“ shì de， wǒ zì jǐ qīn yǎn kàn jiàn gǔ mǐ de xī bǐ ' ěr diào zài yī gè lóng zǐ lǐ。 hái zǐ men zài wèn tā： xī bǐ ' ěr， nǐ yào shénme de shí hòu， tā huí dá shuō， wǒ yào sǐ。 ”
（ xiàn gěi ' āi cí lā · páng dé
zuì zhuó yuè de jiàng rén）
yī、 sǐ zhě zàng lǐ
sì yuè shì zuì cán rěn de yī gè yuè， huāng dì shàng
cháng zhe dīng xiāng， bǎ huí yì hé yù wàng
cān hé zài yī qǐ， yòu ràng chūn yǔ
cuī cù nà xiē chí dùn de gēn yá。
dōng tiān shǐ wǒ men wēn nuǎn， dà dì
gěi zhù rén yí wàng de xuě fù gài zhe， yòu jiào
kū gān de qiú gēn tí gōng shǎo xǔ shēng mìng。
xià tiān lái dé chū rén yì wài， zài xià zhèn yǔ de shí hòu
lái dào liǎo sī dān bǔ jī xī； wǒ men zài zhù láng xià duǒ bì，
děng tài yáng chū lái yòu jìn liǎo huò fū jiā dēng，
hē kā fēi， xián tán liǎo yī gè xiǎo shí。
wǒ bù shì ' é guó rén， wǒ shì lì táo wǎn lái de， shì dì dào de dé guó rén。
ér qiě wǒ men xiǎo shí hòu zhù zài dà gōng nà lǐ
wǒ biǎo xiōng jiā， tā dài zhe wǒ chū qù huá xuě qiāo，
wǒ hěn hài pà。 tā shuō， mǎ lì，
mǎ lì， láo láo jiū zhù。 wǒ men jiù wǎng xià chōng。
zài shān shàng， nà lǐ nǐ jué dé zì yóu。
dà bàn gè wǎn shàng wǒ kàn shū， dōng tiān wǒ dào nán fāng。
shénme shù gēn zài zhuā jǐn， shénme shù gēn zài cóng
zhè duī luàn shí kuài lǐ cháng chū？ rén zǐ ' ā，
nǐ shuō bù chū， yě cāi bù dào， yīn wéi nǐ zhǐ zhī dào
yī duī pò làn de ' ǒu xiàng， chéng shòu zhe tài yáng de biān dǎ
kū sǐ de shù méi yòu zhē yìn。 xī shuài de shēng yīn yě bù shǐ rén fàng xīn，
jiāo shí jiān méi yòu liú shuǐ de shēng yīn。 zhǐ yòu
zhè kuài hóng shí xià yòu yǐng zǐ，
（ qǐng zǒu jìn zhè kuài hóng shí xià de yǐng zǐ）
wǒ yào zhǐ diǎn nǐ yī jiàn shì， tā jì bù xiàng
nǐ zǎo qǐ de yǐng zǐ， zài nǐ hòu miàn mài bù；
yě bù xiàng bàng wǎn de， zhàn qǐ shēn lái yíng zhe nǐ；
wǒ yào gěi nǐ kàn kǒng jù zài yī bǎ chén tǔ lǐ。
fēng chuī dé hěn qīng kuài，
chuī sòng wǒ huí jiā qù，
ài ' ěr lán de xiǎo hái，
nǐ zài nǎ lǐ dòu liú？
“ yī nián qián nǐ xiān gěi wǒ de shì fēng xìn zǐ；
tā men jiào wǒ zuò fēng xìn zǐ de nǚ láng”，
héng héng kě shì děng wǒ men huí lái， wǎn liǎo， cóng fēng xìn zǐ de yuán lǐ lái，
nǐ de bì bó bào mǎn， nǐ de tóu fā shī lù， wǒ shuō bù chū
huà， yǎn jīng kàn bù jiàn， wǒ jì bù shì
huó de， yě wèi céng sǐ， wǒ shénme dōubù zhī dào，
wàng zhe guāng liàng de zhōng xīn kàn shí， shì yī piàn jì jìng。
huāng liáng ' ér kōng xū shì nà dà hǎi。
mǎ dān suō suō qū lǐ shì， zhù míng de nǚ xiāng shì，
huàn liǎo zhòng gǎn mào， kě réng rán shì
ōu luó bā zhī míng de zuì yòu zhì huì de nǚ rén，
dài zhe yī fù ' è dú de zhǐ pái， zhè lǐ， tā shuō，
shì nǐ de yī zhāng， nà yān sǐ liǎo de féi ní jī shuǐ shǒu，
（ zhè xiē zhēn zhū jiù shì tā de yǎn jīng， kàn！）
zhè shì bèi luò duō nà， yán shí de nǚ zhù rén
yī gè shàn yú yìng biàn de nǚ rén。
zhè rén dài zhe sān gēn zhàng， zhè shì“ zhuànlún”，
zhè shì nà dú yǎn shāng rén， zhè zhāng pái shàng miàn
yī wú suǒ yòu， shì tā bèi zài bèi shàng de yī zhǒng dōng xī。
shì bù zhǔn wǒ kàn jiàn de。 wǒ méi yòu zhǎo dào
“ nà bèi jiǎo sǐ de rén”。 pà shuǐ lǐ de sǐ wáng。
wǒ kàn jiàn chéng qún de rén， zài rào zhe juàn zǐ zǒu。
xiè xiè nǐ。 nǐ kàn jiàn qīn ' ài de ' ài kuí ' ěr tài tài de shí hòu
jiù shuō wǒ zì jǐ bǎ tiān gōng tú gěi tā dài qù，
zhè nián tóu rén dé xiǎo xīn ' ā。
bìng wú shí tǐ de chéng，
zài dōng rì pò xiǎo de huáng wù xià，
yī qún rén yú guàn dì liú guò lún dūn qiáo， rén shù shì nà me duō，
wǒ méi xiǎng dào sǐ wáng huǐ huài liǎo zhè xǔ duō rén。
tàn xī， duǎn cù ' ér xī shǎo， tù liǎo chū lái，
rén rén de yǎn jīng dū dīng zhù zài zì jǐ de jiǎo qián。
liú shàng shān， liú xià wēi lián wáng dà jiē，
zhí dào shèng mǎ lì wú ' ěr nuò sī jiào táng， nà lǐ bào shí de zhōng shēng
qiāo zhe zuì hòu de dì jiǔ xià， yīn chén de yī shēng。
zài nà lǐ wǒ kàn jiàn yī gè shú rén， lán zhù tā jiào dào：“ sī dài zhēn！”
nǐ cóng qián zài mài lǐ de chuán shàng shì hé wǒ zài yī qǐ de！
qù nián nǐ zhǒng zài nǐ huā yuán lǐ de shī shǒu，
tā fā yá liǎo má？ jīn nián huì kāi huā má？
hái shì hū lái yán shuāng dǎo huài liǎo tā de huā chuáng？
jiào zhè gǒu xióng xīng zǒu yuǎn bā， tā shì rén men de péng yǒu，
bù rán tā huì yòng tā de zhuǎzǐ zài bǎ tā wā jué chū lái！
nǐ！ xū wěi de dú zhě！ héng héng wǒ de tóng lèi héng héng wǒ de xiōng dì！
èr、 duì yì
tā suǒ zuò de yǐ zǐ， xiàng fā liàng de bǎo zuò
zài dà lǐ shí shàng fàng guāng， yòu yī miàn jìng zǐ，
zuò shàng mǎn kè zhe jié zú liǎo guǒ zǐ de téng，
hái yòu gè huáng jīn de xiǎo ' ài shén tàn chū tóu lái
（ lìng wài yī gè bǎ yǎn jīng cáng zài chì bǎng bèi hòu）
shǐ qī zhī guāng zhú tái de huǒ yàn jiā gāo yī bèi，
zhuō zǐ shàng hái yòu fǎn shè de guāng cǎi
duàn hé lǐ qīng zhù chū de xuàn mù huī huáng，
shì tā zhū bǎo de shǎn guāng yě shēng qǐ lái yíng zhe；
zài kāi zhe kǒu de xiàng yá hé cǎi sè bō lí zhì de
xiǎo píng lǐ， àn cáng zhe tā nà xiē qí yì de hé chéng xiāng liào héng héng gāo zhuàng， fěn zhuàng huò yè tǐ de héng héng shǐ gǎn jué
jú cù bù ' ān， mí wǎng， bèi yānmò zài xiāng wèi lǐ； shòu dào
chuāng wài xīn xiān kōng qì de wēi wēi chuī dòng， zhè xiē xiāng qì
zài shàng shēng shí， shǐ diǎn rán liǎo hěn jiǔ de zhú yàn biàn dé féi mǎn，
yòu bǎ yān lǚ zhì shàng xiāng bǎn de fáng dǐng，
shǐ tiān huā bǎn de tú ' àn yě mó hú bù qīng。
dà piàn hǎi shuǐ jìn guò de mù liào sǎ shàng tóng fěn
qīng qīng huáng huáng dì liàng zhe， sì zhōu xiāng zhe de wǔ cǎi shí shàng，
yòu diāo kè zhe de hǎi tún zài chóu cǎn de guāng zhōng yóu yǒng。
nà gǔ jiù de bì lú jià shàng zhǎn xiàn zhe yī fú
yóu rú kāi chuāng suǒ jiàn de tián yě jǐng wù，
nà shì fěi lǜ méi lā biàn liǎo xíng， zāo dào liǎo yě mán guó wáng de
qiáng bào： dàn shì zài nà lǐ nà tóu yè yīng
tā nà bù róng diàn rǔ de shēng yīn chōng mǎn liǎo zhěng gè shā mò，
tā hái zài jiào huàn zhe， shì jiè yě hái zài zhuī zhú zhe，
“ jī jī” chàng gěi zàng ' ěr duǒ tīng。
qí tā nà xiē shí jiān de kū shù gēn
zài qiáng shàng liú xià liǎo jì rèn； níng shì de rén xiàng
tàn chū shēn lái， xié yǐ zhe， shǐ jǐn bì de fáng jiān yī piàn jìng jì。
lóu tī shàng yòu rén zài tuō zhe jiǎo bù zǒu。
zài huǒ guāng xià， shuà zǐ xià， tā de tóu fā
sàn chéng liǎo huǒ xīng shìde xiǎo diǎn zǐ
liàng chéng cí jù， rán hòu yòu zhuǎn ' ér wéi yě mán de chén jì。
“ jīn wǎn shàng wǒ jīng shén hěn huài。 shì de， huài。 péi zhe wǒ。
gēn wǒ shuō huà。 wèishénme zǒng bù shuō huà。 shuō ' ā。
nǐ zài xiǎng shénme？ xiǎng shénme？ shénme？
wǒ cóng lái bù zhī dào nǐ zài xiǎng shénme。 xiǎng。”
wǒ xiǎng wǒ men shì zài lǎo shǔ wō lǐ，
zài nà lǐ sǐ rén lián zì jǐ de shī gǔ dū diū dé jīng guāng。
“ zhè shì shénme shēng yīn？”
fēng zài mén xià miàn。
“ zhè yòu shì shénme shēng yīn？ fēng zài gànshénme？”
méi yòu， méi yòu shénme。
“ nǐ
“ nǐ shénme dōubù zhī dào？ shénme dōuméi kàn jiàn？ shénme dū
bù jì dé？”
wǒ jì dé
nà xiē zhēn zhū shì tā de yǎn jīng。
“ nǐ shì huó de hái shì sǐ de？ nǐ de nǎo zǐ lǐ jìng méi yòu shénme？”
kě shì
ō ' ō ' ō ' ō zhè suō shì bǐ xī yà shì de jué shì yīnyuè héng héng
tā shì zhè yàng wén jìng
zhè yàng cōng míng
“ wǒ xiàn zài gāi zuò xiē shénme？ wǒ gāi zuò xiē shénme？
wǒ jiù zhào xiàn zài zhè yàng páo chū qù， zǒu zài jiē shàng
pī sàn zhe tóu fā， jiù zhè yàng。 wǒ men míng tiān gāi zuò xiē shénme？
wǒ men jiū jìng gāi zuò xiē shénme？”
shí diǎn zhōng gōng kāi shuǐ。
rú guǒ xià yǔ， sì diǎn zhōng lái guà bù jìn yǔ de qì chē。
wǒ men yě yào xià yī pán qí，
àn zhù bù zhī ' ān xī de yǎn jīng， děng zhe nà yī xià qiāo mén de shēng yīn。
lì ' ér de zhàng fū tuì wǔ de shí hòu， wǒ shuō héng héng
wǒ háo bù hán hú， wǒ zì jǐ jiù duì tā shuō，
qǐng kuài xiē， shí jiān dào liǎo
āi ' ěr bó tè bù jiǔ jiù yào huí lái， nǐ jiù dǎ bàn dǎ bàn bā。
tā yě yào zhī dào gěi nǐ xiāng yá de qián
shì zěn me huā de。 tā gěi de shí hòu wǒ yě zài。
bǎ yá dū bá liǎo bā， lì ' ér， pèi yī fù hǎo de，
tā shuō， shí zài de， nǐ nà yàng zǐ wǒ zhēn kàn bù dé。
wǒ yě kàn bù dé， wǒ shuō， tì kě lián de ' āi ' ěr bó tè xiǎng yī xiǎng，
tā zài jūn duì lǐ dān liǎo sì nián， tā xiǎng tòng kuài tòng kuài，
nǐ bù ràng tā tòng kuài， yòu de shì bié rén， wǒ shuō。
ā， shì má， tā shuō。 jiù shì zhè me huí shì。 wǒ shuō。
nà wǒ jiù zhī dào gāi gǎn xiè shuí liǎo， tā shuō， xiàng wǒ dèng liǎo yī yǎn。
qǐng kuài xiē， shí jiān dào liǎo
nǐ bù yuàn yì， nà jiù tīng biàn bā， wǒ shuō。
nǐ méi yòu kě tiǎo de， rén jiā hái néng tiǎo tiǎo jiǎn jiǎn ní。
yào shì ' āi ' ěr bó tè páo diào liǎo， kě bié guài wǒ méi shuō。
nǐ zhēn bù hài sào， wǒ shuō， kàn shàng qù zhè me lǎo xiāng。
（ tā hái zhǐ sān shí yī。）
méi bàn fǎ， tā shuō， bǎ liǎn lā dé cháng cháng de，
shì wǒ chī de nà yào piàn， wéi dǎ tāi， tā shuō。
（ tā yǐ jīng yòu liǎo wǔ gè。 xiǎo qiáo zhì chàdiǎn sòng liǎo tā de mìng。）
yào diàn lǎo bǎn shuō bù yào jǐn， kě wǒ zài yě bù bǐ cóng qián liǎo。
nǐ zhēn shì gè shǎ guā， wǒ shuō。
dé liǎo， āi ' ěr bó tè zǒng shì chán zhe nǐ， jiēguǒ jiù shì rú cǐ， wǒ shuō，
bù yào hái zǐ nǐ gànmá jié hūn？
qǐng kuài xiē， shí jiān dào liǎo
shuō qǐ lái liǎo， nà tiān xīng qī tiān ' āi ' ěr bó tè zài jiā， tā men chī gǔn tàng de shāo huǒ tuǐ，
tā men jiào wǒ qù chī fàn， jiào wǒ chéng rè chī héng héng
qǐng kuài xiē， shí jiān dào liǎo
qǐng kuài xiē， shí jiān dào liǎo
míng ' ér jiàn， bì ' ěr。 míng ' ér jiàn， lù。 míng ' ér jiàn， méi。 míng ' ér jiàn。
zài jiàn。 míng ' ér jiàn， míng ' ér jiàn。
míng tiān jiàn， tài tài men， míng tiān jiàn， kě ' ài de tài tài men， míng tiān jiàn， míng tiān jiàn。
sān、 huǒ jiè
hé shàng shù mù dā chéng de péng zhàng yǐ pò huài： shù yè liú xià de zuì hòu shǒu zhǐ
xiǎng zhuā zhù shénme， yòu chén luò dào cháo shī de ' àn biān qù liǎo。 nà fēng
chuī guò zōng huáng sè de dà dì， méi rén tīng jiàn。 xiān nǚ men yǐ jīng zǒu liǎo。
kě ' ài de tài wù shì， qīng qīng dì liú， děng wǒ chàng wán liǎo gē。
hé shàng bù zài yòu kōng píng zǐ， jiā ròu miàn bāo de báozhǐ，
chóu shǒu pà， yìng de zhǐ pí xiá zǐ， xiāng yān tóu
huò qí tā xià yè de zhèng jù。 xiān nǚ men yǐ jīng zǒu liǎo。
hái yòu tā men de péng yǒu， zuì hòu jǐ gè chéng lǐ lǎo bǎn men de hòu dài；
zǒu liǎo， yě méi yòu liú xià dì zhǐ。
zài lāi máng hú pàn wǒ zuò xià lái yǐn qì ……
kě ' ài de tài wù shì， qīng qīng dì liú， děng wǒ chàng wán liǎo gē。
kě ' ài de tài wù shì， qīng qīng dì liú， wǒ shuō huà de shēng yīn bù huì dà， yě bù huì duō。
kě shì zài wǒ shēn hòu de lěng fēng lǐ wǒ tīng jiàn
bái gǔ pèng bái gǔ de shēng yīn， tè xiào cóng ' ěr bàng chuán kāi qù。
yī tóu lǎo shǔ qīng qīng chuān guò cǎo dì
zài ' àn shàng tuō zhe tā nà nián shī de dù pí
ér wǒ què zài mǒu gè dōng yè， zài yī jiā méi qì chǎng bèi hòu
zài sǐ shuǐ lǐ chuí diào
xiǎng dào guó wáng wǒ nà xiōng dì de chén zhōu
yòu xiǎng dào zài tā zhī qián de guó wáng， wǒ fù qīn de sǐ wáng。
bái shēn qū chì luǒ luǒ dì zài dī shī de dì shàng，
bái gǔ bèi pāo zài yī gè ' ǎi xiǎo ' ér gān zào de gé lóu shàng，
zhǐ yòu lǎo shǔ jiǎo zài nà lǐ tī lái tī qù， nián fù yī nián。
dàn shì zài wǒ bèi hòu wǒ shí cháng tīng jiàn
lá bà hé qì chē de shēng yīn， jiāng zài
chūn tiān lǐ， bǎ xuē wéi ní sòng dào bó ' ěr tè tài tài nà lǐ。
ā yuè liàng zhào zài bó ' ěr tè tài tài
hé tā nǚ ' ér shēn shàng shì liàng de
tā men zài sū dǎ shuǐ lǐ xǐ jiǎo
ā zhè xiē hái zǐ men de shēng yīn， zài jiào táng lǐ gē chàng！
zī zī zī
jī jī jī jī jī jī
shòu dào zhè yàng de qiáng bào。
tiě lú
bìng wú shí tǐ de chéng
zài dōng rì zhèng wǔ de huáng wù xià
yóu jí ní dì xiān shēng， nǎ gè shì mài nà shāng rén
hái méi guāng liǎn， dài lǐ zhuāng mǎn liǎo pú táo gān
dào ' àn jià gé， lún dūn： jiàn piào jí fù，
yòng cū sú de fǎ yǔ qǐng wǒ
zài kǎi néng jiē fàn diàn chī wǔ fàn
rán hòu zài dà dū huì dù zhōu mò。
zài nà mù sè cāng máng de shí kè， yǎn yǔ bèi jǐ
cóng zhuō biān xiàng shàng tái shí， zhè xuè ròu zhì chéng de yǐn qíng zài děng hóu
xiàng yī liàng chū zū qì chē chàn dǒu ' ér děng hòu shí，
wǒ， tiē ruì xī shì， suī rán xiā liǎo yǎn， zài liǎng cì shēng mìng zhōng chàn dòng，
nián lǎo de nán zǐ què yòu bù mǎn zhòu wén de nǚ xìng rǔ fáng， néng zài
mù sè cāng máng de shí kè kàn jiàn wǎn shàng yī dào dū cháo zhe
jiā de fāng xiàng zǒu qù， shuǐ shǒu cóng hǎi shàng huí dào jiā，
dǎ zì yuán dào hē chá de shí hòu yě huí liǎo jiā， dǎ sǎo zǎo diǎn de cán yú， diǎn rán liǎo tā de lú zǐ， ná chū guàn tóu shí pǐn。
chuāng wài wēi xiǎn dì liàng zhe
tā kuài yào shài gān de nèi yī， gěi tài yáng de cán guāng fǔ mō zhe，
shā fā shàng duī zhe（ wǎn shàng shì tā de chuáng）
wà zǐ， tuō xié， xiǎo bèi xīn hé yòng yǐ shù jǐn shēn de nèi yī。
wǒ， tiē ruì xī shì， nián lǎo de nán zǐ cháng zhe zhòu xí de rǔ fáng
kàn dào liǎo zhè duàn qíng jié， yù yán liǎo hòu lái de yī qiē héng héng
wǒ yě zài děng dài nà pàn wàng zhe de kè rén。
tā， nà cháng gē dá de qīng nián dào liǎo，
yī gè xiǎo gōng sī de zhí yuán， yī shuāng sè dǎn bāo tiān de yǎn，
yī gè xià liú jiā huǒ， mán yòu bǎ wò，
zhèng xiàng yī dǐng chóu mào kòu zài yī gè bù léi dé fú de bǎi wàn fù wēng tóu shàng。
shí jī xiàn zài dǎo shì hé shì， tā cāi duì liǎo，
fàn yǐ jīng chī wán， tā yàn juàn yòu pí fá，
shì zhe fǔ mō fǔ mō tā
suī shuō bù shòu huān yíng， yě méi shòu dào zé mà。
liǎn yě hóng liǎo， jué xīn yě xià liǎo， tā lì jí jìn gōng；
tàn xiǎn de shuāng shǒu méi yù dào zǔ ' ài；
tā de xū róng xīn bìng bù xū yào bào dá，
hái huān yíng zhè zhǒng mò rán de shén qíng。
（ wǒ， tiē ruì xī shì， dū zǎo jiù rěn shòu guò liǎo，
jiù zài zhè zhāng shā fā huò chuáng shàng bàn yǎn guò de；
wǒ， nà céng zài dǐ bǐ sī de qiáng xià zuò guò de
yòu céng zài zuì bēi wēi de sǐ rén zhōng zǒu guò de。）
zuì hòu yòu sòng shàng xíng tóng shīshě shìde yī wěn，
tā mō zhe qù lù， fā xiàn lóu tī shàng méi yòu dēng……
tā huí tóu zài jìng zǐ lǐ zhào liǎo yī xià，
méi dà yì shí dào tā nà yǐ jīng zǒu liǎo de qíng rén；
tā de tóu nǎo ràng yī gè bàn chéng xíng de sī xiǎng jīng guò：
“ zǒng suàn wán liǎo shì： wán liǎo jiù hǎo。”
měi lì de nǚ rén duò luò de shí hòu， yòu
zài tā de fáng lǐ lái huí zǒu， dú zì
tā jī xiè dì yòng shǒu fǔ píng liǎo tóu fā， yòu suí shǒu
zài liú shēng jī shàng fàng shàng yī zhāng piānzǐ。
“ zhè yīnyuè zài shuǐ shàng qiāoqiāo cóng wǒ shēn bàng jīng guò”
jīng guò sī tè lán dé， zhí dào nǚ wáng wéi duō lì yà jiē。
ā， chéng ' ā chéng， wǒ yòu shí néng tīng jiàn
zài tài wù shì xià jiē de yī jiā jiǔ diàn bàng
nà yuè ' ěr de màn tuó líng de ' āi míng
hái yòu lǐ miàn de wǎn zhǎn shēng， rén yǔ shēng
shì yú fàn zǐ dào liǎo zhōng wǔ zài xiū xī： nà lǐ
xùn dào táng de qiáng shàng hái yòu
nán yǐ yán chuán de yī wò níng de róng huá， bái de yǔ jīn huáng sè de。
cháng hé liú hàn
liú yóu yǔ jiāo yóu
chuán zhǐ piào bó
shùn zhe lái làng
hóng fān
dà zhāng
shùn fēng ' ér xià， zài chén zhòng de wéi gān shàng yáo bǎi。
chuán zhǐ chōng xǐ
piào liú de jù mù
liú dào gé lín wēi zhì hé qū
jīng guò qún quǎn dǎo。
Weialalaleia
Wallalaleialala
yī lì suō bái hé lāi sī tè
dǎzháo jiǎng
chuán wěi xíng chéng
yī méi xiāng jīn de bèi ké
hóng ' ér jīn liàng
huó pō de bō tāo
shǐ liǎng ' àn qǐ liǎo xì làng
xī nán fēng
dài dào xià yóu
lián xù de zhōng shēng
bái sè de wēi tǎ
Weialalaleia
Wallalaleialala
“ diàn chē hé duī mǎn huī chén de shù。
hǎi bó lǐ shēng liǎo wǒ。 lǐ qí méng hé qiū
huǐ liǎo wǒ。 zài lǐ qí mēngwǒ jǔ qǐ shuāng xī
yǎng wò zài dú mù zhōu de chuán dǐ。
“ wǒ de jiǎo zài mó ' ěr gāi， wǒ de xīn
zài wǒ de jiǎo xià。 nà jiàn shì hòu
tā kū liǎo。 tā dāyìng‘ chóngxīn zuò rén ’。
wǒ bù zuò shēng。 wǒ gāi yuàn hèn shénme ní？”
“ zài mǎ gāi shā tān
wǒ néng gòu bǎ
wū yòu hé wū yòu lián jié zài yī qǐ
zàng shǒu shàng de pò suì zhǐ jiá。
wǒ men shì huǒ xià děng rén， cóng bù zhǐ wàng
shénme。”
ā yā kàn nǎ
yú shì wǒ dào jiā tài jī lái liǎo
shāo ' ā shāo ' ā shāo ' ā shāo ' ā
zhù ' ā nǐ bǎ wǒ jiù bá chū lái
zhù ' ā nǐ jiù bá
shāo ' ā
sì、 shuǐ lǐ de sǐ wáng
féi ní jī rén fú lāi bā sī， sǐ liǎo yǐ liǎng xīng qī，
wàng jì liǎo shuǐ ' ōu de míng jiào， shēn hǎi de làng tāo
lì rùn yǔ kuī sǔn。
hǎi xià yī cháo liú
zài qiǎo shēng tī jìng tā de gǔ。 zài tā fú shàng yòu chén xià shí
tā jīng lì liǎo tā lǎo nián hé qīng nián de jiē duàn
jìn rù xuán wō。
wài bāng rén hái shì yóu tài rén
ā nǐ zhuǎn zhe duǒ lún cháo zhe fēng de fāng xiàng kàn de，
huí gù yī xià fú lāi bā sī， tā céng jīng shì hé nǐ yī yàng piào liàng、 gāo dà de。
wǔ、 léi tíng de huà
huǒ bǎ bǎ liú hàn de miàn páng zhào dé tōng hóng yǐ hòu
huā yuán lǐ shì nà hán shuāng bān de chén jì yǐ hòu
jīng guò liǎo yán shí dì dài de bēi tòng yǐ hòu
yòu shì jiào hǎn yòu shì hūháo
jiān yù gōng diàn hé chūn léi de
huí xiǎng zài yuǎn shān nà biān zhèn dàng
tā dāng shí shì huó zhe de xiàn zài shì sǐ liǎo
wǒ men céng jīng shì huó zhe de xiàn zài yě kuài yào sǐ liǎo
shāo dài yī diǎn nài xīn
zhè lǐ méi yòu shuǐ zhǐ yòu yán shí
yán shí ' ér méi yòu shuǐ ' ér yòu yī tiáo shā lù
nà lù zài shàng miàn shān lǐ rào xíng
shì yán shí duī chéng de shān ' ér méi yòu shuǐ
ruò hái yòu shuǐ wǒ men jiù huì tíng xià lái hē liǎo
zài yán shí zhōng jiànrén bù néng tíng zhǐ huò sī xiǎng
hàn shì gān de jiǎo mái zài shā tǔ lǐ
zhǐ yào yán shí zhōng jiān yòu shuǐ
sǐ liǎo de shān mǎn kǒu dōushì qǔ chǐ tù bù chū yī dī shuǐ
zhè lǐ de rén jì bù néng zhàn yě bù néng tǎng yě bù néng zuò
shān shàng shèn zhì lián jìng mò yě bù cún zài
zhǐ yòu kū gān de léi méi yòu yǔ
shān shàng shèn zhì lián jì mò yě bù cún zài
zhǐ yòu jiàng hóng yīn chén de liǎn zài lěng xiào páo xiào
zài ní gān féng liè de fáng wū de mén lǐ chū xiàn
zhǐ yào yòu shuǐ
ér méi yòu yán shí
ruò shì yòu yán shí
yě yòu shuǐ
yòu shuǐ
yòu quán
yán shí jiān yòu xiǎo shuǐ tán
ruò shì zhǐ yòu shuǐ de xiǎng shēng
bù shì zhī liǎo
hé kū cǎo tóng chàng
ér shì shuǐ de shēng yīn zài yán shí shàng
nà lǐ yòu fēng què lèi de huà méi zài sōng shù jiàngē chàng
diǎn dī diǎn dī dī dī dī
kě shì méi yòu shuǐ
shuí shì nà gè zǒng shì zǒu zài nǐ shēn bàng de dì sān rén？
wǒ shù de shí hòu， zhǐ yòu nǐ hé wǒ zài yī qǐ
dàn shì wǒ cháo qián wàng nà bái yán sè de lù de shí hòu
zǒng yòu lìng wài yī gè zài nǐ shēn bàng zǒu
qiāoqiāo dì xíng jìn， guǒ zhe zōng huáng sè de dà yī， zhào zhe tóu
wǒ bù zhī dào tā shì nán rén hái shì nǚ rén
héng héng dàn shì zài nǐ lìng yī biān de nà yī gè shì shuí？
zhè shì shénme shēng yīn zài gāo gāo de tiān shàng
shì cí mǔ bēi shāng de ní nán shēng
zhè xiē dài tóu zhào de rén qún shì shuí
zài wú biān de píng yuán shàng fēng yōng ' ér qián， zài liè kāi de tǔ dì shàng pán shān ' ér xíng
zhǐ gěi nà biǎn píng de shuǐ píng xiàn bāo wéi zhe
shān de nà biān shì nǎ yī zuò chéng shì
zài zǐ sè mù sè zhōng kāi liè、 chóngjiàn yòu bào zhà
qīng tā zhe de chéng lóu
yé lù sǎ lěng yǎ diǎn yà lì shān dà
wéi yě nà lún dūn
bìng wú shí tǐ de
yī gè nǚ rén jǐn jǐn lā zhí zhe tā hēi cháng de tóu fā
zài zhè xiē xián shàng dàn bō chū dī shēng de yīnyuè
cháng zhe hái zǐ liǎn de biān fú zài zǐ sè de guāng lǐ
sōu sōu dì fēi pū zhe chì bǎng
yòu bǎ tóu cháo xià pá xià yī duǒ wū hēi de qiáng
