Little thinks, in the field, yon red-cloaked clown,

田野里穿着红衣的农夫毫不知晓

Of thee from the hill-top looking down;

你正从高高的山顶极目远眺；

The heifer that lows in the upland farm,

丘陵的农场远远传来母牛的声音，

Far-heard, lows not thine ear to charm;

但它并不是为了赢得你的欢心；

The sexton, tolling his bell at noon,

教堂的司事在正午敲钟的时辰

Deems not that great Napoleon

不会想到叱咤风云的拿破仑

Stops his horse, and lists with delight,

正驻马道旁，愉悦地侧耳倾听，

Whilst his files sweep round yon Alpine height;

当他的队伍席卷阿尔卑斯的峰顶；

Nor knowest thou what argument

你也不知道你每日生活的情状

Thy life to thy neighbor's creed has lent.

如何悄悄地改变了邻居的信仰。

All are needed by each one;

每个个体都与别的个体关联，

Nothing is fair or good alone.

没有孤立的美，没有孤立的善。

I thought the sparrow's note from heaven,

黎明，麻雀在赤杨的枝条上歌唱，

Singing at dawn on the alder bough;

我觉得它的音乐来自天堂；

I brought him home, in his nest, at even;

黄昏，我把麻雀带回它的小窝，

He sings the song, but it pleases not now,

同样的歌却再不能给我快乐，

For I did not bring home the river and sky; —

因为我带不回河流与天空——

He sang to my ear, — they sang to my eye.

眼睛而非耳朵才是它们的听众。

The delicate shells lay on the shore;

精致的贝壳躺在海滩上；

The bubbles of the latest wave

每一波海浪携着泡沫涌来，

Fresh pearls to their enamel gave;

都用珍珠装饰它们的釉彩，

And the bellowing of the savage sea

大海汹涌起伏，似乎是想阻拦

Greeted their safe escape to me.

它们安全地逃到我身边。

I wiped away the weeds and foam,

我拭去上面的泡沫和水草，

I fetched my sea-born treasures home;

往家里带回海里诞生的财宝；

But the poor, unsightly, noisome things

而那些相貌平平的贝壳

Had left their beauty on the shore,

只能继续在海滩陪伴太阳、

With the sun, and the sand, and the wild uproar.

沙砾和喧嚣不息的风浪。

The lover watched his graceful maid,

恋人注视着他优雅的新娘，

As 'mid the virgin train she stayed,

缓缓行进在送亲的路上，

Nor knew her beauty's best attire

他不知道她最美丽的衣裙

Was woven still by the snow-white choir.

是雪白的唱诗班的陪衬。

At last she came to his hermitage,

当她终于来到他的房子，

Like the bird from the woodlands to the cage; —

像林间的鸟儿关进了笼子——

The gay enchantment was undone,

梦幻般的魔法顿时消失，

A gentle wife, but fairy none.

虽温柔体贴，却不再有魅力。

Then I said, "I covet truth;

于是我说，“我渴恋真理；

Beauty is unripe childhood's cheat;

而美，只是青涩童年的玩具；

I leave it behind with the games of youth:" —

我把它和儿时的游戏留在一起。”——

As I spoke, beneath my feet

我正说着，在我站立之处，

The ground-pine curled its pretty wreath,

土柏美丽的藤蔓便聚拢，

Running over the club-moss burrs;

缠绕在石松的边缘；

I inhaled the violet's breath;

我呼吸着紫罗兰的芳香，

Around me stood the oaks and firs;

周围站着橡树和云杉；

Pine-cones and acorns lay on the ground;

松果和橡子落了一地；

Over me soared the eternal sky,

永恒的天空在头顶盘旋，

Full of light and of deity;

充满光明和神的意念；

Again I saw, again I heard,

我重新看到，我重新听到

The rolling river, the morning bird; —

流淌的河水和早晨的小鸟——

Beauty through my senses stole;

美悄悄穿过我的感官，

I yielded myself to the perfect whole.

我在这完美的整体中消散。