As I walked out one evening by W.H. Auden

As I walked out one evening, Walking down Bristol Street, The crowds upon the pavement Were fields of harvest wheat. And down by the brimming river I heard a lover sing Under an arch of the railway: ‘Love has no ending. ‘I’ll love you, dear, I’ll love you Till China and Africa meet, And the river jumps over the mountain And the salmon sing in the street, ‘I’ll love you till the ocean Is folded and hung up to dry And the seven stars go squawking Like geese about the sky. ‘The years shall run like rabbits, For in my arms I hold The Flower of the Ages, And the first love of the world.' But all the clocks in the city Began to whirr and chime: ‘O let not Time deceive you, You cannot conquer Time. ‘In the burrows of the Nightmare Where Justice naked is, Time watches from the shadow And coughs when you would kiss. ‘In headaches and in worry Vaguely life leaks away, And Time will have his fancy To-morrow or to-day. ‘Into many a green valley Drifts the appalling snow; Time breaks the threaded dances And the diver’s brilliant bow. ‘O plunge your hands in water, Plunge them in up to the wrist; Stare, stare in the basin And wonder what you’ve missed. ‘The glacier knocks in the cupboard, The desert sighs in the bed, And the crack in the tea-cup opens A lane to the land of the dead. ‘Where the beggars raffle the banknotes And the Giant is enchanting to Jack, And the Lily-white Boy is a Roarer, And Jill goes down on her back. ‘O look, look in the mirror, O look in your distress: Life remains a blessing Although you cannot bless. ‘O stand, stand at the window As the tears scald and start; You shall love your crooked neighbour With your crooked heart.' It was late, late in the evening, The lovers they were gone; The clocks had ceased their chiming, And the deep river ran on. 漫步夜色中 我走下布里斯托大街 路上的人群 如小麦收获时的田野 沿浪涌的河岸 动情的歌声传来 铁轨的拱桥下 他唱着：“爱无止息 ”我将爱你，亲爱的，我将爱你 直到非洲连着中国 直到河流越过山巅 直到鱼儿雀跃大街 “我将爱你 直到海折水枯 直到移星转斗 喧闹于苍穹 我知时间白云苍狗 因我怀抱着 岁月馨香的赠予 和世间独一的初恋 ”然而城里的钟声 已开始呜呼作响 噢！莫叫时光欺瞒 时光它怎可战胜 ”梦魇的深穴 赤裸着正义凛然 时间在黑暗里目不转睛 制止你的每一个亲吻 “头痛心焦 生命在朦胧中溜走了 时间的幻想终会实现 不是明朝就在今日 ”曾经绿荫葱茏的巷 如今弥漫骇人的雪 时间打断如织的舞步 还有跳水人的华丽躬身 “噢！把双手插入水中 让它没过手腕 凝视，凝视盆中 想想你究竟错过了什么 ”冰川在壁橱里敲门 沙漠在床上叹息 茶杯的缝裂开了 一条通往死域的径 “那里，乞丐们博彩 巨人迷惑了杰克 纯真的男孩咆哮着 吉尔躺倒在地上 ”噢！看，看镜中 看看你的痛苦 生活还是上天赐福 虽然你已不能祈福 “噢！站，站在窗边 泪水涌出烫伤脸颊 你将爱上你驼背的邻居 把他放进你扭曲的心里” 夜深，深夜降临 歌唱的情人们已离开 钟声消逝于夜空 大河流逝在心中