dàoguà zài kōng qì lǐ de nà xiē chéng lóu
qiāo zhe yǐn qǐ huí yì de zhōng， bào gào shí kè
hái yòu shēng yīn zài kōng de shuǐ chí、 gān de jǐng lǐ gē chàng。
zài shān jiān nà gè huài sǔn de dòng lǐ
zài yōu ' àn de yuè guāng xià， cǎo ' ér zài dǎo tā de
fén mù shàng chàng gē， zhì yú jiào táng
zé shì yòu yī gè kōng de jiào táng， jǐn jǐn shì fēng de jiā。
tā méi yòu chuāng zǐ， mén shì bǎi dòng zhe de，
kū gǔ shāng hài bù liǎo rén。
zhǐ yòu yī zhǐ gōng jī zhàn zài wū jǐ shàng
gē gē wō wō gē gē wō wō
shuà de lái liǎo yī zhù shǎn diàn。 rán hòu shì yī zhèn shī fēng
dài lái liǎo yǔ
héng hé shuǐ wèi xià jiàng liǎo， nà xiē pí ruǎn de yè zǐ
zài děng zhe yǔ lái， ér wū hēi de nóng yún
zài yuǎn chù jí hé zài xǐ mǎ wàng shān shàng。
cóng lín zài jìng mò zhōng gǒng zhe bèi dūn fú zhe。
rán hòu léi tíng shuō liǎo huà
DA
Datta： wǒ men gěi liǎo xiē shénme？
wǒ de péng yǒu， rè xuè zhèn dòng zhe wǒ de xīn
zhè piàn kè zhī jiān xiàn shēn de fēi fán yǒng qì
shì yī gè jǐn shèn de shí dài yǒng yuǎn bù néng shōu huí de
jiù píng zhè yī diǎn， yě zhǐ yòu zhè yī diǎn， wǒ men shì cún zài liǎo
zhè shì wǒ men de fù gào lǐ zhǎo bù dào de
bù huì zài cí xiáng de zhū wǎng pī gài zhe de huí yì lǐ
yě bù huì zài shòu shòu de lǜ shī chāi kāi de mì fēng xià
zài wǒ men kōng kōng de wū zǐ lǐ
DA
Dayadhvam： wǒ tīng jiàn nà yàoshì
zài mén lǐ zhuàndòng liǎo yī cì， zhǐ zhuàndòng liǎo yī cì
wǒ men xiǎng dào zhè bǎ yàoshì， gè rén zài zì jǐ de jiān yù lǐ
xiǎng zhe zhè bǎ yàoshì， gè rén shǒu zhe yī zuò jiān yù
zhǐ zài huáng hūn de shí hòu， shì wàizhuàn lái de shēng yīn
cái shǐ yī gè yǐ jīng fěn suì liǎo de kē lǐ 'ōu lāi nà sī yī dù chóngshēng
DA
Damyata： nà tiáo chuán huān kuài dì
zuò chū fǎn yìng， shùn zhe nà shǐ fān yòng jiǎng lǎo liàn de shǒu
hǎi shì píng jìng de， nǐ de xīn yě huì huān kuài dì
zuò chū fǎn yìng， zài shòu dào yāo qǐng shí， huì suí zhe
yǐn dǎo zhe de shuāng shǒu 'ér tiào dòng
wǒ zuò zài 'àn shàng
chuí diào， bèi hòu shì nà piàn gān hàn de píng yuán
wǒ yìng fǒu zhì shǎo bǎ wǒ de tián dì shōu shí hǎo？
lún dūn qiáo tā xià lái liǎo tā xià lái liǎo tā xià lái liǎo
rán hòu， tā jiù yǐn shēn zài liàn tā men de huǒ lǐ，
wǒ shénme shí hòu cái néng xiàng yàn zǐ héng héng 'ā， yàn zǐ， yàn zǐ，
ā jī tǎn de wáng zǐ zài tǎ lóu lǐ shòu dào fèi chù
zhè xiē piàn duàn wǒ yòng lái zhī chēng wǒ de duàn yuán cán bì
nà me wǒ jiù zhào bàn bā。 xī luó ní mǔ yòu fā fēng liǎo。
shějǐ wéi rén。 tóng qíng。 kè zhì。
píng 'ān。 píng 'ān
píng 'ān。
"Nam Sibyllam quidem Cumis ego ipse oculis meis
vidi in ampulla pendere, et cum illi pueri dicerent:
Sibylla ti theleis; respondebat illa: apothanein thelo."
I. THE BURIAL OF THE DEAD
April is the cruellest month, breeding
Lilacs out of the dead land, mixing
Memory and desire, stirring
Dull roots with spring rain.
Winter kept us warm, covering
Earth in forgetful snow, feeding
A little life with dried tubers.
Summer surprised us, coming over the Starnbergersee
With a shower of rain; we stopped in the colonnade,
And went on in sunlight, into the Hofgarten, 10
And drank coffee, and talked for an hour.
Bin gar keine Russin, stamm' aus Litauen, echt deutsch.
And when we were children, staying at the archduke's,
My cousin's, he took me out on a sled,
And I was frightened. He said, Marie,
Marie, hold on tight. And down we went.
In the mountains, there you feel free.
I read, much of the night, and go south in the winter.
What are the roots that clutch, what branches grow
Out of this stony rubbish? Son of man, 20
You cannot say, or guess, for you know only
A heap of broken images, where the sun beats,
And the dead tree gives no shelter, the cricket no relief,
And the dry stone no sound of water. Only
There is shadow under this red rock,
(Come in under the shadow of this red rock),
And I will show you something different from either
Your shadow at morning striding behind you
Or your shadow at evening rising to meet you;
I will show you fear in a handful of dust. 30
Frisch weht der Wind
Der Heimat zu
Mein Irisch Kind,
Wo weilest du?
"You gave me hyacinths first a year ago;
"They called me the hyacinth girl."
- Yet when we came back, late, from the Hyacinth garden,
Your arms full, and your hair wet, I could not
Speak, and my eyes failed, I was neither
Living nor dead, and I knew nothing, 40
Looking into the heart of light, the silence.
Od' und leer das Meer.
Madame Sosostris, famous clairvoyante,
Had a bad cold, nevertheless
Is known to be the wisest woman in Europe,
With a wicked pack of cards. Here, said she,
Is your card, the drowned Phoenician Sailor,
(Those are pearls that were his eyes. Look!)
Here is Belladonna, the Lady of the Rocks,
The lady of situations. 50
Here is the man with three staves, and here the Wheel,
And here is the one-eyed merchant, and this card,
Which is blank, is something he carries on his back,
Which I am forbidden to see. I do not find
The Hanged Man. Fear death by water.
I see crowds of people, walking round in a ring.
Thank you. If you see dear Mrs. Equitone,
Tell her I bring the horoscope myself:
One must be so careful these days.
Unreal City, 60
Under the brown fog of a winter dawn,
A crowd flowed over London Bridge, so many,
I had not thought death had undone so many.
Sighs, short and infrequent, were exhaled,
And each man fixed his eyes before his feet.
Flowed up the hill and down King William Street,
To where Saint Mary Woolnoth kept the hours
With a dead sound on the final stroke of nine.
There I saw one I knew, and stopped him, crying "Stetson!
"You who were with me in the ships at Mylae! 70
"That corpse you planted last year in your garden,
"Has it begun to sprout? Will it bloom this year?
"Or has the sudden frost disturbed its bed?
Line 42 Od'] Oed' - Editor.
"Oh keep the Dog far hence, that's friend to men,
"Or with his nails he'll dig it up again!
"You! hypocrite lecteur! - mon semblable, - mon frere!"
II. A GAME OF CHESS
The Chair she sat in, like a burnished throne,
Glowed on the marble, where the glass
Held up by standards wrought with fruited vines
From which a golden Cupidon peeped out 80
(Another hid his eyes behind his wing)
Doubled the flames of sevenbranched candelabra
Reflecting light upon the table as
The glitter of her jewels rose to meet it,
From satin cases poured in rich profusion;
In vials of ivory and coloured glass
Unstoppered, lurked her strange synthetic perfumes,
Unguent, powdered, or liquid - troubled, confused
And drowned the sense in odours; stirred by the air
That freshened from the window, these ascended 90
In fattening the prolonged candle-flames,
Flung their smoke into the laquearia,
Stirring the pattern on the coffered ceiling.
Huge sea-wood fed with copper
Burned green and orange, framed by the coloured stone,
In which sad light a carved dolphin swam.
Above the antique mantel was displayed
As though a window gave upon the sylvan scene
The change of Philomel, by the barbarous king
So rudely forced; yet there the nightingale 100
Filled all the desert with inviolable voice
And still she cried, and still the world pursues,
"Jug Jug" to dirty ears.
And other withered stumps of time
Were told upon the walls; staring forms
Leaned out, leaning, hushing the room enclosed.
Footsteps shuffled on the stair.
Under the firelight, under the brush, her hair
Spread out in fiery points
Glowed into words, then would be savagely still. 110
"My nerves are bad to-night. Yes, bad. Stay with me.
"Speak to me. Why do you never speak. Speak.
"What are you thinking of? What thinking? What?
"I never know what you are thinking. Think."
I think we are in rats' alley
Where the dead men lost their bones.
"What is that noise?"
The wind under the door.
"What is that noise now? What is the wind doing?"
Nothing again nothing. 120
"Do
"You know nothing? Do you see nothing? Do you remember
"Nothing?"
I remember
Those are pearls that were his eyes.
"Are you alive, or not? Is there nothing in your head?"
But
O O O O that Shakespeherian Rag -
It's so elegant
So intelligent 130
"What shall I do now? What shall I do?"
I shall rush out as I am, and walk the street
"With my hair down, so. What shall we do to-morrow?
"What shall we ever do?"
The hot water at ten.
And if it rains, a closed car at four.
And we shall play a game of chess,
Pressing lidless eyes and waiting for a knock upon the door.
When Lil's husband got demobbed, I said -
I didn't mince my words, I said to her myself, 140
HURRY UP PLEASE ITS TIME
Now Albert's coming back, make yourself a bit smart.
He'll want to know what you done with that money he gave you
To get yourself some teeth. He did, I was there.
You have them all out, Lil, and get a nice set,
He said, I swear, I can't bear to look at you.
And no more can't I, I said, and think of poor Albert,
He's been in the army four years, he wants a good time,
And if you don't give it him, there's others will, I said.
Oh is there, she said. Something o' that, I said. 150
Then I'll know who to thank, she said, and give me a straight look.
HURRY UP PLEASE ITS TIME
If you don't like it you can get on with it, I said.
Others can pick and choose if you can't.
But if Albert makes off, it won't be for lack of telling.
You ought to be ashamed, I said, to look so antique.
(And her only thirty-one.)
I can't help it, she said, pulling a long face,
It's them pills I took, to bring it off, she said.
(She's had five already, and nearly died of young George.) 160
The chemist said it would be alright, but I've never been the same.
You are a proper fool, I said.
Well, if Albert won't leave you alone, there it is, I said,
What you get married for if you don't want children?
HURRY UP PLEASE ITS TIME
Well, that Sunday Albert was home, they had a hot gammon,
And they asked me in to dinner, to get the beauty of it hot -
HURRY UP PLEASE ITS TIME
HURRY UP PLEASE ITS TIME
Goonight Bill. Goonight Lou. Goonight May. Goonight. 170
Ta ta. Goonight. Goonight.
Good night, ladies, good night, sweet ladies, good night, good night.
III. THE FIRE SERMON
The river's tent is broken: the last fingers of leaf
Clutch and sink into the wet bank. The wind
Crosses the brown land, unheard. The nymphs are departed.
Sweet Thames, run softly, till I end my song.
The river bears no empty bottles, sandwich papers,
Silk handkerchiefs, cardboard boxes, cigarette ends
Or other testimony of summer nights. The nymphs are departed.
And their friends, the loitering heirs of city directors; 180
Departed, have left no addresses.
Line 161 ALRIGHT. This spelling occurs also in
the Hogarth Press edition - Editor.
By the waters of Leman I sat down and wept . . .
Sweet Thames, run softly till I end my song,
Sweet Thames, run softly, for I speak not loud or long.
But at my back in a cold blast I hear
The rattle of the bones, and chuckle spread from ear to ear.
A rat crept softly through the vegetation
Dragging its slimy belly on the bank
While I was fishing in the dull canal
On a winter evening round behind the gashouse 190
Musing upon the king my brother's wreck
And on the king my father's death before him.
White bodies naked on the low damp ground
And bones cast in a little low dry garret,
Rattled by the rat's foot only, year to year.
But at my back from time to time I hear
The sound of horns and motors, which shall bring
Sweeney to Mrs. Porter in the spring.
O the moon shone bright on Mrs. Porter
And on her daughter 200
They wash their feet in soda water
Et O ces voix d'enfants, chantant dans la coupole!
Twit twit twit
Jug jug jug jug jug jug
So rudely forc'd.
Tereu
Unreal City
Under the brown fog of a winter noon
Mr. Eugenides, the Smyrna merchant
Unshaven, with a pocket full of currants 210
C.i.f. London: documents at sight,
Asked me in demotic French
To luncheon at the Cannon Street Hotel
Followed by a weekend at the Metropole.
At the violet hour, when the eyes and back
Turn upward from the desk, when the human engine waits
Like a taxi throbbing waiting,
I Tiresias, though blind, throbbing between two lives,
Old man with wrinkled female breasts, can see
At the violet hour, the evening hour that strives 220
Homeward, and brings the sailor home from sea,
The typist home at teatime, clears her breakfast, lights
Her stove, and lays out food in tins.
Out of the window perilously spread
Her drying combinations touched by the sun's last rays,
On the divan are piled (at night her bed)
Stockings, slippers, camisoles, and stays.
I Tiresias, old man with wrinkled dugs
Perceived the scene, and foretold the rest -
I too awaited the expected guest. 230
He, the young man carbuncular, arrives,
A small house agent's clerk, with one bold stare,
One of the low on whom assurance sits
As a silk hat on a Bradford millionaire.
The time is now propitious, as he guesses,
The meal is ended, she is bored and tired,
Endeavours to engage her in caresses
Which still are unreproved, if undesired.
Flushed and decided, he assaults at once;
Exploring hands encounter no defence; 240
His vanity requires no response,
And makes a welcome of indifference.
(And I Tiresias have foresuffered all
Enacted on this same divan or bed;
I who have sat by Thebes below the wall
And walked among the lowest of the dead.)
Bestows one final patronising kiss,
And gropes his way, finding the stairs unlit . . .
She turns and looks a moment in the glass,
Hardly aware of her departed lover; 250
Her brain allows one half-formed thought to pass:
"Well now that's done: and I'm glad it's over."
When lovely woman stoops to folly and
Paces about her room again, alone,
She smoothes her hair with automatic hand,
And puts a record on the gramophone.
"This music crept by me upon the waters"
And along the Strand, up Queen Victoria Street.
O City city, I can sometimes hear
Beside a public bar in Lower Thames Street, 260
The pleasant whining of a mandoline
And a clatter and a chatter from within
Where fishmen lounge at noon: where the walls
Of Magnus Martyr hold
Inexplicable splendour of Ionian white and gold.
The river sweats
Oil and tar
The barges drift
With the turning tide
Red sails 270
Wide
To leeward, swing on the heavy spar.
The barges wash
Drifting logs
Down Greenwich reach
Past the Isle of Dogs.
Weialala leia
Wallala leialala
Elizabeth and Leicester
Beating oars 280
The stern was formed
A gilded shell
Red and gold
The brisk swell
Rippled both shores
Southwest wind
Carried down stream
The peal of bells
White towers
Weialala leia 290
Wallala leialala
"Trams and dusty trees.
Highbury bore me. Richmond and Kew
Undid me. By Richmond I raised my knees
Supine on the floor of a narrow canoe."
"My feet are at Moorgate, and my heart
Under my feet. After the event
He wept. He promised 'a new start'.
I made no comment. What should I resent?"
"On Margate Sands. 300
I can connect
Nothing with nothing.
The broken fingernails of dirty hands.
My people humble people who expect
Nothing."
la la
To Carthage then I came
Burning burning burning burning
O Lord Thou pluckest me out
O Lord Thou pluckest 310
burning
IV. DEATH BY WATER
Phlebas the Phoenician, a fortnight dead,
Forgot the cry of gulls, and the deep sea swell
And the profit and loss.
A current under sea
Picked his bones in whispers. As he rose and fell
He passed the stages of his age and youth
Entering the whirlpool.
Gentile or Jew
O you who turn the wheel and look to windward, 320
Consider Phlebas, who was once handsome and tall as you.
V. WHAT THE THUNDER SAID
After the torchlight red on sweaty faces
After the frosty silence in the gardens
After the agony in stony places
The shouting and the crying
Prison and palace and reverberation
Of thunder of spring over distant mountains
He who was living is now dead
We who were living are now dying
With a little patience 330
Here is no water but only rock
Rock and no water and the sandy road
The road winding above among the mountains
Which are mountains of rock without water
If there were water we should stop and drink
Amongst the rock one cannot stop or think
Sweat is dry and feet are in the sand
If there were only water amongst the rock
Dead mountain mouth of carious teeth that cannot spit
Here one can neither stand nor lie nor sit 340
There is not even silence in the mountains
But dry sterile thunder without rain
There is not even solitude in the mountains
But red sullen faces sneer and snarl
From doors of mudcracked houses
If there were water
And no rock
If there were rock
And also water
And water 350
A spring
A pool among the rock
If there were the sound of water only
Not the cicada
And dry grass singing
But sound of water over a rock
Where the hermit-thrush sings in the pine trees
Drip drop drip drop drop drop drop
But there is no water
Who is the third who walks always beside you? 360
When I count, there are only you and I together
But when I look ahead up the white road
There is always another one walking beside you
Gliding wrapt in a brown mantle, hooded
I do not know whether a man or a woman
- But who is that on the other side of you?
What is that sound high in the air
Murmur of maternal lamentation
Who are those hooded hordes swarming
Over endless plains, stumbling in cracked earth 370
Ringed by the flat horizon only
What is the city over the mountains
Cracks and reforms and bursts in the violet air
Falling towers
Jerusalem Athens Alexandria
Vienna London
Unreal
A woman drew her long black hair out tight
And fiddled whisper music on those strings
And bats with baby faces in the violet light 380
Whistled, and beat their wings
And crawled head downward down a blackened wall
And upside down in air were towers
Tolling reminiscent bells, that kept the hours
And voices singing out of empty cisterns and exhausted wells.
In this decayed hole among the mountains
In the faint moonlight, the grass is singing
Over the tumbled graves, about the chapel
There is the empty chapel, only the wind's home.
It has no windows, and the door swings, 390
Dry bones can harm no one.
Only a cock stood on the rooftree
Co co rico co co rico
In a flash of lightning. Then a damp gust
Bringing rain
Ganga was sunken, and the limp leaves
Waited for rain, while the black clouds
Gathered far distant, over Himavant.
The jungle crouched, humped in silence.
Then spoke the thunder 400
DA
Datta: what have we given?
