先后写过26部剧本。

There was a man whom Sorrow named his Friend,

And he, of his high comrade Sorrow dreaming,

Went walking with slow steps along the gleaming

And humming Sands, where windy surges wend:

有一个人被“忧伤”当作朋友，

他，渴想着“忧伤”他那高贵的伙伴，

去沿着那微光闪烁、轻声吟唱的沙滩

慢步行走，那里狂风挟着巨浪怒吼。

And he called loudly to the stars to bend

From their pale thrones and comfort him, but they

Among themselves laugh on and sing alway:

And then the man whom Sorrow named his friend

Cried out, Dim sea, hear my most piteous story.!

他向着群星大声呼唤，请求它们

从银色宝座上俯下身来安慰他，

可它们只顾自己不断地大笑和唱歌。

于是那被“忧愁”当作朋友的人

哭喊：昏暗的海，请听我可悲的故事!

The sea Swept on and cried her old cry still,

Rolling along in dreams from hill to hill.

He fled the persecution of her glory

And, in a far-off, gentle valley stopping,

Cried all his story to the dewdrops glistening.

大海汹涌，依然喊着她那古老的嘶喊，

带着睡梦翻滚过一个又一个山峦。

他从她的壮美荣耀的析磨下逃离，

远远地到一处温柔的山谷中停下，

向晶莹的露珠把他全部的故事哭诉。