The Cloak, the Boat, and the Shoes

  • ‘What do you make so fair and bright?’

  • ‘I make the cloak of Sorrow:
  • O lovely to see in all men’s sight
  • Shall be the cloak of Sorrow,
  • In all men’s sight.’

  • ‘What do you build with sails for flight?’

  • ‘I build a boat for Sorrow:
  • O swift on the seas all day and night
  • Saileth the rover Sorrow,
  • All day and night.’

  • ‘What do you weave with wool so white?’

  • ‘I weave the shoes of Sorrow:
  • Soundless shall be the footfall light
  • In all men’s ears of Sorrow,
  • Sudden and light.’

披风、小船和鞋子

  • “你在做什么,这么光艳美丽?”

  • “我做一件‘忧愁’的披风:
  • 呵,在人人眼里将显得可爱,
  • 那件‘忧愁’的披风,
  • 在人人眼里。”

  • “你用乘风的帆篷做什么东西?”

  • “我为‘忧愁’造一条小船:
  • 呵,整日整夜里在海上疾驶,
  • ‘忧愁’那个流浪汉,
  • 整日整夜里。”

  • “你用雪白的羊毛织什么东西?”

  • “我织一双‘忧愁’的鞋子:
  • 那轻快的脚步将无声无息
  • 在所有人忧愁的耳朵里,
  • 骤然而轻快。”

傅浩 译

Saileth: (archaic) third-person singular simple present indicative form of sail.

维护者注——

此诗原是诗剧《雕像之岛》中的一首无题歌,1885年3月发表于《都柏林大学评论》时题为《人声》。

叶芝诗集(增订本) 2018 ——