My friend, blood shaking my heart
The awful daring of a moment's surrender
Which an age of prudence can never retract
By this, and this only, we have existed
Which is not to be found in our obituaries
Or in memories draped by the beneficent spider
Or under seals broken by the lean solicitor
In our empty rooms 410
DA
Dayadhvam: I have heard the key
Turn in the door once and turn once only
We think of the key, each in his prison
Thinking of the key, each confirms a prison
Only at nightfall, aetherial rumours
Revive for a moment a broken Coriolanus
DA
Damyata: The boat responded
Gaily, to the hand expert with sail and oar 420
The sea was calm, your heart would have responded
Gaily, when invited, beating obedient
To controlling hands
I sat upon the shore
Fishing, with the arid plain behind me
Shall I at least set my lands in order?
London Bridge is falling down falling down falling down
Poi s'ascose nel foco che gli affina
Quando fiam ceu chelidon - O swallow swallow
Le Prince d'Aquitaine a la tour abolie 430
These fragments I have shored against my ruins
Why then Ile fit you. Hieronymo's mad againe.
Datta. Dayadhvam. Damyata.
Shantih shantih shantih
Line 416 aetherial] aethereal
Line 429 ceu] uti - Editor
NOTES ON "THE WASTE LAND"
Not only the title, but the plan and a good deal of the
incidental symbolism of the poem were suggested
by Miss Jessie L. Weston's book on the Grail legend:
From Ritual to Romance (Macmillan).<1> Indeed,
so deeply am I indebted, Miss Weston's book will elucidate
the difficulties of the poem much better than my notes can do;
and I recommend it (apart from the great interest of the book itself)
to any who think such elucidation of the poem worth the trouble.
To another work of anthropology I am indebted in general, one which has
influenced our generation profoundly; I mean The Golden Bough; I have
used especially the two volumes Adonis, Attis, Osiris. Anyone who is
acquainted with these works will immediately recognise in the poem
certain references to vegetation ceremonies.
<1> Macmillan] Cambridge.
I. THE BURIAL OF THE DEAD
Line 20. Cf. Ezekiel 2:1.
23. Cf. Ecclesiastes 12:5.
31. V. Tristan und Isolde, i, verses 5-8.
42. Id. iii, verse 24.
46. I am not familiar with the exact constitution of the Tarot pack
of cards, from which I have obviously departed to suit my own convenience.
The Hanged Man, a member of the traditional pack, fits my purpose
in two ways: because he is associated in my mind with the Hanged God
of Frazer, and because I associate him with the hooded figure in
the passage of the disciples to Emmaus in Part V. The Phoenician Sailor
and the Merchant appear later; also the "crowds of people," and
Death by Water is executed in Part IV. The Man with Three Staves
(an authentic member of the Tarot pack) I associate, quite arbitrarily,
with the Fisher King himself.
60. Cf. Baudelaire:
"Fourmillante cite;, cite; pleine de reves,
Ou le spectre en plein jour raccroche le passant."
63. Cf. Inferno, iii. 55-7.
"si lunga tratta
di gente, ch'io non avrei mai creduto
che morte tanta n'avesse disfatta."
64. Cf. Inferno, iv. 25-7:
"Quivi, secondo che per ascoltare,
"non avea pianto, ma' che di sospiri,
"che l'aura eterna facevan tremare."
68. A phenomenon which I have often noticed.
74. Cf. the Dirge in Webster's White Devil .
76. V. Baudelaire, Preface to Fleurs du Mal.
II. A GAME OF CHESS
77. Cf. Antony and Cleopatra, II. ii., l. 190.
92. Laquearia. V. Aeneid, I. 726:
dependent lychni laquearibus aureis incensi, et noctem flammis
funalia vincunt.
98. Sylvan scene. V. Milton, Paradise Lost, iv. 140.
99. V. Ovid, Metamorphoses, vi, Philomela.
100. Cf. Part III, l. 204.
115. Cf. Part III, l. 195.
118. Cf. Webster: "Is the wind in that door still?"
126. Cf. Part I, l. 37, 48.
138. Cf. the game of chess in Middleton's Women beware Women.
III. THE FIRE SERMON
176. V. Spenser, Prothalamion.
192. Cf. The Tempest, I. ii.
196. Cf. Marvell, To His Coy Mistress.
197. Cf. Day, Parliament of Bees:
"When of the sudden, listening, you shall hear,
"A noise of horns and hunting, which shall bring
"Actaeon to Diana in the spring,
"Where all shall see her naked skin . . ."
199. I do not know the origin of the ballad from which these lines
are taken: it was reported to me from Sydney, Australia.
202. V. Verlaine, Parsifal.
210. The currants were quoted at a price "carriage and insurance
free to London"; and the Bill of Lading etc. were to be handed
to the buyer upon payment of the sight draft.
Notes 196 and 197 were transposed in this and the Hogarth Press edition,
but have been corrected here.
210. "Carriage and insurance free"] "cost, insurance and freight"-Editor.
218. Tiresias, although a mere spectator and not indeed a "character,"
is yet the most important personage in the poem, uniting all the rest.
Just as the one-eyed merchant, seller of currants, melts into
the Phoenician Sailor, and the latter is not wholly distinct
from Ferdinand Prince of Naples, so all the women are one woman,
and the two sexes meet in Tiresias. What Tiresias sees, in fact,
is the substance of the poem. The whole passage from Ovid is
of great anthropological interest:
'. . . Cum Iunone iocos et maior vestra profecto est
Quam, quae contingit maribus,' dixisse, 'voluptas.'
Illa negat; placuit quae sit sententia docti
Quaerere Tiresiae: venus huic erat utraque nota.
Nam duo magnorum viridi coeuntia silva
Corpora serpentum baculi violaverat ictu
Deque viro factus, mirabile, femina septem
Egerat autumnos; octavo rursus eosdem
Vidit et 'est vestrae si tanta potentia plagae,'
Dixit 'ut auctoris sortem in contraria mutet,
Nunc quoque vos feriam!' percussis anguibus isdem
Forma prior rediit genetivaque venit imago.
Arbiter hic igitur sumptus de lite iocosa
Dicta Iovis firmat; gravius Saturnia iusto
Nec pro materia fertur doluisse suique
Iudicis aeterna damnavit lumina nocte,
At pater omnipotens (neque enim licet inrita cuiquam
Facta dei fecisse deo) pro lumine adempto
Scire futura dedit poenamque levavit honore.
221. This may not appear as exact as Sappho's lines, but I had in mind
the "longshore" or "dory" fisherman, who returns at nightfall.
253. V. Goldsmith, the song in The Vicar of Wakefield.
257. V. The Tempest, as above.
264. The interior of St. Magnus Martyr is to my mind one of
the finest among Wren's interiors. See The Proposed Demolition
of Nineteen City Churches (P. S. King & Son, Ltd.).
266. The Song of the (three) Thames-daughters begins here.
From line 292 to 306 inclusive they speak in turn.
V. Gutterdsammerung, III. i: the Rhine-daughters.
279. V. Froude, Elizabeth, Vol. I, ch. iv, letter of De Quadra
to Philip of Spain:
"In the afternoon we were in a barge, watching the games on the river.
(The queen) was alone with Lord Robert and myself on the poop,
when they began to talk nonsense, and went so far that Lord Robert
at last said, as I was on the spot there was no reason why they
should not be married if the queen pleased."
293. Cf. Purgatorio, v. 133:
"Ricorditi di me, che son la Pia;
Siena mi fe', disfecemi Maremma."
307. V. St. Augustine's Confessions: "to Carthage then I came,
where a cauldron of unholy loves sang all about mine ears."
308. The complete text of the Buddha's Fire Sermon (which corresponds
in importance to the Sermon on the Mount) from which these words are taken,
will be found translated in the late Henry Clarke Warren's Buddhism
in Translation (Harvard Oriental Series). Mr. Warren was one
of the great pioneers of Buddhist studies in the Occident.
309. From St. Augustine's Confessions again. The collocation
of these two representatives of eastern and western asceticism,
as the culmination of this part of the poem, is not an accident.
V. WHAT THE THUNDER SAID
In the first part of Part V three themes are employed:
the journey to Emmaus, the approach to the Chapel Perilous
(see Miss Weston's book) and the present decay of eastern Europe.
357. This is Turdus aonalaschkae pallasii, the hermit-thrush
which I have heard in Quebec County. Chapman says (Handbook of
Birds of Eastern North America) "it is most at home in secluded
woodland and thickety retreats. . . . Its notes are not remarkable
for variety or volume, but in purity and sweetness of tone and
exquisite modulation they are unequalled." Its "water-dripping song"
is justly celebrated.
360. The following lines were stimulated by the account of one
of the Antarctic expeditions (I forget which, but I think one
of Shackleton's): it was related that the party of explorers,
at the extremity of their strength, had the constant delusion
that there was one more member than could actually be counted.
367-77. Cf. Hermann Hesse, Blick ins Chaos:
"Schon ist halb Europa, schon ist zumindest der halbe Osten Europas auf dem
Wege zum Chaos, f鋒rt betrunken im heiligem Wahn am Abgrund entlang
und singt dazu, singt betrunken und hymnisch wie Dmitri Karamasoff sang.
Ueber diese Lieder lacht der B黵ger beleidigt, der Heilige
und Seher h鰎t sie mit Tr鋘en."
402. "Datta, dayadhvam, damyata" (Give, sympathize,
control). The fable of the meaning of the Thunder is found
in the Brihadaranyaka-Upanishad, 5, 1. A translation is found
in Deussen's Sechzig Upanishads des Veda, p. 489.
408. Cf. Webster, The White Devil, v. vi:
". . . they'll remarry
Ere the worm pierce your winding-sheet, ere the spider
Make a thin curtain for your epitaphs."
412. Cf. Inferno, xxxiii. 46:
"ed io sentii chiavar l'uscio di sotto
all'orribile torre."
Also F. H. Bradley, Appearance and Reality, p. 346:
"My external sensations are no less private to myself than are my
thoughts or my feelings. In either case my experience falls within
my own circle, a circle closed on the outside; and, with all its
elements alike, every sphere is opaque to the others which surround
it. . . . In brief, regarded as an existence which appears in a soul,
the whole world for each is peculiar and private to that soul."
425. V. Weston, From Ritual to Romance; chapter on the Fisher King.
428. V. Purgatorio, xxvi. 148.
"'Ara vos prec per aquella valor
'que vos guida al som de l'escalina,
'sovegna vos a temps de ma dolor.'
Poi s'ascose nel foco che gli affina."
429. V. Pervigilium Veneris. Cf. Philomela in Parts II and III.
430. V. Gerard de Nerval, Sonnet El Desdichado.
432. V. Kyd's Spanish Tragedy.
434. Shantih. Repeated as here, a formal ending to an Upanishad.
'The Peace which passeth understanding' is a feeble translation
of the content of this word. zòng rán yǔ yán wéi rén suǒ gòng yòu， dàn duō shù rén lì shēn chǔshì fǎng fó gè yòu qí dào。
xiàng shàng de lù hé xiàng xià de lù shì wán quán yī yàng de。
yī
xiàn zài de shí jiān hé guò qù de shí jiān
yě xǔ dū cún zài yú wèi lái de shí jiān，
ér wèi lái de shí jiān yòu bāo róng yú guò qù de shí jiān。
jiǎ ruò quán bù shí jiān yǒng yuǎn cún zài
quán bù shí jiān jiù zài yědōu wú fǎ wǎn huí。
guò qù kě néng cún zài de shì yī zhǒng chōu xiàng
zhǐ shì zài yī gè cāi cè de shì jiè zhōng，
bǎo chí zhe yī zhǒng héng jiǔ de kě néng xìng。
guò qù kě néng cún zài hé yǐ jīng cún zài de
dōuzhǐ xiàng yī gè shǐ zhōng cún zài de zhōng diǎn。
zú yīn zài jì yì zhōng huí xiǎng
yán zhe nà tiáo wǒ men cóng wèi zǒu guò de yǒng dào
piāo xiàng nà zhòng wǒ men cóng wèi dǎ kāi de mén
jìn rù méi guī yuán。 wǒ de huà jiù hé zhè yàng
zài nǐ de xīn zhōng huí xiǎng。
dàn shì wèile shénme
gèng zài yī gāng méi guī huā bàn shàng jiǎo qǐ chén 'āi
wǒ què bù zhī dào。
hái yòu yī xiē huí shēng
qī shēn zài huā yuán lǐ。 wǒ men yào bù yào qù zhuī niè？
kuài， niǎo 'ér shuō， kuài qù xún zhǎo tā men， qù xún zhǎo tā men
zài huā yuán jiǎo luò lǐ。 chuān guò dì yī dào mén，
zǒu jìn wǒ men de dì yī gè shì jiè， wǒ men yào bù yào tīng cóng
huà méi de qī piàn？ jìn rù wǒ men de dì yī gè shì jiè。
tā men jiù zài nà 'ér， shén tài zhuāng yán 'ér bù kě kuī jiàn，
zài qiū tiān de yù rè lǐ， chuān guò chàn dòng de kōng qì，
cóng róng bù pò dì yuè guò mǎn dì kū yè，
niǎo 'ér zài hū huàn， yú nà yǐn cáng zài guàn mù cóng zhōng
bù kě wén jiàn de yīnyuè xiāng yìnghè，
nà méi yòu bèi rén kàn jiàn de yǎn guāng zhuǎn guò qù liǎo， yīn wéi méi guī
lù chū liǎo huā róng měi zī yǐ bèi rén kuī jiàn de shén sè。
tā men zài nà 'ér fǎng fó shì wǒ men de kè rén
shòu dào wǒ men de jiē dài yě zài jiē dài wǒ men。
tā men bīn bīn yòu lǐ dì zhù lì zài kōng jì de xiǎo jìng bàng。
yú shì wǒ men jì xù qián xíng， zǒu jìn huáng yáng mù de yuán xíng shù cóng，
fǔ shēn guān kàn nà gān hé de shuǐ chí。
gān hé de shuǐ chí、 gān hé de hùn níng tǔ、 wéi zhe hè sè de biān，
shuǐ chí lǐ zhù mǎn liǎo yáng guāng biàn huàn de shuǐ，
hé huā shēng qǐ liǎo， qiāoqiāo dì， qiāoqiāo dì，
chí miàn cóng guāng máng de zhōng xīn shǎn xiàn，
ér tā men zài wǒ men shēn hòu， yìng zhào zài chí zhōng。
jiē zhe yún duǒ piāo guò， shuǐ chí yòu biàn wéi kōng xū。
qù bā， niǎo 'ér shuō， yīn wéi shù yè cóng zhōng duǒ mǎn liǎo hái zǐ
tā men xīng chōng chōng dì cáng zài nà 'ér， rěn zhù liǎo xiào shēng。
qù bā， qù bā， qù bā， niǎo 'ér shuō： rén lèi
rěn shòu bù liǎo tài duō de xiàn shí。
guò qù de shí jiān hé wèi lái de shí jiān
guò qù kě néng cún zài de hé yǐ jīng cún zài de
dōuzhǐ xiàng yī gè shǐ zhōng cún zài zài zhōng diǎn。
èr
dà suàn hé lán bǎo shí xiàn zài ní lǐ
zǔsè liǎo zhuāng qiàn de lún zhóu。
xuè yè zhōng fā zhe chàn yīn de xián
zài yǒng bù xiāo shī de shāng bā xià gē chàng
ān fǔ nà zǎo yǐ wàng què de zhàn zhēng。
dòng mài lǐ de wǔ dǎo
lín bā yè de huán liú
dū biǎo xiàn wéi xīng chén de liú shǐ
zài shù shāo zhōng shēng xiàng xià tiān
wǒ men zài yáo dòng de shù zhī shàng kōng
zài nà bān bó de shù yè shàng shǎn yào de guāng huá zhōng
yí bù qián xíng， ěr tīng dé xià miàn shī rùn de tǔ dì shàng
bǔ zhuō yě zhū de liè quǎn hé yě zhū yī rú jì wǎng
zài jì xù tā men zhuī zhú de mó shì
dàn zài qún xīng zhōng yòu guī yú hé jiě。
zài zhuàndòng bù xī de shì jiè de jìng zhǐ diǎn shàng， jì wú shēng líng yě wú jīng hún；
dàn shì bù zhǐ yě wú dòng。 zài zhè jìng zhǐ diǎn shàng， zhǐ yòu wǔ dǎo，
bù tíng zhǐ yě bù yí dòng。 kě bié bǎ tā jiào zuò gù dìng bù yí。
guò qù hé wèi lái jiù zài zhè lǐ huí hé。 wú qù wú cóng，
wú shēng wú jiàng。 zhǐ yòu zhè gè diǎn， zhè gè jìng zhǐ diǎn，
zhè lǐ yuán bù huì yòu wǔ dǎo， dàn zhè lǐ yòu de zhǐ shì wǔ dǎo。
wǒ zhǐ néng shuō， wǒ men céng zài nà 'ér dāi guò， dàn wǒ shuō bù chū shì nǎ 'ér。
wǒ yě shuō bù chū dāi liǎo duō jiǔ， yīn wéi zhè yàng jiù bǎ tā nà rù shí jiān。
nèi xīn chāo tuō liǎo xiǎn shì de yù qiú，
jiě tuō liǎo xíng dòng hé kǔ tòng， yě jiě tuō liǎo nèi xīn
hé shēn wài de bī pò， ér bèi wéi yōng zài
yī zhǒng 'ēn chǒng zhī gǎn， yī dào jìng jìng de bái guāng zhī zhōng，
xú xú shàng shēng 'ér yòu níng rán bù dòng， jí zhōng
zài tā bù fēn de kuáng xǐ
dá dào yuán mǎn de guò chéng zhōng， cái lǐng wù dào
tā nà bù fēn de kǒng jù yǐ jīng xiāo shī。
dàn shì guò qù hé wèi lái de jī bàn
jiāo zhì zài biàn huà zhe de ruǎn ruò de qū tǐ zhōng，
wèi hù zhe rén lèi jì bù fēi shēng tiān guó yě bù duò rù dì yù
zhè liǎng zhě dū fēi xuè ròu zhī qū suǒ néng rěn shòu。
guò qù de shí jiān hé wèi lái de shí jiān
zhǐ róng xǔ yòu shǎo xǔ de yì shí。
néng yì shí dào jiù bù zài shí jiān zhī nèi
dàn shì zhǐ yòu zài shí jiān zhī nèi， nà zài méi guī yuán zhōng de shùn jiān，
nà yǔ shēng lì lì de liáng tíng lǐ de shùn jiān，
dāng yān wù jiàng luò zài tōng fēng de jiào táng lǐ de shùn jiān，
cái néng yì qǐ； cái néng yǔ guò qù hé wèi lái xiāng jí。
zhǐ yòu tōng guò shí jiān cái bèi zhēng fú shí jiān。
sān
zhè shì fèn duì bù mǎn de dì fāng
yǐ qián de shí jiān hé yǐ hòu de shí jiān
dū chén jìn yú yī piàn méng lóng de guāng yǐng lǐ： jì méi yòu rì guāng
fù yú xíng tǐ yǐ míng chè hé jìng mù
bǎ 'àn dàn de yīn yǐng huà wéi shū hū yì shì de měi
yǐ nuǎn dì xuánzhuàn 'àn shì rén shēng yōu yōu，
yě méi yòu hēi 'àn shǐ líng hún jìng huà
bō duó yī qiē qù xiāo gǎn guān de xiǎng lè
xǐ dí qíng gǎn yǐ bìn jué chén shì duǎn zàn de qíng 'ài。
jì fēi chōng shí yě fēi kōng xū。 zhǐ yòu yī mǒ wēi guāng
shǎn yáo zài yī zhāng zhāng jǐn zhāng de bǎo jīng yōu huàn de liǎn shàng
dū yīn wéi xīn fán yì luàn 'ér háo wú yì yì
shén qíng wú suǒ zhuān zhù 'ér jí dù lěng mò
lěng fēngjìng chuī zài shí jiān zhī qián hé shí jiān zhī hòu
rén hé zhǐ piàn dōuzài fēng zhōng huí xuán，
càn ruò de fèi yè hū xī chū rù
bù jiàn kāng de líng hún bǎ 'ài chū de má mù
tù rù kū wěi de kōng qì， bèi fēng juàn dài zhe lüè guò
lún dūn de yīn chén de shān gǎng， lüè guò hàn mǔ sī dì dé
hé kè lā kěn wéi 'ěr、 kǎn pǔ dùn hé pǔ tè ní，
hǎi gài tè、 pǔ lín mǔ luó sī hé lā dé gé tè。
bù shì zhè lǐ， bù shì zhè lǐ de hēi 'àn yī piàn
bù zài zhè chàn dǒu de shì jiè lǐ。
zài wǎng xià qù， zhǐ shì wǎng xià jìn rù
yǒng yuǎn yǔ wài shì gé jué de shì jiè，
shì shì jiè yòu fēi shì jiè， fēi shì jiè de shì jiè，
nèi bù hēi 'àn， bō duó liǎo yī qiē
chì pín rú xǐ， yī wú suǒ yòu，
gǎn jué yǐ kū jié de shì jiè，
huàn xiǎng yǐ yuǎn zǒu gāo fēi de shì jiè，
jīng shén yǐ shī qù zuò yòng de shì jiè；
zhè shì yī tiáo lù， lìng wài yī tiáo lù
yě shì yī yàng， bù zài yùn dòng zhī zhōng
ér shì bì kāi yùn dòng； dàn shì shì jiè què huái zhe kě wàng
zài guò qù de shí jiān hé wèi lái de shí jiān de
suì shí lù shàng qián jìn。
sì
shí jiān hé wǎn zhōng mái zàng liǎo bái tiān，
wū yún juàn zǒu liǎo tài yáng。
xiàng rì kuí huì zhuànxiàng wǒ men má， tiě xiàn lián？
huì fēn pī xià lái fǔ xiàng wǒ men má； juàn xū de xiǎo huā zhī tóu
huì zhuā zhù wǒ men， chán zhù wǒ men má？
lěng liè de
zǐ shān de shǒu zhǐ huì wān dào
wǒ men shēn shàng má？ dāng cuì niǎo de chì bǎng
yǐ guāng míng huí dá guāng míng yǐ hòu
xiàn zài yǐ qiǎo rán wú shēng， guāng míng níng rán bù dòng
zài zhè zhuàndòng bù xī de shì jiè de jìng zhǐ diǎn shàng。
wǔ
yǔ yán， yīnyuè， dū zhǐ néng
zài shí jiān zhōng xíng jìn； dàn shì wéi yòu shēng zhě
cái néng sǐ miè。 yǔ yán， yī dàn shuō guò， jiù guī yú
jìng jì。 zhǐ yòu tōng guò xíng shì， mó shì，
yǔ yán huò yīnyuè cái néng dá dào
jìng zhǐ， zhèng rú yī zhǐ zhōng guó de cí píng
jìng zhǐ bù dòng 'ér réng rán zài shí jiān zhōng bù duàn qián jìn。
dāng lè qū yú yīn niǎo niǎo， nà bù shì tí qín de jìng zhǐ，
bù zhǐ rú cǐ， ér shì liǎng zhě gòng cún，
huò zhě shuō jié shù yú kāi shǐ，
jié shù hé kāi shǐ yǒng yuǎn zài nà 'ér
zài kāi shǐ zhī qián hé jié shù zhī hòu。
wàn wù yǒng yuǎn cún zài yú xiàn zài。 yǔ yán
zài zhòng fù zhī xià， sǔn shāng， bèng liè， yòu shí shèn zhì pò suì，
