概述
詳述
我想起，當年希臘的詩人曾經歌詠：
I thought once how Theocritus had sung
年復一年，那良辰在殷切的盼望中
Of the sweet years, the dear and wished-for years,
翩然降臨，各自帶一份禮物
Who each one in a gracious hand appears
分送給世人－－年老或是年少。
To bear a gift for mortals, old or young:
當我這么想，感嘆著詩人的古調，
And, as I mused it in his antique tongue,
穿過我淚眼所逐漸展開的幻覺，
I saw, in gradual vision through my tears,
我看見，那歡樂的歲月、哀傷的歲月－－
The sweet, sad years, the melancholy years,
我自己的年華，把一片片黑影接連著
Those of my own life, who by turns had flung
掠過我的身。緊接著，我就覺察
A shadow across me. Straightway I was 'ware,
（我哭了）我背後正有個神秘的黑影
So weeping, how a mystic Shape did move
在移動，而且一把揪住了我的發，
Behind me, and drew me backward by the hair;
往後拉，還有一聲吆喝（我只是在掙扎）：
And a voice said in mastery, while I strove, --
“這回是誰逮住了你？猜！”“死，”我答話。
`Guess now who holds thee?' -- `Death.' I said. But, there
聽哪，那銀鈴似的回音：“不是死，是愛！”
The silver answer rang, -- `Not Death, but love.'
