叶芝：柏拉图的幽灵

 

叶芝：柏拉图的幽灵

  

又怎样

在校时，要好的朋友们相信

他准能成为一个名流，

他也那么想，生活很严谨，

日夜辛勤，到三十临头：

“又怎样？”柏拉图的幽灵唱到，“又怎样？”

他写的诗文别人都读了，

他获得若干年以后

足够的钱，如他需要，

朋友们也真够朋友;

“又怎样？”柏拉图的幽灵唱到，“又怎样？”

所有美梦都已实现——

有了小旧屋，妻子儿女，

有种李子种白菜的田，

有诗人才子在身边相聚;

“又怎样？”柏拉图的幽灵唱到，“又怎样？”

“作品完成了，”他老来这么想，

“按照我少年时的打算：

任蠢蛋去咒骂，我未曾转向，

有些事做得美妙圆满。

但那幽灵却唱得更响，“又怎样？”

 

译者：袁可嘉

附英文原文

What Then

William Butler Yeats

His chosen comrades thought at school

He must grow a famous man;

He thought the same and lived by rule,

All his twenties crammed with toil;

“What then？” sang Plato's ghost. “What then？”

Everything he wrote was read,

After certain years he won

Sufficient money for his need,

Friends that have been friends indeed;

“What then？” sang Plato's ghost. “What then？”

All his happier dreams came true --

A small old house, wife, daughter, son,

Grounds where plum and cabbage grew,

poets and Wits about him drew;

“What then？” sang Plato's ghost. “What then？”

“The work is done”, grown old he thought,

“According to my boyish plan;

Let the fools rage, I swerved in naught,

Something to perfection brought”;

But louder sang that ghost, “What then？”

 

 

 

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