ér zài yā lì zhī xià， yào diē luò， liù zǒu， xiāo shī，
huò zhě yīn wéi cuò cí bù dāng 'ér fǔ xiǔ， bù huì zài yuán chù tíng liú，
bù huì tíng liú bù dòng。 jiān lì cì 'ěr de shēng yīn
chì zé、 cháo xiào huò zhě zhǐ shì xù dāo
shòu dào de gōng jī zǒng shì shì tàn de shēng yīn，
shì zàng yí wǔ dǎo zhōng 'āi shēng kū hǎn de yǐng zǐ，
shì yù yù bù lè de kǎi mǐ 'ài lā de gāo shēng bēi hào。
mó shì de xì jié shì yùn dòng，
zhèng rú yǐ shí jí jiē tī de xíng zhuàng biǎo xiàn de nà yàng。
yù wàng běn shēn jiù shì yùn dòng
ér bù zài yǔ tā zhí dé xiǎng wàng de běn shēn，
ài běn shēn shì jìng zhǐ bù dòng de，
zhǐ shì yùn dòng de yuán yīn hé mùdì，
wú shǐ wú zhōng， yě wú suǒ qǐ qiú
chú fēi zài shí jiān fāng miàn
bèi nà rù liǎo xiàn zhì de xíng shì
jiè yú cún zài hé bù cún zài zhī jiān。
měng rán jiān， zài yī dào yáng guāng zhōng
jí shǐ cǐ shí yòu chén huī fēi yáng
zài lǜ yè cóng zhōng yáng qǐ liǎo
hái zǐ men chī chī de xiào shēng
xùn jí de xiàn zài， zhè lǐ， xiàn zài， yǒng yuǎn héng héng
huāng táng kě xiào de shì nà xū dù de bēi kǔ de shí jiān
shēn zhǎn zài zhè zhī qián hèzhī hòu。 yī
zài wǒ de kāi shǐ zhōng shì wǒ de jié shù。 lóng tì yǎn biàn
wū yǔ jiàn qǐ yòu dǎo tān、 qīng pǐ yòu chóngxīn kuò jiàn，
qiān yí， huǐ huài， xiū fù， huò zài yuán zhǐ
chū xiàn yī piàn kōng kuàng de tián yě， huò yī zuò gōng chǎng， huò yī tiáo jiàndào。
jiù shí zhù xīn lóu， gǔ mù shēng xīn huǒ，
jiù huǒ biàn huī jìn， huī jìn huà huáng tǔ，
ér huáng tǔ rú jīn yǐ huà wéi ròu， máo， fèn，
rén hé shòu de gǔ， mài gǎn hé lǜ yè。
wū yǔ yòu shēng yě yòu sǐ： yòu jiàn zào de shí hòu
yě yòu gōng shēng huó hé fán yǎn shēng xī de shí hòu，
yòu gěi dà fēng chuī luò sōng chí de chuāng bō lí
yáo dòng tián shǔ zài lái huí bēn chí de hù bì bǎn
chuī qǐ xiù zhe chén mò zhēn yán de pò guà zhān de shí hòu。
zài wǒ de kāi shǐ zhōng shì wǒ de jié shù。 cǐ kè yáng guāng
lüè guò kōng kuàng de tián yě ' ér yǐn qù， liú xià shēn xiàng
rèn fán mì de shù yè bǎ tā yǎn zhù， nǐ zài mù sè cāng máng zhōng
yǐ zhe ' àn dī， yī liàng huò chē cóng shēn biān shǐ guò，
shēn xiàng gù zhí dì xiàng cūn lǐ shēn zhǎn， zài zhì rén de shǔ rè zhōng
cūn zǐ yǐ cuī rù mèng xiāng。 zài nuǎn hōng hōng de yīn yūn lǐ nà yù rè de guāng
bèi huī sè de shí tóu xī shōu liǎo， ér bù shì zhé shè。
dà lì huā cóng chén shuì zài kōng qù de jì jìng zhōng。
děng dài zhe zǎo lái de xiāo niǎo。
zài kōng kuàng de tián yě
jiǎ rú nǐ bù zǒude tài jìn， jiǎ rú nǐ bù zǒude tài jìn，
zài yī gè xià tiān de yè bàn， jiù jiù néng tīng dào
nà qīng róu de dí zǐ hé xiǎo gǔ de yīnyuè，
kàn jiàn tā men wéi zhe gōu huǒ tiào wǔ，
nán rén hé nǚ rén jié duì ' ér wǔ， zhe shì zài jǔ xíng hūn lǐ héng héng
yī zhǒng zhuāng yán ' ér fāng biàn de shèng lǐ。
yī shuāng shuāng yī duì duì， bì rán de jié hé，
tā men hù xiāng shǒu lā shǒu huò bì bǎng wǎn zhe bì bǎng
biǎo shì qíng tóu yì hé。 yī juàn yòu yī juàn dì wéi zhe gōu huǒ
huò jiā rù wǔ bàn men de yuán juàn， huò chuān guò xióng xióng huǒ yàn
pó suō qǐ wǔ， zhì pǔ ' ér yán sù， huò fā chū cūn yě de xiào shēng
tí qǐ chuānzhuó bèn zhuō de xié zǐ de chén zhòng de jiǎo，
ní jiǎo， zhān zhe wò tǔ de jiǎo、
chén jìn zài cūn yě de huān lè héng héng nà jiǔ yuǎn yǐ lái
zài dì lǐ zī yù gǔ wù de rén men de huān lè zhī zhōng。
tā men ' àn zhe shēng mìng de bù tóng jì jié ' ān pái shēng huó yī yàng。
yòu sì jì gēngtì hé xīng chén chū méi de shí jiān
yòu jǐ nǎi de shí jiān hé shōu huò de shí jiān
yòu nán rén hé nǚ rén pǐ pèi chéng hūn de shí jiān
yě yòu yě shòu jiāo pèi de shí jiān。 liǎng jiǎo tí qǐ hé fàng xià。
chī hé hē。 lā sǎ hé sǐ wáng。
dōng fāng pò xiǎo， lìng yī gè bái tiān
yòu wéi yán rèhuo jì jìng zuò zhǔn bèi。 chén fēng zài hǎi shàng
chuī qǐ liǎo bō wén， lüè hǎi ' ér qù。 wǒ zài zhè lǐ
huò zài nà lǐ， huò zài bié chù。 zài wǒ de kāi shǐ zhōng。
èr
chí liú de shí yī yuè
xū yào chūn tiān de kùn rǎo má？
xū yào xià shǔ de chuàng zào wù
hé nà jiǎo xià chán rào de xuě huā má，
xū yào nà yī xīn xiǎng fú yáo zhí shàng
què yóu hóng biàn huī zhōng yú diē luò xià lái de shǔ kuí，
xū yào nà gài mǎn liǎo chū xuě de diāo líng de méi guī má？
liú chí de xīng xīng qiāo xiǎng liǎo léi shēng lóng lóng
hǎo sì yì qì yáng yáng de zhàn chē
bù shǔ zài qún xīng huì jí de zhàn dǒu zhōng。
tiān xiē xīng gōng dǎ tài yáng
zhí dǎ dé tài yáng hé yuè liàng chén luò
huì xīng ' àn ' àn kū qì ' ér liú xīng fēi chí
zhuī zhú zài yī zhèn xuán fēng zhōng xuánzhuàn de cāng qióng hé dà dì
zài bīng xuě jūn lín dà dì zhī qián xuán fēng jiù jiāng shì jiè
juàn xiàng rán shāo zhe de huǐ miè zhī huǒ。
zhè bù shī wéi yī zhǒng biǎo dá fāng shì héng héng dàn bù tài lìng rén mǎn yì：
yòng yī zhǒng chén jiù de shī gē xíng shì jìn xíng yī cì zhuǎn wān mǒ jiǎo de yán jiū，
ér bǎ rén men shǐ zhōng liú zài yīcháng gēn yǔ yán hé hán yì
zuò wú fǎ róng rěn de niǔ dǎ zhōng。 shī gē wú guān zōng zhǐ。
zhè bìng bù shì（ chóngxīn kāi shǐ） rén men guò qù suǒ qī dài de。
rén men duō nián qī dài de dōng xī， tā de jià zhí jiāng shì shénme，
duō nián qǐ wàng de píng jìng， qiū tiān bān de píng jìng
hé lǎo nián de ruì zhì， zhè yī qiē yòu jiāng yòu shénme jià zhí？
yīn róng xiāo jì de qián bèi tā men yí zèng gěi wǒ men de zhǐ shì qī piàn de jué qiào，
tā men shì piàn liǎo wǒ men hái shì piàn liǎo tā men zì jǐ？
píng jìng bù guò shì yī zhǒng yòu yì de yú ' ái
ruì zhì bù guò shì dǒng dé yī xiē yǐ jīng shī xiào de mì jué，
duì tā men zài hēi ' àn zhōng kuī shì hēi ' àn
huò zhì hēi ' àn yú bù gù dōuméi yòu shénme yòng chù。
zài wǒ men kàn lái， lái zì jīng yàn de zhī shí
sì hū zhǐ yòu yī zhǒng yòu xiàn de jià zhí。
zhī shí bǎ yī gè mó shì qiáng jiā yú rén， rán hòu qī piàn rén，
yīn wéi mó shì zài měi yī shùn jiān dōushì xīn de
ér měi yī shùn jiān yòu dōushì duì wǒ men yǐ wǎng de yī qiē
zuò chū yī cì xīn de hài rén de píng jià。 wǒ men zhǐ shì yīn wéi qī piàn
yǐ bù zài néng shāng hài wǒ men， cái méi yòu shòu piàn ' ér yǐ。
zài rén shēng de zhōng tú， bù jǐn zài lǚ chéng de zhōng tú
ér qiě shì quán bù lì chéng， wǒ mendōu zài hēi ' àn de sēn lín zhōng， jīng jí zhōng，
zài zhǎo zé de biān yuán， nà lǐ méi yòu ' ān quán de luò jiǎo diǎn
ér qiě shòu dào gè zhǒng mó guài hé xū huàn de guāng míng de wēi xié
yǐn yòu nǐ qù mào xiǎn。 bié ràng wǒ tīng qǔ
lǎo nián rén de ruì zhì， bù rú tīng tā men de yú xíng，
tā men duì kǒng jù hé kuáng luàn de kǒng jù， tā men duì cái chǎn de kǒng jù，
duì shǔ yú lìng yī gè rén， shǔ yú bié rén huò shǔ yú shàng dì de kǒng jù。
wǒ men wéi yī néng xī jì huò dé de ruì zhì
shì qiān bēi de ruì zhì： qiān bēi shì yǒng wú zhǐ jìng de。
wū yǔ fáng shè dōuyǐ chén rù dà hǎi。
tiào wǔ de rén mendōu yǐ cháng mián shān xià。
sān
ā hēi ' àn hēi ' àn hēi ' àn。 tā mendōu zǒu jìn liǎo hēi ' àn，
kōng xū de xīng jì zhī jiān de kōng jiān， kōng xū jìn rù kōng xū，
shàng xiào men， yínháng jiā men， zhī míng de wén xué jiā men，
kāng kǎi dà dù de yì shù zàn zhù rén、 zhèng zhì jiā hé tǒng zhì zhě，
xiǎn yào de wén guān men， xíng xíng sè sè de wěi yuán zhù xí men，
gōng yè jù zǐ hé bēi wēi de chéng bāo shāng mendōu zǒu jìn liǎo hēi ' àn，
tài yáng hé yuè liàng yě ' àn dàn wú guāng liǎo， gē dá nián jiàn
zhèng quàn shì chǎng bào hé dǒng shì xìng míng lù dū ' àn rán shī sè liǎo，
gǎn jué lěng què， xíng dòng de dòng jī yě yǐ jīng xiāo shī。
yú shì wǒ men dà jiā hé tā men tóng xíng， zǒu jìn sù mù de zàng lǐ，
bù shì shuí de zàng lǐ， yīn wéi méi yòu shuí yào mái zàng。
wǒ duì wǒ de líng hún shuō， bié zuò shēng， ràng hēi ' àn jiàng lín zài nǐ de shēn shàng
zhè zhǔn shì shàng dì de hēi ' àn。 zhèng rú zài jù chǎng lǐ
wèile biàn huàn chǎng jǐng， dēng guāng xī miè liǎo，
wǔ tái liǎng xiāng yī zhèn chén zhòng de lù lù shēng， zài hēi ' àn lǐ
suí zhe yī fān hēi ' àn de dòng zuò， wǒ men zhī dào
qún shān， shù lín， yuǎn chù de huó dòng huà jǐng
hái yòu nà xiǎn mù ' ér táng huáng de zhèng miàn zhuāng shè dōuzài yí zǒu héng héng
huò zhě xiàng yī liè dì tiě huǒ chē， zài dì dào lǐ， zài chē zhàn yǔ chē zhàn zhī jiān tíng dé tài jiǔ
lǚ kè men jiāo tán zhī shēng fēn qǐ， yòu zhú jiàn xiāo jì yú jìng mò，
ér nǐ zài měi zhāng liǎn kǒng hòu miàn kàn dào nèi xīn de kōng xū zhèng zài jiā shēn
zhǐ liú xià méi yòu shénme kě xiǎng de kǒng jù zài xīn tóu shēng qǐ；
huò zhě xiàng shàng liǎo má zuì yǐ hòu， tóu nǎo qīng xǐng què wú suǒ gǎn jué héng héng
wǒ duì wǒ de líng hún shuō， bié zuò shēng， nài xīn děng dài dàn bù yào jì yú xī wàng，
yīn wéi xī wàng huì biàn chéng duì xū wàng de xī wàng；
nài xīn děng dài dàn bù yào huái yòu ' ài liàn，
yīn wéi ' ài liàn huì biàn chéng duì xū wàng de ' ài liàn； zòng rán yóu yòu xìn xīn，
dàn shì xìn xīn、 ài hé xī wàng dōuzài děng dài zhī zhōng。
nài xīn děng dài dàn bù yào sī suǒ， yīn wéi nǐ hái méi yòu zhǔn bèi hǎo sī suǒ：
zhè yàng hēi ' àn bì jiāng biàn dé guāng míng， jìng zhǐ yě jiāng biàn chéng wǔ dǎo。
chán chán de xī shuǐ zài dī yǔ， dōng tiān yòu léi diàn shǎn shuò。
yě bǎi hé huā hé yě cǎo méi méi yòu bèi rén shǎng shí，
huā yuán lǐ nà céng huí xiǎng guò dāng nián kuáng xǐ de xiào shēng
rú jīn yóu wèi xiāo jì， dàn shì zài yào qiú bìng ' àn shì
sǐ wáng yǔ jiàng shēng de tòng kǔ。
nǐ shuō wǒ shì zài chóngfù
wǒ yǐ qián shuō guò de huà。 wǒ hái yào zài shuō yī biàn。
yào wǒ zài shuō yī biàn má？ wèile yào dào dá nà ' ér，
dào dá xiàn zài nǐ suǒ zài de dì fāng， lí kāi xiàn zài nǐ bù zài de dì fāng，
nǐ bì xū jīng lì yī tiáo qí zhōng bìng wú yǐn rén rù shèng zhī chù de dào lù。
wèile zuì zhōng lǐ jiě nǐ suǒ bù lǐ jiě de，
nǐ bì xū jīng lì yī tiáo yú mèi wú zhī de dào lù。
wèile zhàn yòu nǐ cóng wèi zhàn yòu de dōng xī，
nǐ bì xū jīng lì bèi bō duó de dào lù。
wèile dá dào nǐ xiàn zài suǒ bù zài de míng wèi，
nǐ bì xū jīng lì nà tiáo nǐ bù zài qí zhōng de dào lù。
nǐ suǒ bù liǎo jiě de zhèng shì nǐ suǒ wéi yī liǎo jiě de，
ér nǐ suǒ yōng yòu de zhèng shì nǐ suǒ bìng bù yōng yòu de，
ér nǐ suǒ zài de dì fāng yě zhèng shì nǐ suǒ bù zài de dì fāng。
sì
shòu shāng de yī shēng huī dòng zhe gāng dāo
xì xīn tàn jiū fā bìng de bù wèi；
zài liúxiě de shuāng shǒu xià wǒ men gǎn jué dào
yī shēng mǎn huái qiáng liè tóng qíng de jì yì
zài jiē kāi tǐ wēn tú biǎo shàng de mí。
wǒ men jǐn yòu de jiàn kāng shì jí bìng
rú guǒ wǒ men tīng cóng nà wèi chuí wēi de hù shì héng héng
tā jiān dìng bù yí de guān zhù bù shì shǐ wǒ men huān xīn
ér shì tí xǐng wǒ men hé yà dāng méng shòu de zāi huò，
yī dàn zāi huò zhòng lín， wǒ men de bìng bì jiāng biàn wéi chén kē。
zhěng gè shì jiè shì wǒ men de yī yuàn
yóu nà gè bù xìng de bǎi wàn fù wēng zī zhù，
zài nà lǐ， rú guǒ wǒ men de bìng kuàng hǎo zhuǎn，
wǒ men jiù jiāng sǐ yú zhuān zhì de fù ' ài de guān zhù，
tā xū yú bù lí yǐn dǎo zhe wǒ men， bù lùn wǒ men shēn zài hé chù。
lěng yì cóng liǎng jiǎo jiān shēng xiàng xī gài，
rè dù zài jīng shén de xián xiàn zhōng gē cí。
rú guǒ shǐ wǒ nuǎnhuo qǐ lái， nà me， wǒ zhǔn huì zài
hán lěng de dì yù zhī huǒ zhōng zhàn lì ' ér dòng jiāng，
liàn huǒ de liè yàn shì méi guī， ér nóng yān shì duō cì de jīng jí。
dī chū de xuè shì wǒ men wéi yī de yǐn liào，
xuè xīng de ròu shì wǒ men wéi yī de shí liáng，
jí shǐ zhè yàng， wǒ men réng rán lè yú chēng dào
wǒ men shì yòu xuè yòu ròu de rén， jiēshí ' ér yòu jiàn kāng héng héng
tóng yàng， jìn guǎn rú cǐ， wǒ men chēng dào zhè gè xīng qī wǔ hǎo。
wǔ
wǒ jiù zài zhè lǐ， zài lǚ chéng de zhōng tú， yǐ jīng yòu ' èr shí nián héng héng
èr shí gè dà bàn xū dù de nián yuè， jiè yú liǎng cì dà zhàn de nián yuè héng héng
shì zhe xué huì shǐ yòng yǔ yán， ér měi yī cì cháng shì
dōushì yī cì wán quán xīn de kāi shǐ， yě shì yī cì xìng zhì bù tóng de shī bài，
yīn wéi nǐ bù guò shì wéi liǎo xù shù nà yǐ jīng bù bì zài xù shù
huò zhě nǐ yǐ jīng bù xiǎng zài nà yàng xù shù de shì qíng
ér xué xí zěn yàng jià yù yǔ yán de。 suǒ yǐ měi cì mào xiǎn cóng shì
dōushì yī cì xīn de kāi shǐ， yī cì yòng pò bì de zhuāng bèi
xiàng wú fǎ yán shù de shì wù fā dòng de xí jī， zuì hòu zǒng shì kuì bù chéng jūn
zhǐ liú xià bù zhǔn què de gǎn jué luàn zuò yī tuán，
yī qún méi yòu jì lǜ de jī qíng de wū hé zhī zhòng。
ér nà xū yào nǐ yòng qì lì hé qiān xùn qù zhēng fú de yī qiē，
zǎo yǐ bèi nà xiē nǐ wú fǎ qǐ jí de rén men
yī cì huò liǎng cì， huò hǎo duō cì suǒ fā xiàn héng héng dàn shì méi yòu jìng zhēng héng héng
zhǐ yòu qù zhǎo huí nà yǐ jīng shī qù de dōng xī，
dàn yī dàn zhǎo dào yòu chóngxīn shī qù， yòu qù xún zhǎo，
zhè yàng xún huán fǎn fù de dǒu zhēng。 ér xiàn zài sì hū chǔyú
bù lì de tiáo jiàn zhī xià。 dàn yě xǔ jì wú suǒ dé yě wú suǒ shī。
duì yú wǒ men， wéi yòu cháng shì zì jǐ， cǐ wài zé fēi wǒ men suǒ néng wéi lì。
jiā shì wǒ men chū fā de dì fāng。 suí zhe wǒ men nián suì jiàn lǎo
shì jiè biàn wéi mò lù rén， sǐ yǔ shēng de mó shì gèng wéi fù zá。
nà yǐ yǔ wǒ men gé jué héng héng méi yòu yǐ qián yě méi yòu yǐ hòu de，
bù shì nà gǎn qíng qiáng liè de shùn jiān， ér shì měi shùn jiān dōuzài rán shāo de yī shēng，
bù jǐn shì yī gè rén de yī shēng， ér qiě yě shì
nà xiē rú jīn wú fǎ biàn rèn de gǔ lǎo shí bēi de yī shēng。
yòu zài xīng guāng xià de huáng hūn shí kè，
yòu zài dēng guāng xià de huáng hūn shí kè
（ zài dēng xià fān yuè xiàngpiàn bó de huáng hūn）。
wèicǐ shí cǐ dì wú guān jǐn yào zhī jì，
ài zuì jìn hū tā zì jǐ。
lǎo nián rén yīnggāi shì tàn suǒ zhě，
cǐ dì huò bǐ dì wú guān dà jú，
wǒ men bì xū jìng jìng dì jì xù qián jìn，
yuè guò hēi ' àn de hán lěng hé kōng qù wú rén de fèi xū，
yuè guò bō tāo de hū xiào， dà fēng de nùháo，
hǎi niǎo hé hǎi tún de hào miǎo dà hǎi， jìn rù lìng yī gè gǎn qíng de qiáng dù，
wèile huò dé gèng jìn yī bù de yī zhì， gēngshēn rù de jiāo liú。
zài wǒ de jié shù zhōng shì wǒ de kāi shǐ。
I
In my beginning is my end. In succession
Houses rise and fall, crumble, are extended,
Are removed, destroyed, restored, or in their place
Is an open field, or a factory, or a by-pass.
Old stone to new building, old timber to new fires,
Old fires to ashes, and ashes to the earth
Which is already flesh, fur and faeces,
Bone of man and beast, cornstalk and leaf.
Houses live and die: there is a time for building
And a time for living and for generation
And a time for the wind to break the loosened pane
And to shake the wainscot where the field-mouse trots
And to shake the tattered arras woven with a silent motto.
In my beginning is my end. Now the light falls
Across the open field, leaving the deep lane
Shuttered with branches, dark in the afternoon,
Where you lean against a bank while a van passes,
And the deep lane insists on the direction
Into the village, in the electric heat
Hypnotised. In a warm haze the sultry light
Is absorbed, not refracted, by grey stone.
The dahlias sleep in the empty silence.
Wait for the early owl.
In that open field
If you do not come too close, if you do not come too close,
On a summer midnight, you can hear the music
Of the weak pipe and the little drum
And see them dancing around the bonfire
The association of man and woman
In daunsinge, signifying matrimonie—
A dignified and commodiois sacrament.
Two and two, necessarye coniunction,
Holding eche other by the hand or the arm
Whiche betokeneth concorde. Round and round the fire
Leaping through the flames, or joined in circles,
Rustically solemn or in rustic laughter
Lifting heavy feet in clumsy shoes,
Earth feet, loam feet, lifted in country mirth
Mirth of those long since under earth
Nourishing the corn. Keeping time,
Keeping the rhythm in their dancing
As in their living in the living seasons
The time of the seasons and the constellations
The time of milking and the time of harvest
The time of the coupling of man and woman
And that of beasts. Feet rising and falling.
Eating and drinking. Dung and death.
Dawn points, and another day
Prepares for heat and silence. Out at sea the dawn wind
Wrinkles and slides. I am here
Or there, or elsewhere. In my beginning.
II
What is the late November doing
With the disturbance of the spring
And creatures of the summer heat,
And snowdrops writhing under feet
And hollyhocks that aim too high
Red into grey and tumble down
Late roses filled with early snow?
Thunder rolled by the rolling stars
Simulates triumphal cars
Deployed in constellated wars
Scorpion fights against the Sun
Until the Sun and Moon go down
Comets weep and Leonids fly
Hunt the heavens and the plains
Whirled in a vortex that shall bring
The world to that destructive fire
Which burns before the ice-cap reigns.
That was a way of putting it—not very satisfactory:
A periphrastic study in a worn-out poetical fashion,
Leaving one still with the intolerable wrestle
With words and meanings. The poetry does not matter.
It was not (to start again) what one had expected.
What was to be the value of the long looked forward to,
Long hoped for calm, the autumnal serenity
And the wisdom of age? Had they deceived us
Or deceived themselves, the quiet-voiced elders,
Bequeathing us merely a receipt for deceit?
The serenity only a deliberate hebetude,
The wisdom only the knowledge of dead secrets
Useless in the darkness into which they peered
Or from which they turned their eyes. There is, it seems to us,
At best, only a limited value
In the knowledge derived from experience.
The knowledge imposes a pattern, and falsifies,
For the pattern is new in every moment
And every moment is a new and shocking
Valuation of all we have been. We are only undeceived
Of that which, deceiving, could no longer harm.
In the middle, not only in the middle of the way
But all the way, in a dark wood, in a bramble,
On the edge of a grimpen, where is no secure foothold,
And menaced by monsters, fancy lights,
Risking enchantment. Do not let me hear
Of the wisdom of old men, but rather of their folly,
Their fear of fear and frenzy, their fear of possession,
Of belonging to another, or to others, or to God.
The only wisdom we can hope to acquire
Is the wisdom of humility: humility is endless.
The houses are all gone under the sea.
The dancers are all gone under the hill.
III
O dark dark dark. They all go into the dark,
The vacant interstellar spaces, the vacant into the vacant,
The captains, merchant bankers, eminent men of letters,
The generous patrons of art, the statesmen and the rulers,
Distinguished civil servants, chairmen of many committees,
Industrial lords and petty contractors, all go into the dark,
And dark the Sun and Moon, and the Almanach de Gotha
And the Stock Exchange Gazette, the Directory of Directors,
And cold the sense and lost the motive of action.
And we all go with them, into the silent funeral,
Nobody's funeral, for there is no one to bury.
