Wasted Days
(From a Picture Painted by Miss V. T.)
A fair slim boy not made for this world's pain,
With hair of gold thick clustering round his ears,
And longing eyes half veil'd by foolish tears
Like bluest water seen through mists of rain;
Pale cheeks whereon no kiss hath left its stain,
Red under-lip drawn in for fear of Love,
And white throat whiter than the breast of dove—
Alas! Alas! If all should be in vain.
Corn-fields behind, and reapers all a-row
In weariest labour toiling wearily,
To no sweet sound of laughter, or of lute;
And careless of the crimson sunset-glow
The boy still dreams: nor knows that night is nigh:
And in the night-time no man gathers fruit.
Oxford, Oct. 30th
虛擲的光陰
(據(jù)V.T.小姐的畫作而吟)
一個纖瘦的英俊少年,不涉塵世之苦,
濃密的金發(fā)耷蓋著他的耳輪,
渴望的眼睛被無謂的淚水半掩,
像穿越了雨霧的兩道藍(lán)幽幽的清泉;
蒼白的臉頰不曾留下任何親吻的印痕,
因為懼怕愛而緊抿紅色的下唇,
白皙的頸項比鴿子的胸脯更潔白——
哀哉!噫吁兮!若是將這一切虛擲。
背后是田野,刈割者排成一長列,
在辛苦地從事最辛苦的勞作,
沒有甜蜜的笑聲,也沒有詩琴響,
也不會去關(guān)心日落時分的紅暈,
那少年仍在做夢:不知黑夜即將來臨,
而在夜黑時光,沒有人去采摘鮮果。
牛津,10月30日