Nature——Henry David Thoreau

自然

陈绍鹏 译

O Nature! I do not aspire

啊，自然

To be the highest in thy choir, -

我不渴望成为你合唱团里的最高音，——

To be a meteor in thy sky,

也不渴望成为空中的流星，

Or comet that may range on high;

或是天上漫游的彗星；

Only a zephyr that may blow

我只想化作一缕微风

Among the reeds by the river low;

吹拂河边的芦苇地；

Give me thy most privy place

给予我最隐蔽的地方

Where to run my airy race.

让我在空气中驰骋而行。

In some withdrawn, unpublic mead

在那僻静的草地上

Let me sigh upon a reed,

我在芦苇旁叹息，

Or in the woods, with leafy din,

在叶声喧嚣的树林，

Whisper the still evening in:

低语着寂静黄昏的来临：

Some still work give me to do, -

让我安静地为你做一些事情，——

Only - be it near to you!

只为向你靠近！

For I'd rather be thy child

我宁愿在荒野森林里

And pupil, in the forest wild,

当你的孩子和学生，

Than be the king of men elsewhere,

也不愿当至高无上的皇帝，

And most sovereign slave of care;

那不过是充满忧虑的奴隶；

To have one moment of thy dawn,

我宁愿拥有你片刻的黎明，

Than share the city's year forlorn.

也不愿在城市里倾诉长年的孤寂。