I said to my soul, be still, and let the dark come upon you
Which shall be the darkness of God. As, in a theatre,
The lights are extinguished, for the scene to be changed
With a hollow rumble of wings, with a movement of darkness on darkness,
And we know that the hills and the trees, the distant panorama
And the bold imposing facade are all being rolled away—
Or as, when an underground train, in the tube, stops too long between stations
And the conversation rises and slowly fades into silence
And you see behind every face the mental emptiness deepen
Leaving only the growing terror of nothing to think about;
Or when, under ether, the mind is conscious but conscious of nothing—
I said to my soul, be still, and wait without hope
For hope would be hope for the wrong thing; wait without love,
For love would be love of the wrong thing; there is yet faith
But the faith and the love and the hope are all in the waiting.
Wait without thought, for you are not ready for thought:
So the darkness shall be the light, and the stillness the dancing.
Whisper of running streams, and winter lightning.
The wild thyme unseen and the wild strawberry,
The laughter in the garden, echoed ecstasy
Not lost, but requiring, pointing to the agony
Of death and birth.
You say I am repeating
Something I have said before. I shall say it again.
Shall I say it again? In order to arrive there,
To arrive where you are, to get from where you are not,
You must go by a way wherein there is no ecstasy.
In order to arrive at what you do not know
You must go by a way which is the way of ignorance.
In order to possess what you do not possess
You must go by the way of dispossession.
In order to arrive at what you are not
You must go through the way in which you are not.
And what you do not know is the only thing you know
And what you own is what you do not own
And where you are is where you are not.
IV
The wounded surgeon plies the steel
That questions the distempered part;
Beneath the bleeding hands we feel
The sharp compassion of the healer's art
Resolving the enigma of the fever chart.
Our only health is the disease
If we obey the dying nurse
Whose constant care is not to please
But to remind of our, and Adam's curse,
And that, to be restored, our sickness must grow worse.
The whole earth is our hospital
Endowed by the ruined millionaire,
Wherein, if we do well, we shall
Die of the absolute paternal care
That will not leave us, but prevents us everywhere.
The chill ascends from feet to knees,
The fever sings in mental wires.
If to be warmed, then I must freeze
And quake in frigid purgatorial fires
Of which the flame is roses, and the smoke is briars.
The dripping blood our only drink,
The bloody flesh our only food:
In spite of which we like to think
That we are sound, substantial flesh and blood—
Again, in spite of that, we call this Friday good.
V
So here I am, in the middle way, having had twenty years—
Twenty years largely wasted, the years of l'entre deux guerres
Trying to use words, and every attempt
Is a wholly new start, and a different kind of failure
Because one has only learnt to get the better of words
For the thing one no longer has to say, or the way in which
One is no longer disposed to say it. And so each venture
Is a new beginning, a raid on the inarticulate
With shabby equipment always deteriorating
In the general mess of imprecision of feeling,
Undisciplined squads of emotion. And what there is to conquer
By strength and submission, has already been discovered
Once or twice, or several times, by men whom one cannot hope
To emulate—but there is no competition—
There is only the fight to recover what has been lost
And found and lost again and again: and now, under conditions
That seem unpropitious. But perhaps neither gain nor loss.
For us, there is only the trying. The rest is not our business.
Home is where one starts from. As we grow older
The world becomes stranger, the pattern more complicated
Of dead and living. Not the intense moment
Isolated, with no before and after,
But a lifetime burning in every moment
And not the lifetime of one man only
But of old stones that cannot be deciphered.
There is a time for the evening under starlight,
A time for the evening under lamplight
(The evening with the photograph album).
Love is most nearly itself
When here and now cease to matter.
Old men ought to be explorers
Here or there does not matter
We must be still and still moving
Into another intensity
For a further union, a deeper communion
Through the dark cold and the empty desolation,
The wave cry, the wind cry, the vast waters
Of the petrel and the porpoise. In my end is my beginning. yī
wǒ bù tài liǎo jiě shén míng； dàn wǒ yǐ wéi zhè tiáo hé
zhǔn shì gè wēi wǔ de zōng sè dà shén héng héng yīn chén， cū yě 'ér yòu juéjiàng，
rěn nài zhǐ néng dào yī dìng cè guò nián dù， qǐ chū rén men bǎ tā rèn zuò yī tiáo biān jiè；
yòu yòng， dàn bù zhí dé xìn lài， xiàng shì gè shāng yè de yùn shū rén；
cǐ hòu zhǐ chéng liǎo qiáo liáng jiàn zào zé miàn lín de yī gè wèn tí。
wèn tí yī dàn jiě jué， zhè gè zōng sè dà shén jiù jīhū
bèi chéng shì de jū mín dàn wàng héng héng jìn guǎn tā yǐ rán nán yǐ píng xī，
bǎo chí zhe tā de sì jì hé fèn nù， zuò wéi pò huài zhě， zuò wéi huàn qǐ
rén men dàn yuàn wàng huái de guò qù de tí shì zhě。 dé bù dào jī qì
chóng bài zhě de zūn jìng hé fǔ wèi， zhǐ shì děng dài zhe， shǒu wàng zhe， děng dài zhe。
tā de lǜ dòng chū xiàn zài tuō 'ér suǒ de wò shì lǐ，
chū xiàn zài sì yuè tíng yuàn zhōng fán mào de 'āi lǎng sà sī shù cóng lǐ，
chū xiàn de qiū tiān cān zhuō shàng pú táo de fāng xiāng lǐ，
hé zài dōng tiān yè wǎn méi qì dēng de guāng juàn lǐ。
hé zài wǒ men zhōng jiān， hǎi zài wǒ men zhōu wéi；
hǎi yě shì dà dì de biān yuán， tā bō tāo gǔn gǔn
pāi xiàng huā gǎng yán， tā bǎ 'àn shì tā zài yuǎn gǔ hé bù jiǔ qián de chuàng zào
xīng xīng diǎn diǎn dì pāo xiàng 'àn tān：
xīng yú， hòu， jīng yú de jǐ gǔ；
zài shuǐ tán lǐ， tā gěi wǒ men de hàoqí xīn
liú xià liǎo gèng xiān qiǎo de hǎi zǎo hé hǎi kuí。
tā pāo qǐ wǒ men shī luò de dōng xī， nà pò làn de yú wǎng，
bǔ zhuō lóng xiā de pò lǒu， zhé duàn de chuán jiǎng
hé yì yù sǐ zhě de lán lǚ de yī shān。 hǎi yòu hěn duō zhǒng shēng yīn，
hěn duō shén míng hé hěn duō shēng yīn。
yán zài duō cì de méi guī shàng，
wù zài lěng shān shù lín zhōng。
dà hǎi de háo jiào
hé dà hǎi de hū hǎn， shì bù tóng de shēng yīn
cháng cháng néng tóng shí tīng dào； fān suǒ de 'āi míng shēng，
hǎi miàn shàng jù làng fān gǔn de kǒnghè hé 'ài fǔ，
yuǎn chù de jīng tāo zài huā gǎng yán de chǐ féng zhōng de pái jī shēng，
hái yòu wéi hǎi jiǎ bī jìn 'ér fā chū de jǐng gào de wūyè shēng，
zhè xiē dǒu shì dà hǎi de shēng yīn， hái yòu diào tóu cháo xiàng guī tú de
fā chū jiān xiào shēng de fú biāo hé hǎi 'ōu：
zài qiǎo wú shēng xī de nóng wù de yā lì xià
nà cóng róng bù pò de jù làng qiāo xiǎng liǎo
lóng lóng zhōng shēng， bào gào zhe shí jiān， dàn bù shì wǒ men de shí jiān，
yī zhǒng shí jiān
bǐ tiān wén zhōng jìliáng de shí jiān gèng gǔ lǎo，
bǐ nà xiē fán nǎo 'ér jiāo lǜ bù 'ān de nǚ rén men jì suàn de shí jiān gèng gǔ lǎo，
tā men cháng yè bù mèi， jì suàn zhe wèi lái，
shì zhe bǎ guò qù hé wèi lái chāi sàn， jiě kāi，
yòu bǎ tā men chóngxīn pīn hé zài yī qǐ，
zài yè bàn hé lí míng zhī jiān， dāng guò qù yǐ biàn wéi yīcháng qī piàn，
wèi lái yǐ chéng wéi méi yòu wèi lái， zài sì gèng zhī qián
shí jiān tíng xiē， shí jiān biàn chéng yǒng wú zhōng liǎo de shí hòu；
jù làng tāo tāo， xiàn zài shì zhè yàng， yòu shǐ yǐ lái yě shì zhè yàng。
zhōng shēng
kēng qiāng
èr
zhè wú shēng de wūyè， zhè qiū huā de qiǎo rán xiè qù，
huā bàn piāo luò cóng cǐ níng rán bù dòng， tā men de zhōng jí zài nǎ lǐ？
chén chuán de cán hái suí bō piào bó， bái gǔ zài 'àn tān shàng qí qiú，
nà xiàng xuān bù zāinàn lín tóu de tōng gào
fā chū wú cóng qí qiú de qí qiú，，
zhè yī qiē de zhōng jí zài nǎ lǐ？
yī qiē liǎo wú zhōng jí， bù jìn rú cǐ gèng yòu nà
suí wèi lái de shí rì 'ér jiē chù 'ér lái de hòu guǒ，
dāng rén shēng de wú qíng suì yuè yǐ luò rù nǐ yī dù yǐ wéi
zuì kě xìn lài de shì wù de suì piàn zhī zhōng héng héng
yīn 'ér zuì qiàdàng de duì cè mò rú shěqì de shí hòu，
gǎn qíng què wù zì chén miǎn yú wǎng xī。
zuì hòu hái yòu chū yú duì zì jǐ de qì lì bù jì
ér chǎn shēng wú jì yú shì de zì háo hé yuàn hèn；
jià yī yè xiǎo zhōu piào bó hǎi shàng， rèn píng hǎi shuǐ cóng liè xì xú xú lòu rù，
nà wú suǒ yǐ fù de juàn liàn kě néng běi kàn zuò wú suǒ juàn liàn；
hái yòu nà zuì hòu de tōng gào de zhōng shēng fā chū bù kě zhēng biàn de hū hǎn shí
mò mò wú yǔ de dì tīng。
hé chù shì yú fū de guī sù， tā men shǐ jìn
fēng de wěi shì， wù 'ǎi zài nà lǐ sè sè chàn dǒu？
wǒ men wú fǎ xiǎng xiàng yī gè méi yòu hǎi yáng de shí dài
huò zhě yī gè bù shì piào mǎn liǎo fèi wù de hǎi yáng
huò zhě yī gè bù kě néng yòu yī gè mùdì dì de wèi lái，
xiàng guò qù de suì yuè nà yàng。
wǒ men yīnggāi xiǎng qǐ tā men yī rú jì wǎng zài hù shuǐ，
zài zhāng wǎng hé lā wǎng， dāng nà dōng běi fēng shì jiǎn ruò chuī guò
yǒng bù biàn huà yě yǒng bù xiāo shí de qiǎn tí，
huò zhě zài chuán wù lǐng qǔ yú qián， shài liàng fēng fān；
ér bù yīnggāi xiǎng xiàng tā men zài zuò yī cì háo wú shōu yì de chū háng，
dǎ yī wǎng jīng bù qǐ shěn chá de bǔ lāo。
nà wú shēng de wūyè yǒng wú qióng qī，
nà qiū huā de xiè qù， méi yòu tòng kǔ yě méi yòu yùn dòng de tòng kǔ de yùn dòng，
hǎi de chōng juàn hé piào liú de chén chuán cán hái，
bái gǔ xiàng tā de shàng dì sǐ shén de qí qiú， zhè yī qiēdōu yǒng wú qióng qī。
zhǐ yòu shèng mǔ bào xǐ jié nà yī shēng jīhū shì bù kě néng
què yòu shì wéi yī kǔ nán qí qiú de qí qiú。
dāng nǐ nián suì jiàn lǎo， nà guò qù
fǎng fó yǐ yòu liǎo lìng yī zhǒng mó shì， bù zài zhǐ shì yī gè jiēguǒ héng héng
huò zhě shèn zhì shì yī zhǒng fā zhǎn： hòu zhě shì bù fēn de miù wù，
shòu dào fū qiǎn de jìn huà lùn sī xiǎng de sǒng yǒng，
ér zài cháng rén de xīn mù zhōng biàn chéng fǒu rèn zì jǐ de guò qù de yī zhǒng shǒu duàn。
shǎng xīn lè shì de shùn jiān héng héng bù shì kāng tài zhī gǎn，
gōng chéng míng jiù， sù yuàn yǐ cháng， wú yōu wú lǜ huò gǎn shòu dào qīn rén zhī 'ài，
shèn zhì bù shì xiǎng yòng yī dùn fēng měi jiǔ yàn， ér shì měng dì huò rán chè wù héng héng
wǒ men yòu guò zhè zhǒng jīng yàn， dàn méi yòu lǐng huì qí zhōng hán yì，
ér dǒng dé hán yì jiù shì zài wǒ men néng fù yú xìng fú yǐ rèn hé yì yì zhī wài
zài bù tóng de xíng shì zhōng huī fù yǐ wǎng de jīng yàn。 wǒ yǐ qián shuō guò
zài hán yì zhōng fù huó de yǐ wǎng jīng yàn
bù jǐn shì yī gè rén yī shēng de jīng yàn，
ér qiě shì duō shǎo shì dài rén de jīng yàn héng héng bù yào wàng jì
qí zhōng yòu de hěn kě néng gēn běn wú fǎ yán yù：
fǎn gù diǎn jí jìzǎi de lì shǐ de xìn niàn hòu miàn，
huí zhuǎn tóu qù， zhǐ xū shāo shāo fǎn gù yī xià，
jiù kàn dào nà yuǎn gǔ de kǒng bù。
xiàn zài， wǒ men zhōng yú fā xiàn tòng kǔ de shùn jiān
（ zhì yú shì fǒu chū yú wù jiě， wǒ men yī xiàng
jì xī wàng yú xū wàng， huò wèi jù yú bù dāng wèi jù de，
zài bù shì wǒ men yào tán de wèn tí） dū yǔ shí jiān suǒ jù yòu de yǒng héng xìng
yī yàng yǒng héng。 zài yī diǎn wǒ men zài bié rén de（ yǔ wǒ men yòu guān，
jīhū xiàng wǒ men shēn shòu de yī yàng） tòng kǔ zhōng lǐng huì dé gēngshēn。
yīn wéi wǒ men zì jǐ de guò qù bèi xíng dòng hé xiōng yǒng de jī liú yān méi liǎo，
ér bié rén de kǔ nǎo què shǐ zhōng shì yī zhǒng jīng yàn，
què záo wú yí 'ér yòu bùwèi jiē zhǒng 'ér lái de shí jiān suǒ mó sǔn。
rén men biàn huà， wēi xiào， ér tòng kǔ cháng zài。
shí jiān zhè gè pò huài zhě yě shì shí jiān zhè gè bǎo cún zhě，
jiù xiàng zhè tiáo yùn zài sǐ wáng de hēi rén、 niú péng hé jī lóng de hé，
jiù xiàng kǔ sè de píng guǒ hé píng guǒ shàng liú xià de chǐ hén yī yàng。
ér lín xún de jiāo shí zài yǒng bù níng xī de liú shuǐ zhōng
làng huā chōng shuà tā， nóng wù yǎn bì tā；
fēng píng làng jìng de rì zǐ， tā bù guò shì yī kuài biāo shí，
zài shì yí háng xíng de qì hòu yǒng yuǎn shì yī gè què dìng
háng dào de háng hǎi biāo zhì， dàn dāng yīn chén yōu yù de jì jié
huò dāng tā bào nù de shí hòu， jiù lù chū liǎo tā běn lái de miàn mù。
sān
wǒ yòu shí huái yí kè lǐ xī nà shuō de shì fǒu jiù shì zhè gè yì sī héng héng
zài bié zhǒng hán yì zhī wài héng héng huò zhě tóng yī jiàn shì de lìng yī zhǒng shuō fǎ：
wèi lái shì yī zhī xiāo jì de gē， yī duǒ yānhóng de méi guī， huò zhě shì
yī zhū wéi nà xiē hái méi yòu dào zhè lǐ lái biǎo shì huǐ hèn de rén men
liú xià de yǒng zhì huǐ hèn de xūn yī cǎo，
yā zài yī běn cóng wèi fān kāi què yǐ fā huáng de shū yè zhī jiān。
ér xiàng shàng de lù jiù shì xiàng xià de lù， xiàng qián de lù jiù shì huí tóu de lù。
nǐ bù néng miàn duì tā 'ér shén sè zì ruò， dàn zài jiàn shì què shì què qiē wú yí de，
shí jiān bù shì zhì bìng de yī shēng， bìng rén yǐ yī qù bù fù fǎn。
dāng liè chē qǐ dòng de shí hòu， lǚ kè men 'ān dùn xià lái
kāi shǐ pǐn cháng shuǐ guǒ、 fān yuè shū kān hé gōng wù hán jiàn
（ qián lái gěi tā men sòng xíng de rén men yě lí kāi liǎo yuè tái），
suí zhe màn cháng shí kè cuī rén yù shuì de jié zòu
tā men de liǎn sè cóng bēi tòng shū zhǎn wéi qīng sōng。
lǚ rén men， xiàng qián xíng jìn bā！ zài bù shì cóng guò qù
táo wǎng bù tóng de shēng huó， yě bù shì táo wǎng rèn hé wèi lái；
nǐ men bù shì gāng cái lí kāi nà gè chē zhàn de rén qún
yě bù shì xíng jiāng dào dá zhōng diǎn de rén men，
dāng jiàn xíng jiàn zhǎi de tiě guǐ zài nǐ men hòu miàn bìng chéng yī xiàn；
dāng nǐ men de jī shēng lóng lóng de lún chuán jiá bǎn shàng
dì shì zhe chuán shǒu pī kāi de bō làng zài nǐ men hòu miàn kuò zhǎn kāi qù，
nǐ men bù huì xiǎng dào“ wǎng zhě yǐ yǐ”
huò zhě“ lái zhě kě zhuī”。
yè lán shí fēn， zài fān lǎn hé tiān xiàn lǐ
yòu gē shēng zài fǎn fù yín chàng（ suī rán zài dī shēng xì yǔ de shí jiān xián qín
jì fēiwèi 'ěr duǒ 'ér tánzòu， yě wèi xíng zhī yú rèn hé yǔ yán）：
“ xiàng qián xíng jìn bā， nǐ men zhè xiē zì yǐ wéi zài háng hǎi lǚ xíng de rén；
nǐ men bù shì nà wàng jiàn gǎng wān jiàn jiàn xiāo shī de rén men，
yě bù shì xíng jiāng lí chuán shàng 'àn de rén men。
zhè lǐ， zài hǎi 'àn zhè biān hé gèng yuǎn de hǎi 'àn zhī jiān，
dāng shí jiān yǐ jīng yǐn tuì， qǐng yòng píng děng de xīn huái
sī kǎo guò qù hé wèi lái。
zài zhè jì bù shì xíng dòng yě bù shì wú suǒ xíng dòng de shùn jiān
nǐ men bù fáng tīng qǔ zhè jù zhōng gào：‘ zài sǐ wáng de shí kè
yī gè rén bù lùn tā de yì zhì zhuān zhù shénme yàng de
shēng cún dì wèi’ héng héng nà shì yī cì xíng dòng
（ ér sǐ wáng de shí kè zé shì měi yī shùn jiān），
tā bì jiāng zài bié rén de shēng mìng zhōng kāihuājiēguǒ：
yīn cǐ bù bì kǎo lǜ xíng dòng de chéng guǒ。
xiǎng qián xíng jìn bā。
ā háng hǎi de lǚ rén men， ā hǎi yuán men
nǐ men lái dào gǎng kǒu de rén men， nǐ men de shēn tǐ jiāng jīng shòu
dà hǎi de kǎo yàn hé pàn jué huò zhě bù lùn zāo dào
shénme shì gù de rén men， zhè lǐ jiù shì nǐ men zhēn zhèng de mùdì dì。”
kè lǐ xī nà jiù zhè yàng zài zhàn chǎng shàng
quàn gào 'ā 'ěr zhū nà。
bù shì yǒng bié，
ér shì yáng fān qián xíng， háng hǎi de lǚ rén men。
sì
shèng mǔ 'ā， nín de shén diàn yì lì zài hǎi jiǎ zhī shàng，
qǐng nín wéi suǒ yòu chuán shàng de rén men，
wéi nà xiē yǐ yú yè wéi shēng yá de rén men，
yě wéi nà xiē yǔ yī qiē hé fǎ de hǎi shàng jiāo tōng yòu guān
yǐ jí zhǐ huī tā men de rén men qí dǎo bā。
qǐng nín yě wéi nà xiē sòng bié liǎo 'ér zǐ huò zhàng fū
qǐ chéng chū hǎi， tā men hái méi yòu huí jiā de nǚ rén men
zài zuò yī cì qí dǎo bā：
Figliadeltuofiglio，
tiān guó zhī hòu。
yě wéi nà xiē céng zài chuán shàng， què zài shā tān shàng， zài dà hǎi de zuǐ chún lǐ
huò zài nà lái zhě bù jù de hēi 'àn de hóu lóng lǐ
huò bù lùn hé chù， zhǐ yào shì yǒng héng de tiān shǐ qiāo xiǎng
dà hǎi de zhōng shēng chuán bù dào tā men de dì fāng
zuì hòu zhōng zhǐ liǎo háng xíng de rén men qí dǎo bā。
wǔ
gēn huǒ xīng tōng huà， yǔ shén líng jiāo tán，
bào gào hǎi yāo de xíng wéi，
guān cè tiān xiàng yù bǔ wèi lái， chá kàn jì shēng de nèi zàng yǐ shì shén yù，
huò cóng shuǐ jīng qiú zhōng guān chá huàn xiàng，
cóng qiān míng de bǐ jì kàn chū bìng zhèng， cóng shǒu zhǎng de wén lù
zhuī sù shēn shì jīng lì hècóng shǒu zhǐ xiǎng qǐ bēi cǎn bù xìng；
yòng qiān bǔ huò chá yè qū chú xiōng zhào， yòng zhǐ pái jiě shì
bù kě bì miǎn de shì gù， chuài mó wǔ jiǎo xīng xíng de tú xiàng
huò kào fú bā bǐ tuǒ suān dǎ fā rì zǐ， huò bǎ fǎn fù chū xiàn de xiǎng xiàng
jiě xī wéi qián yì shí de gè zhǒng kǒng jù héng héng
yóu cǐ tàn suǒ chū shēng、 sǐ wáng huò mèng jìng； suǒ yòu zhè xiē
dōushì píng sù de xiāo qiǎn huòyào wù、 bào kān de tè xiě bào dào，
ér qiě yě jiāng yǒng yuǎn rú cǐ， qí zhōng yòu xiē yóu qí rú cǐ，
dāng guó jiā xiàn rù wēinàn hé kùn huò bù jué de shí hòu，
bù lùn shì zài yà zhōu de hǎi 'àn hái shì zài 'ài qí wéi 'ěr dà jiē。
rén men de hàoqí xīn zǒng 'ài tàn jiū guò qù hé wèi lái，
ér qiě zài zhè fāng miàn qiè 'ér bùshě。 dàn shì lǐng wù
nà wú shǐ wú zhōng yǔ shí jiān de jiāo chā diǎn， què shì shèng zhě de zhí yè héng héng
