你那低回的竖琴永不能令我欢欣，

Thy trivial harp will never please

或填满我渴求的耳朵，

Or fill my craving ear;

弦的弹奏当如天地间风的运行，

Its chords should ring as blows the breeze,

自由，超迈，大气磅礴。

Free, peremptory, clear.

小夜曲的婉转低吟，

No jingling serenader's art,

钢琴的清脆音符，

Nor tinkle of piano strings,

哪能将野性的血惊醒

Can make the wild blood start

自神秘的深处？

In its mystic springs.

诗人当如君王，

The kingly bard

击打琴弦必须有野蛮雄健的力量，

Must smite the chords rudely and hard,

仿佛用权杖或铁锤驱遣

As with hammer or with mace;

雷霆般的技艺

That they may render back

奔驰在琴弦之间，

Artful thunder, which conveys

揭示太阳旋转的秘密，

Secrets of the solar track,

和辽远星球的火焰。

Sparks of the supersolar blaze.

梅林的敲击是命运的敲击，

Merlin's blows are strokes of fate,

它应和着森林里的声音，

Chiming with the forest tone,

当枝干猛烈撞击着枝干；

When boughs buffet boughs in the wood;

它应和着洪流沉闷的呻吟，

Chiming with the gasp and moan

当冰的囚室在春天里震颤；

Of the ice-imprisoned flood;

它应和着演说家奔涌的言辞，

With the pulse of manly hearts;

应和着阳刚灵魂的脉动，

With the voice of orators;

应和着熙攘喧嚣的城市，

With the din of city arts;

应和着炮火连天的战争，

With the cannonade of wars;

应和着勇士慷慨的行进，

With the marches of the brave;

应和着洞穴里回荡的圣徒的歌音。

And prayers of might from martyrs' cave.

伟大的诗艺

Great is the art,

必定有伟大的气质。

Great be the manners, of the bard.

诗人不会用节奏和格律

He shall not his brain encumber

将他的思想束缚，

With the coil of rhythm and number;

而要抛开一切陈规；

But, leaving rule and pale forethought,

他将不断攀登

He shall aye climb

朝着诗韵的巅峰。

For his rhyme.

“进来，进来，”天使说，

'Pass in, pass in,' the angels say,

“进入最上面的门，

'In to the upper doors,

不要数下面有多少层，

Nor count compartments of the floors,

一级级靠近乐园的景致

But mount to paradise

沿着那惊奇的楼梯。”

By the stairway of surprise.'

他是游戏之王，熟谙自己的技艺，

Blameless master of the games,

永不愧疚，无可挑剔，

King of sport that never shames,

他将每日的快乐分赐，

He shall daily joy dispense

藏在诗歌的甜蜜流体里。

Hid in song's sweet influence.

当他玄妙的心灵

Forms more cheerly live and go,

高声唱出自己的乐音，

What time the subtle mind

意念便纷纷幻化显形，

Sings aloud the tune whereto

它们和着曲调，

Their pulses beat,

一边走，一边手舞足蹈，

And march their feet,

汇成浩浩荡荡的大军。

And their members are combined.

这丰富的快乐令他沉迷，

By Sybarites beguiled,

他把一切主题歌唱；

He shall no task decline;

梅林雄健的诗行

Merlin's mighty line

足以化解自然的一切对立，——

Extremes of nature reconciled,—

他剥夺暴君的意志，

Bereaved a tyrant of his will,

他给狮子温和的脾气，

And made the lion mild.

他的歌声撒在翻涌的空气里，

Songs can the tempest still,

便平息了迫近的风暴，

Scattered on the stormy air,

他让季节宁静地生长，

Mould the year to fair increase,

像诗歌一样安详。

And bring in poetic peace.

如果没有灵感，情绪低落，

他不会奢望去编织

He shall not seek to weave,

惊人的诗；

In weak, unhappy times,

他会静待力量恢复。

Efficacious rhymes;

就像鸟儿从休歇的地方

Wait his returning strength.

向天空的最高处扶摇直上，——

Bird that from the nadir's floor

即使这也远远不及缪斯翱翔的高度。

To the zenith's top can soar,—

他也不会如此僭越，

The soaring orbit of the muse exceeds that journey's length.

以为凭巧智就可达到那样的境界，

Nor profane affect to hit

它只属于特定的灵魂，

Or compass that, by meddling wit,

特定的时辰。

Which only the propitious mind

有时世界仿佛豁然敞亮，

Publishes when 't is inclined.

上帝的意志自由驰骋，

There are open hours

那时即使白痴也会惊醒，

When the God's will sallies free,

洞见千年里人世的变迁，——

And the dull idiot might see

突然，不经意间，

The flowing fortunes of a thousand years;—

我们被自己触动，冲到门边眺望，

Sudden, at unawares,

即使天使的剑也无法呈现

Self-moved, fly-to the doors.

它们隐匿的景观。

Nor sword of angels could reveal

What they conceal.