沃特·雷利Walter Raleigh(1554-1618),英國伊麗莎白時代的宮廷詩人。沃特·雷利出生在德文郡。曾經(jīng)在牛津大學就讀,參加過法國宗教戰(zhàn)爭,之后在倫敦學習法律,逐漸結交了宮廷和知識界的朋友。雷利一生中寫過許多詩歌,大多以手稿形式流傳在外。他的詩歌多為抒情短詩,其特點是在彼特拉克式 (Petrarchan)的愛情主題中,摻入自己對人類生活環(huán)境的思考,表達了對生命無常和時光短暫的感慨,時常帶有傷感抑郁之情。
Fall the world and love were young,
And truth in every shepherd’s tongue,
These pretty pleasures might me move
To live with thee and be thy love.
假若世界和愛情永遠年輕,
假若牧羊人的話句句成真,
這些美妙快樂能把我打動,
和你一起生活成為你的愛人。
Time drives the flocks from field to fold,
When rivers rage and rocks grow cold,
And Philomel becometh dumb;
The rest complains of cares to come.
時間驅(qū)羊群從田野到羊圈,
當河水開始憤怒巖石漸冷,
夜鶯此時也變得沉默不語,
其余的鳥獸也把未來憂患。
The flowers do fade, and wanton fields
To wayward winter reckoning yields:
A honey tongue, a heart of gall,
Is fancy's spring, but sorrow's fall.
花兒會枯萎凋謝,油綠的田野
會屈從于寒冬的肆虐;
甜美的言語,冷酷的心扉,
是美夢的春天,悲哀的秋天。
The gowns, thy shoes, thy beds of roses,
Thy cap, thy kirtle, and thy posies
Soon break, soon wither, soon forgotten,
In folly ripe, in reason rotten.
你那長袍那鞋子和玫瑰婚床,
你那花冠那長裙和花束芳香,
很快枯萎破舊被人遺忘腦后,
它們在癡想中長成,在理想中消亡。
Thy belt of straw and ivy buds,
Thy coral clasps and amber studs,
All these in me no means can move
To come to thee and be thy love.
那青草和常青藤編制的腰帶,
點綴上珊瑚扣和琥珀的鈕飾,
所有這些毫不能打動我的心,
和你一起生活成為你的愛人。
But could youth last and love still breed,
Had joys no date nor age no need,
Then these delights my mind might move
To live with thee and be thy love.
但假若青春不老愛意長存,
假若快樂無邊歲月無盡,
這些快樂才能打動我的心,
和你一起生活成為你的愛人。