yě bù shì zhí yè， ér shì tā men wèile 'ài、 rè chén、 wú sī hé zì wǒ qū cóng
ér xùn dào de yī shēng zhōng de yī zhǒng jǐyǔ hé qǔ shòu。
jiù wǒ men duō shù rén lái shuō， wǒ men yòu de bù guò shì bèi wǒ men xū dù de
shùn jiān， zài shí jiān zhī nèi hé shí jiān zhī wài de shùn jiān，
bù guò shì yī cì xiāo shī zài yī dào yáng guāng zhī zhōng de xīn fán yì luàn，
méi yòu bèi rén shǎng shí de yě bǎi hé huā xiāng， huò shì dōng tiān de shǎn diàn
huò shì fēi jiàn de pù bù， huò shì tīng dé guò yú shēnqiè
ér yī wú suǒ wén de yīnyuè， dàn shì zhǐ yào yuèqǔ yú yīn wèi jué，
nǐ jiù shì yīnyuè。 zhè xiē bù guò shì 'àn shì hé cāi cè，
àn shì hòu miàn gēn zhe cāi cè； qí yú jiù shì
qí qiú， zūn fèng， xiū chí， sī suǒ hé xíng dòng。
cāi chū yī bàn de 'àn shì， dǒng dé yī bàn de zèng yú， shì jī dū huà wéi rén shēn。
zhè lǐ， gè zhǒng shēng cún dì wèi bù kě néng qǔ dé yī zhì
shì què shí wú yí de，
zhè lǐ， guò qù hé wèi lái
yǐ bèi zhēng fú， bìng qiě huò dé hé jiě，
zài zhè lǐ xíng dòng bù guò shì mù qián bèi qū dòng de shì wù de lìng yī zhǒng yùn dòng，
yùn dòng de shǐ yuán bìng bù zài yú tā běn shēn zhī nèi héng héng
ér shì shòu mó guǐ de lì liàng， dì xià de
lì liàng de tuī dòng。 ér zhèng dāng de xíng dòng
yě bù shòu guò qù yǔ wèi lái de yuē shù。
duì wǒ men duō shù rén lái shuō， zhè shì jué bù kě néng
zài zhè lǐ shí xiàn de mù biāo；
wǒ men jǐn jǐn shì méi yòu bèi jī bài 'ér yǐ，
yīn wéi wǒ men hái zài jì xù cháng shì；
rú guǒ wǒ men de zàn shí fǎn guī běn yuán néng zī yù
（ lí zǐ shān shù bìng bù tài yuǎn）
nà yì yì shēn cháng de tǔ dì de shēng mìng，
wǒ men， zhōng jiāng gǎn dào xīn mǎn yì zú。 yī
zhòng dōng de chūn tiān shì tā zì jǐ de jì jié
màn màn yǒng zhòu ' ér dào rì luò què yī piàn shī rùn，
xuán zài shí jiān zhōng， zài jí juàn hé huí guī xiàn zhī jiān。
dāng duǎn zàn de bái zhòu yīn wéi hán shuāng hé huǒ chéng wéi zuì míng liàng de shí kè，
cōng cù de tài yáng diǎn rán liǎo dì shàng hé gōu lǐ de bīng，
zài wú fēng de lěng liè zhōng nà shì xīn de rè，
zài yī miàn sì shuǐ de jìng zǐ lǐ
yìng zhào chū yī dào cì mùdì qiáng guāng，
zài jiù shì shǎng wǔ shí fēn zhī suǒ yǐ lìng rén huàn mù ' ér yī wú suǒ jiàn。
zhuó rè de guāng bǐ chái zhī de huǒ gèng liè bǐ huǒ pén gèng wàng，
jī qǐ má mù de jīng shén： méi yòu fēng， zhǐ yòu shèng líng jiàng lín jié de huǒ
zài zhè yī nián de hēi ' àn shí jié。 zài róng huà hé jié bīng zhī jiān
líng hún de huó lì zài chàn dǒu。 méi yòu dà dì de qì xī
huò zhě yòu shēng mìng zhī wù de qì xī。 zhè shì chūn tiān jì jié
dàn bù shì zài yuē dìng de shí jiān zhī nèi。 xiàn zài shù lí
yīn wéi xuě huā duǎn zàn kāi fàng ' ér yī shí mǎn shēn sù bái，
yī cì bǐ xià huā zhàn fàng gèng tū rán de huā kāi，
jì wèi hán pā dài fàng yě bù huì diāo líng xiè luò，
bù zài shì dài fān yǎn de jìhuà zhī nèi。
xià tiān zài nǎ lǐ？ nà bù kě xiǎng xiàng de
líng dù de xià tiān？
rú guǒ nǐ dào zhè lǐ lái，
xuǎn zé nǐ kě néng xuǎn zé de lù xiàn
cóng nǐ kě néng chū nà lǐ lái de dì fāng lái，
rú guǒ nǐ zài shān zhā huā kāi de shí hòu dào zhè lǐ lái，
nǐ huì fā xiàn wǔ yuè lǐ， shù lí yòu biàn bái liǎo，
piāo sàn zhè mí rén de tián xiāng。
dào lǚ chéng de zhōng diǎn dū yī yàng，
rú guǒ nǐ xiàng yī wèi kùn dùn de guó wáng yín yè ' ér lái，
rú guǒ nǐ bái tiān lái yòu bù zhī dào nǐ wèihé ' ér lái，
nà dū yī yàng， dāng nǐ lí kāi qí qū de xiǎo jìng
zài zhū lán hòu miàn guǎi xiàng nà yīn ' àn de qián tíng hé mù bēi de shí hòu。
nǐ yuán xiān yǐ wéi shì nǐ cǐ xíng de mùdì
xiàn zài bù guò shì yì yì de yī céng bèi ké， yī céng jiá
zhǐ yào yòu shénme mùdì néng shí xiàn de huà， mùdì cái pò ké ' ér chū。
huò zhě shì nǐ yuán xiān gēn běn méi yòu mùdì
huò zhě shì mùdì zài yú nǐ shì xiǎng xiàng de zhōng diǎn zhī wài
ér zài shí xiàn de guò chéng zhōng yǐ jīng gǎi biàn。 lìng yòu yī xiē dì fāng
yě shì shì jiè de zhōng diǎn， yòu de zài hǎi de rù kǒu
huò zhě zài yī piàn hēi ' àn de hú shàng， zài shā mò zhōng
huò zhě zài yī zuò chéng shì lǐ héng héng
dàn shì zài dì diǎn hé shí jiān shàng， zhè lǐ shì zuì jìn de dì fāng，
xiàn zài hé zài yīng gé lán。
rú guǒ nǐ dào zhè lǐ lái，
bù lùn zǒu nǎ tiáo lù， cóng nǎ lǐ chū fā，
zài nǎ gè dì fāng huò nǎ gè jì jié，
nà dōushì yī yàng： nǐ bì xū pāo kāi
gǎn jué hé sī xiǎng。 nǐ dào zhè lǐ lái bù shì wèile zhèng míng shénme，
jiào huì zì jǐ， huò zhě gào sù shénme xīn qí de shì wù
huò zhě chuán sòng bào gào。 nǐ dào zhè lǐ lái
shì dào qí dǎo yī xiàng shì zhèng dāng de dì fāng lái
fǔ shǒu xià guì。 qí dǎo bù zhǐ shì
yī zhǒng huà yǔ， qí dǎo zhě tóu nǎo de
qīng xǐng de huó dòng， huò zhě shì qí qiú hū gào de shēng yīn。
sǐ zhě huó zhe de shí hòu， wú fǎ yǐ yán cí biǎo dá de，
tā men zuò wéi sǐ zhě néng gào sù nǐ： sǐ zhě de jiāo liú sī xiǎng
chāo hū shēng zhě de yǔ yán zhī wài shì yòng huǒ biǎo dá de。
zhè lǐ， wú shǐ wú zhōng de shùn jiān de jiāo chā diǎn shì yīng gé lán，
ér bù shì rèn hé qí tā dì fāng。 jué bù ' ér qiě yǒng yuǎn。
èr
yī gè lǎo rén yī xiù shàng de huī
shì fén shāo de méi guī liú xià de quán bù chén huī。
chén huī xuán zài kōng zhōng
biāo zhì zhe yī gè gù shì zài zhè lǐ gào zhōng。
nǐ xī rù de chén huī céng jīng shì yī zuò zhái dǐ héng héng
qiáng、 hù bì bǎn hé hào zǐ。
xī wàng hé xī wàng de sǐ wáng，
zhè shì kōng qì de sǐ wáng。
zài yǎn jīng zhī shàng， zài zuǐ bā lǐ
yòu hóng shuǐ hé gān hàn，
zhǐ shuǐ hé sǐ shā
zài zhēng dǒu zhe shuí zhàn shàng fēng。
chè liè de shī qù yuán qì de ní tǔ
zhāng mù jié shé dì wàng zhe tú rán wú yì de láo dòng，
fàng shēng dà xiào ' ér méi yòu huān lè。
zhè shì tǔ de sǐ wáng。
shuǐ hé huǒ qǔ dài
chéng zhèn、 mù chǎng hé yě cǎo。
shuǐ hé huǒ cháo nòng
wǒ men jù jué fèng xiàn de xī shēng。
shuǐ hé huǒ yě bì jiāng fǔ shí
wǒ men yí wàng de shèng diàn hé chàng shī xí de
yǐ jīng huǐ huài de jī chǔ。
zhè shì shuǐ hé huǒ de sǐ wáng。
zài lí míng lái lín qián wú fǎ què zhī de shí kè
màn màn cháng yè xíng jiāng jié shù
yǒng wú zhōng zhǐ yòu dào liǎo zhōng diǎn
dāng hēi yǒu yǒu de gē zǐ pēn tù zhe hū yǐn hū xiàn de huǒ shé
zài dì píng xiàn xià lüè fēi guī qù yǐ hòu
zài xiāo yān shēng téng de sān gè dì qū zhī jiān
zài méi yòu bié de shēng xī zhǐ yòu kū yè xiàng bái tiě pí yī bān
gā gā zuò xiǎng dì sǎo guò lì qīng lù miàn
zhè shí wǒ yù jiàn yī gè zài jiē shàng xián dàng de xíng rén
xiàng bèi bù kě zǔ dǎng de chéng shì chén fēng chuī juàn de
jīn shǔ báopiàn jí cōng cōng dì xiàng wǒ zǒu lái。
dāng wǒ yòng ruì lì ' ér shěn shì de mù guāng
dǎliang tā nà zhāng dī chuí de liǎn páng
jiù xiàng wǒ men pán wèn chū cì yù jiàn de mò shēng rén nà yàng
zài jí jiāng xiāo shì de mù sè zhōng
wǒ qiáo jiàn yī wèi céng jīng xiāng shí、 dàn yǐ dàn wàng de yǐ gù de dà shī
tū rán xiǎn xiàn de miàn róng， wǒ huǎng hū jì dé
tā jì shì yī gè yòu shì xǔ duō gè； shài hēi de liǎn shàng
yī gè shú shí de fù hé de líng hún de yǎn jīng
jì qīn mì yòu bù kě biàn rèn。
yīn cǐ wǒ fǎn fù liǎo yī gè shuāngchóng juésè， yī miàn hǎn jiào
yī miàn yòu tīng lìng yī gè rén hǎn jiào：“ ā！ nǐ zài zhè lǐ？”
jìn guǎn wǒ mendōu bù shì。 wǒ hái shì wǒ，
dàn wǒ zhī dào wǒ zì jǐ yǐ jīng chéng liǎo lìng yī gè rén héng héng
ér tā zhǐ shì yī zhāng hái zài xíng chéng de liǎn； dàn yǔ yán yǐ zú gòu
qiǎngpò tā men chéng rèn céng jīng xiāng shí。
yīn cǐ， àn zhào yī bān de fēng shàng，
shuāng fāng jì rán sù mèi píng shēng yě jiù bù kě néng chǎn shēng wù huì，
wǒ men zài zhè qiānzǎi nán féng， méi yòu yǐ qián yě méi yòu yǐ hòu de
jiāo chā shí kè hé xié dì màn bù zài xíng rén dào shàng zuò yī cì sǐ wáng de xún luó。
wǒ shuō：“ wǒ gǎn dào jīng yì shì nà me qīng sōng ' ān shì，
rán ' ér qīng sōng zhèng shì jīng yì de yuán yīn。 suǒ yǐ shuō，
wǒ yě xǔ bìng bù lǐ jiě， yě xǔ bù fù jì yì。”
tā què shuō：“ wǒ de sī xiǎng hé yuán zé yǐ bèi nǐ yí wàng，
wǒ bù xiǎng zài yī cì xiáng xì shēn sù。
zhè xiē dōng xī yǐ jīng mǎn zú liǎo tā men de xū yào： yóu tā men qù bā。
nǐ zì jǐ de yě shì zhè yàng， qí qiú bié rén kuān shù tā men bā，
jiù xiàng wǒ qí qiú nǐ kuān shù shàn yǔ ' è yī yàng。 shàng jì de guǒ zǐ
yǐ jīng chī guò， wèi bǎo liǎo de yě shòu yě yī dìng huì bǎ kōng tǒng tī kāi。
yīn wéi qù nián de huà shǔ yú qù nián de yǔ yán
ér lái nián de huà hái zài děng dài lìng yī zhǒng yǔ diào。
dàn shì， duì yú lái zì yì yù méi yòu dé dào fǔ wèi de líng hún，
zài liǎng gè yǐ biàn dé fēi cháng xiāng xiàng de shì jiè zhī jiān
xiàn zài dào lù yǐ chàng tōng wú zǔ，
suǒ yǐ dāng wǒ bǎ wǒ de qū tǐ
wěi qì zài yáo yuǎn de ' àn biān yǐ hòu
wǒ zài wǒ cóng wèi xiǎng dào huì zhòng fǎng de jiē xiàng
zhǎo dào liǎo wǒ cóng wèi xiǎng shuō de huà。
jì rán wǒ men guān xīn de shì shuō huà， ér shuō huà yòu qū shǐ wǒ men
qù chún jié bù zú de fāng yán
bìng sǒng yǒng wǒ men zhān qián gù hòu，
nà me jiù ràng wǒ dǎ kāi cháng jiǔ bǎo cún de lǐ wù
bāo měi nǐ yī shēng de chéng jiù。
shǒu xiān， dāng ròu tǐ yǔ líng hún kāi shǐ fēn lí shí，
jí jiāng xī miè de gǎn jué shī qù liǎo mèi lì
tā nà lěng mò de mó cā bù néng gěi nǐ tí gōng rèn hé xǔ nuò
ér zhǐ néng shì xū wàng de guǒ zǐ de kǔ sè wú wèi。
dì ' èr， shì duì rén jiān de yú xíng zì zhī biǎo shì fèn nù de
ruǎn ruò wú lì， yǐ jí duì nà bù zài yǐn rén fā xiào de yī qiē
nǐ de xiào shēng shòu dào de shāng hài。
zuì hòu， zài chóngyǎn nǐ yī shēng de zuò wéi hé bàn yǎn de juésè shí
nà sī liè xīn fèi de tòng kǔ； rì hòu bài lù de dòng jī suǒ dài lái de xiū kuì，
hái yòu nǐ yī dù yī wèi shì xíng shàn zhī jǔ，
rú jīn jué chá guò qù zhǒng zhǒng quán shì ' è xíng
quán shì duì bié rén de shāng hài ' ér chǎn shēng de nèi jiù。
yú shì yú rén de zàn yáng cì tòng nǐ， shì jiān de róng yù diàn wū nǐ。
jī nù de líng hún cóng cuò wù zǒu xiàng cuò wù
chú fēi dé dào liàn huǒ de kuāng jiù， yīn wéi xiàng yī gè wǔ dǎo jiā
nǐ bì rán yào suí zhe jié pāi xiàng nà ' ér tiào qù。”
tiān sè jí jiāng pò xiǎo。 zài zhè tiáo huǐ sǔn de jiē shàng
tā dài zhe yǒng bié de shén qíng lí kāi liǎo wǒ，
xiāo shī zài qì dí de cháng míng shēng zhōng。
sān
yòu sān zhǒng qíng kuàng fā shēng zài zhè tóng yī piàn shù lí，
wǎng wǎng mào sì xiǎng xiàng qí shí jié rán bù tóng：
duì zì shēn、 duì wù hé rén men de yǐ fù，
cóng zì shēn、 cóng wù hé rén men de fēn lí； yǐ jí zài zhè liǎng zhě zhī jiān
chǎn shēng de lěng mò， tā yǔ qián liǎng zhǒng xiāng sì， yóu rú sǐ yǔ shēng xiāng sì，
chǔyú liǎng zhǒng shēng yá zhī jiān héng héng bù zhàn kāi huā duǒ， chǔyú
shēng de hé sǐ de kǔ nǎo zhī jiān。 zhè zhèng shì jì yì de yòng chù：
wèile jiě tuō héng héng bù shì yīn wéi ' ài dé bù gòu
ér shì ' ài chāo hū yù wàng zhī wài de kuò zhǎn， yú shì bù jǐn cóng guò qù
yě cóng wèi lái dé dào jiě tuō。 zhè yàng， duì yī gè dì fāng de ' ài liàn
shǐ yú wǒ men duì zì jǐ de huó dòng chǎng suǒ de yǐ fù
zhōng yú fā xiàn zhè zhǒng huó dòng méi duō dà yì yì
suī rán jué bù shì lěng mò。 lì shǐ yě xǔ shì nú yì，
lì shǐ yě xǔ shì zì yóu。 qiáo， nà yī zhāng zhāng liǎn yī chù chù dì fāng
suí zhe nà jìn qí shì néng ' ài guò tā men de zì wǒ
yī qǐ， xiàn zài tā mendōu xiāo shī liǎo，
ér zài lìng yī zhǒng mó shì xià gēngxīn， biàn huà。
zuì shì bù kě bì miǎn de， dàn shì
yī qiē zhōng jiāng ' ān rán wú yàng， ér qiě
shí jiān wàn wù yě zhōng jiāng ' ān rán wú yàng。
rú guǒ wǒ yòu yī cì xiǎng qǐ zhè gè dì fāng，
yòu yī cì xiǎng qǐ nà xiē rén， tā men bìng fēi quándōu zhí dé chēng dào，
jì fēi zhí xì qīn shǔ yě fēi xìng qíng hé shàn zhī bèi，
què shì yī xiē jù yòu tè shū cái néng de rén，
tā mendōu shòu liǎo yī zhǒng gòng tóng de sī cháo de gǎn zhào，
ér lián hé zài bǎ tā men fēn liè wéi yíng lěi de dǒu zhēng zhōng；
rú guǒ wǒ zài huáng hūn shí fēn xiǎng qǐ yī wèi guó wáng，
xiǎng qǐ sān gè hé gèng duō de rén bèi chǔjué zài jiǎo xíng jià shàng
hái yòu yī xiē sǐ hòu mò mò wú wén de rén
zài qí tā dì fāng， zài zhè lǐ hé guó wài，
wǒ yě xiǎng qǐ yī gè shuāng mù shī míng qiǎo rán sǐ qù de rén，
wèishénme wǒ men jì niàn zhè xiē sǐ qù de rén
jiù gāi shèng yú jì niàn nà xiē bīn lín sǐ wáng de rén ní？
zhè bù shì chóngxīn qù qiāo xiǎng wǎng xī de zhōng shēng
yě bù shì zhào huàn yī duǒ méi guī de yōu líng de zhòu yǔ。
wǒ men wú fǎ fù huó nà xiē gǔ lǎo de pài bié
wǒ men wú fǎ huī fù nà xiē gǔ lǎo de zhèng cè
huò zhě gēn shàng yī miàn gǔ lǎo de pí gǔ qiāo jī de gǔ diǎn。
zhè xiē rén， hé fǎn duì tā men de nà xiē rén
hé nà xiē tā men fǎn duì de rén
rú jīn dū jiē shòu liǎo wú shēng de mìng lìng
guī rù yī gè dān yī de tuán tǐ。
bù guǎn wǒ men zhòng xìng yùn de rén men jì chéng dào shénme
wǒ men yǐ jīng cóng shī bài de rén men qǔ dé liǎo
tā men bù dé bù liú gěi wǒ men de yī qiē héng héng yī zhǒng xiàng zhēng：
yī zhǒng zài sǐ wáng zhōng dé dào wán shàn de xiàng zhēng。
yīn cǐ， tōng guò dòng jī de chún huà
píng zhe wǒ men qí qiú de lǐ yóu
yī qiē zhōng jiāng ' ān rán wú yàng， ér qiě
shí jiān wàn wù yě zhōng jiāng ' ān rán wú yàng。
sì
gē zǐ pēn tù zhe chì liè de kǒng bù de huǒ yàn
huá pò yè kōng， lüè fēi ' ér xià
liè yàn de huǒ shé zhāo gào shì jiān
tā miǎn chú liǎo sǐ zhě de guò cuò hé zuì qiān。
nà jǐn yòu de xī wàng， yào bù jiù shì shī wàng
zài yú nǐ duì fén shī chái duī de xuǎn zé huò zhě jiù zài yú chái duī héng héng
tōng guò liè huǒ cóng liè huǒ zhōng dé dào dí zuì。
shì shuí xiǎng chū zhè zhǒng zhé mó de ní？ shì ' ài。
ài shì bù shú xī de míng zì
tā zài biān zhì huǒ yàn zhī shān de nà shuāng shǒu hòu miàn，
huǒ yàn shǐ rén wú fǎ rěn nài
nà yī shān jué fēi rén lì suǒ néng jiě kāi。
wǒ men zhǐ shì huó zhe， zhǐ shì bēi tàn
bù shì ràng zhè zhǒng huǒ jiù shì ràng nà zhǒng huǒ bǎ wǒ men de shēng mìng hào wán。
wǔ
wǒ men jiào zuò kāi shǐ de wǎng wǎng jiù shì jié shù
ér xuān gào jié shù yě jiù shì zhuóshǒu kāi shǐ。
zhōng diǎn shì wǒ men chū fā de dì fāng。 měi gè duǎn yǔ
hé měi gè jù zǐ zhǐ yào ' ān pái tuǒ tiē（ měi gè cí dū gè dé qí suǒ，
cóng tā suǒ chù de wèi zhì zhī chí qí tā de cí，
wén zì jì bù xiū qiè yě bù xuàn yào，
xīn yǔ jiù zhī jiān de yī zhǒng qīng sōng de jiāo liú，
pǔ tōng de wén zì què qiē ' ér bù bǐ sú，
guī fàn de wén zì zhǔn què ' ér bù yū fǔ，
róng qià wú jiān dì zài yī qǐ wǔ dǎo）
nà me měi gè duǎn yǔ měi gè jù zǐ dōushì yī gè jié shù hé yī gè kāi shǐ，
měi shǒu shī dōushì yī piān mù zhì míng。 ér rèn hé yī gè xíng dòng
dōushì zǒu xiàng duàn tóu tái， zǒu xiàng liè huǒ， luò rù dà hǎi
huò zǒu xiàng yī kuài nǐ wú fǎ biàn rèn de shí bēi de yī bù：
ér zhè jiù shì wǒ men chū fā de dì fāng，
wǒ men yǔ bīn lín sǐ wáng de rén men xié wáng：
qiáo， tā men lí qù liǎo， wǒ men yǔ tā men tóng xíng。
wǒ men yǔ sǐ zhě tóng shēng：
qiáo， tā men huí lái liǎo， xié wǒ men yǔ tā men jù lái。
méi guī piāo xiāng hé zǐ shān fú shū de shí lìng
jīng lì de shí jiān yī yàng duǎn cháng。 yī gè méi yòu lì shǐ de mín zú
bù néng cóng shí jiān dé dào zhěng jiù， yīn wéi lì shǐ
shì wú shǐ wú zhōng de shùn jiān de yī zhǒng mó shì， suǒ yǐ， dāng yī gè dōng tiān de xià wǔ
tiān sè jiàn jiàn ' àn dàn de shí hòu， zài yī zuò pì jìng de jiào táng lǐ
lì shǐ jiù shì xiàn zài hé yīng gé lán。
yóu yú zhè zhǒng ' ài hé zhào huàn shēng de xī yǐn
wǒ men jiāng bù tíng zhǐ tàn suǒ
ér wǒ men yī qiē tàn suǒ de zhōng diǎn
jiāng shì dào dá wǒ men chū fā de dì fāng
bìng qiě shì shēng píng dì yī zāo zhī dào zhè dì fāng。
dāng shí jiān de zhōng jí yóu dài wǒ men qù fā xiàn de shí hòu
chuān guò nà wèi rèn shí de， yì qǐ de dà mén
jiù shì guò qù céng jīng shì wǒ men de qǐ diǎn；
zài zuì màn cháng de dà hé de yuán tóu
yòu shēn cáng de pù bù de fēi tuān shēng
zài píng guǒ lín zhōng yòu hái zǐ men de huān xiào shēng，
zhè xiē nǐ dū bù zhī dào， yīn wéi nǐ
bìng méi yòu qù xún zhǎo
ér zhǐ shì tīng dào， yǐn yuē tīng dào，
zài dà hǎi liǎng cì cháo xī zhī jiān de jì jìng lǐ。
shū hū yì shì de xiàn zài， zhè lǐ， xiàn zài， yǒng yuǎn héng héng
yī zhǒng jí qí jiǎn dān de zhuàng tài
（ yào qiú fù chū de dài jià què bù bǐ rèn hé dōng xī shǎo）
ér yī qiē zhōng jiāng ' ān rán wú yàng，
shí jiān wàn wù yě zhōng jiāng ' ān rán wú yàng
dāng huǒ shé zuì hòu jiāo zhì chéng láo gù de huǒ yàn
liè huǒ yǔ méi guī huà wéi yī tǐ de shí hòu。
Little Gidding
I
Midwinter spring is its own season
Sempiternal though sodden towards sundown,
Suspended in time, between pole and tropic.
When the short day is brightest, with frost and fire,
The brief sun flames the ice, on pond and ditches,
In windless cold that is the heart's heat,
Reflecting in a watery mirror
A glare that is blindness in the early afternoon.
And glow more intense than blaze of branch, or brazier,
Stirs the dumb spirit: no wind, but pentecostal fire
In the dark time of the year. Between melting and freezing
The soul's sap quivers. There is no earth smell
Or smell of living thing. This is the spring time
But not in time's covenant. Now the hedgerow
Is blanched for an hour with transitory blossom
Of snow, a bloom more sudden
Than that of summer, neither budding nor fading,
Not in the scheme of generation.
Where is the summer, the unimaginable
Zero summer?
If you came this way,
Taking the route you would be likely to take
From the place you would be likely to come from,
If you came this way in may time, you would find the hedges
White again, in May, with voluptuary sweetness.
