To a Poet a Thousand Years Hence——James Elroy Flecker

致千年后的一位诗人

陈绍鹏 译

I who am dead a thousand years,

一千年前我已逝去，

And wrote this sweet archaic song,

写下这悦耳的古老诗句，

Send you my words for messengers

信使将我的话语传递给你

The way I shall not pass along.

我已不能前行。

I care not if you bridge the seas,

我不在乎你渡过海洋，

Or ride secure the cruel sky,

或飘浮于严酷的天，

Or build consummate palaces

又或是以金属还是砖石

Of metal or of masonry.

建起至上的宫殿。

But have you wine and music still,

你是否仍然拥有美酒、音乐，

And statues and a bright-eyed love,

雕像和爱人明亮的双眼，

And foolish thoughts of good and ill,

是否抱有关于善与恶的荒谬观点，

And prayers to them who sit above?

并向上天祷念？

How shall we conquer? Like a wind

我们应如何取得成功？要像一阵风

That falls at eve our fancies blow,

在傍晚降临时将我们的幻想吹动，

And old Maeonides the blind

失明的诗人荷马

Said it three thousand years ago.

三千年前他曾这样说道。

O friend unseen, unborn, unknown,

啊，未见过、未出世、陌生的友人，

Student of our sweet English tongue,

学习我们动听英语的学生，

Read out my words at night, alone:

在夜里独自诵读我的诗句：

I was a poet, I was young.

我是个诗人，我曾年青。

Since I can never see your face,

既然我无缘目睹你的面容，

And never shake you by the hand,

也不能握着你的手，

I send my soul through time and space

就以我的灵魂相送，穿越时空

To greet you. You will understand.

向你问候。你会明白我的情衷。