The Sad Shepherd

The Sad Shepherd

  by William Butler Yeats

There was a man whom Sorrow named his Friend,
And he, of his high comrade Sorrow dreaming,
Went walking with slow steps along the gleaming
And humming Sands, where windy surges wend:
And he called loudly to the stars to bend
From their pale thrones and comfort him, but they
Among themselves laugh on and sing alway:
And then the man whom Sorrow named his friend
Cried out, Dim sea, hear my most piteous story.!
The sea Swept on and cried her old cry still,
Rolling along in dreams from hill to hill.
He fled the persecution of her glory
And, in a far-off, gentle valley stopping,
Cried all his story to the dewdrops glistening.
But naught they heard, for they are always listening,
The dewdrops, for the sound of their own dropping.
And then the man whom Sorrow named his friend
Sought once again the shore, and found a shell,
And thought, I will my heavy story tell
Till my own words, re-echoing, shall send
Their sadness through a hollow, pearly heart;
And my own talc again for me shall sing,
And my own whispering words be comforting,
And lo! my ancient burden may depart.
Then he sang softly nigh the pearly rim;
But the sad dweller by the sea-ways lone
Changed all he sang to inarticulate moan
Among her wildering whirls, forgetting him.

悲哀的牧人

   傅浩 译

有一个人被“忧伤”当作朋友，
他，渴想着“忧伤”他那高贵的伙伴，
去沿着那微光闪烁、轻声吟唱的沙滩
慢步行走，那里狂风挟着巨浪怒吼。
他向着群星大声呼唤，请求它们
从银色宝座上俯下身来安慰他，
可它们只顾自己不断地大笑和唱歌。
于是那被“忧愁”当作朋友的人
哭喊：昏暗的海，请听我可悲的故事！
大海汹涌，依然喊着她那古老的嘶喊，
带着睡梦翻滚过一个又一个山峦。
他从她的壮美荣耀的析磨下逃离，
远远地到一处温柔的山谷中停下，
向晶莹的露珠把他全部的故事哭诉。
可它们什么也没有听见，因为露珠
永远在倾听它们自身滴落的声音。
于是那被“忧愁”当作朋友的人
又回到海滩搜寻，找到了一只空螺，
思忖：我要把我沉痛的故事述说，
直到我自己的、再度回响的话音，
把悲哀送进一颗空洞的珍珠般的心里；
直到我自己的故事重新为我讴歌；
直到我自己的低语令人感到慰藉；
那时，看！我古老的重负就可以脱离。
于是他对着温润的螺唇轻轻地歌唱；
但是那孤寂的大海边悲伤的居民
在她那迷人的螺旋中把他的歌声
都变成了含混的呻吟，把他遗忘。

威廉•巴特勒•叶芝简介