It would be the same at the end of the journey,
If you came at night like a broken king,
If you came by day not knowing what you came for,
It would be the same, when you leave the rough road
And turn behind the pig-sty to the dull facade
And the tombstone. And what you thought you came for
Is only a shell, a husk of meaning
From which the purpose breaks only when it is fulfilled
If at all. Either you had no purpose
Or the purpose is beyond the end you figured
And is altered in fulfilment. There are other places
Which also are the world's end, some at the sea jaws,
Or over a dark lake, in a desert or a city—
But this is the nearest, in place and time,
Now and in England.
If you came this way,
Taking any route, starting from anywhere,
At any time or at any season,
It would always be the same: you would have to put off
Sense and notion. You are not here to verify,
Instruct yourself, or inform curiosity
Or carry report. You are here to kneel
Where prayer has been valid. And prayer is more
Than an order of words, the conscious occupation
Of the praying mind, or the sound of the voice praying.
And what the dead had no speech for, when living,
They can tell you, being dead: the communication
Of the dead is tongued with fire beyond the language of the living.
Here, the intersection of the timeless moment
Is England and nowhere. Never and always.
II
Ash on and old man's sleeve
Is all the ash the burnt roses leave.
Dust in the air suspended
Marks the place where a story ended.
Dust inbreathed was a house—
The walls, the wainscot and the mouse,
The death of hope and despair,
This is the death of air.
There are flood and drouth
Over the eyes and in the mouth,
Dead water and dead sand
Contending for the upper hand.
The parched eviscerate soil
Gapes at the vanity of toil,
Laughs without mirth.
This is the death of earth.
Water and fire succeed
The town, the pasture and the weed.
Water and fire deride
The sacrifice that we denied.
Water and fire shall rot
The marred foundations we forgot,
Of sanctuary and choir.
This is the death of water and fire.
In the uncertain hour before the morning
Near the ending of interminable night
At the recurrent end of the unending
After the dark dove with the flickering tongue
Had passed below the horizon of his homing
While the dead leaves still rattled on like tin
Over the asphalt where no other sound was
Between three districts whence the smoke arose
I met one walking, loitering and hurried
As if blown towards me like the metal leaves
Before the urban dawn wind unresisting.
And as I fixed upon the down-turned face
That pointed scrutiny with which we challenge
The first-met stranger in the waning dusk
I caught the sudden look of some dead master
Whom I had known, forgotten, half recalled
Both one and many; in the brown baked features
The eyes of a familiar compound ghost
Both intimate and unidentifiable.
So I assumed a double part, and cried
And heard another's voice cry: 'What! are you here?'
Although we were not. I was still the same,
Knowing myself yet being someone other—
And he a face still forming; yet the words sufficed
To compel the recognition they preceded.
And so, compliant to the common wind,
Too strange to each other for misunderstanding,
In concord at this intersection time
Of meeting nowhere, no before and after,
We trod the pavement in a dead patrol.
I said: 'The wonder that I feel is easy,
Yet ease is cause of wonder. Therefore speak:
I may not comprehend, may not remember.'
And he: 'I am not eager to rehearse
My thoughts and theory which you have forgotten.
These things have served their purpose: let them be.
So with your own, and pray they be forgiven
By others, as I pray you to forgive
Both bad and good. Last season's fruit is eaten
And the fullfed beast shall kick the empty pail.
For last year's words belong to last year's language
And next year's words await another voice.
But, as the passage now presents no hindrance
To the spirit unappeased and peregrine
Between two worlds become much like each other,
So I find words I never thought to speak
In streets I never thought I should revisit
When I left my body on a distant shore.
Since our concern was speech, and speech impelled us
To purify the dialect of the tribe
And urge the mind to aftersight and foresight,
Let me disclose the gifts reserved for age
To set a crown upon your lifetime's effort.
First, the cold friction of expiring sense
Without enchantment, offering no promise
But bitter tastelessness of shadow fruit
As body and soul begin to fall asunder.
Second, the conscious impotence of rage
At human folly, and the laceration
Of laughter at what ceases to amuse.
And last, the rending pain of re-enactment
Of all that you have done, and been; the shame
Of motives late revealed, and the awareness
Of things ill done and done to others' harm
Which once you took for exercise of virtue.
Then fools' approval stings, and honour stains.
From wrong to wrong the exasperated spirit
Proceeds, unless restored by that refining fire
Where you must move in measure, like a dancer.'
The day was breaking. In the disfigured street
He left me, with a kind of valediction,
And faded on the blowing of the horn.
III
There are three conditions which often look alike
Yet differ completely, flourish in the same hedgerow:
Attachment to self and to things and to persons, detachment
From self and from things and from persons; and, growing between them, indifference
Which resembles the others as death resembles life,
Being between two lives—unflowering, between
The live and the dead nettle. This is the use of memory:
For liberation—not less of love but expanding
Of love beyond desire, and so liberation
From the future as well as the past. Thus, love of a country
Begins as attachment to our own field of action
And comes to find that action of little importance
Though never indifferent. History may be servitude,
History may be freedom. See, now they vanish,
The faces and places, with the self which, as it could, loved them,
To become renewed, transfigured, in another pattern.
Sin is Behovely, but
All shall be well, and
All manner of thing shall be well.
If I think, again, of this place,
And of people, not wholly commendable,
Of no immediate kin or kindness,
But of some peculiar genius,
All touched by a common genius,
United in the strife which divided them;
If I think of a king at nightfall,
Of three men, and more, on the scaffold
And a few who died forgotten
In other places, here and abroad,
And of one who died blind and quiet
Why should we celebrate
These dead men more than the dying?
It is not to ring the bell backward
Nor is it an incantation
To summon the spectre of a Rose.
We cannot revive old factions
We cannot restore old policies
Or follow an antique drum.
These men, and those who opposed them
And those whom they opposed
Accept the constitution of silence
And are folded in a single party.
Whatever we inherit from the fortunate
We have taken from the defeated
What they had to leave us—a symbol:
A symbol perfected in death.
And all shall be well and
All manner of thing shall be well
By the purification of the motive
In the ground of our beseeching.
IV
The dove descending breaks the air
With flame of incandescent terror
Of which the tongues declare
The one discharge from sin and error.
The only hope, or else despair
Lies in the choice of pyre of pyre—
To be redeemed from fire by fire.
Who then devised the torment? Love.
Love is the unfamiliar Name
Behind the hands that wove
The intolerable shirt of flame
Which human power cannot remove.
We only live, only suspire
Consumed by either fire or fire.
V
What we call the beginning is often the end
And to make and end is to make a beginning.
The end is where we start from. And every phrase
And sentence that is right (where every word is at home,
Taking its place to support the others,
The word neither diffident nor ostentatious,
An easy commerce of the old and the new,
The common word exact without vulgarity,
The formal word precise but not pedantic,
The complete consort dancing together)
Every phrase and every sentence is an end and a beginning,
Every poem an epitaph. And any action
Is a step to the block, to the fire, down the sea's throat
Or to an illegible stone: and that is where we start.
We die with the dying:
See, they depart, and we go with them.
We are born with the dead:
See, they return, and bring us with them.
The moment of the rose and the moment of the yew-tree
Are of equal duration. A people without history
Is not redeemed from time, for history is a pattern
Of timeless moments. So, while the light fails
On a winter's afternoon, in a secluded chapel
History is now and England.
With the drawing of this Love and the voice of this
Calling
We shall not cease from exploration
And the end of all our exploring
Will be to arrive where we started
And know the place for the first time.
Through the unknown, unremembered gate
When the last of earth left to discover
Is that which was the beginning;
At the source of the longest river
The voice of the hidden waterfall
And the children in the apple-tree
Not known, because not looked for
But heard, half-heard, in the stillness
Between two waves of the sea.
Quick now, here, now, always—
A condition of complete simplicity
(Costing not less than everything)
And all shall be well and
All manner of thing shall be well
When the tongues of flame are in-folded
Into the crowned knot of fire
And the fire and the rose are one. jiǎ rú wǒ rèn wéi， wǒ shì huí dá yī gè néng zhuǎn huí yáng shì jiān de rén，
nà me， zhè huǒ yàn jiù bù huì zài yáo shǎn。 dàn jì rán， rú wǒ tīng
dào de guǒ zhēn méi yòu rén néng huó zhe lí kāi zhè shēn yuān， wǒ huí dá nǐ
jiù bù bì hài pà liú yán。
nà me wǒ men zǒu bā， nǐ wǒ liǎng gè rén，
zhèng dāng cháo tiān kōng màn màn pū zhǎn zhe huáng hūn
hǎo sì bìng rén má zuì zài shǒu shù zhuō shàng；
wǒ men zǒu bā， chuān guò yī xiē bàn qīng lěng de jiē，
nà ' ér xiū qì de chǎng suǒ zhèng rén shēng dié dié；
yòu yè yè bù níng de xià děng xiē yè lǚ diàn
hé mǎn dì bàng ké de pū jù mò de fàn guǎn；
jiē lián zhe jiē， hǎo xiàng yīcháng tǎo yàn de zhēng yì
dài zhe yīn xiǎn de yì tú
yào bǎ nǐ yǐn xiàng yī gè zhòng dà de wèn tí……
āi， bù yào wèn， " nà shì shénme？ "
ràng wǒ men kuài diǎn qù zuò kè。
zài kè tīng lǐ nǚ shì men lái huí dì zǒu，
tán zhe huà jiā mǐ kāi lǎng jī luó。
huáng sè de wù zài chuāng bō lí shàng cā zhe tā de bèi，
huáng sè de yān zài chuāng bō lí shàng cā zhe tā de zuǐ，
bǎ tā de shé tóu shì jìn huáng hūn de jiǎo luò，
pái huái zài kuài yào gān hé de shuǐ kēng shàng；
ràng diē xià yān cōng de yān huī luò shàng tā de bèi，
tā liù xià tái jiē， hū dì zòng shēn tiào yuè，
kàn dào zhè shì yī gè wēn róu de shí yuè de yè，
yú shì biàn zài fáng zǐ fù jìn quán fú qǐ lái ' ān shuì。
hē， què shí dì， zǒng huì yòu shí jiān
kàn huáng sè de yān yán zhe jiē huá xíng，
zài chuāng bō lí shàng cā zhe tā de bèi；
zǒng huì yòu shí jiān， zǒng huì yòu shí jiān
zhuāng yī fù miàn róng qù huì jiàn nǐ qù jiàn de liǎn；
zǒng huì yòu shí jiān qù ' àn shā hé chuàng xīn，
zǒng huì yòu shí jiān ràng jǔ qǐ wèn tí yòu diū jìn nǐ pán lǐ de
shuāng shǒu wán chéng láo zuò yǔ dù guò shí rì；
yòu de shì shí jiān， wú lùn nǐ， wú lùn wǒ，
hái yòu de shì shí jiān yóu yù yī bǎi biàn，
huò kàn dào yī bǎi zhǒng huàn jǐng zài wán quán gǎi guò，
zài chī yī piàn kǎo miàn bāo hé yǐn chá yǐ qián。
zài kè tīng lǐ nǚ shì men lái huí dì zǒu，
tán zhe huà jiā mǐ kāi lǎng jī luó。
hē， què shí dì， zǒng hái yòu shí jiān
lái yí wèn， " wǒ kě yòu yǒng qì？ "" wǒ kě yòu yǒng qì？ "
zǒng hái yòu shí jiān lái zhuǎn shēn zǒu xià lóu tī，
bǎ yī kuài tū dǐng bào lù gěi rén qù zhù yì héng héng
（ tā men huì shuō： " tā de tóu fā biàn dé duō me xī！ "）
wǒ de chén lǐ fú， wǒ de yìng lǐng zài ' ě xià bǐ tǐng，
wǒ de lǐng dài yǎ zhì ' ér duō cǎi， yòng yī gè jiǎn pǔ de bié zhēn gù dìng héng héng
（ tā men huì shuō： " kě shì tā de gēbo tuǐ duō me xì！ "）
wǒ kě yòu yǒng qì
jiǎo luàn zhè gè yǔ zhòu？
zài yī fēn zhōng lǐ zǒng hái yòu shí jiān
jué dìng hé biàn guà， guò yī fēn zhōng zài biàn huí tóu。
yīn wéi wǒ yǐ jīng shú xī liǎo tā men， shú xī liǎo tā men suǒ yòu de rén héng héng
shú xī liǎo nà xiē huáng hūn， hé shàng xià wǔ de qíng jǐng，
wǒ shì yòng kā fēi chí zǐ liàng zǒu liǎo wǒ de shēng mìng；
wǒ shú xī měi dāng gé bì xiǎng qǐ liǎo yīnyuè
huà shēng jiù zhú jiàn dī wēi ' ér zhì tíng xiē。
suǒ yǐ wǒ zěn me gǎn kāi kǒu？
ér qiě wǒ yǐ shú xī nà xiē yǎn jīng， shú xī liǎo tā men suǒ yòu de yǎn jīng héng héng
nà xiē yǎn jīng néng yòng yī jù chéng yǔ de gōng shì bǎ nǐ dīng zhù，
dāng wǒ bèi gōng shì huà liǎo， zài bié zhēn xià pā fú，
nà wǒ zěn me néng kāi shǐ tù chū
wǒ de shēng huó hé xí guàn de quán bù shèng yān tóu？
wǒ yòu zěn me gǎn kāi kǒu？
ér qiě wǒ yǐ jīng shú xī liǎo nà xiē gēbo， shú xī liǎo tā men suǒ yòu de gēbo héng héng
nà xiē gēbo dài zhe zhuó zǐ， yòu tǎn lù yòu bái jìng
（ kě shì zài dēng guāng xià， xiǎn dé dàn hè sè máo róng róng！）
shì fǒu yóu yú yī qún de xiāng qì
shǐ dé wǒ zhè yàng huà lí běn tí？
nà xiē gēbo huò wéi zhe jiān jīn， huò héng zài ' àn tóu。
nà shí hòu wǒ gāi kāi kǒu má？
kě shì wǒ zěn me kāi shǐ？
shì fǒu wǒ shuō， wǒ zài huáng hūn shí zǒu guò zhǎi xiǎo de jiē，
kàn dào gū dú de nán zǐ zhǐ chuānzhuó chèn shān
yǐ zài chuāng kǒu， yān dǒu lǐ mào zhe niǎo niǎo de yān？……
nà wǒ jiù huì chéng wéi yī duì xiè ' áo
jí jí pá guò chén mò de hǎi dǐ。
ā， nà xià wǔ， nà huáng hūn， shuìde duō píng jìng！
bèi xiān cháng de shǒu zhǐ qīng qīng fǔ ' ài，
shuì liǎo…… juàn yōng de…… huò zhě tā zhuāng bìng，
tǎng zài dì bǎn shàng， jiù zài nǐ wǒ jiǎo biān shēn kāi。
shì fǒu wǒ， zài yòng guò chá、 gāo diǎn hé bīng shí yǐ hòu，
yòu bó lì bǎ zhè yī kè tuī dào jǐn yào de guān tóu？
rán ' ér， jìn guǎn wǒ céng kū qì hé zhāi jiè， kū qì hé qí dǎo，
jìn guǎn wǒ kàn jiàn wǒ de tóu（ yòu yī diǎn tū liǎo） yòng pán zǐ duān liǎo jìn lái，
wǒ bù shì xiān zhī héng héng zhè yě bù zhí dé dà jīng xiǎo guài；
wǒ céng kàn dào wǒ wěi dà de shí kè shǎn shuò，
wǒ céng kàn dào wǒ de wài yī ' àn xiào，
yī jù huà， wǒ yòu diǎn hài pà。
ér qiě， guī gēn dào dǐ， shì bù shì zhí dé
dāng xiǎo chī、 guǒ zǐ jiàng hé hóng chá yǐ yòng guò，
zài bēi pán zhōng jiān， dāng rén men tán zhe nǐ hé wǒ，
shì bù shì zhí dé yǐ yī gè wēi xiào
bǎ zhè jiàn shì qíng yī kǒu kěn diào，
bǎ zhěng gè yǔ zhòu yā suō chéng yī gè qiú，
shǐ tā gǔn xiàng mǒu gè zhòng dà de wèn tí，
shuō dào： " wǒ shì lā sǎ lù， cóng míng jiè
lái bào yī gè xìn， wǒ yào gào sù nǐ men yī qiē。 " héng héng
wàn yī tā bǎ zhěn diàn fàng zài tóu xià yī yǐ，
shuō dào： " āi， wǒ yì sī bù shì yào tán zhè xiē；
bù， wǒ bù shì yào tán zhè xiē。 "
nà me， guī gēn dào dǐ， shì bù shì zhí dé，
shì fǒu zhí dé zài nà xǔ duō cì xī yáng yǐ hòu，
zài tíng yuàn de sàn bù hé shuǐ lín guò jiē dào yǐ hòu，
zài dú xiǎo shuō yǐ hòu， zài yǐn chá yǐ hòu， zài cháng qún tuō guò dì bǎn yǐ hòu， héng héng
shuō zhè xiē， hé xǔ duō xǔ duō shì qíng？ héng héng
yào shuō chū wǒ xiǎng shuō de huà jué bù kě néng！
fǎng fó yòu huàn dēng bǎ shén jīng de tú yàng tóu dào mù shàng：
shì fǒu hái zhí dé rú cǐ nán wéi qíng，
jiǎ rú tā fàng yī gè zhěn diàn huò zhì xià pī jiān，
bǎ liǎn zhuànxiàng chuāng hù， shuǎi chū yī jù：
nà kě bù shì wǒ de běn yì，
nà kě jué bù shì wǒ de běn yì。
bù！ wǒ bìng fēi hā mǔ léi tè wáng zǐ， dāng yě dāng bù chéng；
wǒ zhǐ shì gè shì cóng jué shì， wéi wáng jiā chū xíng，
pū pái xiǎn hè de chǎng miàn， huò wéi wáng zǐ chū zhù yì，
jiù gòu hǎo de liǎo； wú fēi shì shùn shǒu de gōng jù，
fú fú tiē tiē， bā bù dé yòu diǎn yòng tú，
xì zhì， zhōu xiáng， chù chù xiǎo xīn yì yì；
mǎn kǒu gāo tán kuò lùn， dàn yòu diǎn yú lǔ；
yòu shí hòu， lǎo shí shuō， xiǎn dé jìn hū kě xiào，
yòu shí hòu， jīhū shì gè chǒujué。
hē， wǒ biàn lǎo liǎo…… wǒ biàn lǎo liǎo……
wǒ jiāng yào juǎnqǐ wǒ de cháng kù de kù jiǎo。
wǒ jiāng bǎ tóu fā wǎng hòu fēn má？ wǒ kě gǎn chī táo zǐ？
wǒ jiāng chuān shàng bái fǎ lán róng kù zài hǎi tān shàng sàn bù。
wǒ tīng jiàn liǎo nǚ shuǐ yāo bǐ cǐ duì chàng zhe gē。
wǒ bù rèn wéi tā men huì wèiwǒ ' ér chàng gē。
wǒ kàn guò tā men líng jià bō làng shǐ xiàng dà hǎi，
shū zhe dǎ huí lái de bō làng de báifà，
dāng kuáng fēng bǎ hǎi shuǐ chuī dé yòu hēi yòu bái。
wǒ men liú lián yú dà hǎi de gōng shì，
bèi hǎi yāo yǐ hóng de hé zōng de hǎi cǎo zhuāng shì，
yī dàn bèi rén shēng huàn xǐng， wǒ men jiù yān sǐ。
S’io credesse che mia risposta fosse
A persona che mai tornasse al mondo,
Questa fiamma staria senza piu scosse.
Ma perciocche giammai di questo fondo
Non torno vivo alcun, s’i’odo il vero,
Senza tema d’infamia ti rispondo.
LET us go then, you and I,
When the evening is spread out against the sky
Like a patient etherized upon a table;
Let us go, through certain half-deserted streets,
The muttering retreats 5
Of restless nights in one-night cheap hotels
And sawdust restaurants with oyster-shells:
Streets that follow like a tedious argument
Of insidious intent
To lead you to an overwhelming question…. 10
Oh, do not ask, “What is it?”
Let us go and make our visit.
In the room the women come and go
Talking of Michelangelo.
The yellow fog that rubs its back upon the window-panes, 15
The yellow smoke that rubs its muzzle on the window-panes
Licked its tongue into the corners of the evening,
Lingered upon the pools that stand in drains,
Let fall upon its back the soot that falls from chimneys,
Slipped by the terrace, made a sudden leap, 20
And seeing that it was a soft October night,
Curled once about the house, and fell asleep.
And indeed there will be time
For the yellow smoke that slides along the street,
Rubbing its back upon the window panes; 25
There will be time, there will be time
To prepare a face to meet the faces that you meet;
There will be time to murder and create,
And time for all the works and days of hands
That lift and drop a question on your plate; 30
Time for you and time for me,
And time yet for a hundred indecisions,
And for a hundred visions and revisions,
Before the taking of a toast and tea.
In the room the women come and go 35
Talking of Michelangelo.
And indeed there will be time
To wonder, “Do I dare?” and, “Do I dare?”
Time to turn back and descend the stair,
With a bald spot in the middle of my hair— 40
(They will say: “How his hair is growing thin!”)
My morning coat, my collar mounting firmly to the chin,
My necktie rich and modest, but asserted by a simple pin—
(They will say: “But how his arms and legs are thin!”)
Do I dare 45
Disturb the universe?
In a minute there is time
For decisions and revisions which a minute will reverse.
For I have known them all already, known them all:
Have known the evenings, mornings, afternoons, 50
I have measured out my life with coffee spoons;
I know the voices dying with a dying fall
Beneath the music from a farther room.
So how should I presume?
And I have known the eyes already, known them all— 55
The eyes that fix you in a formulated phrase,
And when I am formulated, sprawling on a pin,
When I am pinned and wriggling on the wall,
Then how should I begin
To spit out all the butt-ends of my days and ways? 60
And how should I presume?
And I have known the arms already, known them all—
Arms that are braceleted and white and bare
(But in the lamplight, downed with light brown hair!)
Is it perfume from a dress 65
That makes me so digress?
Arms that lie along a table, or wrap about a shawl.
And should I then presume?
And how should I begin?
. . . . . . . .
Shall I say, I have gone at dusk through narrow streets 70
And watched the smoke that rises from the pipes
Of lonely men in shirt-sleeves, leaning out of windows?…
I should have been a pair of ragged claws
Scuttling across the floors of silent seas.
. . . . . . . .
And the afternoon, the evening, sleeps so peacefully! 75
Smoothed by long fingers,
Asleep … tired … or it malingers,
Stretched on the floor, here beside you and me.
Should I, after tea and cakes and ices,
Have the strength to force the moment to its crisis? 80
But though I have wept and fasted, wept and prayed,
Though I have seen my head (grown slightly bald) brought in upon a platter,
I am no prophet—and here’s no great matter;
I have seen the moment of my greatness flicker,
And I have seen the eternal Footman hold my coat, and snicker, 85
And in short, I was afraid.
And would it have been worth it, after all,
After the cups, the marmalade, the tea,
Among the porcelain, among some talk of you and me,
Would it have been worth while, 90
To have bitten off the matter with a smile,
To have squeezed the universe into a ball
To roll it toward some overwhelming question,
To say: “I am Lazarus, come from the dead,
Come back to tell you all, I shall tell you all”— 95
If one, settling a pillow by her head,
Should say: “That is not what I meant at all;
That is not it, at all.”
And would it have been worth it, after all,
Would it have been worth while, 100
After the sunsets and the dooryards and the sprinkled streets,
After the novels, after the teacups, after the skirts that trail along the floor—
And this, and so much more?—
It is impossible to say just what I mean!
But as if a magic lantern threw the nerves in patterns on a screen: 105
Would it have been worth while
If one, settling a pillow or throwing off a shawl,
And turning toward the window, should say:
“That is not it at all,
That is not what I meant, at all.”
. . . . . . . .
110
No! I am not Prince Hamlet, nor was meant to be;
Am an attendant lord, one that will do
To swell a progress, start a scene or two,
Advise the prince; no doubt, an easy tool,
Deferential, glad to be of use, 115
Politic, cautious, and meticulous;
Full of high sentence, but a bit obtuse;
At times, indeed, almost ridiculous—
Almost, at times, the Fool.
I grow old … I grow old … 120
I shall wear the bottoms of my trousers rolled.
Shall I part my hair behind? Do I dare to eat a peach?
I shall wear white flannel trousers, and walk upon the beach.
I have heard the mermaids singing, each to each.
I do not think that they will sing to me. 125
I have seen them riding seaward on the waves
Combing the white hair of the waves blown back
When the wind blows the water white and black.
