今年是叶芝逝世 80 周年，我们也该背一首除《当你老了》之外的叶芝的诗了。
梦中梦
A Dream Within A Dream
埃德加·爱伦·坡
Edgar Allan Poe
不能再吻你的额头，
Take this kiss upon the brow!
到了再见的时候，
And, in parting from you now,
我不得不说--
Thus much let me avow--
你是对的，我的生活
You are not wrong, who deem
不过是一场梦。
That my days have been a dream;
但是，如果希望已经飞走
Yet if hope has flown away
无论在夜里，或在白天，
In a night, or in a day,
无论在幻想，或在虚无中，
In a vision, or in none,
那么它是否会因此留下一些呢？
Is it therefore the less gone?
我们所看到、所感受的一切
All that we see or seem
不过是一场梦中的梦。
Is but a dream within a dream.
我站在
I stand amid the roar
怒涛彭湃的海岸边，
Of a surf-tormented shore,
我的手中
And I hold within my hand
攥着金黄的沙粒--
Grains of the golden sand--
留不住啊！它们快速地
How few! yet how they creep
穿过我的手指而去，
Through my fingers to the deep,
我哭了，我哭了！
While I weep--while I weep!
哦，上帝！为什么我不能
O God! can I not grasp
牢牢地抓住它们？
Them with a tighter clasp?
哦，上帝！为什么我不能
O God! can I not save
从这无情的波涛中救出一个？
One from the pitiless wave?
难道我们所看到、所感受的一切
Is all that we see or seem
不过是一场梦中的梦？
But a dream within a dream?
哈莱姆
Harlem
兰斯顿·休斯
Langston Hughes
一个被阻延的梦会发生什么？
What happens to a dream deferred?
它会枯竭
Does it dry up
就像烈日下的一颗葡萄干？
like a raisin in the sun?
还是像伤口一样化脓——
Or fester like a sore—
然后溃烂？
And then run?
它如腐肉一般恶臭？
Does it stink like rotten meat?
还是结出糖衣硬壳——
Or crust and sugar over—
就像久放的糖浆？
like a syrupy sweet?
也许它只是下垂
Maybe it just sags
如同一个重负。
like a heavy load.
又或者砰的一声炸为乌有？
Or does it explode?
我的生活就是诗
My Life Has Been the Poem
亨利·戴维·梭罗
Henry David Thoreau
我的生活就是我要写的诗，
My life has been the poem I would have writ
但我不能一边生活，一边陈述它。
But I could not both live and utter it.
