The Last Chrysanthemum
by Thomas Hardy
Why should this flower delay so long
To show its tremulous plumes?
Now is the time of plaintive robin-song,
When flowers are in their tombs.
Through the slow summer, when the sun
Called to each frond and whorl
That all he could for flowers was being done,
Why did it not uncurl?
It must have felt that fervid call
Although it took no heed,
Waking but now, when leaves like corpses fall,
And saps all retrocede.
Too late its beauty, lonely thing,
The season’s shine is spent,
Nothing remains for it but shivering
In tempests turbulent.
Had it a reason for delay,
Dreaming in witlessness
That for a bloom so delicately gay
Winter would stay its stress?
- I talk as if the thing were born
With sense to work its mind;
Yet it is but one mask of many worn
By the Great Face behind.
譯文一
為何這朵菊花綻放如此久長(zhǎng)
還在搖曳它的花瓣?
當(dāng)花兒零落成泥時(shí)
正是知更鳥(niǎo)哀鳴的季節(jié)
漫漫長(zhǎng)夏,太陽(yáng)
會(huì)應(yīng)邀每片葉子和花朵
太陽(yáng)讓每朵花都盛開(kāi)
為何它沒(méi)綻放
它一定也感受到熾熱的召喚
只是它沒(méi)有留心
它現(xiàn)在蘇醒,當(dāng)樹(shù)葉紛紛散落
樹(shù)汁干竭
它的美來(lái)的太遲,孤苦伶仃
季節(jié)的光輝已散盡
什么也沒(méi)留下
只有在狂風(fēng)暴雨中飄擺
難道它延開(kāi)的原因
是為了見(jiàn)證夢(mèng)想
對(duì)于一朵美麗的花兒
它能忍受寒冬的挑戰(zhàn)嗎?
看我說(shuō)的,似乎花兒生來(lái)
能產(chǎn)生獨(dú)特的思想
然而,一花不代表一世界
在季節(jié)交替面前
(黍黎釋譯)
譯文二
這朵菊花為何留得如此長(zhǎng)久,
來(lái)顯示自己震顫的羽絨?
現(xiàn)在已是知更鳥(niǎo)哀鳴的時(shí)刻,
當(dāng)花兒已經(jīng)葬入了墳冢。
在漫長(zhǎng)的夏季,束束陽(yáng)光
被邀探訪(fǎng)片片葉兒和花瓣,
太陽(yáng)為花朵做完了該做的事情,
這朵花那時(shí)為何沒(méi)有開(kāi)放?
它一定感到那熾熱的召喚,
盡管絲毫也沒(méi)有留心,
但現(xiàn)在已蘇醒,當(dāng)樹(shù)葉僵尸般掉落,
當(dāng)樹(shù)液紛紛地隱身。
它的美色來(lái)得太晚,孤獨(dú)的東西,
季節(jié)的光輝已經(jīng)耗完,
什么也沒(méi)有為它留下,它只好
在狂暴的風(fēng)雪中震顫。
難道它有原因逗留,
沒(méi)有頭腦地異想天開(kāi),
對(duì)于一朵嬌嫩美麗的鮮花,
酷冬定會(huì)抑制自己的殘害?
--瞧我說(shuō)的,仿佛花朵
生來(lái)就有思維的能力;
然而這只是許多面具中的一個(gè),
被戴于背后的上帝。
(佚名譯)
托馬斯·哈代(1840-1928) 英國(guó)偉大的現(xiàn)實(shí)主義作家、詩(shī)人。主要作品有小說(shuō)《苔絲》、《還鄉(xiāng)》,詩(shī)集《韋塞克斯詩(shī)集》、《今昔詩(shī)集》、《時(shí)光的笑柄》、《早期與晚期抒情詩(shī)》、詩(shī)劇《列王》等。 哈代至今仍是擁有最多讀者的維多利亞時(shí)代小說(shuō)家之一。