We have lingered in the chambers of the sea
By sea-girls wreathed with seaweed red and brown 130
Till human voices wake us, and we drown. yǎn jīng， wǒ céng zài zuì hòu yī kè de lèi guāng zhōng kàn jiàn nǐ
chuān yuè zài jiè xiàn zhī shàng
zài sǐ wáng zhè pàn de mèng guó lǐ
huáng jīn shí dài de jǐng xiàng zài xiàn
wǒ kàn dào liǎo yǎn jīng， dàn méi yòu lèi shuǐ
zhè shì wǒ de kǔ nán
zhè jiù shì wǒ de kǔ nán
yǎn jīng， wǒ bù gāi zài cì jiàn dào nǐ
mù guāng jiān yì de shuāng yǎn
yǎn jīng， wǒ bù gāi kàn jiàn nǐ， chú fēi shì
zài sǐ wáng de lìng yī wáng guó de mén kǒu
nà 'ér， zhèng rú zhè lǐ
yǎn jīng huì chí jiǔ yī xiē
lèi shuǐ yě huì chí jiǔ yī xiē
bìng jiāng wǒ men yī qǐ dàngchéng xiào bǐng
------------------------------
wǒ zuì hòu yī cì kàn dào de chōng mǎn lèi shuǐ de yǎn jīng
wǒ zuì hòu yī cì kàn dào de chōng mǎn lèi shuǐ de yǎn jīng
yuè guòfèn jiè xiàn
zhè lǐ， zài sǐ wáng de mèng huàn wáng guó zhōng
jīn sè de huàn xiàng chóngxīn chū xiàn
wǒ kàn dào yǎn jīng， dàn wèi kàn dào lèi shuǐ
zhè shì wǒ de kǔ nán
zhè shì wǒ de kǔ nán
wǒ zài yě jiàn bù dào de yǎn jīng
chōng mǎn jué xīn de yǎn jīng
chú liǎo zài sǐ wáng lìng yī wáng guó de mén kǒu
wǒ zài yě jiàn bù dào de yǎn jīng
nà lǐ， jiù xiàng zài zhè lǐ
yǎn jīng de shēng mìng lì gèng cháng yī xiē
bǐ lèi shuǐ de shēng mìng lì gèng cháng yī xiē
yǎn jīng zài cháo nòng wǒ men。
qiú xiǎo lóng yì fēng zài sì diǎn zhòu rán guā qǐ， zhuàng jī zhe
zài shēng yǔ sǐ zhī jiān bǎi dòng de zhōng líng
zhè lǐ， zài sǐ wáng de mèng huàn guó tǔ zhōng
hùn luàn de zhēng dǒu chū xiàn liǎo sū xǐng de huí yīn
tā jiū jìng shì mèng ní hái shì qí tā？
dāng zhú jiàn biàn 'àn de hé miàn
jìng shì yī zhāng liú zhe hàn hé lèi de liǎn shí
wǒ de mù guāng chuān yuè jiàn 'àn de hé shuǐ
yíng dì de gōu huǒ yǔ yì guó de cháng máo yī qǐ huàng dòng。
zhè 'ér， yuè guò sǐ wáng de lìng yī hé liú
dá dá zú de qí bīng yáo huàng zhe tā men de máo tóu。 库尔兹先生——他死了 ①
给老盖伊一便士吧 ②
1
我们是空心人
我们是填充着草的人
倚靠在一起
脑壳中装满了稻草。唉！
我们干巴的嗓音，当
我们在一块儿飒飒低语
寂静，又毫无意义
好似干草地上的风
或我们干燥的地窖中
耗子踩在碎玻璃上的步履
呈形却没有形式，呈影却没有颜色，
麻痹的力量，打着手势却毫无动作；
那些穿越而过
目光笔直的人，抵达了死亡的另一王国
记住我们——万一可能——不是那迷途的
暴虐的灵魂，而仅仅是
空心人
填充着草的人。
2
眼睛，我不敢在梦中相遇
在死亡的梦幻国土
它们不会显现：
那儿，眼睛是
映照在折柱上的阳光
那儿，是一棵摇曳的树
嗓音
在风的歌唱里
更远更肃穆
相比于一颗在消逝的星。
让我不要更接近
在死亡的梦幻国土
让我也穿上
如此审慎精心的伪装
耗子外套，乌鸦皮，十字棍杖
在一片田野中
举止如同风的举动
不要更接近——
不是那最后的相聚
在黄昏的国土里
3
这是死亡的土地
这是仙人掌的土地
石头偶象在这儿
被升起，在这里它们接受
一只死人手的恳请
在一颗渐逝的星子的光芒里。
它就象这样
在死亡的另一王国
独自苏醒
而那一刻我们正
怀着脆弱之心在颤栗
嘴唇它将会亲吻
写给碎石的祈祷文
4
眼睛不在这里
这里没有眼睛
在这个垂死之星的峡谷中
在这个空洞的峡谷中
这片我们丧失之国的破颚骨 ③
在这最后的相遇之地
我们一道暗中摸索
回避交谈
在这条涨水的河畔被集中汇聚
一无所见，除非是
眼睛再现
如同永恒之星
重瓣的玫瑰
来自死亡的黄昏之国
空心人仅有
的希望。
5
这儿我们绕过霸王树 ④
霸王树霸王树
这儿我们绕过霸王树
在凌晨五点
在观念
和事实之间
在动作
和行动之间
落下帷幕
因为天国是你的所有
在概念
和创造之间
在情感
和反应之间
落下帷幕
生命如此漫长
在渴欲
和痉挛之间
在潜能
和存在之间
在本质
和下降之间
落下帷幕
因为天国是你的所有
因为你的所有是
生命是
因为你的所有是这
这就是世界结束的方式
这就是世界结束的方式
这就是世界结束的方式
并非一声巨响，而是一阵呜咽。 hóng hé、 hóng hé，
màn màn liú tǎng de rè mò mò wú shēng，
méi yòu yì zhì néng xiàng hé liú nà bān píng jìng。
nán dào rè zhǐ zài yī dù tīng dào de
fǎn shé niǎo de wǎn zhuàn zhōng yùn dòng？ jìng mì de shān lǐng
děng dài zhe。 dà mén děng dài zhe。 zǐ sè de shù，
bái sè de shù， děng dài， děng dài，
yán dàng， shuāi bài。 shēng cún zhe， shēng cún zhe，
cóng bù yùn dòng。 yǒng yuǎn yùn dòng de
tiě de sī xiǎng hé wǒ yī qǐ lái lín
yòu hé wǒ yī qǐ xiāo shī：
hóng hé、 hé、 hé。 这是归你的——那跳跃的欢乐
它使我们醒时的感觉更加敏锐
那欢欣的节奏， 它统治着我们睡时的安宁
合二为一的呼吸。
爱人们发着彼此气息的躯体
不需要语言就能思考着同一的思想
不需要意义就会喃喃着同样的语言。
没有无情的严冬寒风能够冻僵
没有酷烈的赤道炎日能够枯死
那是我们而且只是我们玫瑰园中的玫瑰。
但这篇献辞是为了让其他人读的
这是公开地向你说的我的私房话。 --------------------------- 献给妻子的献辞
这是归你的－－那跳跃的欢乐
它使我们醒时的感觉更加敏感
那君临的节奏，它统治我们睡时的安宁
合二为一为呼吸。
爱人们发着彼此气息的躯体
不需要语言就能思考同一的思想
不需要意义就会喃喃着同样的语言。
没有无情的严冬寒风能够冻僵
没有酷热的赤道太阳能够枯死
那是我们的而且只是我们玫瑰园中的玫瑰。
但这篇献辞是为了让其他人读的
这是公开地向你说我的私房话。
她们在地下室厨房里弄得早餐盘子丁当响， 而沿着众人践踏的街边 我知道女仆们潮湿的心灵 正在院子门边沮丧地发芽。 棕色的雾的波浪把一张张扭曲的脸 从街底向我抛了上来， 从一个穿泥污裙子的过路人身上 撕下一个无目的的微笑在空中盘旋 然后消失于无数屋顶的平面。
THEY are rattling breakfast plates in basement kitchens, And along the trampled edges of the street I am aware of the damp souls of housemaids Sprouting despondently at area gates. The brown waves of fog toss up to me 5 Twisted faces from the bottom of the street, And tear from a passer-by with muddy skirts An aimless smile that hovers in the air And vanishes along the level of the roofs. AS she laughed I was aware of becoming involved
in her laughter and being part of it, until her
teeth were only accidental stars with a talent
for squad-drill. I was drawn in by short gasps,
inhaled at each momentary recovery, lost finally
in the dark caverns of her throat, bruised by
the ripple of unseen muscles. An elderly waiter
with trembling hands was hurriedly spreading
a pink and white checked cloth over the rusty
green iron table, saying: "If the lady and
gentleman wish to take their tea in the garden,
if the lady and gentleman wish to take their
tea in the garden..." I decided that if the
shaking of her breasts could be stopped, some of
the fragments of the afternoon might be collected,
and I concentrated my attention with careful
subtlety to this end. 三
你从床上掀掉一条毯子，
你仰卧着，等待着；
你瞌睡着，观望着黑夜显示出
成千上万个污秽的意象——
这些意象构成了你的灵魂。
这些意象在天花板上隐现。
当人世生活全都重新回来，
阳光在百叶窗中间爬上，
你听到一只麻雀在街沟中歌唱，
对你，街道呈现这样一个景象，
对此，街道自己几乎不能理解；
坐在床边上，那里
你卷着头发中的纸带子，
或用两只腌膳的手掌
捏着黄黄的脚底心。 四
他的灵魂紧紧拉过了那片
消失于一座城市大钟后面的天空，
他的灵魂给不停的脚步踩踏着，
在四点、五点和六点钟。
又短又粗的手指填着烟斗，
一张张晚报，还有深信
某些必然的事的眼睛，
一条暗黑的街道的意识
急于要掌握这个世界。 我被那缭绕着、紧抱着
这些意象的幻想感动，
一种无穷的温柔的
无穷的痛苦的事物的概念。 用手擦一下你的嘴，然后大笑，
世界旋转着，像个古老的妇人
在空地中拣煤渣。
I The winter evening settles down With smell of steaks in passageways. Six o'clock. The burnt-out ends of smoky days. And now a gusty shower wraps The grimy scraps Of withered leaves about your feet And newspapers from vacant lots; The showers beat On broken blinds and chimney-pots, And at the corner of the street A lonely cab-horse steams and stamps. And then the lighting of the lamps. II The morning comes to consciousness Of faint stale smells of beer From the sawdust-trampled street With all its muddy feet that press To early coffee-stands. With the other masquerades That time resumes, One thinks of all the hands That are raising dingy shades In a thousand furnished rooms. III You tossed a blanket from the bed, You lay upon your back, and waited; You dozed, and watched the night revealing The thousand sordid images Of which your soul was constituted; They flickered against the ceiling. And when all the world came back And the light crept up between the shutters, And you heard the sparrows in the gutters, You had such a vision of the street As the street hardly understands; Sitting along the bed's edge, where You curled the papers from your hair, Or clasped the yellow soles of feet In the palms of both soiled hands. IV His soul stretched tight across the skies That fade behind a city block, Or trampled by insistent feet At four and five and six o'clock; And short square fingers stuffing pipes, And evening newspapers, and eyes Assured of certain certainties, The conscience of a blackened street Impatient to assume the world. I am moved by fancies that are curled Around these images, and cling: The notion of some infinitely gentle Infinitely suffering thing. Wipe your hand across your mouth, and laugh; The worlds revolve like ancient women Gathering fuel in vacant lots. O quam te memorem virgo...
Stand on the highest pavement of the stair--
Lean on a garden urn--
Weave, weave the sunlight in your hair--
Clasp your flowers to you with a pained surprise--
Fling them to the ground and turn
With a fugitive resentment in your eyes:
But weave, weave the sunlight in your hair.
So I would have had him leave,
So I would have had her stand and grieve,
So he would have left
As the soul leaves the body torn and bruised,
As the mind deserts the body it has used.
I should find
Some way incomparably light and deft,
Some way we both should understand,
Simple and faithless as a smile and shake of the hand.
She turned away, but with the autumn weather
Compelled my imagination many days,
Many days and many hours:
Her hair over her arms and her arms full of flowers.
And I wonder how they should have been together!
I should have lost a gesture and a pose.
Sometimes these cogitations still amaze
The troubled midnight and the noon's repose. Thou hast committed--
Fornication: but that was in another country
And besides, the wench is dead.
-- The Jew of Malta.
I
Among the smoke and fog of a December afternoon
You have the scene arrange itself--as it will seem to do--
With "I have saved this afternoon for you";
And four wax candles in the darkened room,
Four rings of light upon the ceiling overhead,
An atmosphere of Juliet's tomb
Prepared for all the things to be said, or left unsaid.
We have been, let us say, to hear the latest Pole
Transmit the Preludes, through his hair and finger-tips.
"So intimate, this Chopin, that I think his soul
Should be resurrected only among friends
Some two or three, who will not touch the bloom
That is rubbed and questioned in the concert room."
--And so the conversation slips
Among velleities and carefully caught regrets
Through attenuated tones of violins
Mingled with remote cornets
And begins.
"You do not know how much they mean to me, my friends,
And how, how rare and strange it is, to find
In a life composed so much, so much of odds and ends,
(For indeed I do not love it... you knew? you are not blind!
How keen you are!)
To find a friend who has these qualities,
Who has, and gives
Those qualities upon which friendship lives.
How much it means that I say this to you--
Without these friendships--life, what cauchemar!"
Among the windings of the violins
And the ariettes
Of cracked cornets
Inside my brain a dull tom-tom begins
Absurdly hammering a prelude of its own,
Capricious monotone
That is at least one definite "false note."
--Let us take the air, in a tobacco trance,
Admire the monuments
Discuss the late events,
Correct our watches by the public clocks.
Then sit for half an hour and drink our bocks.
II
Now that lilacs are in bloom
She has a bowl of lilacs in her room
And twists one in her fingers while she talks.
"Ah, my friend, you do not know, you do not know
What life is, you should hold it in your hands";
(Slowly twisting the lilac stalks)
"You let it flow from you, you let it flow,
And youth is cruel, and has no remorse
And smiles at situations which it cannot see."
I smile, of course,
And go on drinking tea.
"Yet with these April sunsets, that somehow recall
My buried life, and Paris in the Spring,
I feel immeasurably at peace, and find the world
To be wonderful and youthful, after all."
The voice returns like the insistent out-of-tune
Of a broken violin on an August afternoon:
"I am always sure that you understand
My feelings, always sure that you feel,
Sure that across the gulf you reach your hand.
You are invulnerable, you have no Achilles' heel.
You will go on, and when you have prevailed
You can say: at this point many a one has failed.
But what have I, but what have I, my friend,
To give you, what can you receive from me?
Only the friendship and the sympathy
Of one about to reach her journey's end.
I shall sit here, serving tea to friends...."
I take my hat: how can I make a cowardly amends
For what she has said to me?
You will see me any morning in the park
Reading the comics and the sporting page.
Particularly I remark An English countess goes upon the stage.
A Greek was murdered at a Polish dance,
Another bank defaulter has confessed.
I keep my countenance, I remain self-possessed
Except when a street piano, mechanical and tired
Reiterates some worn-out common song
With the smell of hyacinths across the garden
Recalling things that other people have desired.
Are these ideas right or wrong?
III
The October night comes down; returning as before
Except for a slight sensation of being ill at ease
I mount the stairs and turn the handle of the door
And feel as if I had mounted on my hands and knees.
"And so you are going abroad; and when do you return?
But that's a useless question.
You hardly know when you are coming back,
You will find so much to learn."
My smile falls heavily among the bric-à-brac.
"Perhaps you can write to me."
My self-possession flares up for a second;
This is as I had reckoned.
"I have been wondering frequently of late
(But our beginnings never know our ends!)
Why we have not developed into friends."
I feel like one who smiles, and turning shall remark
Suddenly, his expression in a glass.
My self-possession gutters; we are really in the dark.
"For everybody said so, all our friends,
They all were sure our feelings would relate
So closely! I myself can hardly understand.
We must leave it now to fate.
You will write, at any rate.
Perhaps it is not too late.
I shall sit here, serving tea to friends."
And I must borrow every changing shape
To find expression... dance, dance
Like a dancing bear,
Cry like a parrot, chatter like an ape.
Let us take the air, in a tobacco trance--
Well! and what if she should die some afternoon,
Afternoon grey and smoky, evening yellow and rose;
Should die and leave me sitting pen in hand
With the smoke coming down above the housetops;
Doubtful, for quite a while
Not knowing what to feel or if I understand
Or whether wise or foolish, tardy or too soon...
Would she not have the advantage, after all?
This music is successful with a "dying fall"
Now that we talk of dying--
And should I have the right to smile? Twelve o'clock.
Along the reaches of the street
Held in a lunar synthesis,
Whispering lunar incantations
Dissolve the floors of memory
And all its clear relations
Its divisions and precisions,
Every street lamp that I pass
Beats like a fatalistic drum,
And through the spaces of the dark
Midnight shakes the memory
As a madman shakes a dead geranium.
Half-past one,
The street-lamp sputtered,
The street-lamp muttered,
The street-lamp said, "Regard that woman
Who hesitates towards you in the light of the door
Which opens on her like a grin.
You see the border of her dress
Is torn and stained with sand,
And you see the corner of her eye
Twists like a crooked pin."
The memory throws up high and dry
A crowd of twisted things;
A twisted branch upon the beach
Eaten smooth, and polished
As if the world gave up
The secret of its skeleton,
Stiff and white.
A broken spring in a factory yard,
Rust that clings to the form that the strength has left
Hard and curled and ready to snap.
Half-past two,
The street lamp said,
"Remark the cat which flattens itself in the gutter,
Slips out its tongue
And devours a morsel of rancid butter."
So the hand of the child, automatic,
Slipped out and pocketed a toy that was running along the quay.
I could see nothing behind that child's eye.
I have seen eyes in the street
Trying to peer through lighted shutters,
And a crab one afternoon in a pool,
An old crab with barnacles on his back,
Gripped the end of a stick which I held him.
Half-past three,
The lamp sputtered,
The lamp muttered in the dark.
The lamp hummed:
"Regard the moon,
La lune ne guarde aucune rancune,
She winks a feeble eye,
She smiles into corners.
She smooths the hair of the grass.
The moon has lost her memory.
A washed-out smallpox cracks her face,
Her hand twists a paper rose,
That smells of dust and eau de Cologne,
She is alone
With all the old nocturnal smells
That cross and cross across her brain."
The reminiscence comes
Of sunless dry geraniums
And dust in crevices,
Smells of chestnuts in the streets,
And female smells in shuttered rooms,
And cigarettes in corridors
And cocktail smells in bars.
The lamp said,
"Four o'clock,
Here is the number on the door.
Memory!
You have the key,
The little lamp spreads a ring on the stair.
Mount.
The bed is open; the tooth-brush hangs on the wall,
Put your shoes at the door, sleep, prepare for life."
The last twist of the knife. 'A cold coming we had of it,
Just the worst time of the year
For a journey, and such a journey:
The ways deep and the weather sharp,
The very dead of winter.'
And the camels galled, sore-footed, refractory,
Lying down in the melting snow.
There were times we regretted
The summer palaces on slopes, the terraces,
And the silken girls bringing sherbet.
Then the camel men cursing and grumbling
And running away, and wanting their liquor and women,
And the night-fires going out, and the lack of shelters,
And the cities hostile and the towns unfriendly
And the villages dirty and charging high prices:
A hard time we had of it.
At the end we preferred to travel all night,
Sleeping in snatches,
With the voices in our ears, saying
That this was all folly.
Then at dawn we came down to a temperate valley,
Wet, below the snow line, smelling of vegetation;
With a running stream and a water-mill beating the darkness,
And three trees on the low sky,
And an old white horse galloped away in the meadow.
Then we came to a tavern with vine-leaves over the lintel,
Six hands at an open door dicing for pieces of silver,
And feet kicking the empty wine-skins.
But there was no information, and so we continued
And arrived at evening, not a moment too soon
Finding the place; it was (you may say) satisfactory.
All this was a long time ago, I remember,
And I would do it again, but set down
This set down
This: were we led all that way for
Birth or Death? There was a Birth, certainly,
We had evidence and no doubt. I had seen birth and death,
But had thought they were different; this Birth was
Hard and bitter agony for us, like Death, our death.
We returned to our places, these Kingdoms,
But no longer at ease here, in the old dispensation,
With an alien people clutching their gods.
I should be glad of another death. THE broad-backed hippopotamus
Rests on his belly in the mud;
Although he seems so firm to us
He is merely flesh and blood.
Flesh-and-blood is weak and frail,
Susceptible to nervous shock;
While the True Church can never fail
For it is based upon a rock.
The hippo's feeble steps may err
In compassing material ends,
While the True Church need never stir
To gather in its dividends.
The 'potamus can never reach
The mango on the mango-tree;
But fruits of pomegranate and peach
Refresh the Church from over sea.
At mating time the hippo's voice
Betrays inflexions hoarse and odd,
But every week we hear rejoice
The Church, at being one with God.
The hippopotamus's day
Is passed in sleep; at night he hunts;
God works in a mysterious way--
The Church can sleep and feed at once.
I saw the 'potamus take wing
Ascending from the damp savannas,
And quiring angels round him sing
The praise of God, in loud hosannas.
Blood of the Lamb shall wash him clean
And him shall heavenly arms enfold,
Among the saints he shall be seen
Performing on a harp of gold.
He shall be washed as white as snow,
By all the martyr'd virgins kist,
While the True Church remains below
Wrapt in the old miasmal mist. APENECK Sweeney spreads his knees
Letting his arms hang down to laugh,
The zebra stripes along his jaw
Swelling to maculate giraffe.
The circles of the stormy moon
Slide westward toward the River Plate,
Death and the Raven drift above
And Sweeney guards the horned gate.
Gloomy Orion and the Dog
Are veiled; and hushed the shrunken seas;
The person in the Spanish cape
Tries to sit on Sweeney's knees
Slips and pulls the table cloth
Overturns a coffee-cup,
Reorganized upon the floor
She yawns and draws a stocking up;
The silent man in mocha brown
Sprawls at the window-sill and gapes;
The waiter brings in oranges
Bananas figs and hothouse grapes;
The silent vertebrate in brown
Contracts and concentrates, withdraws;
Rachel née Rabinovitch
Tears at the grapes with murderous paws;
She and the lady in the cape
Are suspect, thought to be in league;
Therefore the man with heavy eyes
Declines the gambit, shows fatigue,
Leaves the room and reappears
Outside the window, leaning in,
Branches of wistaria
Circumscribe a golden grin;
The host with someone indistinct
Converses at the door apart,
The nightingales are singing near
The Convent of the Sacred Heart,
And sang within the bloody wood
When Agamemnon cried aloud,
And let their liquid droppings fall
To stain the stiff dishonoured shroud. Miss Helen Slingsby was my maiden aunt,
And lived in a small house near a fashionable square
Cared for by servants to the number of four.
Now when she died there was silence in heaven
And silence at her end of the street.
The shutters were drawn and the undertaker wiped his feet--
He was aware that this sort of thing had occurred before.
The dogs were handsomely provided for,
But shortly afterwards the parrot died too.
The Dresden clock continued ticking on the mantelpiece,
And the footman sat upon the dining-table
Holding the second housemaid on his knees--
Who had always been so careful while her mistress lived. The readers of the Boston Evening Transcript
Sway in the wind like a field of ripe corn.
When evening quickens faintly in the street,
Wakening the appetites of life in some
And to others bringing the Boston Evening Transcript,
I mount the steps and ring the bell, turning
Wearily, as one would turn to nod good-bye to Rochefoucauld,
If the street were time and he at the end of the street,
And I say, "Cousin Harriet, here is the Boston Evening Transcript." Tra-la-la-la-la-la-laire--nil nisi divinum stabile
est; caetera fumus--the gondola stopped, the old
palace was there, how charming its grey and pink--
goats and monkeys, with such hair too!--so the
countess passed on until she came through the
little park, where Niobe presented her with a
cabinet, and so departed.
Burbank crossed a little bridge
Descending at a small hotel;
Princess Volupine arrived,
They were together, and he fell.
Defunctive music under sea
Passed seaward with the passing bell
Slowly: the God Hercules
Had left him, that had loved him well.
The horses, under the axletree
Beat up the dawn from Istria
With even feet. Her shuttered barge
Burned on the water all the day.
But this or such was Bleistein's way:
A saggy bending of the knees
And elbows, with the palms turned out,
Chicago Semite Viennese.
A lustreless protrusive eye
Stares from the protozoic slime
At a perspective of Canaletto.
The smoky candle end of time
Declines. On the Rialto once.
The rats are underneath the piles.
The jew is underneath the lot.
Money in furs. The boatman smiles,
Princess Volupine extends
A meagre, blue-nailed, phthisic hand
To climb the waterstair. Lights, lights,
She entertains Sir Ferdinand
Klein. Who clipped the lion's wings
And flea'd his rump and pared his claws?
Thought Burbank, meditating on
Time's ruins, and the seven laws. I observe: "Our sentimental friend the moon!
Or possibly (fantastic, I confess)
It may be Prester John's balloon
Or an old battered lantern hung aloft
To light poor travellers to their distress."
She then: "How you digress!"
And I then: "Some one frames upon the keys
That exquisite nocturne, with which we explain
The night and moonshine; music which we seize
To body forth our vacuity."
She then: "Does this refer to me?"
"Oh no, it is I who am inane."
"You, madam, are the eternal humorist,
The eternal enemy of the absolute,
Giving our vagrant moods the slightest twist!
With your aid indifferent and imperious
At a stroke our mad poetics to confute--"
And--"Are we then so serious?" |
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